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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SAN  DIEGO 


3  1822  02676  1445 


SAf^ 


0\£G0 


3  1822  02676  1445 


AFRICANDERISMS 

A  GLOSSARY  OF  SOUTH  AFRICAN 
COLLOQUIAL   WORDS   AND    PHRASES 


AFRICANDERISMS 

A  GLOSSARY  OF  SOUTH  AFRICAN 
COLLOQUIAL  WORDS  AND  PHRASES 
AND  OF  PLACE  AND  OTHER  NAMES 


COMPILED    BY 

THE    REV.    CHARLES    PETTMAN 

QUEENSTOWN  y^ 

SOUTH    AFRICA 


LONGMANS,    GREEN    AND    CO. 

39   PATERNOSTER   ROW,   LONDON 
NEW  YORK,  BOMBAY   AND    CALCUTTA 

1913 

REPUBLISHED  BY  GALE  RESEARCH  COMPANY,  BOOK  TOWER,  DETROIT,  1968 


Library  of  Congress  Catalog  Card  Number  68-18007 


PREFACE. 

When,  by  some  strange  oversight,  the  great  "  Oxford 
Dictionary  "  not  only  omits  to  notice  such  recognized 
English  words  as  African  and  Africanism  (Milton,  ''  Of 
Reformation  in  England,"  Book  i.),  to  say  nothing  of 
such  well-known  South  African  words  as  Africander, 
Africanderism,  and  Africanderdom,  there  does  appear 
to  be  an  excuse,  if  not  a  reason,  for  the  publication  of 
a  Glossary  of  South  African  Words  and  Phrases. 

A  residence  of  nearly  forty  years  in  the  sub-conti- 
nent and  an  acquaintance,  more  or  less  intimate,  with 
every  Province  and  with  most  of  the  different  peoples 
of  the  Union,  have  afforded  opportunities  for  the  pur- 
suit of  a  study,  that  could,  however,  only  be  indulged 
in  as  a  relaxation  from  duties  that  always  had  the 
first  claim. 

The  Glossary  was  begun  on  the  day  of  the  author's 
landing  in  Cape  Town  in  October,  1876,  when  he  jotted 
down  in  his  notebook  a  few  of  the  strange  words  that 
then  fell  upon  his  ear.  Needless  to  say,  there  was  no 
thought  at  that  time  of  his  collection  ever  assuming 
the  proportions  which  it  has  now  attained,  but  grad- 
ually it  grew,  and  as  it  grew  it  became  of  increasing 
interest  to  himself  and  to  a  few  of  his  friends.  It  is 
to  the  urgings  of  the  latter  that  it  should  see  the  light' 
that  he  has  now  yielded. 

To  the  friends  who  have  helped  him  the  author 
gratefully  acknowledges  his  indebtedness  ;  they  have 
been  few,  but  their  practical  interest  has  been  inval- 
uable :  among  them  Rudolf  Marloth,  Esq.,  M.A., 
Ph.D.,  and  E.  E.  Galpin,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  both  recognized 


VI 


PEEFACE 


authorities  on  South  African  botany;  John  Muir, 
Esq.,  M.D.,  of  Albertinia,  who  supplied  many  of  the 
Kiversdale  District  trivial  names  (and  identification) 
of  plants,  etc.,  in  use  in  that  District ;  and  the  Rev. 
J.  W.  W.  Owen  of  Mount  Coke  for  suggestions  with 
reference  to  Kaffir  words  and  names. 

The  author  is  under  special  obligation  to  Sir 
William  Bisset  Berry,  Kt.,  M.L.A.,  for  permitting 
him  to  have  access  at  all  times  to  his  splendid  library, 
and  to  Thomas  Muir,  Esq.,  C.M.G.,  LL.D.,  F.R.S., 
Superintendent-General  of  Education  in  the  Cape 
Province  for  his  helpful  interest  in  the  progress  and 
publication  of  the  work.  To  Dr.  Muir  he  is  also  in- 
debted for  having  awakened  the  sympathy  of  the 
Minister  of  Education  in  the  venture,  and  the  author 
has  cordially  to  thank  Mr.  Malan  for  showing  his  ap- 
preciation of  the  value  of  the  work  by  undertaking 
to  subscribe  for  a  hundred  copies. 

It  has  been  difficult  sometimes  to  decide  what  to 
admit  to  the  Glossary  and  what  to  exclude.  A  few 
words  have  been  included  that  could  not  be  termed 
"  Africanderisms,"  but  no  word  has  been  admitted  that 
had  not  some  special  interest  for  South  Africans. 

In  all  the  author  has  aimed  at  accuracy  ;  he  would 
be  foolish,  however,  to  suppose  that  there  were  no 
mistakes,  but  trusts  that  these  will  not  prove  so  many 
as  to  detract  from  the  usefulness  of  the  book. 

queenstown, 
South  Africa,  1913 


FULLER  TITLES  OF  THE  MOEE  IMPORTANT  BOOKS 
REFERRED  TO  IN  THE  GLOSSARY. 

Alexander,  Captain  Sir  J.  E. — Narrative  of  a  Voyage  of  Observation 
among  the  Colonies  of  Western  Africa  in  the  Flag  Ship  "  Thalia,"  and  of  a 
Campaign  in  KaflSr-Land  in  1835.     2  Vols.     8vo.     London.     1873. 

Anderson,  Andrew  A. — Twenty-five  Years  in  a  Waggon,  in  the  Gold 
Regions  of  South  Africa.     London.     1887. 

Andersson,  C.  J. — The  Okavango  River,  a  Narrative  of  Travel,  Explor- 
ation, and  Adventure.     London.     1861. 

Andersson,  C.  J. — Lake  Ngami,  or  Explorations  and  Discoveries  dur- 
ing Four  Years'  Wanderings  in  the  Wilds  of  South  Western  Africa.  London. 
Cr.  8vo.     1856. 

Andersson,  C.  J. — Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Damara  Land,  and  the  adjacent 
Countries  of  South-West  Africa.     London.     Bvo.     1872. 

