Names of Countries and Places.Thefollowing countries were named by the Phœnicians, the greatest commercial people of the ancient world. These names, in the Phœnician language, signify something characteristic of the place which they designated.Europesignifies a country of white complexions, so named, because the inhabitants there were of a fairer complexion than those of Asia and Africa.Asiasignifies between, or in the middle, from the fact that the geographers placed it between Europe and Africa.Africasignifies the land of corn ears; it was celebrated for its abundance of corn and all sorts of grain.Lydiasignifies thirsty or dry,—very characteristic of the country.Spainsignifies a country of rabbits or conies; this country was once so infested with these animals, that Augustus was besought to destroy them.Italymeans a country of pitch; andCalabriahas the same signification, for a similar reason.Gaul, modern France, signifies yellow-haired, as yellow hair characterized its first inhabitants.Caledoniameans a woody region.Hiberniameans last habitation; for, beyond this, westward, the Phœnicians never extended their voyages.Britainsignifies the country of tin, as there were great quantities of tin and lead found here and in the adjacent islands. The Greeks called itAlbion, which signifies, in the Phœnician tongue, either white or high mountain, from the whiteness of its shores, or the high rocks on the western coast.Corsicasignifies a woody place, andSardinia, the footstep of a man, which it resembles.Rhodes, means serpents or dragons, which it produced in abundance.Sicilymeans the country of grapes;Scylla, the whirlpool, is destruction.Syracusesignifies bad savor, so called from the unwholesome marsh upon which it stood.Ætnasignifies furnace, or smoke.
Thefollowing countries were named by the Phœnicians, the greatest commercial people of the ancient world. These names, in the Phœnician language, signify something characteristic of the place which they designated.Europesignifies a country of white complexions, so named, because the inhabitants there were of a fairer complexion than those of Asia and Africa.Asiasignifies between, or in the middle, from the fact that the geographers placed it between Europe and Africa.Africasignifies the land of corn ears; it was celebrated for its abundance of corn and all sorts of grain.
Lydiasignifies thirsty or dry,—very characteristic of the country.Spainsignifies a country of rabbits or conies; this country was once so infested with these animals, that Augustus was besought to destroy them.Italymeans a country of pitch; andCalabriahas the same signification, for a similar reason.Gaul, modern France, signifies yellow-haired, as yellow hair characterized its first inhabitants.Caledoniameans a woody region.Hiberniameans last habitation; for, beyond this, westward, the Phœnicians never extended their voyages.
Britainsignifies the country of tin, as there were great quantities of tin and lead found here and in the adjacent islands. The Greeks called itAlbion, which signifies, in the Phœnician tongue, either white or high mountain, from the whiteness of its shores, or the high rocks on the western coast.Corsicasignifies a woody place, andSardinia, the footstep of a man, which it resembles.Rhodes, means serpents or dragons, which it produced in abundance.Sicilymeans the country of grapes;Scylla, the whirlpool, is destruction.Syracusesignifies bad savor, so called from the unwholesome marsh upon which it stood.Ætnasignifies furnace, or smoke.