Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
San. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
San, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
San in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
San you have here. The definition of the word
San will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
San, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
As a synonym of Bushmen introduced into ethnology from the 1960s, from Khoekhoe saan (singular saa) "foragers; people without wealth", via back-formation from Khoisan. Occasional citation as the Nama term for "Bushmen" from the 1880s.
Noun
San pl (plural only)
- (regionally, offensive, ethnic slur) Any of the foraging non-Bantu ethnic groups of southwestern Africa.
Usage notes
- San is the plural form, used for the group collectively. Individuals are referred to as "a San man", "a San woman" etc., although when referring to individuals, reference to their specific nation is preferable (as in, "a ǃKung man" etc.).
- San became popular in 1970s western anthropology as a politically correct replacement for "Bushmen", which was perceived as outdated. However, it turned out that San was a derogatory term for "foragers" used by the pastoralist Khoikhoi, while "Bushman" carried no derogatory connotations, so that experts who had been in actual contact with the group recommended the continued use of "Bushmen" (Henry Harpending). By the 2000s, it was reported that San had mostly lost its derogatory connotations in South Africa and was partly embraced as self-designation, while it continued to be perceived as an insult in parts of the central Kalahari in Namibia.
Alternative forms
Synonyms
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Polish San.
Proper noun
San
- A river in southeastern Poland and western Ukraine.
Translations
References
- ^ Theophilus Hahn (1881) Tsuni-ǁGoam: The Supreme Being to the Khoi-Khoi, page 3:
The old Dutch also did not know that their so-called Hottentots formed only one branch of a wide-spread race, of which the other branch divided into ever so many tribes, differing from each other totally in language […] While the so-called Hottentots called themselves Khoikhoi (men of men, i.e. men par excellence), they called those other tribes Sā, the Sonqua of the Cape Records […] We should apply the term Hottentot to the whole race, and call the two families, each by the native name, that is the one, the Khoikhoi, the so-calle Hottentot proper; the other the Sān (Sā) or Bushmen.
- ^ Richard B. Lee (2012) The Dobe Ju/'Hoansi, 4th edition, Cengage Learning, page 9
Anagrams
Asturian
Noun
San m
- Saint (title given to a saint)
Basque
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish San.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /s̺an/
- Rhymes: -an
- Hyphenation: San
Adjective
San (indeclinable)
- Saint (male title)
- Synonyms: Santi, Done
Usage notes
- This is the most commonly used title for male saints. The titles Santi and Done are used with the names of some saints, but they are less common.
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- "San" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia , euskaltzaindia.eus
- “San” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia , euskaltzaindia.eus
Catalan
Noun
San m
- Saint (title given to a saint)
Irish
Etymology
From French saint, from Latin sanctus (“holy”).
Pronunciation
Noun
San (indeclinable)
- (Christianity) Saint (title)
- Synonym: Naomh
- San Doiminic ― St. Dominic
- San Caitríona ― St. Catherine
- San Nioclás ― St. Nicholas, Santa Claus
Further reading
Italian
Noun
San m or f
- a form of Santo or Santa
Polish
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Proper noun
San m inan
- San (a right tributary of the Vistula in Poland and Ukraine)
Declension
Proper noun
San m animal
- San (Polish bus manufacturer)
Declension
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Proper noun
San m inan
- Tonlé San (a right tributary of the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam)
Declension
Etymology 3
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Proper noun
San m inan
- San (a town in Mali)
Declension
Further reading
- San in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- San in Polish dictionaries at PWN
- San in PWN's encyclopedia
Spanish
Etymology
Apocopic form of santo.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈsan/
- Rhymes: -an
- Syllabification: San
Adjective
San
- Saint (title)
Derived terms
Tagalog
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish San, an apocopic form of Santo.
Pronunciation
Noun
San (feminine Santa, Baybayin spelling ᜐᜈ᜔)
- title used with the name of the male saints aside from Tomas, Tome, Domingo, and Toribio: Saint; St.
- Coordinate term: Santo
Derived terms
Turkish
Proper noun
San
- a male given name
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
Proper noun
San
- a female given name from Chinese