Kaffir

Alternative forms

• caffre, kaffer, kafir, kaphar, kaphir, kafari

Origin

From Arabic كفار (kaffār, "infidel") or كافر (kāfir, "unbeliever"), both from كفر (káfara, "to cover, to hide").

Full definition of kaffir

Noun

1. (South Africa, pejorative, offensive, ethnic slur) A black person.
• 1976 Sir Percy Fitzpatrick Jock of the Bushveld p.210 Longman ISBN0582161231As far as I know, the first incident arose out of the intrusion of a strange kaffir at one of the outspans.

Derived terms

• kaffir corn: millet
• kaffir beer: beer made from millet.