‖Christenmensch, noun

/ˈxrəst(ə)nˌmens//ˈxrəst(ə)nˌmẽs/
Forms:
Christemens, ChristenmenschShow more singular Christemens, Christenmensch, Christmensch; plural Christen menschen, Christen mense, Christi mensche, Criste menchen, Kriste-mensch.
Plurals:
usually Christenmenschen.
Origin:
South African DutchShow more South African Dutch, Christen Christian + mens, mensch person.
obs. except in historical contexts
a. A Christian. b. A White person. c. An Afrikaner person (see Afrikaner noun sense 2 a). In all senses also Christian. Cf. mens noun sense 1.
1806 J. Barrow Trav. I. 398Bursts of rage and resentment on being put on a level with one, as the boors call them, of the Zwarte Natie, between whom and the Christian Mensch they conceive the difference to be fully as great as between themselves and their cattle.
1822 Missionary Notices 327The fact is, in this country they consider it an honour to be baptised, and are always wishful to get the name of Criste Menchen (or Christians) whether God has begun a work of grace upon their hearts or not.
1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 221They think that a Christenmensch (a Christian), so they term all white men, should never be passed without salutation.
1824 W.J. Burchell Trav. II. 467He often assumed over the other Hottentots, an insolent command which he supposed to belong to him in right of his being a ‘Christmensch’.
1832 Graham’s Town Jrnl 2 Mar. 39All the parsens speetchified and preetchified so long about drunkenness, and blackened the Cristemens and whitewashed the Ottentots so much as you never seed in your born days.
[1834 T. Pringle Afr. Sketches 527Christian men (Christen menschen) is the term always used by the Boors to distinguish themselves from the coloured races.]
1846 R. Moffat Missionary Labours 9Whenever they saw him..go into the bush for prayer or meditation, one of other or the Christi mensche (Christians) immediately ran into his tent to steal.
1863 Lady Duff-Gordon in F. Galton Vacation Tourists (1864) III. 187The Dutch pastors still remember the distinction between ‘Christenmenschen’ and ‘Hottentoten’.
1871 J. Mackenzie Ten Yrs N. of Orange River 35While no one had any reason to fear personal violence at the hands of the Dutchmen, the spoliation of Dr. Livingstone’s station at Kolobeng taught us all that our equipment..would probably be regarded as a fair prize..by the ‘Christen menschen’ of the Transvaal.
1885 L.H. Meurant 60 Yrs Ago 81Drie monts Krediet for de Christemens — no Krediet for de Settlaar.
1896 M.A. Carey-Hobson At Home in Tvl 495Surely, whatever they did as regarded blacks, they would not leave Christenmenschen (Christians) to be devoured by vultures!
1913 A.B. Marchand Dirk, S. African 7 (Swart)We’re plain folks, but not so rough as that we haven’t a bed and a bite for another Christenmensch that has come so far.
1968 E.A. Walker Hist. of Sn Afr. 275The Boers had held even more strongly than the townsmen..that the natives were children of Ham, definitely inferior to Christen mense, divinely appointed hewers of wood and drawers of water.
A Christian.
A White person.
An Afrikaner person (see Afrikaner noun sense 2 a). In all senses also Christian.
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18061968

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obsolete or obsolescent
chorb, nounn.Christian, nounn.
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