ENGLISH
REFERENCE

asia

n. uncountable
A1 Beginner US //ˈeɪʒə// asia Archaic

n. the largest continent in the world, located mostly in the northern and eastern parts of the Earth. It is home to many different countries, cultures, and more than half of the world's people.

n. the world's largest and most populous continent, situated primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres. It shares the continental landmass of Eurasia with Europe and that of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and Africa.


SIMPLE

Many different languages are spoken across Asia.

CONTEXTUAL

The trade agreement aims to strengthen economic ties between countries in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.

COMPLEX

Geopolitical analysts often focus on the rapid urbanisation occurring across Asia as a primary driver of global economic shifts in the twenty-first century.

Origin

From Middle English Asia, Asie, from Old French Asie and Latin Asia, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓σῐ́ᾱ (Ăsĭ́ā), from Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊 (a-si-wi-ja /⁠aswijaː⁠/), in turn probably from Hittite 𒀸𒋗𒉿 (aš-šu-wa /⁠Aššuwa⁠/, “northwest Anatolia”) of uncertain origin. Potentially from an Aegean language family substrate or Akkadian. Possibly a doublet of Assuwa.

Usage

Proper noun; typically used without an article unless followed by a qualifying prepositional phrase like 'the Asia of the past'.

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