Kaffir
pronunciation
How to pronounce Kaffir in British English:
UK 
How to pronounce Kaffir in American English:
US
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- Noun:
- important for human and animal food; growth habit and stem form similar to Indian corn but having sawtooth-edged leaves
- an offensive term for any Black African
Word Origin
- Kaffir (n.)
- 1790, from Arabic kafir "unbeliever, infidel, impious wretch," with a literal sense of "one who does not admit the blessings of God," from kafara "to cover up, conceal, deny, blot out." Technically, "non-Muslim," but in Ottoman times it came to be used almost exclusively for "Christian." Early English missionaries used it as an equivalent of "heathen" to refer to Bantus in South Africa (1792), from which use it came generally to mean "South African black" regardless of ethnicity, and to be a term of abuse since at least 1934.
Example
- 1. Kaffir lime leaves have a unique flavour .
- 2. Finely chop the lemongrass , kaffir leaves , coriander , shallot & thai chili .