assegai |
spear |
bakkie |
small truck |
bobotie |
spiced dish of meat and fruit |
Boerjongens |
country bumpkins |
Boeta |
addressed respectfully to a brother |
boskop |
frizzy head of hair |
braaivleis |
barbecue |
brakhond |
mongrel dog |
bredie |
stew |
canna |
flowering plant |
crimplene |
inexpensive synthetic fabric |
dagga pils |
marijuana joint |
Dankie Meneer |
Thank you, sir |
‘Die Stem’ |
Afrikaner national anthem |
doekie |
headscarf |
dominee |
minister of the Dutch Reformed Church |
donga |
ravine |
dorp |
small town |
D.V. |
Deo volente (Latin), God willing (common pious expression) |
Ewe |
greeting (Hello) |
geelbos |
type of bush |
gelyk |
simultaneously |
gemake |
made (Afrikaans prefix ge- forming the past tense) |
goggas |
insects |
gorra |
well |
grenadilla |
passion fruit |
Hotnos |
abbreviation of Hottentots |
Hottentots |
derogatory name for the Khoi-Khoi Cape aboriginals |
Jantjie Bêrend |
medicinal herb |
kak |
shit |
kambroo |
wild root vegetable |
karos |
blanket or shawl of animal skin |
Khoi-Khoi |
Cape aboriginals |
klawerjas |
card game |
kloof |
ravine |
koeksisters |
doughnuts |
konfyt |
melon preserve |
kooigoed |
bedding |
koppie |
small hill |
kyk |
look |
lekker |
nice, good |
mealie |
corn |
mebos |
dried-apricot confection |
meid |
girl (derogatory)/servant |
melktert |
custard tart |
miskien |
perhaps |
moffies |
homosexuals (derogatory) |
Môre |
Good morning |
Old Cape Doctor |
southeasterly wind |
Oom/Oompie |
Uncle (respectful form of address) |
ounooi |
female employer; white madam |
oupa |
grandpa |
ousie |
respectful term for older woman |
pasop |
watch out; be careful |
plaasjapie |
country bumpkin |
platteland |
rural areas |
pondok/pondokkies |
shack/little shacks |
roeties |
unleavened Indian bread |
shebeen |
unlicensed drinking place |
sies |
expression of disgust |
skollie |
hooligan |
Slamse |
derogatory term for Muslim |
sousboontjies |
stewed bean dish |
soutslaai |
a succulent (ice plant) |
stamp-en-stoot |
dish of beans and mealies (colloquial) |
stoep |
a small platform with verandah at the entrance to a building |
tokolos |
evil mythical creature |
Vaaljapie |
cheap locally produced white wine |
veldskoen |
stout shoe made of crude leather |
vetkoek |
flat bread fried in oil |
vygies |
a succulent related to the fig |
ysterbos |
p. 114: ‘Kosie, gebruik jy alweer my tyd om to skinder. Waarom moet julle kaffers tog so skree. So ’n geraas in die hitte gee ’n beskawe mens ’n kopseer.’
‘Kosie, don’t use my time for your gossiping. Why do you kaffirs have to shout like this. Such a racket in the heat gives a civilised person a headache.’
p. 177: ‘Suikerbossie’k wil jou hê/Wat sal jou Mamma daarvan sê . . .’
A popular folk song in which a girl is affectionately called a protea