‘Lekker’ must be one of Afrikaans’s most descriptive and wonderful words. Initially meaning ‘delicious’ and used to describe tasty or sweet food, it is now also used to describe everything pleasurable from a good day (‘lekker dag’) to a good life (‘lekker lewe’).
The word that originated from the Middle Dutch word ‘lecker’, derived from the verb ‘lekken’ (lick), has come a long way.
And there are marvellous combinations of the word today describing a myriad of items and experiences. Some of the best I’ve found include “Koos Lekkerlag Schnaps’ (Koos ‘Good Laugh’ Schnaps) and ‘Lekkerkry’, the farm name I came across both deep in the South near the Orange River and close to Tsumeb in the North, chosen by those farmers who are feeling good, regardless of the challenges of farming, and are enjoying life.
In 2003 Zak van Niekerk made the name popular in his hit song ‘Lekkerkry’, accompanying the lyrics with guitar and harmonica:
‘Ja ek kyk elke dag hoe die beeste wei
En ek kla maar so oor die boerdery
Al moet ek sweet en so bitter ly, my plaas se naam is Lekkerkry.’
‘Yes, I watch the cattle grazing every day
And I complain about the farming
Even though I have to sweat and suffer so bitterly,
My farm’s name is Lekkerkry.’
Let us know your favourite ‘lekker’ words, we’d love to hear them.