# Africa

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/ · frequency rank #1,260

## Definitions
1. The continent that is south of Europe, east of the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Indian Ocean and north of Antarctica.
2. Sub-Saharan Africa, contrasted with the Maghreb.
3. 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. A surname.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Latin Āfer
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Italic *-kos
Latin -cus
Latin -icus
Latin āfricus
Latin āfrica
Latin Āfricabor.
Old French Affriquebor.
Middle English Affrike
English Africa
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **aria** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/africa-vs-aria)
- **Attica** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/africa-vs-attica)
- **Afridi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/africa-vs-afridi)
- **America** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/africa-vs-america)
- **African** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/africa-vs-african)

## Common misspellings (8)
`affrica`, `afirca`, `afrcia`, `afriac`, `africca`, `afrrica`, `arfica`, `farica`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/africa