kafir corn
- noun
- Archaic
:
maíz kafir
- Farmers often use kafir corn as both livestock feed and a staple grain for human consumption.
Examples
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Kafir corn is widely cultivated in semi-arid regions for its drought resistance and nutritional value.
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The thick, fibrous stalks of kafir corn make it suitable for silage and fodder.
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Farmers often grow kafir corn for its high yield.
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The livestock thrive on kafir corn as a nutritious feed.
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Kafir corn is widely cultivated in semi-arid regions for its drought resistance and nutritional value.
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Farmers often use kafir corn as both livestock feed and a staple grain for human consumption.
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The thick, fibrous stalks of kafir corn make it suitable for silage and fodder.
Synonyms
5
7.1
A tall grass grown in warm regions for grain, animal feed, and syrup
A grain plant grown for its seeds used for food for people and animals
A tall grain plant like corn grown for food and animal feed
A grain plant like corn grown for people and animals that can grow in dry places
A grain plant grown in dry areas for food and animal feed
Surface Forms
Morphology
kafir + corn
The first element 'kafir' is not a familiar English lexical item (no dictionary gloss) and does not convey a general category like a crop type, so even if a learner knows 'corn' they cannot infer that the phrase names a specific sorghum variety. This is a lexicalized plant name/borrowed term whose meaning is not compositional from its parts, making it unpredictable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Kafir corn probably comes from an old word, kafir, that outsiders used to mean 'non-believer' or to name parts of southern Africa, while corn simply meant 'grain'. Because this sorghum grew in those areas, people called it kafir corn, and today that name is used for this grain and for animal feed.