Whenever the word Africa is mentioned, different thoughts come racing in people's minds. For some, it is a mirage shimmering on the horizon of the arid Sahara desert.
While to others, it's an ivory-tusked elephant standing before the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro. But have you ever stopped to ask what is the original name of Africa? Did the continent have another name in the first place?
Africa is the second-largest and second most populated continent after Asia. The continent covers over 11.7 million miles squared, and to over 1.2 billion people, the word Africa is synonymous to home. It boasts of an unmatched linguistic, ethnic and cultural variety among these people.
The population accounts for about 16% of the world's populace. Despite all you may know about the continent, do you ever ask yourself questions such as what was Africa called in ancient times? Or was Africa called Asia? And many other queries of this sort? Well, the origin of the continent's identity remains a mystery.
What was Africa called before Africa?
The Kemetic or Alkebulan history of Afrika suggests that the ancient name of the continent was Alkebulan. The word Alkebu-Ian is the oldest and the only word of indigenous origin. Alkebulan means the garden of Eden or the mother of mankind.
The word 'Africa' came into existence in the late 17th century. Initially, it only referred to the northern part of the continent. Around that time, the continent had been colonized, and the Europeans ruled over its people as slaves. They influenced the change of identity from Alkebulan to its present name.
What is the other name of Africa?
Before the Europeans settled for the word Africa, the continent was called many other names. They include Corphye, Ortegia, Libya, and Ethiopia.
Other names such as the land of Ham (Ham means dark skins), mother of mankind, the garden of Eden, dark or black continent, Kingdom in the sky, and the land of cush or kesh (referring to the Cushites who were ancient Ethiopian) were used.
Why is Africa called Africa?
There exist many theories explaining the origin of the name of this continent. At the time of writing, no one knows the source for sure. However, the theories below shed some light on how this second-largest continent with the second-largest population acquired its befitting name.
1. Roman theory
Some scholars believe that the word originated from the Romans. According to this school of thought, the Romans discovered a land opposite the Mediterranean and named it after the Berber tribe residing within the Carnage area, presently referred to as Tunisia. The tribe's name was Afri, and the Romans gave the name Africa meaning the land of the Afri.
2. Weather theory
Some believe that the name was coiled from the continent's climate. According to this theory, the word is a derivation aphrike, a Greek word that means 'a land free from cold and horror.' Alternatively, it could be a variation of the Roman word aprica, which means sunny, or even the Phoenician word afar, which means dust.
3. Geographical theory
There is a suggestion that the name came far afield. It was brought by the Indian traders, who entered the continent through the Horn of Africa.
In Hindi, the word apara means comes after. Geographically, this can be interpreted to mean a place to the west.
4. Africus theory
Another fundamental theory claims that the continent derived its name from Africus. Africus is a Yemenite chieftain who invaded the northern part in the second millennium BC.
It is argued that he settled on his conquered land and named it Afrikyah. Because of his insatiable desire for immortality, he ordered the world continent to be named after him.
5. Phoenician Theory
Another school of thought suggests that the name is derived from two Phoenician words friqi and pharika. The words mean corn and fruits when translated. Hypothetically, the Phoenicians christened the continent as the land of corn and fruits.
There is little or no certainty on the source or meaning of the continent's name. Several scholars have tried to explain the origin of the word, but none is convincingly correct. However, the original name of Africa was Alkebulan.
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