Questions tagged [south-african-english]
Questions pertaining to the South African dialect of English (SAfrE, SAfrEng, SAE, en-ZA).
23 questions
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Is the phrase "I just sucked it out of my thumb" used in American English?
I was born and raised in South Africa. We frequently used the term "to suck out of one's thumb", implying that an answer was just a wild guess or the notion had no evidence but was rather just ...
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What’s the origin of "arkees", the Rhodesian word for school toilets?
At the very British-colonial Routledge primary school in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in the 1950s we were given breaks to run off to the toilets or "arkees" (I am giving the word a phonetic spelling).
...
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Is "Saffer" an offensive term for a South African?
I've always believed that "Saffer" is a derogatory term for a South African.
But a few minutes earlier, I saw this tweet by ESPN:
So, isn't "Saffer" a derogatory term?
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Who speaks South African English (out of the many languages/ethnicities spoken in SA)?
From the limited experience I have of hearing English spoken by South Africans or even knowing someone is South African (from real life or movies), I find it impossible to really tell when someone is ...
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Different uses of 'kaffir' by white South Africans and Muslims
Back in apartheid-era South Africa and, in camera, probably even today, the word 'kaffir' is used in much the same way 'nigger' is used in the western world, ie. as a racist epithet directed at black ...
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Which version of English is most common in Switzerland? [closed]
Since I'm from South Africa (a former British colony) and attended a British school, I mostly write English in a British way. Given that there are also Americans in Switzerland, one also comes across ...
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What is the etymology of "dwanky?"
Dwanky or Dwankie - someone or something that is lame, stupid, uncool, or generally undesirable. Generally used as an insult or in a derogatory way. Zef slang. Can be used as both a noun: "Look at ...
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Dinky cars (toy cars)
I came across this term while proofreading an unpublished poem by an Irish poet. The context is not important so I'll just say that it is clear that it means “toy cars”.
I Googled the term and see ...
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How should a (North American) Native English Speaker prounounce the word 'Afrikaans'?
I've always had trouble with the word 'Afrikaans'. I could say it the way South Africans say it, but then I'm not sure if I'd just be saying the word with a South African accent. After all, I don't ...
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What does the verb "scrolf" mean?
I was skimming through Laureen Beukes' novel Zoo City (having already read it once), and at some point my eyes fell on the following sentence on the 2nd page:
Leaving the Mongoose to scrolf at its ...
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Distinguishing Australian, English, South African accents [closed]
I have attended courses in English over many years, and as most of my English teachers have an Algerian accent, I have always wondered about the question of accents.
I can distinguish an American ...
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3
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The use of the word "out" twice in the same sentence [closed]
Is this sentence correct or could one avoid using "out" twice:
I have something important to say that's been stressing me out these days and I need to let it out
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2
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Word for semi-open structure used for making braais in South Africa
I'm looking for a word for a semi-open structure that is traditionally used for making braais (barbecue) in South Africa. The one I have in mind had a thatched roof, but I reckon that is not ...
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What are the South African words for crisps and French Fries?
Consider Exhibit A.
Consider Exhibit B.
In England, A is referred to as 'Chips' and B is referred to as 'Crisps'.
In the United States A is referred to as 'French Fries' and B is referred to as '...
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2
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South African Slang "Nu"
Any idea what Nu means when someone uses it as a nickname for someone else in South Africa?
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Is there an standard English dialect to use for programming and documents?
This question came up today in one of my code reviews at work. Where I used colour (South Africa English/British English) instead of color.
Our company's opinion is to use American English for ...
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Pronunciation of "apartheid"
How do South Africans pronounce "apartheid"? Is there a British/U.S. divide on this? Does it depend on whether your primary language is Afrikaans or not -- or is that irrelevant?
Does the ...
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Do people still speak old English in South Africa? [closed]
I watched the South African film "The White Wedding", in that film, there is a white couple speaking a very weird language, it sounds like German but not German & a person in the movie said they ...
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1
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In what region could one refer to honking a car's horn as "hooting"?
My family is South African, and I grew up hearing them saying "hooting", referring to cars honking their horns. Of course now that I'm an adult I'm aware that's common usage, as I learned this after ...
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1
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"Is it" South Africa only
I don't know if it is still in vogue but ten years ago in South Africa the phrase "Is it?" was common. It could be used as a response to almost any statement. Is it (ha ha) unique to South Africa or ...
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Pan-handle erf in Pretoria [duplicate]
Can someone provide a synonym for the term "pan-handle erf". It appears in a legal document from Pretoria, South Africa. Thanks!
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Plural of the term "South African" when referring to more than 1 person [closed]
I'm wondering about the plural of the term "South African" when used in context:
There are two South African people standing there.
My wife and I are South African here in Argentina.
The first one ...
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1
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Are all variants of English spelling basically British or American? [closed]
I am working on an English-language online resource. It seems an obvious good idea to allow users to choose a version in British English or American English spelling. However, I've noticed that spell-...
