‖neef, noun

/nɪəf/
Forms:
Also nief.
Origin:
South African DutchShow more South African Dutch, cousin, nephew.
In the reported speech of Afrikaans- or South African Dutch-speaking people:
1. ‘Cousin’, ‘nephew’: an informal term of address or reference to a male cousin or nephew, or to any younger man; nefie sense a; nephew sense a. See also niggie.
1838 J.E. Alexander Exped. into Int. I. 103The field-cornets and the farmers are all related or connected: every one is oom or neef (uncle or nephew) to his neighbour.
1868 W.R. Thomson Poems, Essays & Sketches 178Will you..make Merry Christmas with the ooms, tantes, neefs, and nichtjes at one or other of these places?
1899 G.H. Russell Under Sjambok 48‘Believe me, Nief’ (nephew, an expression used to young Boer men), ‘you are the first I have met who does not take it (sc. sugar).’
1903 D. Blackburn Burgher Quixote 131‘Ah, neef, so the khakis have not got you?’ said he, kindly.
1914 L.H. Brinkman Breath of Karroo 14The elders..address the younger men as ‘neef,’ and young girls as ‘nicht,’ both terms meaning ‘cousin,’ a friendly method which tends to..put every one at ease.
1937 C.R. Prance Tante Rebella’s Saga 196Oom Christiaan was still hardly more than ‘Neef’, new-married and with only a golden shadow of his today’s snowy apostolic beard.
1944 C.R. Prance Under Blue Roof 150Nephew Piet might be uncle-by-marriage to his own Uncle Karel’s second wife, so that nephew and uncle might reasonably address each other indifferently as ‘Oom’ or ‘Neef’.
1945 Outspan 20 July 37Come, let us now go and help the neef.
1946 E. Rosenthal General De Wet 21Officers would frequently be addressed as ‘Oom’ (Uncle) and in their turn would call their men ‘Neef’ or ‘Nephew’.
1952 Van de Haer & Manuel in Drum Aug. 7One day a broadfaced, florid Afrikaner joined our Coloured friend a few yards away. At every piece of smart play the newcomer would..call for support from his unknown neighbour whom he addressed as ‘Neef.’
1958 R.E. Lighton Out of Strong 144Suddenly she cackled with toothless laughter and..cried triumphantly, ‘Can’t you see, Neef?’
1965 K. Mackenzie Deserter 71Commander Venter came round to encourage his soldiers. He said to Japie: ‘Veldcornet Kritzinger tells me you did very well in the charge...That is good work, neef, and you must keep it up.’
1975 Sunday Times 19 Oct. (Mag. Sect.) 8The folkdancers show the way. Note the hand-embroidered waistcoats of the ‘neefs’.
1978 Sunday Times 20 Aug. 14‘Ou neef,..I am looking for my daughter, who is supposed to be somewhere in this building. Have you perhaps seen her?’
1993 ‘K. Lemmer’ in Weekly Mail 18 June 12A neef of Oom Krisjan recently went to Shell House to claim some petrol money from the ANC accounts department.
2. A title, with a first name; nephew sense b.
1912 F. Bancroft Veldt Dwellers 175Then Tante Jacoba said: ‘Do not take it to heart, neef Petrus.’
1934 N. Devitt Mem. of Magistrate 17A leading Boer went to Paul Kruger: ‘President’, he said, ‘I want a post for my son!’ The President..replied: ‘Neef Hans, your boy is not slim enough to be a clerk, and all the higher posts are filled!’
1947 C.R. Prance Antic Mem. 76Oom Jurie and Neef Japie had to help the Vet. personally to corner a suspected mule.
1953 U. Krige Dream & Desert 180What a contrary fellow Neef Kobus is!
1963 L. Abrahams (tr. of H.C. Bosman) in Unto Dust 36There was something dignified about his appearance that prevented me from calling him bluntly ‘neef Herklaas’.
‘Cousin’, ‘nephew’: an informal term of address or reference to a male cousin or nephew, or to any younger man; nefie sense a; nephew sense a.
A title, with a first name; nephew sense b.
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nee, adverbadv.nefie, nounn.
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