yes-no, adverb

Origin:
Translation of Afrikaans ja-nee.
ja-nee.
1900 H. Blore Imp. Light Horseman 76Yes-no, but I wanted to ask you whether dere was not an artery cut...If this be your skill then need I not fear...Yes-no; a Kaffir, even of my cunning, could do no better.
1970 Informant, Eastern CapeYes-no, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.
1972 Informant, Eastern CapeYes-no, rhenosterbos isn’t a problem here thank goodness — it really can damage your veld.
1972 J. Smuts Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Yes-no, this is the sort of thing where you wander about in the dark.
1980 J. Scott in Het Suid-Western 6 Aug.‘How goes it with you, Koos?’ ‘Yes no, cannot complain, Piet.’
1986 Fair Lady 5 Mar. 24Is Wine an aphrodisiac? The answer is that South Africanism which floored me as a newcomer to this country: ‘Yes-no’ (followed by ‘it depends’).
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19001986
yes baas, adjectival phraseadj. phr. & noun phrasen. phr.yinna, interjectionint.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English