Andersson,  C.  J. — The  Lion  and  the  Elephant.    London.     8vo.     1873. 

Andersson,  C.  J.— Notes  of  Travel  in  South  Africa.  London.  8vo. 
1875. 

Appleyard,  Rev.  J.  W. — The  Kaffir  Language,  comprising  a  Sketch  of 
its  History,  remarks  upon  its  Nature,  and  a  Grammar.  King  William's  Town. 
8vo.     1850. 

Appleyard,  Rev.  J.  W.— An  Apology  for  the  Kaffir  Bible.  Mount 
Coke.     8vo.     1867. 

Arbousset,  Rev.  T.,  and  F.  Daumas.— Narrative  of  an  Exploratory 
Tour  to  the  North-East  of  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Cape  Town. 
Cr.  8vo.     1846. 

Aylward,  Alfred.— The  Transvaal  of  To-Day.  War,  Witchcraft,  Sport, 
and  Spoils  in  South  Africa.     London.     8vo.     1878. 

Bachmann,  Dr.  F.— Siid-Afrika,  Reisen,  Erlebnisse,  und  Beobachtungen 
wahrend  eines  sechsjahrigen  Aufenthaltes  in  der  Kapkolonie,  Natal  und 
Pondoland.     Berlin.     8vo.     1901. 

Backhouse,  James.— A  Narrative  of  a  Visit  to  the  Mauritius  and  South 
Africa.     London.     Cr.  8vo.     1844. 

Baden  Powell,  Colonel  R.  S.— Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,  being  a 
Narrative  of  the  Campaign  in  suppressing  the  Native  Rising  in  Matabeleland 
and  Mashonaland.     London.     8vo.     1897. 

Baines,  Thomas,  F.R.Q.S.— Explorations  in  South-West  Africa. 
London.     8vo.     1864. 

Baines,  Thomas,  F.R.Q.S.— The  Gold  Regions  of  South-East  Africa. 
London.     8vo.     1877. 

Baldwin,  William  Charles,  F.R.Q.S.— African  Hunting  and  Adven- 
tures from  Natal  to  the  Zambesi.    London.     1894. 

Balfour,  Alice  B.— Twelve  Hundred  Miles  in  a  Waggon.   London.  1895. 

vii 


VUl 


FULLER  TITLES  OF  IMPORTANT  BOOKS 


R«rki.r    Ladv— A  Year's  Housekeeping  in  South  Africa.    London.    1877. 
Ba  row.  John.-An  Account  of  Travels  into  the  interior  of  Southern 
Africa  in  the  years  1797  and  1798.     2  Vols.     London.     1801,  1804. 

Barter.  Charles.  D.C.L.-The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,  or  Six  Months  in 

^*Bent  7  Theodore.  F.S.  A.-The  Ruined  Cities  of  Mashonaland,  being  a 
record  of  Excavation  and  Exploration  in  1891.    London.    1893.  _ 

Bertrand  Alfred.— The  Kingdom  of  the  Barotsi,  Upper  Zambesia.  A 
Voyage  of  Exploration  in  Africa,  returning  by  the  Victoria  Falls,  Matabeleland. 
the  Transvaal,  and  the  Cape.    Cape  Town.     1899. 

Bird   John.— The  Annals  of  Natal.    2  Vols.     Pietermaritzburg.     1888. 

Bleloch,  W.— The  New  South  Africa,  its  Value  and  its  Development. 

London.     1901.  .       ,        o        m 

Bolus,  Harry,  F.L.S.— The  Orchids  of  the  Cape  Peninsula.    Cape  Town. 

Bolus.  Harry,  F.L.S.— The  Orchids  of  South  Africa.     2  Vols.     London. 

1910-11.  ,  .         „  _  , 

Boon,  Martin  James.— The  Immortal  History  of  South  Africa.     2  Vols. 

London.    1885. 

Boon.  Martin  James.— The  History  of  the  Orange  Free  State.    London. 

1886. 

Boyce,  Rev.  William  B.— A  Grammar  of  the  Kaffir  Language. 
Grahamstown.     1834. 

Boyce.  Rev.  William  B.— Notes  on  South  African  Affairs  from  1834 
to  1838.     Grahamstown.     1838. 

Boyle,  Frederick.— To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,  a  story  of  digging  exper- 
iences in  South  Africa,  with  comments  and  criticisms  upon  the  Diamond  Fields. 
London.     1873. 

Boyle,  Frederick.— The  Savage  Life.  A  second  series  of  "Camp 
Notes ".     London.     1876. 

Boyle,  Frederick.— Chronicles  of  No-Man's  Land.  A  third  series  of 
"Camp  Notes".     London.     1880. 

Brigg,  Rev.  Arthur.—"  Sunny  Fountains "  and  "  Golden  Sands ". 
London.     1888. 

Brooks,  Henry. — Natal,  a  History  and  Description  of  the  Colony. 
London.     1876. 

Brown,  William  Henry.- On  the  South  African  Frontier,  the  Adven- 
tures and  Observations  of  an  American  in  Mashonaland  and  Matabeleland. 
London.     1899. 

Browning,  Fred.  G.— Fighting  and  Farming  in  South  Africa,  A  Narra- 
tive of  Personal  Experiences  in  the  Colony  during  the  years  1877-8-9.  London. 
1880. 

Brownlee,    Hon.   Charles. — Gaika  Commissioner.     Reminiscences  of 
Kafi&r  Life  and  History,  and  other  Papers.     Lovedale,  South  Africa.     1896. 
Bryce,  James.— Impressions  of  South  Africa.     London.     1898. 
Bryden,  H.  A.— Kloof  and  Karoo;  Sport,  Legend,  and  Natural  History 
in  the  Cape  Colony,  with  a  notice  of  the  Game  Birds  and  of  the  present  dis- 
tribution of  the  Antelopes  and  Larger  Game.     London.     1889. 

