Africana, noun

/ˌæfrɪˈkɑːnə/
Origin:
English, LatinShow more English, from neutral plural form of Latin adjective Africanus African.
Books, manuscripts, art, furniture, and artefacts connected with Africa, and in particular southern Africa, specifically, those items of value or interest to collectors. Also attributive.
Note:
Used also in general English.
1908 Davis & Sons Catal. (title)Africana: a list of work [sic] dealing with South Africa.
1926 M. Nathan S. Afr. from Within 299The Rand Club is the best residential club, and has an excellent library, with a special collection of Africana.
1937 M. Alston Wanderings 191A library of some 2000 books which contained a valuable collection of Africana.
1943 Africana Notes & News Dec. 4Africana is a word of many different meanings; to one it means books and other printed or manuscript material, to another it means objects other than books. For Africana Notes and News it is used in its widest sense, covering prints, maps..books, pamphlets..furniture, weapons, pictures and by-gones of all kinds — it is restricted only from a geographical point of view; it denotes not the whole of Africa but only Southern Africa.
1951 D. Heller In Search of VOC Glass 21The second incident..relates to an out-of-hand sale of Africana held early in 1938.
1963 D. Godfrey Enchanted Door 20The late Frank Thorold, Africana dealer, of Johannesburg, had this definition of Africana. ‘I take it to mean books, artistic items, statues, pictures and other objects relating to Africa — primarily, we in South Africa consider it to relate to Africa south of the Sahara, but I think the whole of Africa can rightly now be included, although such items in Rhodesia are now called Rhodesiana.’
1968 C.J.D. Harvey in D.J. Opperman Spirit of Vine 293William J. Burchell, author of the famous Travels in the Interior of South Africa (1822), than which perhaps no book is dearer to the heart of any true Africana enthusiast.
1974 The 1820 Vol.47 No.2, 21Africana is the term used for all those items, large and small, of historical importance and interest to southern Africa, although not necessarily made or manufactured in this country.
1987 L. Capstickdale in S. Afr. Panorama Aug. 41Africana is defined as any book, document, artefact, painting or object associated with the discovery, exploration, development and life of South Africa and its peoples of all races in the past 500 years.
1990 Flying Springbok July 16Africana history buffs will be further informed about turn-of-the-century events concerning the Republican forces’ invasion of the Cape.
1991 S. Afr. Panorama May–June 18Little is known about the development of boeremusiek before 1930 when the first records of Die Vyf Vastrappers..were released by Columbia under the Regal label. Today the recordings of this band are Africana.
Books, manuscripts, art, furniture, and artefacts connected with Africa, and in particular southern Africa, specifically, those items of value or interest to collectors. Also attributive.
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African, nounn.2 & adjectiveadj.2African Coast Fever, noun phrasen. phr.
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