Offensive term to be replaced as first step towards more changes in unprecedented reform of nomenclature rules
Archived version: https://archive.ph/ppR98
The effect of the vote will be that all plants, fungi and algae names that contain the word caffra, which originates in insults made against Black people, will be replaced by the word affra to denote their African origins. More than 200 species will be affected, including the coast coral tree, which, from 2026, will be known as Erythrina affra instead of Erythrina caffra.
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Why is caffra insulting? I’ve never even heard the word before except in plant names.
In South Africa, we’re vaguely aware of the n-word and its meaning in American culture, but the k-word (after which this plant was named) is highly offensive.
Is the k-word (or close variant) integrated into the cultural language there in the same way the n-word is here?