Bryden,  H.  A. — Gun  and  Camera  in  South  Africa,  a  year  of  wanderings 
in  Bechuanaland,  the  Kalahari  Desert,  and  the  Lake  Country,  Ngamiland. 
London.    1893. 


REFERKED  TO  IN  THE  GLOSSARY  ix 

Burchell,  William  J.— Travels  in  the  Interior  of  Southern  Africa. 
London.     Vol.  I.  1822,     Vol.  II.  1824. 

Cachet,  F.  Lion. — De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,  aan  het  Volk  van 
Nederland  verhaald.     Amsterdam.     1882. 

Calcoen. — A  narrative  of  the  Second  Voyage  of  Vasco  da  Gama  to 
Calicut.     1502.    Antwerp.     Circa  1504. 

Callaway,  Rev.  Canon,  M.D.— Nursery  Tales,  Traditions,  and  His- 
tories of  the  Zulus  in  their  own  words,  with  a  Translation  into  English  and 
Notes.     Natal.     1868. 

Campbell,  John. — Travels  in  South  Africa.     London.     1815. 

Campbell,  John. — Travels  in  South  Africa;  Narrative  of  a  Second 
Journey  in  the  Interior  of  the  Country.     2  Vols.     London.     1822. 

Cape  of  Qood  Hope  Agricultural  Journal.    Cape  Town. 

Cape  of  Qood  Hope  Literary  Gazette.     Cape  Town.    1830-4. 

Cape  of  Qood  Hope  Department  of  Agriculture. — Marine  Investiga- 
tions in  South  Africa.     5  Vols.     Cape  Town.     1902. 

Cape  Monthly  Magazine. 

Carter,  Qeorge. — A  Narrative  of  the  loss  of  the  "  Grosvenor,"  East  India- 
man,  which  was  unfortunately  wrecked  upon  the  Coast  of  Caffraria,  etc.,  on 
the  4th  August,  1782.     London.     1791. 

Casalis,  Rev.  E. — The  Basutos,  or  Twenty-three  Years  in  South  Africa. 
London.     1861. 

Chapman,  James,  F.R.Q.S. — Travels  in  the  Interior  of  South  Africa, 
comprising  Fifteen  Years'  Hunting  and  Trading,  with  Journeys  across  the  Con- 
tinent from  Natal  to  Walvisch  Bay,  and  visits  to  Lake  Ngami  and  the  Victoria 
Falls.     2  Vols.     London.     1868. 

Christopher,  J.  S. — Natal.  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  A  grazing,  agricul- 
tural, and  cotton-growing  country.     London.     1850. 

Cloete,  Hon.  Henry,  LL.D. — Five  Lectures  on  the  Emigration  of  the 
Dutch  Farmers  from  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  their  Settle- 
ment in  the  District  of  Natal,  until  their  formal  Submission  to  Her  Majesty's 
Authority,  in  the  Year  1843.     Cape  Town.     1856. 

Coillard,  Francois. — On  the  Threshold  of  Central  Africa.  A  Record  of 
Twenty  Years'  Pioneering  among  the  Barotsi  of  the  Upper  Zambezi.  London. 
1902. 

Cole,  Alfred  W. — The  Cape  and  the  Kaffirs,  or  Notes  of  Five  Years' 
Residence  in  South  Africa.     London.     1852. 

Colenso,  J.  W.,  D.D.— Ten  Weeks  in  Natal.    Cambridge.     1855. 

Colquhoun,  Archibald  R. — The  Africander  Land.     London.     1906. 

Crawford,  John,  F.R.S. — A  Grammar  and  Dictionary  of  the  Malay 
Language,  with  a  Preliminary  Dissertation.     2  Vols.     London.     1852. 

Cumming,  R.  Qordon.— Five  Years  of  a  Hunter's  Life  in  South  Africa. 
2  vols.     London.     1850. 

Bamberger,  Christian  F. — Travels  in  the  Interior  of  Africa  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Morocco,  from  the  Year  1781  to  1797.     London.     1801. 

Davis,  Rev.  W.  H. — A  Dictionary  of  the  Kaffir  Language.  London. 
1872. 

Devereux,   Roy. — Side  Lights  on  South  Africa.     London.     1899. 

Diesterweg,  M. — Aus  dem  Pioneerleben,  wahrend  meines  20  Jahrigen 
Aufenthaltes  in  Siid-Afrika.     Burg.     1903. 

Distant,  W.  L. — A  Naturalist  in  the  Transvaal.     London.    1892. 

Dohne,  Rev.  J.  L. — A  Zulu-Kaffir  Dictionary,  Etymologically  explained. 


X      FULLER  TITLES  OF  IMPORTANT  BOOKS 

with  copious  illuBtratibns  and  examples,  preceded  by  an  Introduction  on  the 
Zulu-Kaffir  Language.     Cape  Town.     1857.  , ,,     ^  ^       .  o     .u 

Drayson,  Captain  A.  W.— Sporting  Scenes  amongst  the  Kaffirs  of  South 
Africa.     London.     1858. 

Drayson,  Captain  A.  W.— Tales  of  the  Outspan,  or  Adventures  in  the 
Wild  Regions  of  Southern  Africa.     London.     1862. 

Drummond,  Henry,  F.R.S.E.— Tropical  Africa.    London.     1888. 

Du  Chaillu,  Paul  B.— Explorations  and  Adventures  in  Equatorial  Africa; 
with  Accounts  of  the  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  People,  and  of  the  chace  of 
the  Gorilla,  Leopard,  Elephant,  Hippopotamus,  and  other  animals.    London. 

1861. 

Du    Toit    and    Co.— Patriot    Woordeboek.— Afrikaans-Engels.      Paarl. 

1902. 

Edmunds,  Henry,  B.Sc,  and  Rudolpti  Marloth,  Ph.D.,  M.A.— 

Elementary  Botany  for  South  Africa,  theoretical  and  practical.    London.    1897. 

Edwards,  Rev.  J.— Reminiscences  of  the  Early  Life  and  Missionary 
Labours  of.     Grahamstown.     1883. 

