[ 'hɒt(ə)ntɒt ]
■ noun & adjective offensive used to refer to Khoikhoi peoples.
Origin
Du., perh. a repetitive formula in a Nama dancing song, transferred by Du. sailors to the people themselves, or from Ger. hotteren-totteren 'stutter' (with ref. to their click language).
Usage
The word ~ is now regarded as offensive with reference to people (where Khoikhoi is the standard term) but is still standard when used in the names of some animals and plants.