Africa or Afrika?

[The Alexanderians]

Why on earth does it matter which spelling a person chooses to use? Like, seriously.

Spoiler alert: white people

So you use the super-white german spelling. GG.

[Esgonia]

Just let people spell Africa/Afrika/Africka/Whatever as they wish.
Jeez, all this argument just for one letter.

[Eol Sha]

Just let people spell Africa/Afrika/Africka/Whatever what they want to spell. Jeez, all this argument just for one letter.

I haven't seen any actual argument.

[Vonnt]

-

[Kazirstan]

Afrika, because it's cooler.

[The Alexanderians]

Just let people spell Africa/Afrika/Africka/Whatever what they want to spell. Jeez, all this argument just for one letter.

There are people that insist calling someone from the US an American is wrong and will argue to death that you should call them "United Statesian". Hell, some languages do just that. Semantics is serious business.

[South Asia Minor]

Spoiler alert: white people

So you use the super-white german spelling. GG.

Once again, the word itself is racist.

It's the only practical, official and useful word though, so, again, it's not worth debating.

[New Grestin]

Africa, obviously.

[The Alexanderians]

Africa, obviously.

*hands you a cookie*

[Esgonia]

Afrika, because it's cooler.

I would say the same.

[Vonnt]

So you use the super-white german spelling. GG.

Once again, the word itself is racist.

It's the only practical, official and useful word though, so, again, it's not worth debating.

Words cannot be racist.

[New Grestin]

Africa, obviously.

*hands you a cookie*

It's gonna take a lot more than that to drag me away from you.

[New Decius]

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 :\ )

How do you define "Free Africa/Afrika"? There are 54 sovereign nations on the African Continent. Africa itself is not a country, it is a geographical feature which many acknowledge as what we call a continent. There is the African Union which serves a similar purpose to the European Union, but just like the EU, it is not a combined sovereign state altogether. And Africa itself is laced with many different cultures and languages. All Mediterranean bordering nations of North Africa each has a different culture particularly Egypt.

[South Asia Minor]

Once again, the word itself is racist.

It's the only practical, official and useful word though, so, again, it's not worth debating.

Words cannot be racist.

Oh fuck off mate. You know what I meant, because I already specified it, unless you were unable to read one so many posts above yours. Get a concept of nuance and stop talking like a twat.

[Vonnt]

Words cannot be racist.

Oh fuck off mate. You know what I meant, because I already specified it, unless you were unable to read one so many posts above yours. Get a concept of nuance and stop talking like a twat.

And why do you feel the need to get angered over a simple sentence?

[New Decius]

Words cannot be racist.

Oh fuck off mate. You know what I meant, because I already specified it, unless you were unable to read one so many posts above yours. Get a concept of nuance and stop talking like a twat.

Has someone actually said that words cannot be racist. To this person, Vonnt, have you ever opened a history book or read any sort of article or anything.

[Cryma (Ancient)]

As asinine as it is, it's an interesting point that the person is making. Interesting but not very credible. I see what they're trying to say but really don't think the spelling of the continent's name is as important as actually helping people who live there who require aid.

It's not a matter of political correctness. This person isn't trying to be politically correctly. Maybe they're just trying to be unique. Maybe for a right or wrong reason, that isn't up to me, not my place to say. Hell, it's semantics all the way around and people like to play semantics so I think it's nothing more than that. It's funny people say it's political correctness when that's nothing to do with it.

[South Asia Minor]

Oh fuck off mate. You know what I meant, because I already specified it, unless you were unable to read one so many posts above yours. Get a concept of nuance and stop talking like a twat.

And why do you feel the need to get angered over a simple sentence?

You think it's the sentence that angers me and not the fact that you have no comprehension of the debate? That's a cheap jab innit.

[Korhal IVV]

Le people spell it as they want. Simple.

[Vonnt]

Oh fuck off mate. You know what I meant, because I already specified it, unless you were unable to read one so many posts above yours. Get a concept of nuance and stop talking like a twat.

Has someone actually said that words cannot be racist. To this person, Vonnt, have you ever opened a history book or read any sort of article or anything.

Erm, yes, I have.

[TotallyNotEvilLand]

There isn't one singular African culture to decide on what it should be called, so...

Why can't people just have their own names for it? Cultures the world over have names for places.

[The Alexanderians]

There isn't one singular African culture to decide on what it should be called, so...

Why can't people just have their own names for it? Cultures the world over have names for places.

Well if it's in the same language it should have the same word.

[New Decius]

Has someone actually said that words cannot be racist. To this person, Vonnt, have you ever opened a history book or read any sort of article or anything.

Erm, yes, I have.

Have you ever heard of what the Nazi's called the Jews and others they deemed "Undesirables", they called them subhuman for a start so tell me how that is not racist. And how Whites treated Africans and African Americans for centuries and still do today. Or WWII, Korean War, and the Indochina Wars wherein the United States and the European Powers essentially slandered the Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. Racism in a U.S. general order during WWII in regards to the Japanese "Take no Prisoners".

[South Asia Minor]

Erm, yes, I have.

Have you ever heard of what the Nazi's called the Jews and others they deemed "Undesirables", they called them subhuman for a start so tell me how that is not racist. And how Whites treated Africans and African Americans for centuries and still do today. Or WWII, Korean War, and the Indochina Wars wherein the United States and the European Powers essentially slandered the Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. Racism in a U.S. general order during WWII in regards to the Japanese "Take no Prisoners".

words better than mine ^
i just resort to swearing

[The Alexanderians]

Erm, yes, I have.

Have you ever heard of what the Nazi's called the Jews and others they deemed "Undesirables", they called them subhuman for a start so tell me how that is not racist. And how Whites treated Africans and African Americans for centuries and still do today. Or WWII, Korean War, and the Indochina Wars wherein the United States and the European Powers essentially slandered the Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. Racism in a U.S. general order during WWII in regards to the Japanese "Take no Prisoners".

Wut? That's insane, the US troops were encouraged to take prisoners and were punished if they didn't. Allied High Command was very interested in getting their hands on as many captured troops from the Japanese as possible considering how suicidally dedicated they were to "going to hell and taking a few with them".