According to experts that research the history of the African continent, the original ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. This name translates to “mother of mankind,” or according to other sources, “the garden of Eden.” Alkebulan is an extremely old word, and its origins are indigenous. Many nations in Africa used this word, the Ethiopians, Nubians, Moors, and Numidians.
The name Africa was given to this continent by the ancient Romans and Greeks. However, Alkebulan was not the only name used for the continent. There were many others used throughout history by the people living there, Corphye, Ortigia, Libya, and Ethiopia. However, Alkebulan is the most common one.
The name came from Romans when they discovered land on the opposite side of the Mediterranean. They called this land after a Berber tribe that was living in the Carthage area at the time. According to many sources, the name of that tribe was Afri. Originally, the Romans supposedly called the continent Afri-terra, which was later transformed into Africa.Many experts believe that the name actually came from two Phoenician words. These words were “friqi” and “pharika,” which would translate corn and fruit, respectively.
According to this theory, the Phoenicians called Africa the land of corn and fruit, which actually makes sense. The Phoenicians inhabited cities along the coast of the Mediterranean, and it is quite possible that they managed to discover Africa.
Other theories about the name of the continent also deal with its climate. Many people believe that the name Africa derived from the Greek word “aphrikē,” which denotes a land that is free from the cold weather. Another word that is often mentioned is the Roman word “aprica,” which translates into sunny.Whatever that may be, it is not hard to imagine why the weather could play a major factor in the name chosen for this continent. Although generalizing the weather of an entire continent is not that easy, the people that ”found” Africa have probably only seen a small part of it before giving it a name.
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