List of English words of Afrikaans origin
Words of Afrikaans origin have entered other languages. British English has absorbed Afrikaans words primarily via British soldiers who served in the Boer Wars. Many more words have entered common usage in South African English due to the parallel nature of the English and Afrikaner cultures in South Africa. Afrikaans words have unusual spelling patterns.
Most of these words describe the African flora, fauna or landscape.
Internationally common
- Afrikaans derivative: Afrikaner, plural: Afrikaners
- apartheid : also the name of a period of segregation in the country during 1948–1994
- bergwind
- biltong : dried cured red-meat, similar to Jerky. Has a boerewors equivalent known as Droëwors
- Boer : due to the large number of Afrikaans-speaking farmers, the term is exclusively used among Afrikaners for displaying national pride.
- boerewors : a juicy mixed-spice and mixed-meat sausage
- Highveld: a raised plateau stretching from the eastern side of the Free State (province) up north including the provinces of Gauteng and North West. Due to its location in Gauteng, the city of Johannesburg is the highest urban settlement by elevation.
- kraal: African village within a stockade, from Portuguese curral
- kommando
- kop, or koppie : Koppie can also refer to a small hill.
- laager: A collection of vehicles in a circle, meant for protection.
- lapa: Thatched roof structure supported by wooden poles. Lapas are commonly used as semi-open entertainment areas.
- rand: : also the name of the South African currency, named after the Witwatersrand.
- rooibos: : a bush, endemic to South Africa, used to make a herbal tea also called rooibos.
- rondavel: A round hut.
- sjambok: : used by the South African Police Service for riot control, formerly used as a disciplinary tool for misbehaving school children.
- spoor : the Afrikaans "spoorweë" refers specifically to the National Train Route, often indirectly as the train-tracks as well.
- trek : Popularized in English by "Die Groot Trek".
- veld: literally "field" or natural African bush vegetation
- ystervarkies : the South African name for Lamingtons.
Common names
Afrikaans common names for plants and animals often entered the English vernacular:- aardvark : Also known as an Anteater
- aardwolf: literally "earth wolf"
- boomslang : A highly venomous bright green tree snake
- blesbok
- bontebok
- dassie
- duiker
- eland : The largest known species of antelope
- grysbok
- klipspringer
- korhaan
- leguan / leguaan
- Naartjie
- meerkat
- padloper
- platanna
- rinkhals : also known as the ring-necked spitting cobra
- springbok : The National Animal of South Africa
- white, in "white rhinoceros", possibly from wyd meaning "wide" Modern Afrikaans also say "Wit Renoster", meaning White Rhinoceros.
Cape Dutch
There are also several English words derived from Cape Dutch, a forerunner of Afrikaans:- hartebeest
- scoff/skoff : from Cape Dutch schoff, the word did not find its way into modern Afrikaans
- veldt borrowed again by English in the modern form veld
- wildebeest