Colour words in Afrikaans

swart - black

• politically charged word during the apartheid era, euphemistically changed to "nie-blankes" (non white) when referring to people.

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wit - blank, wit, blanke (person)

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rooi - red

• die rooidag kom uit: "day break" and roinekke: negative slang term for new Europeans in SA, lit "red necks" (overdone suntans!) and sometimes for all Englih speakers by Afrikaans speakers.

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geel - yellow

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blou - blue

• Usually the bright sky blue of the Transvaal sky, other blues would be modified

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groen - green

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bruin, donker - brown

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pienk, ligrooi - pink

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oranje - orange

• as in Oranje-Vrystaat; although an orange (the fruit) is called a "lemoen", and a lemon (fruit) is called a "suurlemoen"; Oranje used to refer to someone from the Orange Free State, or from Bloemfontein in particular, or sometimes as negative slang by English speakers for Afrikaners

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grys, vergrys - grey

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purper - purple

• pimpelpaars ('as purple as a pimple') = very purple.

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