Elffers,  Hubertus.— The  Commercial  Dutch  Grammar.  Cape  Town. 
1898. 

Fitzpatriclc,  J.  P.— The  Transvaal  from  Within.     London.     1900. 

Fitzpatrick,  J.  P.— The  Outspan.  Tales  of  South  Africa.  London. 
1906. 

Fitzpatricic,  Sir  Percy.— Jock  of  the  Bushveld.    1907. 

Fitzsimons,  F.  W.,  F.Z.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  etc.— The  Snakes  of  South 
Africa,  their  Venom  and  the  Treatment  of  Snake-Bite.     Cape  Town.     1912. 

Fleming,  Rev.  Francis,  M.A.,  F.R.Q.S.— Kafiraria  and  its  Inhabi- 
tants.   London.     1853. 

Fleming,  Rev.  Francis,  M.A.,  F.R.Q.S.— Southern  Africa:  a  Geo- 
graphy and  Natural  History  of  the  Country,  Colonies,  and  Inhabitants,  from 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Angola,  etc.    London.    1856. 

Freeman,  J.  J. — A  Tour  in  South  Africa,  with  notices  of  Natal,  Mauritius, 
Madagascar,  Ceylon,  Egypt,  and  Palestine.     London.     1851. 

Friend,  Rev.  Hilderic— Flowers  and  Flower  Lore.    London.     1886. 

Fritzsch,  Qustav. — Die  Eingeborenen  Siid-Afrika.     Breslau.     1872. 

Qalton,  Francis. — The  Narrative  of  an  Explorer  in  Tropical  South 
Africa.    London.     1853. 

Gardiner,  Captain  Allan  F.,  R.N. —Narrative  of  a  Journey  into  the 
Zoolu  Country  in  South  Africa,  taken  in  1835.     London.     1836. 

Qibbons,  A.  St.  H.,  F.R.Q.S.— Exploration  and  Hunting  in  Central 
Africa,  1895-6.    London.     1898. 

Qilchrist,  J.  D.  F.,  M.A.— History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish. 
Trans.  S.  A.  Phil.  Soc.     Vol.  xi.     Part  4.     Cape  Town.     1902. 

Qilchrist,  J.  D.  F.,  M.A.— South  African  Zoology.     Cape  Town.    1911. 

Qilmore,  Parker.— The  Hunter's  Arcadia.     London.    1886. 

Qilmore,  Parker.— Days  and  Nights  in  the  Desert.     London.     1888. 

QIanville,  Ernest.— Tales  from  the  Veld.  London.  1897.  And  other 
Works. 

QIanville,  T.  B. — Cape  Government  Emigration  Commissioner.  At 
Home  and  Abroad.    Port  Elizabeth.     1878. 

Godlonton,  Hon.  R.— A  Narrative  of  the  Irruption  of  the  Kaffir  Hordes 
into  the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony.  1834-5.  Grahamstown. 
1836. 


EEFERRED  TO  IN  THE  GLOSSARY  xi 

Qodlonton,  Hon.  R.— The  Case  of  the  Colonists.     Grahamstown.     1847. 

Qodlonton,  Hon.  R.,  and  Edward  Irving,  J.P.— A  Narrative  of  the 
Kaffir  War  of  1850-1-2.     Grahamstown.     1852. 

Qreswell,  William,  M.A. — Our  South  African  Empire.  2  Vols. 
London.     1885. 

Haagner,  Alwin,  F.Z.S.,  and  Robert  Ivy,  F.Z.S.— -Sketches  of 
South  African  Bird-Life.     London.     1908. 

Haggard,  Rider. — Jess.     London.     1887.     And  other  Works. 

Hamilton,  Captain  Alex. — A  New  Account  of  the  East  Indies.  2  Vols. 
London.     1744. 

Handbook  of  the  South  African  Exhibition.     1885. 

Harding,  Colonel  Colin,  C.M.Q. — In  Remotest  Barotseland,  being 
an  Account  of  a  Journey  of  over  8000  miles  through  the  wildest  and  remotest 
parts  of  Lewanika's  Empire.     London.     1905. 

Harris,  Captain  William  Cornwallis.— The  Wild  Sports  of  Southern 
Africa  :  being  the  Narrative  of  an  expedition  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
through  the  Territories  of  Chief  Moselekatse  in  the  Tropic  of  Capricorn. 
London.     1839. 

Harvey,  William  Henry,  M.D. — The  Genera  of  South  African  Plants, 
arranged  according  to  the  Natural  System.     Cape  Town.     1868. 

Harvey,  William  Henry,  M.D.,  and  Otto  Wilhelm  5onder, 
Ph.D. — Flora  Capensis:  being  a  Systematic  Description  of  the  Plants  of  the 
Cape  Colony,  Caffraria,  and  Port  Natal.  Dublin.  1859-60.  And  subsequent 
Volumes. 

Hepburn,  Rev.  J.  D. — Twenty  Years  in  Khama's  Country.   London.    1895. 

Herbert,  Sir  Thomas. — Some  Yeares  Travels  into  Divers  Parts  of  Asia 
and  Afrique ;  revised  and  enlarged  by  the  Author.     Folio.     1638. 

Hobson,  Mrs.  Carey. — At  Home  in  the  Transvaal.  2  Vols.  London. 
1884. 

Holub,  Dr.  Emil,  and  Aug.  von  Pelzeln. — Beitrage  zur  Ornithologie 
Sud-Afrikas.     Wien.     1882. 

Hook,  Major. — With  Sword  and  Statute.  (On  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
Frontier.)     Cape  Town.     1905. 

Hudson,  M.B. — A  Feature  in  South  African  Frontier  Life,  based  upon 
the  wandering  of  a  Frontier  Family,  but  embracing  a  complete  record  of  the 
Kaffir  War  of  1850-1.     Port  EUzabeth.     1852. 

Hutchinson,  Mrs. — In  Tents  in  the  Transvaal.     London.    1879. 

Jacottet,  E. — The  Treasury  of  Basuto  Lore,  being  original  Se-Suto  Texts, 
with  a  literal  English  Translation  and  Notes.     I.     Morija.     1908. 

