kaptein, noun
/kapˈteɪn/
- Forms:
- Show more Also capitein, kapitein, kapteen, kapteijn, kaptijn, kaptyn.
- Origin:
- South African Dutch, DutchShow more South African Dutch, from Dutch kapitein leader, chieftain.
historical
1. A title bestowed by the early Dutch colonists on the indigenous leader of a village or a people; also used as a form of address, often with a name; captain.
1790 tr. of F. Le Vaillant’s Trav. I. 273A crescent or gorget, formed of the same metal (sc. copper) upon which is engraven in large letters the word capitein, is put round his neck as a badge of his dignity.
1987 Financial Mail 22 May 6KwaZulu is to abolish such titles as Chief, Paramount Chief, Kaptein and Hoofkaptein and replace them with Zulu terms.
2. The formerly hereditary, now elected, leader of the Rehoboth Baster people of Namibia (see Rehoboth).
1946 L.G. Green So Few Are Free 198I had to apply to the ‘Kaptein’ of the Rehoboths before I could gather the threads of their strange story on the spot. They guard their borders jealously against strangers.
1984 Daily Dispatch 30 Oct. 13The Rehoboth Liberation Front of Mr Hans Diergaardt, who was elected Kaptein of the Gebiet last month, took seven of the nine seats in the Volksraad.
- Derivatives:
- Hence kapteinship noun.1987 B. Lau Namibia in Jonker Afrikaner’s Time 28Jager Afrikaner died in 1823...One of his younger sons, Jonker, was not prepared to cede the kapteinship to his older brother.
Copyright © 2023 Dictionary Unit for South African English.