User blog comment:TacoCopper/The Outside Contienent/@comment-4727448-20120424010309/@comment-4612798-20120426090543

I said 'Europe' was Asian not because Europa was mythically Asian but because its originally a Minoan myth rather than a Greek one. And I've always thought the Minoans were much more of an Middle-East civilisation than a European one. But then I don't claim to be a classics expert.

I guess when we say Asia in this context we're talking about the Mediterranean coast or Mesapotamia at best. I don't think way back when these words were invented there was much real cultural difference between the say proto-Phoenicians and the Minoans.

Interestingly there is a theory that it has its roots in the Akkadian word for sunset - so that would mean it is the opposite of Asia.

And where-ever Carthaginians said they were from, they spoke a variety of Phoenician - which is a Asian language.