Amerigo Vespucci

1 8.2

An Italian sailor and explorer whose name is used for the continents of America

proper noun
/əˈmɛrɪɡoʊ vɛˈspuːtʃi/

: Américo Vespucio

The continent of America is named after Amerigo Vespucci.

Examples

The continents of North and South America are named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci.
Many historians credit Amerigo Vespucci with recognizing South America as a separate continent.
Amerigo Vespucci was one of the first Europeans to suggest that the newly discovered lands were not part of Asia.
Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence, Italy.
Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer known for his voyages along the coast of South America.
Historians often discuss how Amerigo Vespucci played a pivotal role in mapping the New World.
As the continents of America are named after him, Amerigo Vespucci is an important figure in navigation history.

Synonyms

Vespucci

vsAmerigo Vespucci

2 8.1

An Italian sailor and explorer who showed South America was a separate continent

gives national identity instead of naming the city of origin

Surface Forms

Amerigo Vespucci main

Morphology

Amerigo + Vespucci

This is a full proper name whose meaning is referential and encyclopedic (an Italian navigator) rather than compositional. Knowing the constituent name parts does not allow a learner to deduce the historical identity or that the continents are named after him, so the meaning is not derivable from the words themselves.

Etymology

Amerigo Vespucci is the name of an Italian explorer who wrote clear letters saying the newly found lands were a separate continent. A mapmaker used his first name and wrote 'America' on a new map, so the continents of North and South America are named after him.