Where does the name of our continent come from? There are many doubts, in one of the theories Portugal deserves prize.
The “notion of Europe” is very old – since ancient Greece that the world was divided between Europe, Asia and Libya (present -day Africa). But where does this name come from? There are several theories.
There are those who believe, for example, that the Greeks joined the words euryswhich means “wide”, and opswhich means “face” or “eye”, to reach “Light look”that is, something extensive, which might seem, in fact, so to the sailors of ancient Greece.
However, as the Britannica says, there are linguists who were not convinced by this explanation. Some say that this name has a little more origin for east – in Semitic Language Acádia, spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, present -day Iraq.
In this language, erebu means by the sun, while asu It means sunrise. Now, if we are in Iraq, the sun is born in the direction of Asia and puts it towards Europe, which may explain the name. In this theory, therefore, Portugal is champion: it is the country where, in fact, this idea of sunset in Europe is consummated – it is the last country in Europe to see the sun, from the perspective of mesopotamians.
There are still several theories about the goddess Europe. This goddess is curious: in her best known version, Europe – daughter of Phoenix or Agenor, king of Phoenician – was kidnapped by Zeus, who disguised her white bull. Zeus took her from Phenicia to Crete, where she gave her three children: Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon.
There are, however, who associates Europe with one of the oceanids, the 3,000 marine nymphs. Still, there are also those who connect this goddess to DemeterGoddess of land and agriculture.
Is this name a tribute from the Greeks? Or will you have the eastern origin? Even today the discussion remains, and Europe has divided historians and linguists over the centuries.
