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| Alkebu-lan 1260 AH, by Nikolaj Cyon |
ALKEBULAN: THE AUTOCHTHONOUS NOMENCLATURE OF AFRICA.
There are two kinds of schools of thought on the etymology of Africa. The first school is the autochthonous school which asserts that the nomenclature 'Africa' can be traced to African origin. It is derived from the African language. For instance, according to Guyanese-born, British professor of African studies, Dr. Ivan Gladstone Van Sertima, the etymology of Africa is linked to the Egyptian word “Afru-ika,” which translated to “motherland.”
Furthermore, another sub-division of autochthonous school posits that the Dogons, an ethnic group indigenous to the region of Mali, West Africa, defined people across the continent as AfRAkan. Theorists argue that while the term may appear similar, it’s unlike the word African because it was created by the continent’s people and not a European explorer. AfRAka is defined as, “First-Sun-Soul.”
On the other hand, the second school of thought, the European school of thought, opines that the origin of the word can be traced to the external influence of the European and the Arabic on the continent. For better understanding, a study under the European school of thought theorizes that the spelling and popularization of Africa originated from Romans who conquered what is now modern day Tunisia, and identified the continent as Africa terra (the feminine form of Africus, which is Roman mythological deity), meaning the "land of the North African tribe", Afri.
Another etymology of Africa theory posits that the origin of the spelling of Africa stems from the Latin words “Afer,” which means black or dark, and “Aprica,” meaning sunny.
Moreso, under the European school of thought, the etymology of Africa has Greek origins. Phrike is a Greek word meaning "land of cold and horror.” When preceded by an “A-” prefix, the word Aphrike is formed, which holds the opposite meaning: “land free of cold and horror.” This aptly defines the continent and its climate in contrast to European winters.
Lastly, the Dutch theory asserts that the term for the continent was “Afrika.” While phonetically similar to “Africa,” it is believed that the “k” was substituted with the letter “c” to make the word appear more European. This is further supported by a comparison between Dutch and Afrikaan languages. Afrikaan is a language native to South Africa and Namibia. It’s partially creole, which is a fusion of multiple languages, but is around 90% Dutch. The big change Afrikaan makes from traditional Dutch is replacing the hard “c” with a “k.”
In a bid to find an autochthonous identity for the continent called 'Africa', the prolific, erudite and versatile Senegalese historian and politician, Late Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop engaged in a rigorous intellectual research to fathom this. Eureka! He found it. The autochthonous nomenclature is 'Alkebulan' meaning 'Mother of Mankind'.
Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop whose assertion is in alignment with the autochthonous school of thought argues that Africa was originally referred to as Alkebulan by its people, long before the name Africa came about. Alkebulan is an indigenous term that wasn’t given to Africans by Europeans. It is autochthonous.
In the book "Kemetic History of Afrika", celebrated Senegalese historian, the late Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop, asserts that the ancient name of Africa was Alkebu-lan, meaning “mother of mankind” or “Garden of Eden.” The name Alkebulan, he writes, was used by the Moors, Nubians, Ethiopians and other indigenous people. This theory aligns with Kemetic (Egyptian religious) and Ethiopian texts that anoint Africa as the genesis of creation.
Also, Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop’s assertion is in alignment with the Kemetic theory agenda which is a cultural movement that seek to reconnect with and reclaim ancient African heritage. It serves as a reminder of the rich and influential history of ancient Egypt as an African civilization.
Deductively, from the viewpoint of Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop "Alkebulan" is the original name for Africa according to the oldest Nubian and kemetic texts. It is the oldest name for Africa in history, and it means the "Cradle of Mankind" or the "Garden of Eden".
On the issue of Alkebulan being unknown to any African language is yet to be substantiated with good evidence. I found out that the word Alkebulan broken down will be 'al-Kebulan', with the al- prefix being a definite article. So, we have a supposed word *kebulan. I can't find this word, or possible derivations of it. I would guess it would have the root of either k-b-l or b-l-n. My guess is towards the former, as (IIRC) Arabic uses nasals in derivational morphology more often than other consonants.
Also, Kabylie or Kabylia (Berber: Tamurt n Leqbayel), is a region in the north of Algeria. The Arabic is "al-Qaba'il", which means "the tribes", which points to NOT being one of the earliest names for Africa.
So basically, so far it seems like there's no evidence that 'Alkebulan' is an Arabic word.
Dr. Diop relied on the oldest Kemetic and Nuban texts to assert that Africa was known and called Alkebulan before being later called Africa.
Historically, it was in the 17th century that the continent came to be known as Africa. From a reasonable point of view, I submit that the continent had a name before the nomenclature Africa was attributed to it. Also, Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop’s assertion is in alignment with the spirit of Africanism and Afrocentrism. Africans must continuously seek to reclaim their lost glory and identity through intellectual research, cultural and political movement. The spirit of Africanism and Afrocentrism must be imbibed by Africans. Africa has an identity, Alkebulan.
On the authority of “Kemetic History of Afrika” written by Late Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop, I submit that the word “Alkebulan” along with other indigenous names such as “Afru-ika,” and “AfRAkan” was the indigenous nomenclature of the continent which the inhabitants used to refer to themselves before the European or Arabic influence since there had been an existing interaction, interrelation and transaction among the aborigines long before external influence on the continent.
Here's a Brief Biography of the Cheikh Anta Diop.
Cheikh Anta Diop (29 December 1923 – 7 February 1986) was a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician who studied the human race's origins and pre-colonial African culture. Diop's work is considered foundational to the theory of Afrocentricity, though he himself never described himself as an Afrocentrist. The questions he posed about cultural bias in scientific research contributed greatly to the postcolonial turn in the study of African civilizations.
Diop argued that there was a shared cultural continuity across African people that was more important than the varied development of different ethnic groups shown by differences among languages and cultures over time. Some of his ideas have been criticized as based upon outdated sources and an outdated conception of race.Other scholars have defended his work from what they see as widespread misrepresentation.Cheikh Anta Diop University (formerly known as the University of Dakar), in Dakar, Senegal, is named after him.
References
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheikh_Anta_Diop. Accesses on 9th June, 2024
“Kemetic History of Afrika” written by Late Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop
Khttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabylia
Kinishi C."Alkebulan the Original Name forAfrica." https://www.awaytoafrica.com/know-africanrhehbe roots/#:~:text=In%20the%20book%20Kemetic%20History,Ethiopians%20and%20other%20indigenous%20people. Accessed on 9th June,2024
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