posted
When we leave the realms of the mythological, illogical, and mystic, we are left with the origins of our modern word Africa from the Aourigha Imazighen land owners of a region (Ifriqiyya) in modern Tunisia where the Poeni rented land to establish their city Qeret Hhadashat.
This tribe was the Aourigh. A land and its people often share the same or a similar name, hence we have: Aourigha => Afrika or Afarik => Afrika
UNESCO, Ki-Zerbo, J. (Editor) Histoire Generale de l'Afrique Vol.1 Methodologie et Prehistoire Africaine Paris: Jeune Afrique, 1980
Greek and Roman usages of Aphrikê and Africa stem from the Poeni term taken from the indigenous tribes of what today we call Tunisia. Fanciful derivations from aprike, aprica, and Ophren are historically baseless suppositions.
Gerald Massey Book of Beginnings London: Wms & Norgale; 1881 Vol. 1, p. 28
is the source for Af-rui-ka (place of beginnings). Owners of that book can please supply a citation which references a Mdw Ntr textual origin for that phrase/term if Massey indeed gives a Kmtyw source for his position. Note that Diop gives Amami as the name of the AE ancestral regions. Af-rui-ka and Amami both refer to the landmass upriver from Kmt.
The Roman cognomen Africanus was bestowed to generals in honour of their battle victory. They never posessed such a name before their war exploits against the Poeni Afer.
Afrika didn't originate as a Latin word with the Romans. Lewis & Short, in their A Latin Dictionary, note that the Romans received the name Africa from the Carthaginians who used it to designate their country. When the K*na`ani (Phoenicians) first arrived, the name they chose for the country reflected the fact that it was the land of the Aourigha/Afarika, the landholding autochthon presumably Amazigh (Berber) people.
Lewis & Short see the Romans adapting Africa from the name the Carthaginians themselves used. They find no native Greek word Aphrikê but likewise see it as an adaptation. According to Liddell & Scott in their A Greek - English Lexicon, aphrikti (from phrikê) is the Greek word that means "without shuddering". By perusal of climatic tables I find one would shiver just as much on a night in Tunisia as they would on the northern shores of the Mediterranean especially from November through April. Notice that except for the months of December and January the average temperature in Tunisia is colder than that of Greece.
Average temperatures from http://www.themed.net for the countries Greece (top) and Tunisia (bottom)
Tunisia's majority ethny, living there when the K*na`ani founded Qeret Hhaddashat, were the Aourigha (as transcribed by Charles Tissot, and Avrigha or Afrigha by others). The Aourighen are a clan of the Tuareg who in turn are a tribe of Imazighen (Berbers). Knowing this dissolves the need for comparatively fanciful and highly speculative etymologies for the word Africa.
Afrika seems most likely derived from the name of the people the K*na`ani found inhabiting Tunisia upon their arrival. It does not come from fanciful explanations involving fruit, cold, sunshine, separation, legendary personages, or post-Byzantine, post-Roman, post-Greek, or Arab Muslim designations.
Before the Romans had their word Africa, the Greeks had their word Aphrikê, and before that the Imazighen had the Afrigha tribe. The difference is that the Greek and Roman words are not native to either language whereas Afrigha is from the Tamazight root, F-R-GH.
"Africa" is not an original Latin word but borrowed from the Greek Aphrikê -- which only use in Greek was for "Africa" (the Afrigha being the people whom the Ssuri paid to rent the land where they founded their new city Carthage (Qeret Hhaddashat). They didn't take it from their own Semitic terms "pharaqa" or "phariki."
There seems to be no connection between the Afrigha tribe, the generic Afer/Ater peoples, and the AE Af-rui-ka designation. Af-rui-ka points to places upriver but for places west of the Nile AE's used Amenti. This suggests that our modern word Africa stems from the Tamazight language rather than from the AE language.
It is said that the name Africa is got from the name the Romans. They used the name "Afer/Aper".
This name is said to be taken from the Carthagians.
The name Afer designated those who were not Carthagians in Northwest Africa, so Berbers.
Terentius Afer means therefore Terentius the African.
the Ca of Afri/ca may be due to the grammatical use of in Latin.
