Knobnose, noun

/ˈnɒbnəʊz/
Forms:
Also with small initial.
Origin:
South African Dutch, AfrikaansShow more Translation of South African Dutch (later Afrikaans) knopneus; see quotation 1905.
obs. except in historical contexts
Often attributive, in the offensive phrase Knobnose kaffir, Knobnosed kaffir. Shangaan sense 1 a.
1839 W.C. Harris Wild Sports 350A friendly tribe of natives, whom, from a peculiarity in the nasal prominence, they dignified with the appellation of ‘knob-nosed Kafirs’.
1877 F. Jeppe Tvl Bk Almanac & Dir. (1976) 33Tons of iron, a friend informs us, were carried out of a Kafir kraal near Matzibandela’s which was ransacked by the Knobnoses.
1888 W.J. Pretorius in J. Bird Annals of Natal I. 231After a while Rensenburg and Triegaart separated. The first and all his followers were murdered by the ‘Knob-nosed’ Kafirs.
1900 A.H. Keane Boer States: Land & People 99Hence the extraordinary differences that are observed between..the degraded Magwamba (‘demons’ or ‘devils’), called ‘Knobnoses’ by the Transvaal Boers, and the Basutos.
1905 Native Tribes of Tvl 64They (sc. the Shangaans) used to be called ‘Knob-noses’ from the custom of lacerating their faces, especially the nose, in such a manner as to produce a number of raised scars or knobs, but this practice is now dying out.
1943 D. Reitz No Outspan 59We went up the Sami river to Sibasa’s country and then to the chief of the knob-nose kaffirs.
1958 S. Cloete Mask 131Albini was a Portuguese of good family who..had collected a number of knob-nose Kaffirs or Shangaans who regarded him as their chief.
1974 A.P. Cartwright By Waters of Letaba 20Joao Albasini, native commissioner of the eastern district, chieftain of the ‘Knobnose Kaffirs’, as the Mashangana were nicknamed by the Boers, offered refuge to all in his fortress-like trading post.
Often attributive, in the offensive phrase Knobnose kaffir, Knobnosed kaffir. Shangaan sense 1 a.
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Knobneus, nounn.knob-stick, nounn.
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