Why is Asia called Asia?

There are various explanations why Asia is called so. One explanation is that ancient Greeks used the term to describe the land to their east and the word itself may have come from the Assyrian word asu, which means ‘east’.

Another theory is that it was a name given by ancient Greeks and Romans to refer to Anatolia (Asia Minor) and subsequently to land to the east of Mediterranean sea. As western explores reached further east, the term Asia was used to describe the entire landmass as we know it today.

Some historians say that the word Asia originated from the ancient Greek word ?σ?α, which was first used by Herodotus in the 5th century BC while referring to Anatolia or the Persian Empire.

There are others who believe that the word has its origin from the Aegean word ‘Asis’ which means ‘muddy and silty’ describing the eastern shores of the Aegean Sea while there are some who believe the word could have come from the Semitic root ‘Asu’, which means ‘light’, referring to sunrise.