The name "Ifri" (plural of Afri/Afray ?) is still used. Older tribes had the name "Banu Yefren". (Arbic for the tribes descending from the Ifri).
I think we should go back to mythology agian: This goddess , as far as i know, was originally a Berber goddess called "Ifri" (accordign to a moroccan historian/archeologist), and it seems to have adopted as "Africa" by the Romans. So, it is believed that the original name of Africa would descend from her name:
posted
One ignores the fact of the Aourigha at one's enthusiastic peril. The Aourigha / Afer looks
In Aourigha we have all the sound of Africa. Where are the sounds of Africa in Ifri? How do you supply the missing 'ca?' Where are your sources and who are they?
I've sourced and cited actual ancient Greek and Latin lexicons which show derivation from either of those languages is unsound. Therefore no Ifri + ca, an awkward mix of two different language families less lone languages.
Posts: 8014 | From: the Tekrur in the Western Sahel | Registered: Feb 2006
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I've come across this information before and am still trying to figure out what does the name Aourigha mean? I raised this in my book The Bakala of North America. Has any new research been able to ascertain the meaning behind the term?
Posts: 853 | From: Houston | Registered: Nov 2007
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The most close word in my Berber variation is the word "awragh". This means "yellow" in the berber language.
The name "touareg" (twareg) is possibly related to this name. The name touareg is not an arabic name meaning "left behind" (or something like that). The name comes from "tawargit" (or such name). I've to re-search it if needed, but you can do it self.
As the name africa is concerned. The goddess Africa is adopted from the Berbers by the Romans. The Berbers didn't use the name Africa. By the name "Ifri" which means "cave". If so, i mean if it is true that it had this name "Ifri", but it became "Africa", then i don't have to explain the "ca" in the name. (The source is an article of an arceologist and prof in the university of Mohamed V in rabat).
I think it is generally believed that the name began as "afer" or "aper". So, it is possible that the name became africa as it became latinized. Like: Numidia => Numidicus...
The name Africa was firstly applied to modern Tunisia. The Arabs called it "Ifriqya". That is possibly the reason why it has later been spread in the whole world.
Why in Tunesia? When the Romans were in war against the Carthagians, they repported that they colonized the land of the Ifri's. This means that those Ifri were not Carthagians, and thus, Berbers.
Tribes with such names are not unusual. Ex: benu yefra, and several places/cities having the name "Ifran" (or such names).
When the Romans destroyed Carthago, they took a Carthagian as young slave. He seems to have been Berber. Therefore he was called "Afer", this means he was not Carthagian (Punicius), but from those people of the Ifri. The relevance is that it has been used as an adjectif, most probably as the African.
Thus, in my opinion (not really of me ), the name is based on the name Ifri. This name was a name of goddess as of a tribe. Is it possible that the tribe Ifri/Afer was called after the goddess Africa?
Any way, i found an interesting link for you, this explains the link between Afer/Ifri and Africa, like as i said, but it didn't mention the goddess Africa/Ifri: http://www.jstor.org/pss/714549Posts: 883 | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Asar Imhotep: I've come across this information before and am still trying to figure out what does the name Aourigha mean? I raised this in my book The Bakala of North America. Has any new research been able to ascertain the meaning behind the term?
Are we talking about the Tuareg tribe of Kel Aurigh and Aurighen. That clan name has nothing to do with the name Ifriqiyah, Afarik, Afar or Ifren which comes from the Kel Ifuraces and Iforas tribes of Tuareg.
Posts: 4226 | From: New Jersey, USA | Registered: Mar 2007
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quote:Originally posted by Mazigh: The most close word in my Berber variation is the word "awragh". This means "yellow" in the berber language.
The name "touareg" (twareg) is possibly related to this name. The name touareg is not an arabic name meaning "left behind" (or something like that). The name comes from "tawargit" (or such name). I've to re-search it if needed, but you can do it self.
As the name africa is concerned. The goddess Africa is adopted from the Berbers by the Romans. The Berbers didn't use the name Africa. By the name "Ifri" which means "cave". If so, i mean if it is true that it had this name "Ifri", but it became "Africa", then i don't have to explain the "ca" in the name. (The source is an article of an arceologist and prof in the university of Mohamed V in rabat).
