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I'm not sure whether this question is asking "What does 'America' mean in Latin?" or "What does 'Latin America' mean?"

What does 'America' mean in Latin?

"America" doesn't really mean anything in Latin; the name was coined based on the name of the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who visited the South American coast on several voyages between 1499 and 1502. Vespucci Latinized his name (a common practice at the time) as Americus Vespucius, and it was this form that served as an inspiration to the cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, who first used the term "America" in 1507.

For what it's worth, "Amerigo" is an Italian form of the Germanic name "Amalric," from roots meaning "work" and "kingdom."

What does 'Latin America' mean?

"Latin America" refers to those parts of North, Central and South America where Spanish and Portuguese - languages derived from Latin - are spoken. Sometimes the term is applied more broadly to include all the territory south of the southern border of the United States, even countries where the primary language is English or French.

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15y ago

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