‖Knopneus, noun

/ˈknɔpniœs//ˈknɔpnɪəs/
Plurals:
Knopneuse/ˈknɔpniœsə/, and (formerly) Knopnäse, Knopneusen, Knopneuses.
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African DutchShow more Afrikaans (earlier South African Dutch), knop knob + neus nose.
Shangaan sense 1 a.
1882 S. Heckford Lady Trader in Tvl 258Kaffirs [came] in from the neighbourhood to buy. Some of these were ‘Knopnäse’, perfect savages, with tassels of fur tied on to their woolly heads, and a girdle, with a fringe of wild cats’ tails, as their only garment.
1952 H. Klein Land of Silver Mist 166Deep-seated friction..developed between him and the Boers..over his Shangaan followers, who, because of their squat noses, the Boers called Knopneusen.
1970 E.B. van Wyk in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. II. 106Transvaal Tsonga is spoken by various tribes such as the Gwamba or Knopneuse of the Northern Transvaal.
1971 H. Zeederberg Veld Express 90Fifty armed Shangaans (Knopneuses) were hired to guard the convoy from attacks by wild animals.
[1973 H.P. Junod in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. IX. 600The characteristic tribal mark of the Shangana-Tsonga is the pierced ear-lobe..while other forms of tattooing have been developed and adopted, notably the big black keloids of the Chopi, farther north — a custom which caused the Voortrekkers to call them ‘Knopneuse’ (Knob-noses).]
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18821973

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Afrikaans
knopkierie, nounn.knoppiesdoring, nounn.
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