Afrikaner

American  

[af-ri-kah-ner, -kan-er] / ˌæf rɪˈkɑ nər, -ˈkæn ər /

Or Afrikaaner

noun

1. an Afrikaans-speaking native of South Africa of European, especially Dutch, descent.

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Afrikaner British  

/ afriˈkaːnə, ˌæfrɪˈkɑːnə /

noun

1. a White native of the Republic of South Africa whose mother tongue is Afrikaans See also Boer

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Etymology

Origin of Afrikaner

1815–1825; < Afrikaans, earlier Afrikaander, equivalent to Afrikaan African + -er -er ¹, with -d- from Hollander

Example Sentences

It referenced an open letter from dozens of members of the Afrikaner community rejecting the "narrative that portrays Afrikaners as victims of racist persecution".

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

White Namibians, mainly of Afrikaner and German descent, constitute 2% of the population but, according to Namibia’s statistics authority, own 70% of commercial farmland.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025

One Afrikaner organization claims that more than 2,300 farmers have been murdered over the last 35 years, which sounds alarming until you realize there were 26,000 reported murders in South Africa last year alone.

From Salon • May 25, 2025

While acknowledging there was violence in his country, Ramaphosa rejected the idea that the Afrikaner minority were being systematically killed.

From BBC • May 22, 2025

As a result, they attracted a great deal of attention and it was soon widely known that two Afrikaner wardresses from the Fort had visited Winnie and me.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela