Kaffir pox
- noun
- Slur
:
pseudovariola
- The symptoms of Kaffir pox were less severe than those of classical smallpox.
Examples
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Some historical texts describe Kaffir pox as having a lower fatality rate compared to typical smallpox.
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During the nineteenth century, Kaffir pox was occasionally reported in rural communities.
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The doctor diagnosed him with Kaffir pox.
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Many children in the village suffered from Kaffir pox last summer.
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During the nineteenth century, Kaffir pox was occasionally reported in rural communities.
-
Some historical texts describe Kaffir pox as having a lower fatality rate compared to typical smallpox.
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Many children in the village suffered from Kaffir pox last summer.
Synonyms
3
9.9
A serious illness that spreads between people and causes skin sores, often meaning smallpox in old texts
1
9.9
A less serious form of smallpox that causes small sores and a mild fever
A milder form of smallpox caused by a weaker virus
A mild form of smallpox that makes people less sick than usual
A mild form of smallpox caused by a weaker virus strain
A mild form of smallpox with less severe symptoms
A mild form of smallpox caused by a weaker virus
A mild type of smallpox that usually causes less severe sickness and few deaths
A mild form of a serious disease that causes fever and skin blisters, seen historically in the West Indies
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally transparent: a learner who knows 'kaffir' (a derogatory term referring to Black Africans) and 'pox' (a disease) can reasonably infer it denotes a type of pox associated with that group or region. The term is historical and highly offensive in modern usage, but that sociocultural status does not reduce the morphological compositionality of the compound.
Etymology
Kaffir pox comes from old European writers who used the rude word kaffir for Black people and pox for a disease. They used the name for a mild smallpox seen in southern Africa, so the phrase came to mean a local, less serious smallpox and the first word is now considered a 'rude word'.