Africa or Afrika?

[New haven america]

Little back story before we get into this:

Over the course of about 3-3 1/2 weeks, another player on my regions RMB has fought/debated over the spelling of Africa, or as they choose to spell it, Afrika (When speaking English). They believe that spelling it with a C is racist, due to the fact that invaders from Europe took over Africa and forced English and other European languages on the African people, and in order to avoid racism and completely free Africa from white-supremacy and European control, it should be spelt with a K instead of a C, because C's aren't normal within native African languages.

Now, there are some problems with this, one of them being that the Germans, Dutch, and Belgians all held land in Afrika at one point or another, and in their respective languages (Along with half of Belgium), spell it Afrika. Another problem here is that things are spelt differently in other languages, English only one of the many, many possible spellings of Africa, that's how languages work. So no, I don't think Africa's spelling needs to be changed in English.

But what do you think NSG? Should we let Africa be free and spell it Afrika? Or continue with the white-supremacist ways and spell it with a C? (Also, sorry if the poll's a bit off, still figuring out how to use my new tablet better :\ )

[Prolieum]

Little back story before we get into this:

Over the course of about 3-3 1/2 weeks, another player on my regions RMB has fought/debated over the spelling of Africa, or as they choose to spell it, Afrika (When speaking English). They believe that spelling it with a C is racist, due to the fact that invaders from Europe took over Africa and forced English and other European languages on the African people, and in order to avoid racism and completely free Africa from white-supremacy and European control, it should be spelt with a K instead of a C, because C's aren't normal within native African languages.

Now, there are some problems with this, one of them being that the Germans, Dutch, and Belgians all held land in Afrika at one point or another, and in their respective languages (Along with half of Belgium), spell it Afrika. Another problem here is that things are spelt differently in other languages, English only one of the many, many possible spellings of Africa, that's how languages work. So no, I don't think Africa's spelling needs to be changed in English.

But what do you think NSG? Should we let Africa be free and spell it Afrika? Or continue with the white-supremacist ways and spell it with a C? (Also, sorry if the poll's a bit off, still figuring out how to use my new tablet better :\ )

I have an instinctive like of Afrika because, you know, Deutschland über alles and all that, but no, the C spelling is perfectly fine-as you said, that is how languages work, it is not as if the term was designed to subjugate, it is simply how the English spell it, to reverse course on this would not only be hypocritical, since Belgium, who really had the worst crimes, spelled it as such, but because you would essentially have to nuke every country name to its name in its original language, which is absurd.

[Republic of Canador]

Good lord. Even spelling must be politically correct now.

[Khadgar]

If one objects to calling it Africa citing racism, I can scarcely see how Afrika is in any way an improvement. That said according to Wikipedia no one has any really solid notion as to why it's called Africa.

[Kahanistan]

Call it by its Swahili name. And no, I don't speak Swahili.

[Indian Empire]

The peoples of AfriCa/AfriKa should decide how they want it spelled.

[New haven america]

Good lord. Even spelling must be politically correct now.

Yes, of course.

Nothing is safe.

[Immoren]

"Africka".

[Northern Freikur]

Little back story before we get into this:

Over the course of about 3-3 1/2 weeks, another player on my regions RMB has fought/debated over the spelling of Africa, or as they choose to spell it, Afrika (When speaking English). They believe that spelling it with a C is racist, due to the fact that invaders from Europe took over Africa and forced English and other European languages on the African people, and in order to avoid racism and completely free Africa from white-supremacy and European control, it should be spelt with a K instead of a C, because C's aren't normal within native African languages.

Now, there are some problems with this, one of them being that the Germans, Dutch, and Belgians all held land in Afrika at one point or another, and in their respective languages (Along with half of Belgium), spell it Afrika. Another problem here is that things are spelt differently in other languages, English only one of the many, many possible spellings of Africa, that's how languages work. So no, I don't think Africa's spelling needs to be changed in English.

But what do you think NSG? Should we let Africa be free and spell it Afrika? Or continue with the white-supremacist ways and spell it with a C? (Also, sorry if the poll's a bit off, still figuring out how to use my new tablet better :\ )

Africa is spelled with a C. Phonetically, it is the same as a K. Seriously, why is this even being debated. When I polled in, 7/7 people agreed with the C.

A more relevant debate would be about changing the name of the American continents. And even that debate is kinda stupid.

[Northern Freikur]

Good lord. Even spelling must be politically correct now.

IKR, It's gone too far...

[Occupied Deutschland]

We should just stick with 'the dark continent'. That's less offensive, right?

[Souseiseki]

afrique of course

[Prusselanden]

Afrika sounds nicer. Or Feizhou.

[Prolieum]

Spelling it at all is racist against those who do not have a written language! And speaking it is discriminating against the deaf! And knowing it exists is discriminating against the ignorant! Quickly, we all must lobotomize ourselves immediately, in the name of Social Justice!

There is a definite difference between an actively discriminatory term, and quibbling over two identical phonetic letters. The whole debate is absurd.

[Immoren]

We should just stick with 'the dark continent'. That's less offensive, right?

Three sectors:
"Dark continent"
"Even darker continent"
"I can't see a thing continent."

[Equestria and Griffon]

Just say "Eurafasia" Kappa

[Sanctissima]

In English, it's Africa. Spelling it any other way, within the confines of the English language, is nonsense.

If someone actually wanted to spell it in the traditional African way, they wouldn't use the Latin alphabet. In fact, they wouldn't even call it Africa. They'd use one of the various tribal names for the continent, of which there are many. Your friend doesn't seem to know what they're talking about.

[Souseiseki]

Good lord. Even spelling must be politically correct now.

the question in the OP is pretty silly but i'm going lol at you if you don't think language up to and including, yes, spelling can be political.

[Rhyphix]

Does it really matter seriously? Everyone already knows what you're talking about no matter what way you spell it.

[New haven america]

We should just stick with 'the dark continent'. That's less offensive, right?

Three sectors:
"Dark continent"
"Even darker continent"
"I can't see a thing continent."

But what about the area beyond the third sector?

[Ghuraba Al-Khorusani]

Or it's Arabic name, Bilad As Sudaniyyah or Bilad Al-Afriki

[Ndaku]

as long as people know what you're trying to say, that's all that should matter.

[Anollasia]

That's not racist, just English.

[Demostopia]

let the English be Africa let Dutch be Afrika

[Khadgar]

Or it's Arabic name, Bilad As Sudaniyyah or Bilad Al-Afriki

Yes but you'd have to write that in Arabic because gods know that translating names from Arabic to English has been a royal pain in the ass in the past.