Africanus
/ˌæf.rɪˈkeɪ.ə.nəs/noun
A Latin adjective meaning “African,” also used as a Roman cognomen, most famously in Scipio Africanus.
Did you know?Scipio Africanus earned the name after defeating Hannibal and Carthage in Africa, making the geographical label part of his legendary identity.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
Āfer
“An African person; traditionally associated with the peoples or territory of North Africa”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Latin
Āfrica
“Africa, especially the Roman territory around Carthage and the North African coast”
2nd Century BCE
Latin
Āfricānus
“African; belonging to Africa, formed with the adjectival suffix -ānus”
2nd Century BCE
Latin
Scīpiō Āfricānus
“Scipio “the African,” the Roman general who defeated Hannibal”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Africanus
“African or relating to Africa, retained in scholarly and ecclesiastical usage”
Modern English
English
Africanus
“A Latin cognomen or epithet, chiefly encountered in historical names such as Scipio Africanus”