See kaffir on Wiktionary
Download JSON data for kaffir meaning in All languages combined (9.3kB)
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir beer"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir bread"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir cabbage"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Kaffir Circus"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir corn"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir doctor"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir dog"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir fink"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffirgram"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir lily"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir lime"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffir melon"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Kaffir Wars"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Kaffraria"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Mine Kaffir"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "كَفَّار",
"4": "",
"5": "infidel"
},
"expansion": "Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ar",
"2": "كَافِر",
"3": "",
"4": "unbeliever"
},
"expansion": "كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ar",
"2": "كَفَرَ",
"3": "",
"4": "to cover, to hide"
},
"expansion": "كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "es",
"3": "cafre"
},
"expansion": "Spanish cafre",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nl",
"3": "kaffer"
},
"expansion": "Dutch kaffer",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "kafir"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of kafir",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "ك ف ر"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Ultimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both from كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”); in some (especially early) uses, via Spanish cafre, Dutch kaffer or other European languages. Doublet of kafir.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "kaffirs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "~"
},
"expansion": "kaffir (countable and uncountable, plural kaffirs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kafir"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1804, Archibald Duncan, The Mariner's Chronicle, section I",
"text": "He […] put me in imminent danger of my life, by telling the natives that I was a Caffer, and not a Mussulman.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim."
],
"id": "en-kaffir-en-noun-tJmYajZN",
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable, offensive) In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim."
],
"tags": [
"countable",
"offensive"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1792, The Analytical Review, Or History of Literature, Domestic and Foreign, on an Enlarged Plan, volume 14",
"text": "… the Hambonaas, a nation quite different from the Kaffers, having a yellowish complexion […].",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A member of the Nguni people of southern Africa, especially a Xhosa."
],
"id": "en-kaffir-en-noun-PO5Ly6Hu",
"links": [
[
"Nguni",
"Nguni"
],
[
"Xhosa",
"Xhosa"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable, offensive) A member of the Nguni people of southern Africa, especially a Xhosa."
],
"tags": [
"countable",
"offensive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English ethnic slurs",
"parents": [
"Ethnic slurs",
"Offensive terms",
"Terms by usage"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Rhodesian English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "South African English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1959, Alf Ross, On Law and Justice",
"text": "If you ask a Kaffir why he does so-and-so, he will answer—\"How can I tell? It has always been done by our forefathers.\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1971, Naboth Mokgatle, The Autobiography of an Unknown South African",
"text": "I once heard him say to the gardener, 'Come along, son.' His wife scolded him saying, 'He's not son, don't call him son, he's a kaffir.'",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1998, Antjie Krog, Country of My Skull",
"text": "\"… and today here a white man is calling me a kaffir. This term that I absolutely resented.\" And that, says Nofomela, is his political motive.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2000 April 9, Squirrel, “SA Silence on Mugabe's actions”, in soc.culture.south-africa (Usenet)",
"text": "Monkey see, monkey do ... which in this case refers to the baboons in Rhodesia - proves just how vulnerable the whities are in the hands of the kaffirs.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A black person."
],
"id": "en-kaffir-en-noun-PG6l68SO",
"links": [
[
"ethnic",
"ethnic"
],
[
"slur",
"slur"
],
[
"derogatory",
"derogatory"
],
[
"black",
"black"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable, South Africa, Rhodesia, ethnic slur, offensive, derogatory) A black person."
],
"tags": [
"Rhodesia",
"South-Africa",
"countable",
"derogatory",
"ethnic",
"offensive",
"slur"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"sense": "black person",
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"plural"
],
"word": "kaffers"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "cafre"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "black person",
"word": "kafferi"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "cafre"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "káfros",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "κάφρος"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "kāfir",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "काफ़िर"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "kāphir",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "काफिर"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kafr",
"sense": "black person",
"word": "кафр"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 1 75 2 20 0",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "kaffer"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "6 2 16 48 4 24",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1952, Doris Lessing, Martha Quest, Panther, published 1974, page 73",
"text": "This man, seeing a white person enter, moved aside for her, but she saw Joss's eyes on her, and said in kitchen kaffir, ‘No, when you've finished.’",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A language spoken by the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, especially Xhosa."
