vicious fistfight. Kaffir lime "Kaffir lime" is one of the names of a citrus fruit native to tropical countries in South and South East Asia. Its etymology is uncertain, but most likely was originally used by Muslims as a reference to the location the plant grew, which was in countries populated by non-Muslims (Hindus and Buddhists). Under this interpretation, the plant name shares an origin with the South African term, both ultimately derived from kafir, the Arabic word for "non-believer". The fruit name as such never had any offensive connotations, but due to the present negative connotations of "Kaffir" The Oxford Companion to Food recommends that the alternative term "makrut lime" be favored when speaking of this fruit. See also Blackfella Coloured Coolie History of South Africa Kaffir lime Kafir Kafiristan Kaffraria Kaffrine Moors Nigger Sri Lankan Kaffirs List of ethnic slurs CAFR References External links Kaffirs in Sri Lanka: Descendants of enslaved Africans The transcripts of the Human Rights Violations Hearings & Submissions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission contains a large number of references to the use of the word kaffir during the South African Apartheid era. The Provenance of the term ‘Kafir’ in South Africa and the notion of Beginning by Gabeba Baderoon Historical definition of the term from the Nutall Encyclopedia, 1907 Anti-African and anti-black slurs Anti-black racism in South Africa South African English