Etymology Explorer › Afrikaans

Where does “kaffer” come from?

kaffer (Afrikaans) comes from Afrikaans kraal, from Dutch kraal, from Middle Dutch crael, from Middle Dutch corael, from Old French coral, from Latin corallium, from Ancient Greek κοράλλιον, from Ancient Greek ἅλς — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.

kaffer (Afrikaans): A non-believer or an infidel; A black person,...

Definitions

  1. A non-believer or an infidel; A black person,...

Ancestry of “kaffer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1AfrikaanskraalA kraal, corral: enclosure for livestock
2DutchkraalA bead; Several similarly spheric objects;...
3Middle Dutchcrael—
4Middle Dutchcorael—
5Old Frenchcoral—
6Latincoralliumcoral
7Ancient Greekκοράλλιονcoral
8Ancient Greekἅλςsalt; brine; sea
9Ancient Greek-ῐοςbelonging to; of”, “belonging to”, “pertaining to
10Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →