Nubwo umugabane wa Afurika ari ikimenyabose, inkomoko y’izina "Africa" ni urujijo kuri benshi mu bawutuye kandi ntirivugwaho rumwe n’abahanga mu mateka.

Twifashishije amakuru yakusanyijwe n’urubuga rwa South African History Online, tugiye kugaruka ku mateka, inyito n’imyemerere yakomotseho izina ry’umugabane wa Afurika.

Inyandiko zigaragaramo izina "Africa" za mbere zanditswe mu mwaka wa 146 mbere y’ivuka rya Yezu. Nyuma y’intambara z’Abanyapunike zabaye kuva mu 264-146 mbere y’ivuka rya Yezu, Roma yatsinze ubwami bw’abami bw’Abanyakaritaje, ishinga intara ya Africa Proconsularis, ikaba yari igizwe n’ahari Algeria muri iki gihe.

Iyo ntara yaje kwaguka igera mu bice bya Afurika ya ruguru byaje kwitwa Africa Nova. Ibyo bice byari bikubiyemo Numidia yari ituwe n’aba Berber yaje guhinduka Algeria y’ubu hamwe n’igice cya Libya.

Abashakashatsi bamwe bemeza ko izina "Africa" ryaturutse ku izina ry’ubwoko bw’aba Berber bwitwaga Afri. Batekereza ko Abaroma bashobora kuba barahuje "Afri" n’ijambo ry’Ikilatini "terra" (ubutaka) bityo bikavamo "Africa terra", bisobanuye "ubutaka bwa Abafri". Ariko, nta nyandiko z’Abaroma zizwi zigaragaramo iri jambo "Africa terra".

Mbere y’uko Abaroma baba ubwami bw’abami, abahanga mu bumenyi bw’Isi b’Abagiriki, nka Herodote wabayeho muri 484-425 mbere y’ivuka rya Yezu, bitaga Afurika y’Amajyaruguru Libya kandi bakayibarira mu bice bitatu by’Isi byari bizwi ari byo Aziya, u Burayi, na Libya. Uruzi rwa Nil ni rwo rwari urugabanyo rwa Libya na Aziya, mu gihe Inyanja ya Mediterane yagabanyaga Libya n’Uburayi.

Abagiriki kandi bitaga ibihugu biri munsi y’Ubwami bwa Misiri, Aethiopia. Mu magambo y’Ikigereki, "aitho" bisobanura gushya naho "ops" bigasobanura isura.

Aethiopia rero bisobanuye "ubutaka bw’abantu bafite isura yahiye". Ibyo bisobanuye ko Abagiriki bari basobanukiwe imiterere y’abatuye ku butaka bwa Afurika mbere y’uko izina Afurika ribaho.

Mu gihe cya Renaissance, abahanga bongeye kwiga ku nkomoko y’izina "Africa." Umwe muri abo bahanga yari Leo Africanus, umuhanga mu bumenyi bw’Isi wabayeho mu kinyejana cya 16, wavukiye i Granada muri Espagne.

Leo yanditse ko izina "Africa" rishobora kuba ryaraturutse ku ijambo ry’Ikigereki a-phrike risobanura ikintu cyangwa ahantu "hadafite ubukonje" cyangwa ahantu "hadateye ubwoba" cyangwa se rigakomoka ku ijambo ry’Ikilatini ‘aprica’ risobanura ahantu hashyuha.

Ayo magambo yombi yerekeza ku kirere gishyuha cya Afurika, ariko nta gihamya ihamye yerekana ko aya magambo ari yo izina Afurika rikomokaho.

Mbere y’uko izina "Africa" risobanura umugabane wose, hakoreshwaga amazina menshi mu gusobanura intara zayo. Ayo ni nka Bilad al-Sudan risobanura "ubutaka bw’abirabura," mu cyarabu. Ryakoreshwaga bavuga ku bice biri munsi y’ubutayu bwa Sahara.

Irindi zina ni Guinea ryaturutse ku ijambo ry’aba Berber "Guinee," na ryo risobanura "ubutaka bw’abirabura," ryakoreshwaga n’Abanya-Portugal baje muri iki gice mu kinyejana cya 15, hamwe na Aethiopia ryakoreshwaga n’Abagiriki berekeza ku bice biri munsi ya Misiri n’ubutayu bwa Sahara. Andi mazina twagiye tuyavuga, nka Libya ryakoreshwaga ku bice byo hejuru y’ubutayu bwa Sahara.

Ikarita zo mu myaka ya kera, akenshi zigendeye ku miterere y’ubutaka n’imyumvire yo muri icyo gihe, zashushanyaga Afurika nk’ubutaka bw’ibitangaza, bufite imigezi ya zahabu n’imigi ikungahaye nk’uwitwa Timbuktu wari ihuriro ry’ubukungu n’ubumenyi.

Igitekerezo cyo kuba imigabane ari ubutaka bugizwe n’ibihugu biri hamwe cyatangiye hagati y’ikinyejana cya 15 n’icya 16 nyuma ya Yezu. Mu gihe abashakashatsi b’Abanyaburayi bari bashishikariye kuvumbura ibice bitandukanye by’Isi, ari na bwo uwitwa Vasco da Gama yavumbuye Cape of Good Hope, abahanga mu gushushanya amakarita batangiye kwita ibice by’Isi amazina.

Byagiye kugera mu kinyejana cya 17, izina "Africa" rikoreshwa ku makarita ryerekeza ku mugabane wose, risimbura amazina nka Libya na Aethiopia.

Martin Waldseemüller, umushushanyi w’amakarita w’umudage, yabaye uwambere mu bakoresheje izina "Africa" ku makarita ye, bituma ritangira gukoreshwa ku ruhando mpuzamahanga.

Abantu benshi bashingiye ku byanditswe bitagatifu/byera nka Bibiliya bemeza ko abanyafurika bakomotse kuri Ham, umuhungu wa Nowa, wari ufite uruhu rwirabura. Nanone, igice kinini cy’inyanjya ya Méditerranéenne cyamaze imyaka myinshi cyitwa inyanja ya Libya.

Afurika iri mu migabane ituwe cyane ariko iterambere ryayo ryasigaye inyuma