backveld
|back-veld|
/ˈbækvɛld/
remote countryside
Etymology
'backveld' originates from English, formed by combining English 'back' and Afrikaans/Dutch 'veld' (meaning 'field' or 'open country').
'backveld' developed in South African English in the late 19th to early 20th century by joining English 'back' with Afrikaans/Dutch 'veld' (from Dutch 'veld'), producing the compound used to denote the remote veld.
Initially a literal compound meaning 'the back/remote field', it came to be used more generally to mean the remote countryside or backcountry, a sense that persists today.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a remote, rural area or the backcountry, especially in South Africa; the outlying veld or countryside away from towns and settlements.
They lived out in the backveld, hours from the nearest town.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/28 04:25