# kaffir

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkæfə/ · frequency rank #66,012

## Definitions
1. In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim.
2. A member of the Nguni people of southern Africa, especially a Xhosa.
3. A black person.
4. A language spoken by the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, especially Xhosa.
5. South African mining shares
6. Ellipsis of kaffir corn.

## Etymology
Ultimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both from كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”); in some (especially early) uses, via Spanish cafre, Dutch kaffer or other European languages. Doublet of kafir.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/kaffir