Africa

Meaning

1. (countable, uncountable) The continent that is south of Europe, east of the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Indian Ocean and north of Antarctica.
2. (countable, nonstandard, proscribed, uncountable) Sub-Saharan Africa, contrasted with the Maghreb.
3. (countable, historical, uncountable) A former province of the Roman Empire, containing what is now Tunisia, northeastern Algeria and portions of coastal Libya; existing from 146 BC (initially in the Roman Republic) through 698 AD, except for 439 through 534 AD, when it was occupied by the Vandals.
4. (countable, uncountable) A surname.

Synonyms

African

Dogon

white man’s grave

The Dark Continent

𐐈𐑁𐑉𐐲𐐿𐐲

Translations

Afrique

África

Africa

Afrika

África

Afrika

Αφρική

Africa

Àfrica

أفريقيا

Afrika

Efrîqa

إفريقيا

Africa

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: Affrike

Cognate with Latin: aprica

In summary

From Middle English Affrike, from Old French Affrique, Affrike, from Latin Āfrica, from Āfrī, singular Āfer (inhabitant of the country of Carthage), in turn either from:
* The Punic or Phoenician word 𐤏𐤐𐤓 (ʿpr /⁠ʿafar⁠/, “dust”), which has cognates in other Semitic languages.
* The Berber word ifri (“cave”), plural ifran, in reference to cave dwellers of Tunisia (see Tataouine).
Folk etymologies include:
* Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) + φρίκη f (phríkē), meaning "without cold"
* Latin aprica (“sunny”).

Sentences

He became a missionary in Africa and fought the slave trade all his life .

Humans and their ancestors originated in Africa .

Tangier is not like the rest of Africa .

He leads the African Academy of Sciences Grand Challenges Africa Programme .