broer, noun

/bruː(r)/
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, from Dutch broeder brother.
‘Brother’.
1. colloquial. An informal or familiar term of address, often in the phrase my broer. Also in dimunitive form broertjie /ˈbruːrki/ [see -ie]. Cf. bra sense 2 b.
1912 F. Bancroft Veldt Dwellers 110‘Look at my old shoes, broertjie,’ she stretched out a foot clad in a well-worn pair of veldtschoens.
1969 Lennox-Short & Lighton Stories S. African 63Alle heil, broer..see you tomorrow at the funeral.
1987 S.A. Botha in Frontline Oct.–Nov. 9Don’t you worry, my broer, this isn’t boep. Wait until you get to Central. Oh, yes, my broer, then you’ll check what’s potting.
1989 Sunday Times 5 Nov. (Mag. Sect.) 31When he gets to know you better..he calls you broer, as in ‘Hey, broer, what do you think?’ or ‘That’s a great idea, broer.’
1990 B. Cohen in Weekly Mail 22 June (Suppl.) 7Or Wally Onetime, looks like he had a rough night, who wakens to a glorious day in Bamboesbaai: ‘Howzit my broer. Let’s go fishing.’
1992 S. Gutknecht in Sunday Times 19 Apr. (Suppl.) 28I’ll check you later, broer.
2. obsolete. Used as a title before a man’s first name.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 91Broer,..This word is frequently employed in folk-lore tales and ordinary conversation as Uncle Remus — Mr. Chandler Harris’ friend — uses the word ‘Brer’. Instead of Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit, etc., we have Broer Jakhals, Broer Wolf, etc.
3. A friend or compatriot. Also figurative.
1938 F.C. Slater Trek 59Twelve volleys from the belching roer, The trekker’s trusted friend and broer, Had rattled harshly.
1979 Sunday Times 8 July (Extra) 2We jam-pack our bios to the ceiling, sit shoulder-to-shoulder with our black broers.
1979 Sunday Times 26 Aug. (Extra) 3My white broer was sitting there laughing. He had a great sense of humour.
1981 B. Mfenyana in M. Mutloatse Reconstruction 299Now the white maponisa took a while to adjust to Mdantsane, coined by their own broers in the first place.
4. Broederbonder. Also used as a title.
1950 H. Gibbs Twilight in S. Afr. 209The Broers are said to have realized that in future they would have to seek stronger control over the machinery of government.
1952 B. Davidson Report on Sn Afr. 154In the Parliament which elected Dr. Malan as Prime Minister it is said on reasonably sound evidence that more than four-fifths of all the members of the Nationalist and Afrikaner Parties were Broers, or brothers of the Bond.
1994 Noseweek No.10, 10Broer D— they kept on as chief executive.
5. colloquial. A brother. Cf. boet sense 3 a, broeder sense 1.
1977 C. Hope in S. Gray Theatre Two (1981) 40Bring your broer’s friend here and let’s check his knife then.
1990 J. Naidoo Coolie Location 177‘Ja, you know I had a long talk with my broer, Hafez, the other day.
1992 N. Mbatha in Pace Aug. 53There were two warders, brothers, who proved particularly adverse toward him. ‘The Kleynhans broers had their knives out for me,’ he recalls.
6. slang. main man.
1987 L. Beake Strollers 38It was them what started it — the Spider Men. Wanted us to be lighties, you know, join the gang...They kept after us. My uncle,..he’s one of the Broers, jy weet, high up, jy weet. He says it’s family, man.
‘Brother’.
An informal or familiar term of address, often in the phrase my broer. Also in dimunitive form broertjie /ˈbruːrki/ [see -ie].
Used as a title before a man’s first name.
A friend or compatriot. Also figurative.
Broederbonder. Also used as a title.
A brother.
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broeks, plural nounpl. n.brom, nounn.
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