Re: Why does that streak of blood, rip the petal of your cheek?

From: Noons <wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au>
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 22:00:27 +1000
Message-ID: <42df8e5b$0$6352$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au>

Billy apparently said,on my timestamp of 21/07/2005 3:24 PM:

>>
>>Agree with everything else except the translation of "kaffir"!
>>You and I know it's not that!  :)

>
>
> Actually it is. Yes, in South Africa the term is/was used as a
> derogatory reference to black people (its use today can land you in
> legal problems here).
>
> However, the actual world itself comes from Arabic and means
> "unbeliever" and is the term used (especially in the past) by Muslims
> describing anyone that is not of the Islam faith. It is also spelled
> with one f. That's the context I used it in. :-)
>
> Have a look at
> http://www.google.co.za/search?hl=en&q=islam+kafir&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

I think that's a modern "borrowing" by our Arab friends?... The term is actually originaly Spanish/Portuguese and its original meaning is here:
http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=cafre

"savage, beast" : weren't colonials quaint? Sheesh... Then again knowing how much Spain and Portugal liked the Moors, who knows: it might actually be a moorish word originally?

Even today, "Chiken Cafreal" is still used for a roasted chook dish from Mozambique, made with coconut milk and a few other things I can't remember. And I use "Howyagoin', ya bloody Kaffr?" when meeting an old ZA friend here. I won't write what he calls me back, in vernacular Portuguese...
;)

-- 
Cheers
Nuno Souto
in sunny Sydney, Australia
wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam

Received on Thu Jul 21 2005 - 07:00:27 CDT