Christian, noun

Origin:
English, South African DutchShow more Special sense of general English, influenced by South African Dutch Christenmensch (see Christenmensch).
obs.
Christenmensch. Also attributive.
1786 G. Forster tr. of A. Sparrman’s Voy. to Cape of G.H. I. 207The Boshies-men have been a long time in a savage state, and now, since the Christians have invaded their country,..many of them are brought into a still more miserable situation.
1798 S.H. Wilcocke tr. of J.S. Stavorinus’s Voy. to E. Indies II. 56The more distant farmers..both in their manners and appearance, more resembled Hottentots than Christians.
1827 G. Thompson Trav. 341On the frontier..mutual hostility and depredation continued to subsist between the Caffers and the Christians.
1835 G. Champion Jrnl (1968) 14To call a slave a Christian is in their (sc. the Dutch’s) eyes synon. with making him a white man, for the term has that meaning in this country.
a1838 A. Smith Jrnl (1975) 50The Christians — as the whites of South Africa designated themselves in contradistinction to the blacks.
1882 C. Du Val With Show through Sn Afr. I. 259Snap went the chain, leaving half the Christian and all the Kaffir muscularity sprawling on the bank.
1898 (tr. of W.S. van Ryneveld) in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. III. 242The Landdrost has endeavoured to instigate the Caffers against the Christians,..but..the honest protector of our native Country Coenraad de Buys has prevented it.
c1963 Stellenbosch: Oldest Village in S. Afr. (brochure) 8The well-known D.R. Minister Meent Borcherds included in his memoirs a detailed description of the village as he knew it in 1825..the population..consisting of 774 Christians, 144 Hottentots, 852 slaves, 22 prize negroes and 64 free blacks.
Christenmensch. Also attributive.
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Christenmensch, nounn.Christian-National, adjectiveadj.
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