Sangahyando
Well-known member
In other languages, the word "Kaffer" doesn't necessarily have such strong negative connotations as in Dutch/Afrikaans (or in Arabic, where it probably originated from).The Dutch name for White-rumped Swift was changed recently. Look at the scientific name and you may guess why. I was attacked by some for suggesting this name needed changing at first, partly because many Dutch birders were not aware that this name was offensive.
Only if they also rechristen "Great Tit" to "Garden Shrike".One could try to get BirdLife to rename Coal Tit into Carbon-neutral Tit.
It has certainly absorbed an unusual amount of "foreign" words (IIRC more than 50%, mostly Old French and Latin), however it's not "all", not by a long stretch.Not forgetting that the English language has absorbed and appropriated most (all?) of its words from elsewhere.