African
/ˈæfrɪkən/
adjective
Origin
Latin
Afer — inhabitant of the land of the Afri
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to Africa or its people, languages, or cultures.
- A person who is a native or inhabitant of Africa.
Literal older meaning
belonging to the land of the Afri
Language path
Latin → Middle English → English
Earliest form
African
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The name 'Africa' originally referred only to the Roman province of Africa, which corresponds to modern-day Tunisia. It was only later, through geographic expansion, that the term was applied to the entire continent.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
Afri
“a tribe near Carthage”
The name originally designated a specific Libyan tribe.
- Latin
Africa
“the region inhabited by the Afri”
- Middle English
African
“of or from Africa”
Adopted from Latin 'Africanus'.
Connections
Word parts
Afric-
root
relating to the land of the Afri
-an
suffix
relating to or originating from
Related across languages
French
africain
African
Spanish
africano
African
Related words
Explore next
Related to African
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.