Africa or Afrika?

[Northern Freikur]

This is pretty stupid.

I agree

[Old Tyrannia]

A. They're not my friend, more of a region-mate who can't drop this subject.
B. Nope, they're an African-American (Or as they prefer: African in Diaspora) from North Carolina.

Aren't you sure you don't mean "Afrikan-Amerikan from North Karolinen"?

We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika is wunderbar...
We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika, Amerika...

[Herrebrugh]

Aren't you sure you don't mean "Afrikan-Amerikan from North Karolinen"?

We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika is wunderbar...
We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika, Amerika...

Coca-Cola, sometimes war...

[Northern Freikur]

Aren't you sure you don't mean "Afrikan-Amerikan from North Karolinen"?

We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika is wunderbar...
We're all living in Amerika,
Amerika, Amerika...

Ja.

Halt! Hammerzeit!

[Arkolon]

And if we talk about "rascist" names for nations. In Polish name for Germany - "Niemcy" comes from word "niemy" what means dumb or mute - mostly because early slavs was thinking that germanic people are not able to speak (as they clearly was speaking gibberish for them)...

So literally: Dumbland

It's the same in all Slavic languages, I believe, and even gives the Turkish and Arabic word for Austrians But it isn't offensive, it means "mute" and contrasts with "slav" or "slov" meaning "letter" today but meant "speak[er]" in early Slavic. Berbers are named for a similar reason (those who spoke "bar-bar-bar" gibberish, like bar-bar-ians).

[Eol Sha]

Complete other question: OP, is your friend actually from anywhere on the African continent? I think that Africans (particularly those who speak a language that is written with the Latin Alphabet, whether that language be European in origin or not) should be the ones deciding over the innate colonialism inherent in the letter "c".

I imagine most Africans don't give a fuck. They've probably got real issues to worry about.

[New Waterford]

Except the name "Africa" itself was given to the whole continent by Europeans (it originally referred to a Roman province in the north of the continent). Even if you spell it with a K, you're still referring to the continent by a name of European origin, which seems to contradict the reasoning behind the spelling change.

Africa is a continent with numerous diverse cultures and languages. It's unlikely that there can be another name for the continent which would be agreed upon by the majority of Africans and/or represents African people as a whole. Until such a name is presented which is popular among Africans, the word 'Africa' seems fine to me.

[Esternial]

So...I can now demand you all use "België" instead of "Belgium"?

Doubt you lot can even pronounce the "ë".

[Izweababa]

The 'c' is just how the Europeans like to spell it. There's nothing wrong with spelling it either 'c' or 'k'.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Wasn't the contenant named after Scipio Africanus or something? It's not like it's anglicized version of an African word (which wouldn't be racist either)

[Old Tyrannia]

Wasn't the contenant named after Scipio Africanus or something? It's not like it's anglicized version of an African word (which wouldn't be racist either)

It's the other way around, actually. The name "Africa" comes from the name of a group of people the Romans called the Afri, who lived in what is now Libya. It means, loosely speaking, "land of the Afri."

[Prusselanden]

How about the Elephant ear?

[Internationalist Bastard]

Wasn't the contenant named after Scipio Africanus or something? It's not like it's anglicized version of an African word (which wouldn't be racist either)

It's the other way around, actually. The name "Africa" comes from the name of a group of people the Romans called the Afri, who lived in what is now Libya. It means, loosely speaking, "land of the Afri."

Well then call it Afri. I don't care. I just don't see how it's racist

[The Brand New Salvatagard Republic]

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 :\ )

Are you talking about the Afrikaanas?

Yay, I being ignored.

[Salus Maior]

Africa's not going to be freed any more by a letter. What a ridiculous thought.

They can spell it however they want, and we'll spell it however we want. Fair enough?

[Lychgate]

So...Afrika for Africa, Misr for Egypt, Suomi for Finland, Nippon for Japan, Polska for Poland, Kalaallit Nunaat for Greenland, España for Spain, 'MURICA! for USA, Deutschland for Germany, and on and on and on...

Soon everything will be called by its endonym! Yay?

[The Soviet German Union]

Duh. I just took Afrika because that's how it's written in German. Haven't thought that Neo-Fascism PC has something against Africa though.

[Salus Maior]

So...Afrika for Africa, Misr for Egypt, Suomi for Finland, Nippon for Japan, Polska for Poland, Kalaallit Nunaat for Greenland, España for Spain, 'MURICA! for USA, Deutschland for Germany, and on and on and on...

Soon everything will be called by its endonym! Yay?

It wouldn't even be called "Afrika" by the Africans natively. Considering it's ultimately a Roman name.

[Jochistan]

Rakism must not be allowed to kontinue. Afrika is the korrect spelling.

[Old Tyrannia]

So...Afrika for Africa, Misr for Egypt, Suomi for Finland, Nippon for Japan, Polska for Poland, Kalaallit Nunaat for Greenland, España for Spain, 'MURICA! for USA, Deutschland for Germany, and on and on and on...

Soon everything will be called by its endonym! Yay?

I look forward to watching the rest of the world try to wrap their collective heads around "Cymru."

[Internationalist Bastard]

So...Afrika for Africa, Misr for Egypt, Suomi for Finland, Nippon for Japan, Polska for Poland, Kalaallit Nunaat for Greenland, España for Spain, 'MURICA! for USA, Deutschland for Germany, and on and on and on...

Soon everything will be called by its endonym! Yay?

That's not really a new thing, you know how long people who weren't German called the country Deutschland?

[The Land Fomerly Known as Ligerplace]

Rakism must not be allowed to kontinue. Afrika is the korrect spelling.

Ultimecia, is that you?

[New haven america]

Are you talking about the Afrikaanas?

Yay, I being ignored.

I was referring to the English name being changed, for all English speaking people.

Also, they agree with people like Mugabe, so I don't think they'd take "the white invaders" into consideration.

[The Two Jerseys]

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

But what about the area beyond the third sector?

The Heart of Darkness, obviously.

[H-Alba]

Scotland : na h-Alba
Ireland : Éireann

That means of Scotland. The Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland is Alba; attaching the h- is done when the word proceeding it (in this case na) ends in a vowel and the word starts with a vowel (Alba), and adding the h does not change the word. While na means of. So, for example, Rioghachd na h-Alba (kingdom of Scotland), notice the A in Alba is capitalised and not h-, since the h- is not considered a part of the word itself. Also, the Irish name of Ireland is Éire.


Anyway, no... There is no reason to change the spelling of Africa