kaffir
UK[ˈkæfə]US[ˈkæfər]
n
An offensive and derogatory term used historically in South Africa to refer to a Black African.
n
(Archaic, offensive) A term used by Muslims to refer to a non-believer or infidel.
Etymology
The word 'kaffir' originates from the Arabic word 'kāfir', which literally means 'one who covers or conceals' and, by religious extension, 'unbeliever' or 'infidel', specifically a non-Muslim. It entered European languages through trade and colonial contact, notably in Portuguese as 'cafre'. In southern Africa, it was adopted by Portuguese and later Dutch and English colonists as an ethnic label for the Nguni peoples, notably the Xhosa. Over centuries of colonial and apartheid rule, the term became deeply imbued with racist contempt, evolving from a general religious descriptor into a severe racial slur. Its modern usage is almost exclusively considered profoundly offensive and is widely proscribed.
Analysis
This word is a loanword from Arabic, borrowed as a complete lexical unit. It is not productively formed from separable English morphemes.
Examples
The use of the word 'kaffir' is a punishable offense under South Africa's promotion of equality laws.
Historical texts from the colonial era often employed the term in a derogatory manner.
He was rightly criticized for using a racial slur like 'kaffir'.