Let us begin with the names by which cotton is known across the continent of Africa to help underline its significance and potential. In Hausa, it's auduga. In Yoruba and Igbo, owu. In Akan/Twi, asaawa. In Swahili, pamba. In Amharic, t'it'i. In Zulu and Xhosa, ukotini or ikotini or ilaphu depending on the context and in Afrikaans, katoen.
Across north, east and southern Africa, many of these names trace their etymology and linguistic roots to the Arabic word qutun - the origin of the English word "cotton". Through centuries of trade across the Sahara and the Indian Ocean, qutun travelled, transformed and embedded itself in African languages and economies.
But cotton's story begins long before Africa adopted the fibre. Archaeological evidence shows that cotton was independently domesticated in two parts of the world.
In Peru, cotton fabrics dating back to 6000 BCE have been found at Huaca Prieta. Meanwhile, in the Indus Valley, cotton cultivation and spinning began around 5000 BCE, with advanced textile manufacturing flourishing by 3000 BCE.
Originally published by African Business.