Boer

See also: Appendix:Variations of "boer"

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bɔː/, /bəʊ.ə/, /bʊə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /boɹ/, /boʊ.ɚ/, /bʊɹ/

  • Audio (US); /boɹ/:

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ), -əʊə(ɹ), -ʊə(ɹ)
• Homophones: boor (some dialects), bore (some dialects)

Etymology 1

From Afrikaans Boer (“Boer”), from boer (“farmer”). Doublet of bauer, boor, and bower.

Noun

Boer (plural Boers)

1. (historical) A Dutch colonist in South Africa during the colonial era, especially a farmer.

   Hyponym: trekboer

2. A militant in the Boer War.

   The British soldiers captured a Boer after the battle.

3. (derogatory, offensive) An Afrikaner, especially a farmer.
   • 1979, André Brink, A Dry White Season, Vintage, published 1998, page 93:

     ‘I won't say good day to a fucking boer!’ he exploded, swinging round viciously to escape into the angry light outside.

   • 2025 May 21, Erica L. Green, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “Trump Lectures South African President in Televised Oval Office Confrontation”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     At least one of the scenes on the screen appeared to be the rallying cry of “Kill the Boer,” which U.S. officials and Afrikaner activists have cited as evidence that white South Africans are being persecuted. Boer means farmer in Dutch and Afrikaans.

Translations

South African of Dutch descent

• Afrikaans: Boer (af)
• Catalan: bòer (ca) m or f
• Chichewa: Mdatchi class 1
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 布爾人 / 布尔人 (Bùěrrén)

• Czech: Búr (cs) m
• Dutch: Boer (nl)
• Faroese: boari m
• Finnish: buuri (fi)
• French: Boer (fr)
• German: Bure (de) m, Burin (de) f
• Hungarian: búr (hu)
• Irish: Bórach m
• Italian: boero (it)
• Māori: Poa
• Marathi: बोअर (boar)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: boer m

  Nynorsk: boar m

• Polish: Bur (pl) m
• Portuguese: bóer m or f (Portugal), bôer (pt) m or f (Brazil)
• Russian: бур (ru) m (bur)
• Spanish: bóer (es) m or f
• Swahili: Kaburu
• Turkish: Boer (tr)
• Ukrainian: бур (uk) m (bur)
• Yiddish: בור m (bur)

See also

• Afrikaner
• Asian
• Bantu
• colored

Etymology 2

From Dutch Boer, from boer (“farmer”).

Proper noun

Boer (plural Boers)

1. A surname from Dutch.

Coordinate terms

• Boer goat
• Deboer
• deBoer
• DeBoer
• de Boer
• DenBoer
• Denboer
• denBoer
• Den Boer
• den Boer
• VanBoer
• Vanboer
• vanBoer
• van Boer
• Van Boer
• Van Den Boer
• vanden Boer
• Vanden Boer
• van Den Boer
• van den Boer
• Van den Boer
• Vandenboer

Translations

surname

• Afrikaans: please add this translation if you can
• Dutch: Boer (nl)

Anagrams

• Bero, Ebor, Ebro, bore, robe

Afrikaans

Etymology

From boer or from South African Dutch Boer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /buːr/

Noun

Boer (plural Boere)

1. A Boer; an Afrikaner, especially an inhabitant or descendant of the white inhabitants of the Boer republics.

Descendants

• → English: Boer
• → Zulu: iBhunu

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bur/, [buːr]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Boer
• Rhymes: -ur
• Homophone: boer

Etymology 1

From boer (“farmer”).

Proper noun

Boer

1. a surname, Boer

Synonyms

• de Boer
• den Boer
• van Boer
• van den Boer

Descendants

• English: Boer

Etymology 2

First attested as burstera rede in 1402. Borrowed from West Frisian Boer, derived in turn from Old Frisian buer (“house, cottage”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: Boer

Proper noun

Boer n

1. a village in Waadhoeke, Friesland, Netherlands

References

• van Berkel, Gerard; Samplonius, Kees (2018), Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN

Romanian

Etymology

From boier.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Boer m (genitive/dative lui Boer)

1. a surname