Afri
Encyclopedia
Afri was a Latin
name for the Carthaginians. It was received by the Romans from the Carthaginians, as a native term for their country.
Afer was at first used as an adjective, meaning "of Carthage", "of Africa". As a substantive, it denoted a native of Africa, i.e. a Carthaginian.
The ultimate etymology of the Punic term for the country is uncertain. It is possible that it is derived from a Punic term for an indigenous population of the area surrounding Carthage. The name may be connected with Phoenician
`afar, dust
(also found in other Semitic languages
), or with Berber ifri, cave
(see Tataouine
). The classical historian Flavius Josephus asserted that the region had been invaded by descendants of Abraham
's grandson Epher
, who gave it their name.
During the Roman Empire
period, Afer came to be a cognomen
for people from the Africa Province
.
This ethnonym is the source of the term Africa. The Romans referred to the region as Africa terra (land of the Afri), based on the stem Afr- with the adjective suffix -ic- (giving Africus, Africa, Africum in the nominative singular of the three Latin
genders). Following the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War
, Rome set up the province
of Africa
.
The Roman Diocese of Africa
was conquered by the Vandals
in the 5th century, and re-conquered by the empire as the Praetorian prefecture of Africa
in AD 534. The Latin name Africa was received in Arabic after the Islamic conquest
, as Ifriqiya
.
The name is still extant today as Ifira and Ifri-n-Dellal in Greater Kabylia (Algeria). A Berber
tribe was called Banu Ifran
in the Middle Ages, and Ifurace was the name of a Tripolitan people in the 6th century. Troglodytism
was frequent in northern Africa and still occurs today in southern Tunisia. Herodotus
wrote that the Garamantes
, a North African people, used to live in caves. The Greeks also called an African people who lived in caves Troglodytae
.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name for the Carthaginians. It was received by the Romans from the Carthaginians, as a native term for their country.
Afer was at first used as an adjective, meaning "of Carthage", "of Africa". As a substantive, it denoted a native of Africa, i.e. a Carthaginian.
The ultimate etymology of the Punic term for the country is uncertain. It is possible that it is derived from a Punic term for an indigenous population of the area surrounding Carthage. The name may be connected with Phoenician
Phoenician languages
Phoenician was a language originally spoken in the coastal region then called "Canaan" in Phoenician, Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic, "Phoenicia" in Greek and Latin, and "Pūt" in Ancient Egyptian. Phoenician is a Semitic language of the Canaanite subgroup; its closest living relative is Hebrew, to...
`afar, dust
Dust
Dust consists of particles in the atmosphere that arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind , volcanic eruptions, and pollution...
(also found in other Semitic languages
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
), or with Berber ifri, cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
(see Tataouine
Tataouine
Tataouine , also transliterated as Tatooine, Tatahouine, Tatahouïne, Tatawin, Fum Taţāwīn, Fumm Tattauin, Foum Tatahouine, Fum Tatawin, or Foum Tataouine, from the Berber Tittawin, literally meaning Eyes, with the figurative meaning of Water springs , is a city located in southern Tunisia...
). The classical historian Flavius Josephus asserted that the region had been invaded by descendants of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
's grandson Epher
Epher
Epher was a grandson of Abraham, according to Gen. 25:4, whose descendants, Jewish historian Flavius Josephus claimed, had invaded Libya. Josephus also claimed that Epher's name was the etymological root of the continent Africa. According to the Bible, he was a son of Midian....
, who gave it their name.
During the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
period, Afer came to be a cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
for people from the Africa Province
Africa Province
The Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern Tunisia, and the small Mediterranean coast of modern-day western Libya along the Syrtis Minor...
.
This ethnonym is the source of the term Africa. The Romans referred to the region as Africa terra (land of the Afri), based on the stem Afr- with the adjective suffix -ic- (giving Africus, Africa, Africum in the nominative singular of the three Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
genders). Following the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War
Third Punic War
The Third Punic War was the third and last of the Punic Wars fought between the former Phoenician colony of Carthage, and the Roman Republic...
, Rome set up the province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
of Africa
Africa Province
The Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern Tunisia, and the small Mediterranean coast of modern-day western Libya along the Syrtis Minor...
.
The Roman Diocese of Africa
Diocese of Africa
The Diocese of Africa was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of North Africa, except Mauretania Tingitana. Its seat was at Carthage, and it was subordinate to the Praetorian prefecture of Italy....
was conquered by the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
in the 5th century, and re-conquered by the empire as the Praetorian prefecture of Africa
Praetorian prefecture of Africa
The praetorian prefecture of Africa was a major administrative division of the Eastern Roman Empire, established after the reconquest of northwestern Africa from the Vandals in 533-534 by emperor Justinian I...
in AD 534. The Latin name Africa was received in Arabic after the Islamic conquest
Umayyad conquest of North Africa
The Umayyad conquest of North Africa continued the century of rapid Arab Muslim expansion following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE. By 640 the Arabs controlled Mesopotamia, had invaded Armenia, and were concluding their conquest of Byzantine Syria. Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad caliphate....
, as Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
.
The name is still extant today as Ifira and Ifri-n-Dellal in Greater Kabylia (Algeria). A Berber
Berber mythology
The traditional Berber mythology is the ancient and native set of beliefs and deities developed by the Berber people in their historical land of North Africa...
tribe was called Banu Ifran
Banu Ifran
The Ifranids, also called Banu Ifran, Ifran, or the children of the Afri , were a Berber tribe prominent in the history of pre-Islamic and early Islamic North Africa....
in the Middle Ages, and Ifurace was the name of a Tripolitan people in the 6th century. Troglodytism
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
was frequent in northern Africa and still occurs today in southern Tunisia. Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
wrote that the Garamantes
Garamantes
The Garamantes were a Saharan people who used an elaborate underground irrigation system, and founded a prosperous Berber kingdom in the Fezzan area of modern-day Libya, in the Sahara desert. They were a local power in the Sahara between 500 BC and 700 AD.There is little textual information about...
, a North African people, used to live in caves. The Greeks also called an African people who lived in caves Troglodytae
Troglodytae
The Troglodytae or Troglodyti , were a people mentioned in various locations by many ancient Greek and Roman geographers and historians including Agatharcides, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, Tacitus, Josephus, etc....
.