Tuis » Algemeen » Koeitjies & kalfies » Help needed on some "South African" words
Help needed on some "South African" words [boodskap #28770] |
Tue, 18 January 2000 00:00  |
David Combs[1]
Boodskappe: 2 Geregistreer: January 2000
Karma: 0
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Junior Lid |
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I'm in a "book club" (group of people who one book per month, then
meet to discuss it), and this month we're
reading a story ("Burger's Daughter", by Nadine Gorrimer)
that mainly takes place in South Africa. It uses some vocabulary
that the average American reader (like me) doesn't know.
Could some South-African fill in rough definitions for these?
I'll then xerox the responses, and hand them out to my group
(meets tomorrow (wednesday) night).
THANKS!
---- Here they are:
B O S S (secret police?)
Broederbond
boerewors
coloured (the specific definition for South Africans)
doek
dorp
kaffertjie
kaffir
kaffir-boetie
mealies (roast mealies)
stoep
veld
veldskoen
volk
---- And maybe some of these are South African too:
baize
kaross
pantechnion
rondavel
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Re: Help needed on some "South African" words [boodskap #28782 is 'n antwoord op boodskap #28770] |
Wed, 19 January 2000 00:00   |
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Oorspronklik gepos deur: @home.com
PAT wrote:
>> B O S S (secret police?)
> BOSS is an acronym for BUREAU OF STATE SECURITY
> It doesn't exist anymore (I think)
>>
>> Broederbond
> Something similar to the Freemasons, except even more
> inclusive and and sinister.
One should add here that it was a secret society among mainlyAfrikaners,
aimed at the strengthening of Afrikaner society.
After the election of the National Party in 1948 it started exerting
a tight grip on appointments in the civil service and at universities.
>>
>> boerewors
> literary translated "farmers sausage" something of
> a mix between polish sausage and a hot dog
Come on, Pat. Good Boerewors is surely characterized by the goodground
meat in it. To liken it to a hot dog is surely a travesty.
>>
>> coloured (the specific definition for South Africans)
> of mixed race (usually black and white)
>
>> doek
>> headscarf
>
>> dorp
> small town
>>
>> kaffertjie
> little n***er (I can't bring myself to say it, sorry!)
"Kaffer" comes from the Arabic "Kafir" meaning non-moslem,infidel. Was
then brought to Africa by the Moslems and later
on applied to all black people in Africa.
>> kaffir
> Ni**er - same as above>
>>
>
> kaffir-boetie
> a white person in cahoots with a black person
A "kaffer-boetie" is a derogatory term used by racists in South-Africato
denote a person whose sympathies are with the black people. The
word "boetie" is a dimunitive form of "broer" (brother.)
>
>
>> mealies (roast mealies)
> corn
>>
>> stoep
> porch
>>
>> veld
> you ought to know this one, it is universal -
> land with scrubs and brush and trees
>
>> veldskoen
> a handmade leather shoe - crudely made
>>
>
> volk
> nation
>
>> ---- And maybe some of these are South African too:
>>
>> baize
> I don't know that word
From our American Heritage Dictionary: " A cotton or woolenmaterial
napped to imitate felt, often bright green in colour, and
used chiefly as a cover for gaming tables. (French "baie"..)
>
>
>> kaross
> a blanket made of deer or cowhide
>
>> pantechnion
> a vehicle (truck or eighteen wheeler) carrying new cars
>
>> rondavel
> a round house/hut with a thatched roof
>>
It is interesting to see that English speaking South Africansuse the
original Dutch spelling "rondavel" when they write
about this particular sort of building. (In Afrikaans it is
spelt "rondawel.") The fact that the building is round is the
most important feature of it. But more often than not it has
a thatched roof. In the olden days quite a number of tribes
built their dwellings in the form of rondawels. Modern
rondawels are frequently found in Game Parks etc.
Gloudina
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Re: Help needed on some "South African" words [boodskap #28831 is 'n antwoord op boodskap #28770] |
Tue, 25 January 2000 00:00  |
Roux Beets
Boodskappe: 1 Geregistreer: January 2000
Karma: 0
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Junior Lid |
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Hi David!
Some rough translations for you (might be a bit late though):
> B O S S (secret police?) - no idea
>
> Broederbond - secret white Afrikaner movement, looking after white people's interest during the Apartheid era
>
> boerewors - meat sausage traditionally made by the Afrikaner farmers
>
> coloured (the specific definition for South Africans) - non white, but not
black. Refers to the race that originated when white people met the
traditional black people of South Africa in the 17th century.
>
> doek - cloth
>
> dorp - town
>
> kaffertjie - little black guy (or your N**r)
>
> kaffir - black guy
>
> kaffir-boetie - lover of black people (N**r lover)
>
> mealies (roast mealies) - corn
>
> stoep - patio
>
> veld - open field
>
> veldskoen - kind of leather shoe
>
> volk - nation
>
> ---- And maybe some of these are South African too:
>
> baize - ??
>
> kaross - blanket made of animal skin
>
> pantechnion - ???
>
> rondavel - little round house
>
Hope this helps!!
Cheers
Roux
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