Tema-hu: what does it mean?

[anansi]

I hope not too ot but what of the term Tema-hu I read some where it was translated as Lite or Ivory people how true is that? in the same vain as desrt-tu the red ones.

[Tukuler al~Takruri]

That's folk etymology relying on either Churchward or Massey
and is unsustainable when using any dictionary of the AEL.
"People created white" is a fabrication which was unfortunately
referenced by JA Rogers and picked up on by later researchers.

[Tukuler al~Takruri]

More recently Wayne B. Chandler promulgates this erroneous
etymology in his essay The Moor: Light of Europe's Dark Age
appearing in a couple of Van Sertima's journals along with other
patently mistaken notions without critical examination.

The Libyans, however, were originally caucasian troglodytes
who occupied territory in the far north central portion of Africa.
(15) Their presence has been documented since the first dynasty
in Egypt, circa 3100 B.C. Dr. Rosalie David, an Egyptologist,
describes them as "people with distinctive red or blond hair and
blue eyes who lived on the edge of the western desert" (16)
bordering Egypt. According to Gerald Massey, the Egyptians
called the Libyans Tamahu. In Egyptian, Tama means people
and created. Hu is white, light ivory. Tamahu are the created white
people." (17)

(15) Budgett Meakin, The Moorish Empire (London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1899) p6
(16) A. Rosalie David, The Making of the Past: the Egyptian Kingdom (Turnhout, Belgium: Eisevier-Phaidon, 1975) pp13-14
(17) Gerald Massey, Book of Beginnings (Voll University Books, 1881) p27

Two of his sources, the ones mislabeling Libyans as 'caucasian troglodytes'
and wrongfully declaring Tamahu to mean 'created white people' are over
100 years old. While his other source parrots the status quo on blond and
blue people who do not appear so in any monuments I've seen as far as
blond hair goes.

The original Libyans documented since the 1st dynasty were Tehenu not
Tamahu and far from living in rock hewn dwellings were semi-settled and
transhumant agro-pastoralists. They were of a medium brown skin colour
per Bates, a likewise dated source that however is still definitive and much
referenced by professionals. There are representations of western desert
folk some with blue eyes some with red-brown hair some with skin of cream
but contemporary with those are also representations of same said folk with
dark hair dark eyes and skin of copper. No words for created, people, or
white/light ivory in Pharoanic Egyptian match either tama or hu.

[Tukuler al~Takruri]

Massey in context

The Egyptians identify themselves on the monuments as the RUT. A pictorial representation is found on the tomb of SETI 1 of four races of people arranged in groups of four men each. These are the NAHSI (negroes); the HEMU, men of a light brown hue, with blue eyes, and hair in a bag; the TAMAHU, who are fair as Europeans; and the RUT, who are Egyptians.

These are typical groups, not meant merely for conquered races, as may be gathered from the signification of their names. The TAMAHU are light-complexioned people. In Egyptian, TAMA means people, and created. HU is white, light, ivory. The TAMAHU are the ‘Created white’ people. NA is black, ink. NEH, a blackbird. Su is the person, or birth. The NAHSU one black born, or, in Egyptian phrase, black from the egg (SU).

[anansi]

Thanks Al Takruri that's a mistake I have been repeating on countless occasions.