Kay,  Stephen. — Travels  and  Researches  in  Caffraria.     London.     1833. 

Kerr,  W.  Montague,  C.E.,  F.R.Q.S.— TheFar  Interior:  a  Narrative 
of  Travel  and  Adventures  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  across  the  Zambezi  to 
the  Lake  Regions  of  Central  Africa.     London.     1886. 

King,  Captain  W.  R. — Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,  or  Scenes  and 
Adventures  in  the  Kaffir  War  of  1851-2.     London.     1855. 

Kolben,  Peter. — Beschreibung  des  Vorgebiirges  der  Guten  Hoffnung  and 
derer  wohnenden  Hottentotten.     Frankfurt  und  Leipzig.     1745. 

Krdnlein,  J.  Q. — Wortschatz  der  Khoi-Khoin  (Namaqua-Hottentotten). 
Berlin.     1889. 

Kropf,  Rev.  Albert,  D.D.— A  Kaffir-English  Dictionary.  Lovedale. 
1899. 

Latrobe,  Rev.  C.  J. — Journal  of  a  Visit  to  South  Africa  in  1815  and  1816. 
With  some  Account  of  the  Missionary  Settlements  of  the  United  Brethren 
near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.     London.     1818. 


Xll 


FULLEE  TITLES  OF  IMPOETANT  BOOKS 


Layard,  Edgar  Leopold.— The  Birds  of  South  Africa :  a  Descriptive 
Catalogue  of  all  the  known  Species  occurring  South  of  the  twenty-eighth 
parallel  of  South  Latitude.    Cape  Town,     1867. 

Leibbrandt,  H.  C.  V.,  Keeper  of  the  Archives.— Precis  of  the 
Archives  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.     Cape  Town.     1897. 

Leslie,  David.- Amongst  the  Zulus  and  Amatongas,  with  sketches  of  the 
Natives,  their  Language  and  Customs,  and  the  Country,  Products,  Climate, 
Wild  Animals,  etc.     Edinburgh.     1875. 

Le  Vaillant,  M.— Travels  into  the  Interior  Parts  of  Africa,  by  the  way  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ;  in  the  Years  1780,  81,  82,  83, 84,  and  85.  Translated 
from  the  French  of  M.  Le  Vaillant.     2nd  Ed.     2  Vols.     London.     1796. 

Le  Vaillant,  M.— New  Travels  into  the  Interior  Parts  of  Africa  by  the 
way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  the  Years  1783,  84,  and  85.  Translated  from 
the  French  of  M.  Le  Vaillant.     3  Vols.     London.     1796. 

Leyland,  J. — Adventures  in  the  far  Interior  of  South  Africa.  London. 
1866. 

Leyland,  R.  W.,  F.R.Q.S.— A  Holiday  in  South  Africa.    London.    1882. 

Lichtenstein,  Henry.— Travels  in  Southern  Africa  in  1803-6.  Trans- 
lated from  the  original  German  by  Annie  Plumptre.     London.     1812. 

Linschoten,  John  Hvighen  V.— His  Discours  of  Voyages  into  ye  Easte 
and  Weste  Indies.     Printed  at  London,  by  John  Wolfe.     1598. 

Little,  James  Stanley.— South  Africa.  A  Sketch  Book  of  Men, 
Manners,  and  Facts,  etc.     London.     1884. 

Livingstone,  David. — Missionary  Travels  and  Researches  in  South 
Africa,  including  a  Seven  Years'  Residence  in  the  interior  of  Africa.  London. 
1857. 

Lucas,  Thos.  J.,  Late  Captain  C.M.R. — Camp  Life  and  Sport  in 
South  Africa :  Experience  of  Kaffir  Warfare  with  the  Cape  Mounted  Rifles. 
London.    1878. 

Mabille,  A.— Se-Suto-English,  and  English-Se-Suto  Vocabulary.  With 
an  Elementary  Sketch  of  Se-Suto  Grammar  by  E.  Jacottet.     Morija.     1893. 

Mackenzie,  John. — Ten  Years  north  of  the  Orange  River  :  everyday 
life  and  work  among  the  South  African  tribes,  from  1859  to  1869.  Edinburgh. 
1871. 

Mackenzie,  John. — Day  Dawn  in  Dark  Places  :  a  story  of  Wanderings 
and  Work  in  Bechuanaland.     London.     1883. 

Mackenzie,  John. — Austral  Africa,  losing  it  or  ruling  it :  being  incidents 
and  experiences  in  Bechuanaland,  Cape  Colony,  and  England.  2  Vols. 
London.     1887. 

Mackinnon,   Rev.   James.— South  African  Traits.     Edinburgh.     1887. 

Maclean,  Colonel,  C.B.— Chief  Commissioner  in  British  Kaffraria.  A 
Compendium  of  Kaffir  Laws  and  Customs.  Compiled  by  direction  of. 
Mount  Coke.     1858. 

Macnab,  Frances.— On  Veldt  and  Farm  in  Bechuanaland,  Cape  Colony, 

The  Transvaal,  and  Natal.     London.     1897. 

Mann,  Robert  James,  M.D.— The  Colony  of  Natal.  An  Account  of  the 
Characteristics  and  CapabiUties  of  this  British  Dependency.  London.  Circa 
1859. 

Mansvelt,  Prof.  N.— Proeve  van  een  Kaapsch-Hollandsch  Idioticon, 
met  Toelichtingen  en  Opmerkingen  Betreffende  Land,  Volk,  en  Taal. 
Kaapstad.     1884. 

Martin,  Annie.— Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm.    London.     1890. 
Mason,  Q.  H.— Life  with  the  Zulus  of  Natal,  South  Africa.     London. 
1855. 


EEFEEEED  TO  IN  THE  GLOSSAEY  xiij 

Merriman,  Archdeacon. — The  Kaffir,  the  Hottentot,  and  the  Frontier 
Fanner.     Passages  of  Missionary  Life.     London.     1854. 

