When and why did English change Affrick and Asie to Africa and Asia? [closed]

English names for continents all end in Latin suffix -a / -ia, except Europe.

Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia

Since English language used to take much of its vocabulary from French during Middle Ages (incl. some suffixes, e.g. -y (← Fr. -ie) as in Italy), I was wondering why English names for continents are not formed after French instead, containing the French suffix -e.

Afrique, Amerique, Antarctique, Asie, Australie

As I found out, Africa and Asia, the two Old World continents, actually DID have the French suffix. According to Wiktionary:

• Africa comes from Middle English Affrike, from Old French Affrique, Affrike. Obsolete names for Africa include Affrike, Afric, Africk.

• Asia comes from Middle English Asia, Asie, from Old French Asie and Latin Asia.

And Europe still retains its French -e.

Obviously, the English language changed the French suffixes (-e) for Latin ones (-a). And obviously, this change was not natural but rather artificial/external. (And the neologisms America, Australia and Antarctica were then created in this fashion.)

When and why did this change happen?

When people were used to Affrick and Asie, how did they accept new names, Africa and Asia?

Why did not Europe change to Europa?

Solution 1:

In Middle English, both -e and -a were used for all three words. (Not surprising as spelling was widely variable, especially when it came to vowels.) Here's Aelfric (1175) using the -a forms:

Þe ðry delas beoð idælede ðurh heom [Noah], Asia on eastrice ðam ealdestan sunu, Affrica on suðdælæ ðes Chames cynnes, & Europa on norðdæle, Iapheðes ofsprunges.

And here's Confessio Amantis (a1393; c1300) with -e forms:

Asie, Aufrique, Europe..Als ferr as streccheth eny ground, Begripeth al this Erthe round.

If the quotes I found (searching the Middle English Dictionary) are representative, then both -e forms of Asia and Africa were used around 1200 and Europe appeared a little after that (1300).