peperkorrel, noun

Forms:
Also pieper koral.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, ‘peppercorn’, from peper pepper + korrel corn, grain, tuft of hair.
Usually in the plural : peppercorn hair, see peppercorn.
1926 Report of Rehoboth Commission (UG41–1926) 5The Bushmen are a people of small stature...The hair on the head grows in tufts, at distances from each other, the tufts (known colloquially as ‘peperkorrels’ — pepper-corns) consisting of twisted woolly hairs.
c1929 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 107Frikkie: Ach wat, you cut off your own hair. Sophie: Well it’s der fashion, can’ I cut off my own hair if I like! Frikkie: After you spend ten pounds to make your pieper korals straight.
1961 F.G. Butler in Forum Oct. 9Pure White and pitch Black, straight hair and peperkorrels.
1970 V.R. Vink Informant, FloridaThe old Bantu woman covered the peperkorrels on her head with a scarf.
Usually in the plural :peppercorn hair, see peppercorn.
Derivatives:
Hence peperkorrel  adjective  nonce.
a1951 H.C. Bosman in S. Gray Makapan’s Caves (1987) 184The missionary’s child by Mletshwa’s wife would be dark lemon in colour, with its hair less peperkorrel than the average negro’s.
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19261970

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