Offensive term to be replaced as first step towards more changes in unprecedented reform of nomenclature rules
Archived version: https://archive.ph/ppR98
The effect of the vote will be that all plants, fungi and algae names that contain the word caffra, which originates in insults made against Black people, will be replaced by the word affra to denote their African origins. More than 200 species will be affected, including the coast coral tree, which, from 2026, will be known as Erythrina affra instead of Erythrina caffra.
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Why is caffra insulting? I’ve never even heard the word before except in plant names.
In South Africa, we’re vaguely aware of the n-word and its meaning in American culture, but the k-word (after which this plant was named) is highly offensive.
Is the k-word (or close variant) integrated into the cultural language there in the same way the n-word is here?
I really don’t know how to answer this question. It has a major history of dehumanising people and is closely linked to apartheid. Black South Africans haven’t reclaimed the word like black Americans have - they’d mostly rather just see its use disappear altogether.
That answers my question, thank you.
In South Africa, yes. Wikipedia
you’re the only one to actually answer my question so thank you.
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Language continues to evolve. And while I get annoyed at some of the changes, I understand it means something to others.
For example - we don’t call it a bumming a removed anymore. And honestly, the whole master-slave term in hardware was fucking weird.
I feel the same… While some words are best avoided, I find the obsessive focus on language ridiculous sometimes, especially in the anglosphere. That gives us Voldemort/Yahweh words, controversy around master/slave, ““latinx””, censorship with asterisks that doesn’t fool anyone…
But I also remember that it’s not the big deal Twitter rightoids make it seem to be. I have rarely seen anyone get seriously offended over just a word in real life, even when talking with fellow progressives. What triggers people in real life in my experience is arguments and ideas. Social media is not the real world in that regard.
Sometimes, I worry that the language puritanism might be offputting when defending progressive ideas, because it makes it seem that feminists/antiracists are shallow and only about dictating newspeak, but I found while talking with people not onboard with these causes that they were smart enough to make a distinction between Twitter pedants and a genuine defense of feminism/antiracism.
But, at the same time, I agree wholeheartedly that it makes a lot of sense to not call a black person racist names, or to stop calling people hysteric or removed!
Til botanists have too much free time.
I mean when is the last time a new plant was discovered? Surely the discoveries must be dwindling by now!