I think it is generally believed that the name began as "afer" or "aper". So, it is possible that the name became africa as it became latinized. Like: Numidia => Numidicus...
The name Africa was firstly applied to modern Tunisia. The Arabs called it "Ifriqya". That is possibly the reason why it has later been spread in the whole world.
Why in Tunesia? When the Romans were in war against the Carthagians, they repported that they colonized the land of the Ifri's. This means that those Ifri were not Carthagians, and thus, Berbers.
Tribes with such names are not unusual. Ex: benu yefra, and several places/cities having the name "Ifran" (or such names).
When the Romans destroyed Carthago, they took a Carthagian as young slave. He seems to have been Berber. Therefore he was called "Afer", this means he was not Carthagian (Punicius), but from those people of the Ifri. The relevance is that it has been used as an adjectif, most probably as the African.
Thus, in my opinion (not really of me ), the name is based on the name Ifri. This name was a name of goddess as of a tribe. Is it possible that the tribe Ifri/Afer was called after the goddess Africa?
Any way, i found an interesting link for you, this explains the link between Afer/Ifri and Africa, like as i said, but it didn't mention the goddess Africa/Ifri: http://www.jstor.org/pss/714549
Most names of Tuareg tribes and Afro-Asiatic tribes are of Gods and Goddesses including and espeically their tribal chiefs such as Ifrikus. And yes Hafir, Haphir, Afir, Apher in the African Asiatic dialects means cave or mine.
The Tuareg like Beja and other African Asiatic people name their locales, Argh, Uruk, Arak, Warka, Arik, or Ark, Khar it is both a name which signifies a womb or place of the tribe, hence Ta Uragh Ta Warigh.
Leaders of the tribes were often called Arig, Arkammon, Khar, as in Kharkasan, Kharkhar chiefs of of Nubia.
Posts: 4226 | From: New Jersey, USA | Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
This is nothing special to the so-called Afro-Asiatic language group as this is just a variation of the Niger-Congo word KA which denotes authority and is applied to God, Chiefs, Kings, and Leaders of households.
quote:Originally posted by dana marniche: Most names of Tuareg tribes and Afro-Asiatic tribes are of Gods and Goddesses including and espeically their tribal chiefs such as Ifrikus. And yes Hafir, Haphir, Afir, Apher in the African Asiatic dialects means cave or mine.
The Tuareg like Beja and other African Asiatic people name their locales, Argh, Uruk, Arak, Warka, Arik, or Ark, Khar it is both a name which signifies a womb or place of the tribe, hence Ta Uragh Ta Warigh.
Leaders of the tribes were often called Arig, Arkammon, Khar, as in Kharkasan, Kharkhar chiefs of of Nubia. [/QB]
You're not basing this on linguistics. The /u/ or /ou/ is pronounced as a /v/ sound. /v/, /f/, /b/ are common sound shifts within any language group. The /g/ with aspired /h/ can easily, and often turns into a /k/.
What you don't find in Afro-Asiatic, or any African languages to my knowledge, are endings of -ces. That is Indo-European. Therefore a Ifura-ces, as an indigenous rendering is unlikely.
Most scholars render it Afer or Aourigha. Afer and its variations are found all over Africa, especially in Niger-Congo languages (including Bantu) as Afar, Fura, Farima, So-Fala, Fari, Afura, etc. (where we get the term Pharaoh) all relating to the King, his office or a secret society. You find other variations as Poro or Boro.
The key is knowing the common sound shifts. KA, along with to, ta, tsi, tshi, se, si, ci, in Niger-Kongo designates land. IF the gha/ga is a local variation of ka (land), then the name simply means Land of the Afer/Ifri/Fari/Afura, etc.
quote: Are we talking about the Tuareg tribe of Kel Aurigh and Aurighen. That clan name has nothing to do with the name Ifriqiyah, Afarik, Afar or Ifren which comes from the Kel Ifuraces and Iforas tribes of Tuareg
–Because the Greeks wrote “Hekipto” – the Egyptian name for Memphis – as “Aegyptos”- all of a sudden “Egypt” becomes a “Greek” originated word!
