africa
/ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.92 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
The continent that is south of Europe, east of the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Indian Ocean and north of Antarctica.
Countable; Uncountable
name
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.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa"
- "As Russia’s foothold in Africa expands – notably in the mineral-rich Sahel region that is beset by recurring coups, armed rebellion and extremist insurgency – anti-Western sentiments, partly fueled by Russian propaganda, are engineering the exit of Western troops from swathes of territory."
- "The Sahara stood as an important marker between the Maghreb and Africa, not only in modern times but in times immemorial."
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin Āfer Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin āfricus Latin āfrica Latin Āfricabor. Old French Affriquebor. Middle English Affrike English Africa Inherited 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”), from Proto-Semitic *ʕapar- (“dust, soil”), 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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Affrike, Affrique, Āfrica, -, *ʕapar-, ἀ-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/
- British English: /ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Africas (plural)
Afrika (alternative, sometimes)
Affrike (alternative, archaic)
Afric (alternative, archaic)
Africk (alternative, obsolete)
Afficky (alternative, obsolete)