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Boer

Boer

8.4
A white person in South Africa whose family came from Dutch settlers and speaks Afrikaans
  • noun
  • /bʊr/
translation icon : boer
  • Britain wants to control the seas and to go it alone, but they discover a fact that shouldn't have surprised them in the Boer War in South Africa.

If the town were to fall, the Boers might just win the war.

Examples

  • Business deals, but eventually his zeal for conflict with the Boers caught up with him, and his plots in the German colony were soon exposed as well.

  • If the town were to fall, the Boers might just win the war.

  • - Boer prisoners, sir.

  • Boers aren't too fond of turncoats.

  • Many Boers gathered to celebrate their heritage at the annual festival in Cape Town.

  • The Boer community has a rich history, stemming from their Dutch ancestry.

  • During the late 19th century, Boers played a significant role in the history of South Africa.

Synonyms

Afrikaner
vsBoer
5 7.2

A South African person whose family came from Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans

is used more for white natives tied to the Cape Province than broad ethnicity
Afrikander
vsBoer
  • Archaic
9.9

A white person from South Africa descended from Dutch settlers who often speaks Afrikaans

is the traditional alternative name for the same group

Compounds

3 7.9

One of two wars in South Africa between the British and settlers from Dutch families in 1880-1881 or 1899-1902

Surface Forms

Boer singular
Boers plural

Etymology

Boer comes from the Dutch word boer, which means 'farmer'. In South Africa the word came to mean the white people descended from those Dutch farmers who spoke Afrikaans, so the name points to their farming roots.