–then there’s the gymnastics involved in giving a Greek origin to an African region “Ethosh” by inventing a word that supposedly meant “Land of the Burnt Faces”; I could never find this expression in either ancient or modern Greek. The earlier Western scholars- early 1900s – had always maintained that the etymology of Ethiopia was from the Egyptian “Ethosh”
–Now, we come to our present topic where again, a Greek or a Roman origin for the name for the African continent is always put forth…Usually, it’s something like “the Afer people(s), there were many of these groups throughout northern Africa…” or having something to do with “dust”. Never mind that there is never the culmination of the demonstration as to where did the other part of the name “ka” originate; it’s certainly neither Greek nor Latin; (People + “ka”), (Dust + “ka”)…it’s all nonsense, of course.
There is no linguistic gymnastics nor any contrived methods needed here in order to demonstrate that the Ancient Egyptian expression “Afrikah” is the etymology of the name of the Continent – Africa/Afrika…
Afer, Afre, Afri -
The most obvious approach in solving for “Ka” would be the Ancient African concept of “Ka” or genius; or the other obvious one of “kau” for highlands. Although both would seem obvious choices, and neither would be invalid, it is really the more simple “kah” for earth or soil.
kah –
Standard usage for the expression “hot earth” would be “KahAfri” or “KahAfer”, but if you wish to say “heat of the earth” it would be “Afri kah” which is absolutely more plausible than the lame effort to make “Africa” derive from the Greek “(a)phrike” (Αφρικ(ahf.ree.key)) – land without cold!
The etymology of the name “Africa” is from the Ancient Egyptian expression “Afrikah” – the heat of the earth! …absolutely…
Posts: 3344 | From: Berkeley | Registered: Oct 2003
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Your method is flawed @ Wally as you are totally neglecting history to make sense of your folk etymology. You still have to explain why is Africa, in the earliest attestations of the term, only in Roman records? And why does the territory they called Africa NOT extend to Egypt? Thirdly you will have to explain why there are NO PRIMARY RECORDS of ANY land masses along the Nile, or even foreign territories named AfriKah (according to your etymology)? And lastly, why do we NOT find in ANY dictionary the terms AFRI and KAH TOGETHER to form a word? Why does everyone post these words separate and not together, from a dictionary or primary text? Why do you NOT see any people or niwt determinative next to your words?
You're making stuff up Wally and that's not good scholarship.
Posts: 853 | From: Houston | Registered: Nov 2007
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ancient people of Africa and Asia did not have a concept of or use for "continents". Europe and Asia are the same landmass, the separation is arbitrary and Africa is also connected .The concept of continents comes from the Greeks. Supposedly they referred to the whole of Africa as "Libya" rather than the Libya we know today and not as "Africa". The proper name for regions in ancient Africa are the individual names for each of the separate, tribal territories, villages and cities rather than a continental name.
Posts: 42920 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
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The historian Leo Africanus (1495>1554) attributed the origin of the name 'Africa' to the Greek word phrike (φρικε, meaning "cold and horror"), combined with the negating prefix a-, so meaning a land free of cold and horror.
Evolution of words: Mdu Ntr > Greek > Modern English
Het ki Ptah (aa.ee.ktoh) > Αίγυπτος (aa.ee.gtoh) > Egypt
quote:Originally posted by Wally: The historian Leo Africanus (1495>1554) attributed the origin of the name 'Africa' to the Greek word phrike (φρικε, meaning "cold and horror"), combined with the negating prefix a-, so meaning a land free of cold and horror.
Evolution of words: Mdu Ntr > Greek > Modern English
Het ki Ptah (aa.ee.ktoh) > Αίγυπτος (aa.ee.gtoh) > Egypt
Afrikah (ah.free.kah) > Αφρική (ah.free.kee) > Africa
Afrikah: "hot earth/land" Αφρική: "land free of cold" ...
for those who are still confused:
Afrikah & Αφρική are expressions that describe a climate; such as the expressions of "tropical", "temperate", "arctic"...
Posts: 3344 | From: Berkeley | Registered: Oct 2003
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), the name is based on the name Ifri. This name was a name of goddess as of a tribe. Is it possible that the tribe Ifri/Afer was called after the goddess Africa?
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