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America is Welsh!; ...well, okay, not literally, but y'know...
Topic Started: Jul 9 2010, 11:06 AM (965 Views)
Ddraig Goch
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Ar hyd y nos

It is commonly believed that "America" is named after Amerigo Vespucci, who was an Italian merchant and cartographer. This is not, however, true. After all, new islands and continents were always named using the surname, meaning that had America been named after him, it would be "Vespuccia", or something along those lines.

In actual fact, America is named after a wealthy merchant who worked in Bristol, called Richard Ameryk. He was the chief investor behind the second trans-atlantic voyage of John Cabot (another Italian, whose real name was Giovanni Caboto). Cabot was authorised by King Henry VII of England to search for unknown lands to the West in 1484.

Cabot landed in America in 1497, becoming the first recorded European to set foot on American soil. He mapped the North American coastline from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland.

As chief patron of the voyage, Ameryk would have expected discoveries to be named after him. And, indeed, in the Bristol calender for that year; "...on St John the Baptist's Day [24 June], the land of America was found by the merchants of Bristowe, in a ship of Bristowe called the Matthew." This suggests that America was indeed named after Ameryk.

So, the reason behind the topic title? - Ameryk was Welsh.

So there you have it. All Americans have been Welshified without even realising it. :lol:

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Well, that's good news, isn't it, boyo?
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Ddraig Goch
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Indeed. Actually, it was bound to happen. Wales is famous for its valleys and mountains, which as a people we love dearly - and America has a massive mountain chain (the Rockies), plus the largest terrestrial valley of Earth.
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This actually makes me happy. I'd rather be Welsh than Italian. The Welsh are actually fun.

Or, at least all the ones I'm aware of.
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Ddraig Goch
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Yep, that's us. Sheep all round! :lol:
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...
You do know the English stereotype of the Welsh, right?
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Ddraig Goch
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Yes, I was just joking. Actually, that stereotype amuses us slightly, to be honest, simply because it's so unfounded. Besides, zoophilia isn't exclusive to Wales anyway.
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T.Neo
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This is quite interesting. I've always wondered why the Americas were never named the "Columbias". :lol:

Though perhaps North America should be called Vikingland... :rolleyes:
Edited by T.Neo, Jul 9 2010, 01:36 PM.
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Holben
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The whole 'name decides who you are' thing doesn't always work though. Call me a celto-norman-viking-nigerian-saxon, i'm still english.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

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Ddraig Goch
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... Nigerian?
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Holben
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I took a map and closed my eyes, pointed to a country.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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Ddraig Goch
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Fair enough.
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Holben
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:)

Anyway, the Americans came from Russia. The Native Americans.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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T.Neo
Jul 9 2010, 01:35 PM
This is quite interesting. I've always wondered why the Americas were never named the "Columbias". :lol:
Technically, that would be Christophia.
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Are you plausible?

Here's a page that talks about Columbia.
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