‖nie-blanke, noun

/niˈblaŋkə/
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, nie not (equivalent of ‘non’) + blankeWhite person.
non-white noun. Usually in the plural. Also attributive. Cf. blanke.
Note:
Usually reflecting official terminology (especially on signs in public places) during the apartheid era.
1955 L. Marquard Story of S. Afr. 243Notices announcing Blankes and Nie-Blankes (white and non-white) sprouted in post offices, on railway stations and in other public places.
1966 L.G. Berger Where’s Madam 144After the show we went outside to find our car, passing heaps of Africans piling into the voluminous insides of sagging native taxis — back to the realities of apartheid, where officialdom would next day reduce them to the role of ordinary nie-blankes once more.
1968 Drum Sept. 6Dear Juby, I miss the sunshine and the signboards reading ‘Nie-Blankes Alleen.’
1973 Drum 41Because of ‘Blankes — Nie Blankes’ signs there are places he just cannot enter. He is Black.
1977 World 3 Mar. (Woman’s World)I’m sure you’ve seen them all — the crazy signs I mean. ‘Bantus only’, ‘Nie Blankes’ or is it knee buckets?
1988 S.A. Botha in Frontline Apr.–May 24There are two subways under the tracks, some 300m apart. The one nearest the hotel is marked ‘non-whites/nie blankes’, and the other ‘whites/blankes’. Nowadays, anybody uses whatever is more convenient.
1989 S. Bilac in Personality 10 Apr. 30The good people of Boksburg voted the CP in to control their town council and brought out the dusters to polish up the Net Blankes and Geen Nie-blankes signs and put them back from where they had been removed.
1990 S. Cilliers in Frontline Jan. 9Sometimes I think it was almost better to have the Geen Nie-Blankes signs. Then you knew.
1992 J. Qwelane in Weekend Argus 22 Feb. 18Zealots in the rightwing camp may be dusting off the recently discarded ‘Whites-only’ and ‘Nie-blankes’ signs.
non-white noun. Usually in the plural. Also attributive. Cf. blanke.
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Afrikaans
Nicro, nounn.nieshout, nounn.
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