African
from Latin Africanus, from Africa (terra) ‘(land) of the Afri’, an ancient people of North Africa.
wiktionary
Attested as a noun in early New English Aphricane, Africans(plural), Middle English as Affrican, Aufrican and Old English as Africanas(“Africans”)(only plural). From Latin Āfricānae, from Āfricānus, from Āfricus. The adjective appears in the 16th century, as Affricane, Africane, African.
Latin Āfricus is from Āfri (singular Āfer), the name of an ancient people of North Africa (near Carthage, in modern Tunisia), with the suffix -icus. Africānus is formed by addition of the -ānus suffix.
etymonline
African (n.)
Old English Africanas (plural) "native or inhabitant of Africa," from Latin Africanus (adj.) "of Africa, African," from Africa (see Africa). Used of white residents of Africa from 1815. Used of black residents of the U.S. from 18c., when it especially meant "one brought from Africa" and sometimes was contrasted to native-born Negro. As an adjective by 1560s, "pertaining to Africa or Africans" (Old English had Africanisc); from 1722 as "of or pertaining to black Americans."
