bushman
bushman Lexical Profile
bushman Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Australian A person who lives, works, or travels in the Australian bush or outback, especially one skilled in wilderness survival and rural crafts.
"The experienced bushman easily navigated the dense eucalyptus forest without a compass."
A member of the San peoples, the indigenous hunter-gatherer inhabitants of southern Africa (usually capitalized).
"Anthropologists studied the ancient rock art left behind by early Bushman communities in the Kalahari Desert."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized as 'Bushman' to refer to the indigenous hunter-gatherer peoples of southern Africa, the term has historically carried colonial and sometimes derogatory connotations; the name 'San' (or specific group names) is generally preferred in academic and formal usage.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 18th century as an English translation of the South African Dutch 'bosjesman' (literally 'man of the bushes'), and later applied independently in 19th-century Australia to settlers living in the outback.