What does the following word mean in Africa......?

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Irrespective of it's origin - in South Africa, it was used as a derogatory reference to Blacks. Though it was never in the statute books, it was never an offence to call Blacks "kaffirs". It is now specifically outlawed - though some whites (and coloureds for that matter) still call us kaffirs.

Brad Morris 9

Ignore the clueless savage Ayiza. If there are no white Africans, then there are no black Americans.
Anyway, it is a derogatory comment that was used to insult black people in South Africa years ago. Because of the revolution there, white people are now the kaffirs. Oh, and people like Ayiza.

gem

just want to comment on ayiza's comment.... "theres no such thing as a white african?!" i'm sorry but that is bull. so every white person born and raised in AFRICA is not african?!then what are we?!

DJ-AmaJay!

Kaffir is an Arabic word that the Dutch learned in the East Indies, the word originally meant "heathen or infidel". In South Africa it was applied to the Khoi and Black Africans as they were of course non-Christians..... what about the Jewish Lemba people? Anyway the word is highly offensive and was outlawed a few years ago. Turning to offensive words.... the racist diatribes from Africans here are appalling.
1. There are no white Africans, okay then all the blacks in Europe and America, must they go home? That would please the far right in those countries. As well, Berbers are caucasian people who have lived in Africa since toeka se tyd af! White Africans do exist and not as a result of anyone's colonies!!!! Anyway, stop being continentalists!
2. The "bastard" race of coloureds? I think that the Xhosa at least have a good measure of Khoi blood in them, they even learned the clicks from them so is Mandela and Mbeki also a bastard race, and what kind of words are those to use anyway in this day and age?

PS. Old Cape expression "not all blacks is kaffirs and not all kaffirs is blacks".

redhead

Ayiza - I am white and was born in South Africa - what does that make me? a white south african? (note the african part?) or a white european born in an african country? According to your thinking then, african people born in England / USA / wherever should then be "African" and not English / American

I found this definition in the Collins dictionary.

African.
adj.

denoting or relating to Africa or any of its peoples, languages, nations, etc.
n 2 a native, inhabitant, or citizen of any of the countries of Africa

3 a member or descendant of any of the peoples of Africa,

lindaronelmarx

First and foremost I am a white SOUTH AFRICAN. The word kaffir is used to degrade people the South Africans also used to call the Portuguese immigrants Sea Kaffirs! I believe it depends in which context the word is used. My dad used to call my brother Kaffirtjie(small Kaffir and I was Meidjie diminutive for a black woman) I do admit that I use the word still sometimes, but I donÂ´t use it to degrade anybody to me it simply is a easy way to refer to a black man. I do try to remember to not use it but bad customs do die hard.

Ayiza DonÂ´t attack me I also call my son Kaffer many times - Should have baptized him as such Jondalar is to long a name don't you think?

jovvijo

As you have been told, it is used as an insulting word for black Africans

The word originated in the Arabic states, it was used to describe people not of their religion. "The Godless ones".
Technically speaking, anyone who was not Islamic was a k*****.

It was later taken up to describe people who were different from the majority and finally was adopted by other races (not just whites) and turned into the racial slur it is today.

CelesteMoone

Yes it has the same derogatory meaning as the N-word. Interestingly, the word 'boy' when referring to a person of colour is also now deemed to be in the same league. Another interesting one is that a coloured (mixed) person here used to be called Hotnot in an insulting way too and this is also unacceptable. There is a local fish here called the Hottentot, so my son, mentally handicapped wants to know from me what should he call the fish!

bulliont

I think it means "unbeliever" and is originally a Muslim word, a bit like pagan or unbeliever. It wasn't always derogatory.

In fact there was a ship called Kafir thank in Feb 1878 off the coast of Cape Town , Olifantsbos, I think.

Ang_babe

It is a bad word that was mainly used in the apartheid era. The origin of the word is Arabic meaning non believer.

The word is now used as a hate word/ racist word within the black community as well as the white community in South Africa. Anyone can be a "kaffir" and it just depends on how angry the person is really.

What am I classified as then... I am an African because I come from South Africa Ayiza. I am an African because my HOMELAND is South Africa you nit wit.

philby

Stems from the Islamic word for "infidel", "Kafir". See source.

I*am*me

Its probably war time 'humour' amongst your grandfather's generation. Whites would never have been referred to as a kaffir by a black (wo)man but the whites had no problems telling a black man he was one. It isn't a very nice word and probably means the same as you piece of white sh*t!

Lady G

I've read through all the answers and there were quite a few very good ones. Ayiza: a lot of people have told you this already: I was born in South Africa, I have a SA passport, ID, driver's license, I went to school here, I will probably get married here and have my children here. What does that make me? I am Afrikaans and I belong here, just as much as you.

Brad, Redhead, Amajahoeza, Linda: you go, guys, give 'em what for! =)

mr.mars-"H"-mallow

Same question was posted some time the past 2 weeks.

Not only for Afrikaans.

karma

The person that said there are no white Africans should come to my home town in South Africa, Sh$t boet there are thousands of us! Hell it's like saying there are no educated Africans!!!! Rainbow nation brew, get over it. Kaffir is a bad word , and no, they have other words for white(African???) people, and as for your grandpa, i have white friends nicknamed kaffir.

foxylady

The origin in Arabic and it means. Infidel or non-believer. However over the years the word has become racist and now has a bad connotation.

Res

I have been called a 'Kaffir' or 'White Zulu' on occasion.

Kaffir once meant 'the native people of the land' it evolved into a derogatory term.

jackeenjim

"Kaffir" is a derogatory word for black people. I believe it may come from the Arabic word for unbeliever or non-Muslim.

Ibanez

In South Africa, it's used in the same way as Americans use N!gger. The technical meaning of it is native. But just like blacks in the US take offence to N!gger, so too do the South African blacks take offence to K@ffer.

Mmmm...

iTS A DERAGATORY WORD FOR AFRICAN PEOPLE, I GUESS THEY CALLED YOUR UNCLE THAT BECAUSE HE ASSOCIATED HIMSELF WITH AFRICAN PEOPLE.

WHITES ARE HARDLY EVA CALLED THAT

Basil P

1. "Whites were never called "kaffirs".
2. Origin - the word is coined from Arabic which in essence meant "non believer".
3. In South Africa - the empowered /superior whites ( British or other Europeans) used / labled on Blacks in an extremely deregotary context.
( See excerpt from movie Gandhi - where a Britsh train conducter threw Gandhi off the train in Pietermaritzburg).
4. Similarly - with regard to the Indians in South Africa :-
In India, porters or contract workers are referred to as "Coolies" - which is an acceptable title/term
However, In South Africa - the "whites" obliterated the word Coolie and moulded it to be derogatory. Its for this reason Indians in South Africa take offense to be termed such.
5. Overall it wreaks of ill intent and will.

To take matters a step further :-
Those "holier than thou - superior white race" -
- did not see fit to treat and respect other non white races and offer them the basic human dignity -
- but could have their dirty linen washed,sumptious meals prepared, rear their children and toil their farms and industry
- but still find them good enough to screw such "black women" and create the bastard race in South Africa - now labelled "COLOUREDS"

All one can say is that the "whites' of the period were a bunch of fascist hypocrites.

G77Project

It means whites should be wiped out and off the planet.

Ayiza

It still holds the same mean which you first thought it meant.

Derogatory term used to insult Africans.

Remember the is no such thing as a white African unless you meant an albino which I doubt you did.

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