 One suggestion is that the name comes from the Ancient Egyptian word 'afruika' - which means 'turning towards the ka' or 'turning towards the birthplace' or 'motherland'.Other Eurocentric theories claim that the ancient Romans used the name "Africa terra" – "land of the Afri" (plural, or "Afer" singular) – for the northern part of the continent that corresponds to modern-day Tunisia.The origin of "Afer" may be the Phoenician "afar", dust; the Afri tribe, who dwelt in Northern Africa around the area of Carthage; Greek "aphrike" (*ἀφρίκη), without cold; or Latin "aprica", sunny.