What is the most ancient name of the continent we call "Africa," and what is the origin of the name?

I doubt there is a definitive answer. You are aware I guess, that thousands of years ago the continents had a much different configuration and that what is now Africa was once joined to South America.

What is the most ancient name of the continent we call "Africa," and what is the origin of the name?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa#Etym...


I think this paragraph from wikipedia will clarify everything for you
Reply:This question shows a failure to grasp the realities of history.





First off, how do you define Continent? If you define it as it is defined today, a generally contiguous land mass, then you are dealing with the 7 classic continents, and Africa was already in use to describe tha general landmass, so when they needed a name for the specific Contient of _______ they chose Africa.





Now, if you step back further in history, the Greeks believed the world was flat, at it's center was the Agean Sea, and it was bordered by 3 contients, Europe, Asia, and Africa, however, Africa was called something that roughly translates to Libya, but then those terms were first just applied to the coasts, and later applied to areas deeper inland, and there was no concept of 'continent' as we today express it. You might as well ask what the ancient greek term for airplane was





Or, you could look at all the thousands of different indigenous people on the land mass we call the Contient of Africa. Most of those peoples had their own language, and called the land they lived on by a thousand different names, but many of these people had no concept of oceans, or 7 specific land masses, so when they gave a name to the land they lived on, were they talking about the entire continent of Africa? Or were they refering to just their specific bit? Even if they were refering to the biggest chunk of land they could imagine, is that the definition of continent?
Reply:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa


the ancient name of the ancient people was Africi

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