Black Venus Glossary

Black Venus Glossary

Hottentot

Hottentot is an archaic term that comes from the Dutch and refers to the nomadic Khoi-San people. The term appears to be related to an Old Dutch term that means stammerer. It also is a reference to the language of the Khoi-San peoples which is characterized by distinctive click consonants. The term Hottentot is considered a derogatory term today. In the 19th century, the Khoi-San were often regarded as a type of missing evolutionary link, tying “modern” humans with primitive apes. These hypotheses represent the scientific racism of the time.

Hottentot Apron

The term Hottentot Apron refers to two things: the loin-cloth covering that Khoi-San women wear to cover their genitalia, and the elongated labia minora of the Khoi-San women which covers the vagina.

Gallas

Gallas is an archaic and offensive term for the Oromo peoples of Ethiopia in East Africa. The term refers to their refusal to accept Islam as their religion, but was used by Europeans throughout the 19th century.

Bushman

Bushman is a commonly-used term referring to the nomadic Khoi-San peoples of Southern Africa. Historically, the Khoi-San lived off of the land, traveling through the bush and subsisting on what they could hunt and gather. It is slowly falling out of use today.

Harlot

Harlot is a dated word referring to prostitutes and sex workers. The term was very common in the 19th century.

Afrikaans

Afrikaans refers to the language used by the white Dutch peoples who colonized South Africa in the 17th century.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

Cite this page