Re: Afrasian?

Andreas Johansson writes:
 > Tim May wrote:
 > >Jan van Steenbergen writes:
 > >  >  --- Andreas wrote:
 > >  >
 > >  > > If _Eurasica_ is eurocentric, is _Eurasia_ then asiatocentric?
 > >  >
 > >  > No. In "Eurasia" the two components are more or less equally
 > >  > represented.
 > >
 > >Let's not forget, also, that Europe is a lot smaller.  If we were only
 > >now to name the continents for the first time, no-one would create
 > >Asia and Europe.
 >
 > For the very good reason that Asia and Europe aren't continents.
 >

From any objective geographical viewpoint, I agree with you, but that
is how they are defined, at least in English. The terms come from a
time when Europeans had no real idea of the scale of Asia and Africa.

 > >You might give Europe a name, as a cultural
 > >grouping, but only if you divided Asia up into several spheres of
 > >influence, and you probably wouldn't consider them to be
 > >continents. I'm not denying Europe deserves a mention: it's
 > >historically important; these terms are basically for use in European
 > >languages; and the alternative term for Eurasia would be "Asia", which
 > >would clearly invite confusion.  But giving it one less letter than
 > >Asia and the initial position is hardly unfair on Europe.
 >
 > See my other mail for why don't think "Eurasia" don't equally represent Asia
 > and Europe. I note again that I don't think this kind of "fairness" is very
 > important.
 >

Well, as it's been pointed out, Asia's a very short word.  "-ia" is a
fairly generic ending, too - one other continent and various countries
and regions end with it.  Even more end in "-a".  Therefore, it would
be possible to analyse "Eurasia" as Eur-as-ia or Eur-asi-a.  Given the
relative uniqueness of the syllable "eur" and the fact that it
occupies word-initial-position, I think Europe's well represented
(plus, as I said before, it doesn't necessarily deserve equal
representation).


 > Speaking of use in European languages, I'd guess that Western behaviour the
 > last few centries has instilled a concept of "Europe" in most non-European
 > minds. To what extent has Asiatic cultures acquired a concept of "Asia"?
 >

Well, in recent years certain Asian politicians have spoken nebulously
of "Asian values", often offered as a reason for not being more
democratic.  I doubt this represents anything real, though.