],
"id": "en-kaffir-en-noun-gh10KkZV",
"links": [
[
"Nguni",
"Nguni"
],
[
"Xhosa",
"Xhosa"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(uncountable, now historical, offensive) A language spoken by the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, especially Xhosa."
],
"tags": [
"historical",
"offensive",
"uncountable"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Finance",
"orig": "en:Finance",
"parents": [
"Business",
"Economics",
"Society",
"Social sciences",
"All topics",
"Sciences",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1907, Truth, volume 62, page 688",
"text": "Kaffirs bouyant most of last week",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"South African mining shares"
],
"id": "en-kaffir-en-noun-T0SCPYRx",
"links": [
[
"finance",
"finance#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(finance, slang, historical) South African mining shares"
],
"tags": [
"countable",
"historical",
"slang",
"uncountable"
],
"topics": [
"business",
"finance"
]
},
{
"alt_of": [
{
"word": "kaffir corn"
}
],
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1907, Texas Agricultural, Mechanical College System, Bulletin, volumes 93-117, page 5",
"text": "This market reports only one or two cars per day, selling by the hundred weight, and at a price a little lower than that of Indian corn. As to the purpose for which the marketed kaffir is used, there is some uncertainty.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Short for kaffir corn."
],
"id": "en-kaffir-en-noun-loUfaIgi",
"links": [
[
"kaffir corn",
"kaffir corn#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(uncountable) Short for kaffir corn."
],
"tags": [
"abbreviation",
"alt-of",
"uncountable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈkæfə/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈkæfɚ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-æfə(ɹ)"
},
{
"audio": "En-au-kaffir.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-au-kaffir.ogg/En-au-kaffir.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/En-au-kaffir.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Caffer"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "caffre"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Kaffir"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Kaffre"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kafir"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaphar"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kaphir"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "kafari"
}
],
"word": "kaffir"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-syllable words",
"English countable nouns",
"English doublets",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms borrowed from Dutch",
"English terms borrowed from Spanish",
"English terms derived from Arabic",
"English terms derived from Dutch",
"English terms derived from Spanish",
"English terms derived from the Arabic root ك ف ر",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English uncountable nouns",
"Rhymes:English/æfə(ɹ)",
"Rhymes:English/æfə(ɹ)/2 syllables"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "kaffir beer"
},
{
"word": "kaffir bread"
},
{
"word": "kaffir cabbage"
},
{
"word": "Kaffir Circus"
},
{
"word": "kaffir corn"
},
{
"word": "kaffir doctor"
},
{
"word": "kaffir dog"
},
{
"word": "kaffir fink"
},
{
"word": "kaffirgram"
},
{
"word": "kaffir lily"
},
{
"word": "kaffir lime"
},
{
"word": "kaffir melon"
},
{
"word": "Kaffir Wars"
},
{
"word": "Kaffraria"
},
{
"word": "Mine Kaffir"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "كَفَّار",
"4": "",
"5": "infidel"
},
"expansion": "Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ar",
"2": "كَافِر",
"3": "",
"4": "unbeliever"
},
"expansion": "كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ar",
"2": "كَفَرَ",
"3": "",
"4": "to cover, to hide"
},
"expansion": "كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "es",
"3": "cafre"
},
"expansion": "Spanish cafre",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nl",
"3": "kaffer"
},
"expansion": "Dutch kaffer",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "kafir"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of kafir",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "ك ف ر"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Ultimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both from كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”); in some (especially early) uses, via Spanish cafre, Dutch kaffer or other European languages. Doublet of kafir.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "kaffirs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "~"
},
"expansion": "kaffir (countable and uncountable, plural kaffirs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "kafir"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English offensive terms",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1804, Archibald Duncan, The Mariner's Chronicle, section I",
"text": "He […] put me in imminent danger of my life, by telling the natives that I was a Caffer, and not a Mussulman.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim."
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable, offensive) In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim."
],
"tags": [
"countable",
"offensive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English offensive terms",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1792, The Analytical Review, Or History of Literature, Domestic and Foreign, on an Enlarged Plan, volume 14",
"text": "… the Hambonaas, a nation quite different from the Kaffers, having a yellowish complexion […].",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A member of the Nguni people of southern Africa, especially a Xhosa."
