wit ou, noun phrase

/ˈvet əʊ//ˈvət əʊ/
Forms:
Also vet ou.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, witWhite + ou, see ou noun.
colloquial
Especially among people of Indian origin in KwaZulu-Natal: a White person; often in the plural, used collectively. See also ou noun sense 2 b.
1978 A. Akhalwaya in Rand Daily Mail 10 July 7The Natal pronunciation of Afrikaans words such as ‘wit’ and ‘pik’ come out [sic] as ‘vet’ and ‘pek’. And our main ou, who is also a ‘chaar ou’ (Indian), has friends of all races — ‘vet ous’ (whites) ‘pek ous’ (blacks) and ‘bruin ous’ (coloureds).
1978 L. Barnes in The 1820 Vol.51 No.12, 19The Afrikaans word ou seems to have caught on in Natal just as much as in other parts of the country. There are chaar ous..; wit ous (pronounced ‘vet’), [etc.].
1980 R. Govender Lahnee’s Pleasure 9Don’t make so much noise. The wit ous are laughing at us.
1992 R. Mesthrie Lexicon of S. Afr. Indian Eng. 120Vet-ou,..A white-man.
a White person; often in the plural, used collectively.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19781992
witogie, nounn.Wits, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English