Methuen,  Henry  H. — Life  in  the  Wilderness,  or  Wanderings  in  South 
Africa.     London.     1848. 

Meyer,  Heinrich,  Dr.  phil. — Die  Sprache  der  Buren.  Gottingen^ 
1901. 

Mitford,  Bertram. — Through  the  Zulu  Country,  its  Battlefields  and  its 
People.     London.     1883.     And  other  Works. 

Moffat,  R. — Missionary  Scenes  and  Labours  in  South  Africa.  London. 
1842. 

Moodie,  Donald. — Specimens  of  the  Authentic  Records  of  the  Colony  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  relative  to  the  Aboriginal  Tribes.  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
1841. 

Moodie,  Duncan  C.  F. — The  History  of  Battles  and  Adventures  of  the 
British,  the  Boers,  and  the  Zulus,  etc.,  in  Southern  Africa,  from  the  time  of 
Pharaoh  Necho  to  1880.     2  Vols.     Cape  Tovra.     1888. 

Moodie,  Lieut.  J.  W.  D. — Ten  Years  in  South  Africa:  including  a 
particular  description  of  the  wild  sports  of  the  country.  2  Vols.  London. 
1835. 

Murray,  James  A.  H.,  LL.D. — A  Nev?  English  Dictionary  on  Histor- 
ical Principles,  founded  mainly  on  the  materials  collected  by  the  Philological 
Society.     Oxford.     1884.     A—. 

Napier,  Lieut. =Col.  E.  Elers. — Excursions  in  Southern  Africa,  including 
a  History  of  the  Cape  Colony,  an  Account  of  the  Native  Tribes,  etc.  2  Vols. 
London.     1849. 

Nicholson,  George,  Jun.— The  Cape  and  its  Colonists,  with  hints  to 
Settlers  in  1848.     London.     1848. 

Nicholson,  Q.— Fifty  Years  in  the  Transvaal.  Being  some  Recollections 
and  Reflections  of  a  Veteran  Pioneer.     London.     1895. 

Nicolls,  James,  F.R.Q.S.,  and  W.  Eglinton.— The  Sportsman  in 
South  Africa,  the  Haunts,  Habits,  Description,  and  the  Pursuit  of  all  Game,, 
both  Fur  and  Feather,  found  south  of  the  Zambezi  (including  the  Cape  Colony, 
Transvaal,  Bechuanaland,  Natal,  and  Damaraland)  at  the  present  day,  VTith 
brief  notices  of  the  fresh-  and  salt-water  fishes.     London.     1892. 

Noble,  John,  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Assembly. — History,  Productions,, 
and  Resources  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Official  Handbook.  Cape  Town. 
1886. 

Noble,  John.— South  Africa,  Past  and  Present,  a  Short  History  of  the 
European  Settlement  at  the  Cape.     Cape  Town.     1877. 

Noble,  Prof.— The  Cape  and  its  People.  By  South  African  Writers. 
Cape  Town.     1869. 

Oates,  Frank,  F.R.Q.S.— Matabeleland  and  the  Victoria  Falls.  A 
Naturalist's  Wanderings  in  the  Interior  of  South  Africa.     London.     1881. 

Owen,  Captain  W.  F.  W. — Narrative  of  Voyages  to  explore  the  shores 
of  Africa,  Arabia,  and  Madagascar ;  performed  in  H.M.  Ships  "  Leven  "  and 
"  Barraconta ".     2  Vols.     London.     1833. 

Pappe,  L.,  M.D. — Florae  Capensis  Medicae  Prodromus ;  or  an  enumera- 
tion of  South  African  Plants  used  as  remedies  by  the  Colonists  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.     Cape  Town.     1860. 

Pappe,  L.,  M.D. — Silva  Capensis,  or  a  description  of  South  African 
Forest  Trees,  and  Arborescent  Shrubs,  used  for  technical  and  economical 
purposes.     London.     1862. 


XIV 


FULLER  TITLES  OF  IMPORTANT  BOOKS 


Pappe,  L.,  M.D.— Synopsis  of  the  Edible  Fishes  at  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.    Cape  Town.     1866. 

Paterson,  Lieut.  William.— A  Narrative  of  Four  Journeys  into  the 
Country  of  the  Hottentots  and  Caffraria.  In  the  years  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  seventy-seven,  eight  and  nine.     London.     1789. 

Percival,  Captain  Robert.— An  Account  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
containing  an  Historical  View  of  its  original  Settlement  by  the  Dutch,  its 
Capture  by  the  British  in  1795,  and  the  different  Policy  pursued  there  by  the 
Dutch  and  British  Governments,  etc.,  etc.     London.     1804. 

Philip,  Rev.  John,  D.D.— Researches  in  South  Africa,  illustrating  the 
Civil,  Moral,  and  Religious  Condition  of  the  Native  Tribes,  including  Journals 
of  the  Author's  Travels  into  the  Interior.     2  Vols.     London.     1828. 

Plant,  Robert. — The  Zulu  in  Three  Tenses,  being  a  forecast  of  the  Zulu's 
Future  in  the  light  of  his  Past  and  Present.     Pietermaritzburg.     1905. 

Prichard,  Helen  M.— Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei,  an  English- 
woman's Experiences  during  the  Cape  Frontier  War  of  1877-78.   London.    1880. 

Pringle,  Thomas. — Ephemerides,  or  occasional  Poems,  written  in  Scot- 
land and  South  Africa.     London.     1828. 

Pringle,  Thomas. — Narrative  of  a  Residence  in  South  Africa.  London. 
1835. 

Reitz,  F.  W. — Sestig  uitgesogte  Afrikaanse  Gedigte.  Amsterdam  and 
Pretoria.    1897. 

Reitz,  F.  W.— A  Century  of  Wrong.     London.     1900. 

Relation  of  the  Voyage  to  Siam. — Performed  by  Six  Jesuits,  sent  by 
the  French  King  to  the  Indies  and  China  in  the  year  1685.     London.     1688. 

