Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-05
AMERICA.
How the Name Originated.

oAoAO SAVCA AUOVc, HIS alIod1ty Do6u
noticed in the Commercial. The sum
OF it is this: There is an upland range in
Nicaragua, which now is an Indigenous
word; probably it was used by the
natives four hundred years ago; proba-
bly, Columbus landed on the coast in
the neighborhood of this upland range;
probably he there heard the name
Amerique; probably he bore the name
back to Spain; probably it came into use
as designating TIE regions discovered by
Spaniards; probably the use of the
name spread from Spain through
Europe, and when Hylacomylus pro-
posed the name America for the new
world in honor of it's discoverer, Ameri-
Gus Vesputius, he was only adopting a
name already in common use, and igno-
rantly ascribing a false origin to the
word
In all this there is but one fact, that
there is a mountain range in Nicaragua,
which is now called Amerique, or
Americ. All the rest is ingenious, but
purely imaginative suggestion. It is,
however, a challenge for a restatement
Of the grounds of the accepted belief
as to the name.
Americas Vesputius was simply the
Latinized form Of Amerigo Vespucci.
Amerlg0 was a common name In the
Vespucci family; one of that name liv-
ed as early as the year 1886. His cotem-
poraries were not precise in spelling the
name, they used the various forms
Amerigo, America, Almerigo, Alberico,
Morigo, Vcspuccio, Vespucei, Vespuchy,
Vezpuche, Espuche, Despuchi; and in
Latin it was Albericus, Americas, Yes
puccius, Vespuctins, Vesputius. This
variety was not peculiar. Columbus in
his day was called Colon, Colon, Col
ONO, Colombo, Comes, Columbus; and
in German pamphlets of 1905 and 1915
be appears as Christoff Tauber.
Immediately after the return of Col
umbus from his first voyage, brief
letter of his, describing his discoveries,
was translated into Latin and printed in
Italy and Germany. Six editions ap-
peared in the year 1893. This letter
formed little pamphlet, entitled De
insults nuger inUentis, and Columbus
became known as the discover of islands
beyond the ocean.
Immediately upon the discovery of
Brazil by Cabral, the Portuguese navi-
gator, little pamphletappeared, which
proved to be the most popular and SEN
sational publication of the time. It ap-
peared as letter from Albericus Yes
puceus, describing a voyage made by
him in the service of the King of Portu-
gal, wherein he had discovered a vast
continent, which he said might be called
q New World. This letter, beginning
with the announcement of the discovery
of the new world, was filed with start
ling and extrayagant statements. Bear
ing the,title, "Maudus NoUus, itrapidly
went through numerous editions, espe-
cially in France and Germany. It was
also translated into italian with the title
of "INc1adO NoUc;'" and a German trans
lation entitled 'Voa der neW geflnde1a
Region die aOol elm Welt geneu1et mag
aOerdeaa'' went through five editions in
the year 1905. So while Europe was
filed with the narrative Of Columbus,
the discOverer of new islands, it was
thrilled and flooded with the accounts
of Albericus Vespuceus, the discoverer
Of new world.
Upon this, Hylacomylus in 1907,
published his famous pamphlet. Prof,
to give his name, in &C.
cordance with the fashion of the day, a
classic form, first economically changed
it into Waldseemueller; then, by trans
lating the Valid and Mueller into Greek,
and connecting them by particle, OBJ
tanned his nom de plume Hylacomylus.
His pamphlet entitled d" Cosnaographae
hatroductjo casa,a Quibus dam geoanetrie
&C astro9aona5oe principals ad cam rem
In super galGtuor Aneea'-
ici Vespucj5 aaovagationes," went
through four editions in the year of it's
first publication, In this pamphlet oc-
ours the sentence: "Nu7ac zero ct hogc
parties sst,at latius 1ustrat9, ct ala
qatorta pars per Aneericuna Vesputi-
UNI (ut IN seQuentibus audietua') daaventa
est, guam non vides cur gus jure vetet
ab An1e1'icO iaaVeaai0re sagac5s dngenM
giro, Amaerige1a quasi, Anaea5c5 terra,
saVe Aneerac0na ddceaadana. In two
other places he repeats the suggestion
to name this new world after Americas,
it's discoverer, either by mingling Latin
and Greek, Americige, the land OF
Americus, get the name Amerge, or, to
take the simpler formation, America.
l. VI i've calls LuIOPO Ao1A OOOd AIAOet
with pamphlets describing new world
by Albericus or Americas
Vesputius. The proposition was to
name the new world after it's discoverer.
learned more about the
voyages afterward, and in preparing the
edition of Ptolemy's Geography, printed
in 1913, he drew map entitled "Tabula |
Terre Move" and engraved on it, "Hac
terra cum adiacentibus insults inventa
est per Columbian januensem ex man
data regis Castelle." But his amends
were too late. His suggestion had
fallen on soil too we'll prepared, and had
already taken root. The dame America
became the synonym Of the New World,
and, growing into use first in the map
and book publishing region of the Up
per Rhine, spread thence with books to
other lands. The name grew into vogue
in books before it was introduced into
maps. In the edition of Ptolemy of
1903, printed at Rome, the newly dis
covered lands made their first appear