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rooinek

(South Africa, derogatory, ethnic slur) An Englishman, or a South African that speaks English as opposed to Afrikaans.

ˈɹɔɪnekhistorical232 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(South Africa, derogatory, ethnic slur) An Englishman, or a South African that speaks English as opposed to Afrikaans.

Origin: From , from red + neck. The term refers to South Africans of British descent, who were perceived by Afrikaners to wear headgear (such as solar topees or no hat at all) which was inadequate in protecting them from sunburn, and thus caused them to have red necks. Other theories include the term being a reference to the red collars of 19th-century British military uniforms or to the red markings that British-South African farmers painted on their imported merino sheep. Compare redneck. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

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