what does hottentot mean

“Hottentot” is an old European word for the Indigenous Khoekhoe (often grouped with broader “Khoisan”) peoples of Southern Africa, and today it is widely regarded as a racist, derogatory slur and should not be used.

Basic meaning

• Historically, “Hottentot” was used by Dutch and other European colonisers to label Khoekhoe/Khoisan communities in what is now South Africa and Namibia.

• Modern dictionaries and style guides mark the term as “offensive,” “derogatory,” or “racist,” and recommend using terms such as Khoekhoe instead.

Where the word came from

• The word appears in 17th‑century South African Dutch and is usually explained as imitating sounds in Khoisan languages, sometimes glossed as “stammerer” or “stutterer.”

• Early European writers commented on the distinctive click consonants in Khoisan speech and used “Hottentot” as a nickname rather than an authentic self‑designation by the people themselves.

Why it is offensive now

• The term is bound up with colonial racism: it was used to portray Indigenous Africans as primitive, uncivilised, and less than fully human.

• Because of that history, using “Hottentot” about a person today is generally treated like using other racial slurs and has been explicitly described as a racist, derogatory word by South African bodies and commentators.

Related historical usage

• In older English and European texts, you sometimes see phrases like “Hottentot language,” “Hottentot Corps,” or “Hottentot god” (for a mantis revered in some Khoisan traditions); these reflect outdated colonial terminology rather than acceptable modern language.

• The best‑known example of the term’s racist use is the label “Hottentot Venus,” forced on Saartjie Baartman, a Khoekhoe woman exhibited in 19th‑century Europe because of her body, which has become a symbol of colonial exploitation and objectification.

How to refer instead

• For people: use Khoekhoe (or, more broadly, Khoisan if referring to several related groups), and follow current local or community‑preferred terms where possible.

• For historical texts: it is fine to quote the word when you are explicitly talking about its history or critiquing racism, but avoid using it as your own label for anyone.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.