'africander' originates from Dutch, specifically the word 'Afrikander,' where 'Afrika' referred to the continent of Africa and '-ander' was a suffix used to denote origin or association.

'Afrikander' transformed into the English word 'africander' as it was adopted into English usage.

Initially, it referred to people of Dutch descent in South Africa, but over time it evolved to specifically denote a breed of cattle.