Reunert,  Theodore.— Diamonds  and  Gold  in  South  Africa.  Cape  Town. 
1893. 

Robinson,  Hon.  Sir  John,  K.C.M.Q.— A  Life  Time  in  South  Africa, 
being  the  Recollections  of  the  first  Premier  of  Natal.     London.     1900. 

Rogers,  A.  W.,  M.A.— An  Introduction  to  the  Geology  of  the  Cape 
Colony.     London.     1905. 

Russell,  George.— The  History  of  Old  Durban  and  Reminiscences  of  an 
Emigrant  of  1850.     Natal.     1899. 

Russell,  Robert.— Natal,  the  Land  and  its  Story.  Pietermaritzburg.  1891. 

S.A.A.A.S.  Annual  Reports. 

Sandeman,  E.  F.— Eight  Months  in  an  Ox-Waggon.  Reminiscences 
of  Boer  Life.    London.     1880. 

Schiel,  Adolf. — 28  Jahre  Sturm  und  Sonnenschein  in  Siid-Afrika. 
Leipzig.     1902. 

Schultz,  Auret,  M.D.,  and  A.  Hammar,  C.E.— The  New  Africa,  a 
Journey  up  the  Chobe  and  down  the  Okavanga  Rivers,  a  Record  of  Exploration 
and  Sport.    London.     1877. 

Science  in  South  Africa,  A  Handbook  and  Review  of.  Prepared  under 
the  auspices  of  the  South  African  Governments  and  the  South  African  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Advancement  of  Science.     Cape  Town.     1905. 

Scientific  African.— 6  Parts.    1895-96. 
1900*^'^*^'*'  ^'  ^"  ^•'^•~'^^^  Mammals  of  South  Africa.    2  Vols.   London. 

Scott  Elliot,  Q.  F.,  M.A.— A  Naturalist  in  Mid- Africa,  being  an  account 
of  a  Journey  to  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  and  Tanganyika.     London.     1896. 

A   ?'^!V^'„)^''"^'"  Charles. -Between  Sun  and  Sand.     London.    1898 
And  other  Works. 


EEFEREED  TO  IN  THE  GLOSSARY  xv 

Selous,  F.  C,  C.M.Z.S.— Travel  and  Adventure  in  South-East  Africa, 
being  the  narrative  of  the  last  eleven  years  spent  by  the  Author  on  the 
Zambesi  and  its  Tributaries,  vyith  an  account  of  the  Colonization  of  Mashona- 
land  and  the  progress  of  the  gold  industry  in  that  country.     London.     1893. 

Selous,  F.  C,  C.M.Z.S. — Sunshine  and  Storm  in  Rhodesia,  being  a 
narrative  of  events  in  Matabeleland,  both  before  and  during  the  native  insur- 
rection, up  to  the  date  of  the  disbandment  of  the  Buluwayo  Field-Force. 
London.     1896. 

Selous,  Percy,  and  H.  A.  Bryden. — Travel  and  Big  Game.  London. 
1896. 

Shaw,  Rev.  Barnabas. — Memorials  of  South  Africa.     London.     1840. 

Sheffield,  T. — Story  of  the  Settlement.     Grahamstov?n.     1884. 

Shooter,  Rev.  Joseph. — The  Kaffirs  of  Natal  and  the  Zulu  Country. 
London.     1857. 

Sim,  Thomas  R.,  F.L.S.— Sketch  and  Check-List  of  the  Flora  of  Kaf- 
fraria.     Cape  Town.     1894. 

Sim,  Thomas  R.,  F.L.S.— The  Forests  and  Forest  Flora  of  the  Colony 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.     Aberdeen.     1907. 

Skeat,  Walter  William,  M.A.,  and  Charles  Otto  Blagden,  M.A. 
— Pagan  Races  of  the  Malay  Peninsula.     2  Vols.     London.     1906. 

Smith,  Andrew,  M.D. — Illustrations  of  the  Zoology  of  South  Africa, 
consisting  chiefly  of  the  Figures  and  Descriptions  of  the  objects  of  Natural 
History,  collected  during  an  Expedition  into  the  Interior  of  South  Africa  in 
the  years  1834,  1835,  and  1836,  fitted  out  by  "  The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  Asso- 
ciation for  exploring  Central  Africa".  London.  1848.  In  this  Work  a 
Volume  is  devoted  to  each  of  the  following  branches  of  Zoology:  Invertebrates, 
Reptilia,  Pisces,  Aves,  and  Mammalia. 

Smith,  Andrew,  M.A. — Contributions  to  South  African  Materia  Medica, 
Lovedale,  South  Africa.     1888. 

Smith,  Rev.  Thornley. — Sketches  of  South  Africa.  Wesleyan  Method- 
ist Magazine.     London.     1849. 

Somerset,  Mrs.  Colonel. — Adventures  of  Mrs.  Colonel  Somerset  in 
Caffraria,  during  the  War.     Edited  by  I.  D.  Fenton.     London.     1858. 

South  African  Native  Races  Committee. — The  Native  Races  of 
South  Africa.     London.     1901. 

Sparrman,  Andrew,  M.A. — A  Voyage  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
towards  the  Antarctic  Polar  Circle,  and  round  the  World,  but  chiefly  into  the 
country  of  the  Hottentots  and  Caffers,  from  the  year  1772  to  1776.  2  Vols. 
London.     1785. 

Stanley,  Henry  M. — In  Darkest  Africa,  or  the  Quest,  Rescue,  and 
Retreat  of  Emin,  Governor  of  Equatoria.     2  Vols.     London.     1890. 

Stark,  A.  C,  M.B.— The  Birds  of  South  Africa.  4  Vols.  London. 
1900. 

Statham,  F.  Reginald. — Blacks,  Boers,  and  British.  A  three-cornered 
Problem.     London.     1881. 

Stavorinus,  John  Splinter. — Voyages  to  the  East  Indies.  Translated 
from  the  original  Dutch  by  Samuel  Hull  Wilcocke,  with  notes  and  additions 
by  the  Translator.     3  Vols.     London.     1798. 