],
"links": [
[
"Nguni",
"Nguni"
],
[
"Xhosa",
"Xhosa"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable, offensive) A member of the Nguni people of southern Africa, especially a Xhosa."
],
"tags": [
"countable",
"offensive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English derogatory terms",
"English ethnic slurs",
"English offensive terms",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned",
"Rhodesian English",
"South African English"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1959, Alf Ross, On Law and Justice",
"text": "If you ask a Kaffir why he does so-and-so, he will answer—\"How can I tell? It has always been done by our forefathers.\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1971, Naboth Mokgatle, The Autobiography of an Unknown South African",
"text": "I once heard him say to the gardener, 'Come along, son.' His wife scolded him saying, 'He's not son, don't call him son, he's a kaffir.'",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1998, Antjie Krog, Country of My Skull",
"text": "\"… and today here a white man is calling me a kaffir. This term that I absolutely resented.\" And that, says Nofomela, is his political motive.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2000 April 9, Squirrel, “SA Silence on Mugabe's actions”, in soc.culture.south-africa (Usenet)",
"text": "Monkey see, monkey do ... which in this case refers to the baboons in Rhodesia - proves just how vulnerable the whities are in the hands of the kaffirs.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A black person."
],
"links": [
[
"ethnic",
"ethnic"
],
[
"slur",
"slur"
],
[
"derogatory",
"derogatory"
],
[
"black",
"black"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable, South Africa, Rhodesia, ethnic slur, offensive, derogatory) A black person."
],
"tags": [
"Rhodesia",
"South-Africa",
"countable",
"derogatory",
"ethnic",
"offensive",
"slur"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English offensive terms",
"English terms with historical senses",
"English terms with quotations",
"English uncountable nouns"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1952, Doris Lessing, Martha Quest, Panther, published 1974, page 73",
"text": "This man, seeing a white person enter, moved aside for her, but she saw Joss's eyes on her, and said in kitchen kaffir, ‘No, when you've finished.’",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A language spoken by the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, especially Xhosa."
],
"links": [
[
"Nguni",
"Nguni"
],
[
"Xhosa",
"Xhosa"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(uncountable, now historical, offensive) A language spoken by the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, especially Xhosa."
],
"tags": [
"historical",
"offensive",
"uncountable"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English slang",
"English terms with historical senses",
"English terms with quotations",
"en:Finance"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1907, Truth, volume 62, page 688",
"text": "Kaffirs bouyant most of last week",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"South African mining shares"
],
"links": [
[
"finance",
"finance#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(finance, slang, historical) South African mining shares"
],
"tags": [
"countable",
"historical",
"slang",
"uncountable"
],
"topics": [
"business",
"finance"
]
},
{
"alt_of": [
{
"word": "kaffir corn"
}
],
"categories": [
"English short forms",
"English terms with quotations",
"English uncountable nouns"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1907, Texas Agricultural, Mechanical College System, Bulletin, volumes 93-117, page 5",
"text": "This market reports only one or two cars per day, selling by the hundred weight, and at a price a little lower than that of Indian corn. As to the purpose for which the marketed kaffir is used, there is some uncertainty.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Short for kaffir corn."
],
"links": [
[
"kaffir corn",
"kaffir corn#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(uncountable) Short for kaffir corn."
],
"tags": [
"abbreviation",
"alt-of",
"uncountable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈkæfə/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈkæfɚ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-æfə(ɹ)"
},
{
"audio": "En-au-kaffir.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-au-kaffir.ogg/En-au-kaffir.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/En-au-kaffir.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "Caffer"
},
{
"word": "caffre"
},
{
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"word": "Kaffir"
},
{
"word": "Kaffre"
},
{
"word": "kafir"
},
{
"word": "kaphar"
},
{
"word": "kaphir"
},
{
"word": "kafari"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"sense": "black person",
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"code": "af",
"lang": "Afrikaans",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"plural"
],
"word": "kaffers"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "cafre"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "kaffer"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "black person",
"word": "kafferi"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "cafre"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "káfros",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "κάφρος"
},
{
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "kāfir",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "काफ़िर"
},
{
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "kāphir",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "काफिर"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kafr",
"sense": "black person",
"word": "кафр"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "black person",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "kaffer"
}
],
"word": "kaffir"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.