Steedman,  Andrew. — Wanderings  and  Adventures  in  the  interior  of 
Southern  Africa.     2  Vols.     London.     1835. 

Sternberg,  Adalbert  Graf. — Meine  Erlebnisse  und  Erfahrungen  im 
Boerenkriege.     Berlin.     1901. 

Stockenstrom,  Sir  Andries,  Bart.— The  Autobiography  of  the  late  Sir 


XVI 


FULLEE  TITLES  OF  IMPORTANT  BOOKS 


Andriea  Stockenstrom,  Bart.,  sometime  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  Eastern 
Province  of  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.      2  Vols.     Cape  Town. 

1887 

Stoneman,  Bertha.— Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa.     London. 

Stout,  Captain  Benjamin.— Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  its  Dependencies. 
An  accurate  and  truly  interesting  description  of  those  delightful  regions 
situated  five  hundred  miles  north  of  the  Cape.     London.     1820. 

Stow,  George  W.,  F.Q.S.— Geological  Notes  upon  Griqualand  West. 
London.     1875. 

Stow,  George  W.,  F.Q.S.— The  Native  Races  of  South  Africa.  A 
History  of  the  Intrusion  of  the  Hottentots  and  Bantu  into  the  Hunting  Grounds 
of  the  Bushmen,  the  Aborigines  of  the  Country.     London.     1905. 

Sutherland,  Lieut.-Col.— Memoir  i-^specting  the  Kaffirs,  Hottentots,  and 
Bosjesmans  of  South  Africa.     2  Vols.     Cape  Town.     1845. 

Tetzner,  Dr.  F.— Deutsches  Worterbuch.     Leipzig,     n.d. 

Theal,  George  McCall. — Chronicles  of  Cape  Commanders,  or  an  Ab- 
stract of  original  Manuscripts  in  the  Archives  of  the  Cape  Colony,  dating  from 
1651  to  1691,  compared  with  printed  Accounts  of  the  Settlement  by  various 
Visitors  during  that  time.  Also  Four  short  Papers  upon  Subjects  connected 
with  the  East  India  Company's  Government  at  a  later  period,  reprinted  from 
Colonial  Periodicals,  and  Notes  on  English,  Dutch,  and  French  Books,  pub- 
lished before  1796,  containing  references  to  South  Africa.  Cape  Town.  1882, 
And  numerous  other  Works. 

Thomas,  Thomas  Morgan. — Eleven  Years  in  Central  South  Africa :  A 
-Journey  into  the  interior — sketch  of  recently  discovered  diamond  and  gold 
fields — Umzilikazi,  his  country  and  people — a  brief  history  of  the  Zambesi 
Missions.     London.     1872. 

Thomson,  George. — Travels  and  Adventures  in  Southern  Africa;  com- 
prising a  view  of  the  present  state  of  the  Cape  Colony,  with  observations  of 
the  progress  and  prospects  of  the  British  Emigrants.     London.     1827. 

Thunberg,  Charles  Peter,  M.D.— Travels  in  Europe,  Africa  and  Asia, 
made  between  the  years  1770  and  1779.     4  Vols.     London.     1795. 

Thunberg,  Charles  Peter,  M.D.— Flora  Capensis  sistens  Plantas 
Promontorii  Bonae  Spei  Africes.     Stuttgart.     1823. 

Times'  History  of  the  War  in  South  Africa.— 6  Vols.  London. 
1900  to  1909. 

Tindall,  Henry. — A  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  of  the  Namaqua- 
Hottentot  Language.     Cape  Town.     1857. 

Trimen,  Roland,  F.Z.S.— South  African  Butterflies  :  A  Monograph  of 
the  Extra-Tropical  Species.    3  Vols.     London.     1889. 

Turnbull,  A.  R.  R.— Tales  from  Natal.     London.     1901. 

Tyler,  Rev.  Josiah.— Forty  Years  among  the  Zulus.  Boston  and 
Chicago,     n.d. 

Van  Twist,  Jehan.— Gewesen  Overhooft  van  de  Nederlandsche  com- 
tooren,  Amadabat,  Cambaya,  Brodera,  en  Broitchia,  Generall  Beschrijvinge  van 
Indian,  etc.    t' Amsterdam.     1648. 

Vercoullie,    Prof.   J.— Etymologisch  Woordenboek  der  Nederlandsche 

Taal.    Gent.     1890. 

VS^allace,  Robert,  F.L.S.— Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony. 
London.     1896. 

W^arren,  Lieut.-General  Sir  Charles.— On  the  Veldt  in  the  Seven- 
ties.   London.    1902. 

Wilmot,    Hon.   Alex.-The  Life   and  Times  of  Sir  Richard  Southey. 


EEFEREED  TO  IN  THE  GLOSSARY         xvii 

K.C.M.G.,  etc.  Formerly  Colonial  Secretary  of  the  Cape  Colony,  and  Lieut.- 
Governor  of  Griqualand  West.     London.     1904. 

Wilson,  David  MacKay. — Behind  the  Scenes  in  the  Transvaal. 
London,     n.d. 

Wood,  Colonel  J.  Q.,  M.L. A. —Through  Matabeleland.  The  Record 
of  a  Ten  Months'  Trip  in  an  Ox-Wagon  through  Mashonaland  and  Matabele- 
land.    London.     1893. 

Woodward,  R.  B.,  and  J.  D.  S. — Natal  Birds  (including  the  Species 
belonging  to  Natal  and  the  Eastern  Districts  of  the  Cape  Colony).  Pieter- 
maritzburg.     1899. 

Wylde,  A. — My  Chief  and  I,  Six  Months  in  Natal  after  the  Langalibalele 
outbreak.     London.     1880. 

Yule,  Colonel  Henry,  R.E.,  and  the  late  Arthur  Coke  Burnell, 
Ph.D. — Hobson-Jobson,;  being  a  Glossary  of  Anglo-Indian  Colloquial  Words 
and  Phrases,  and  of  Kindred  Terms ;  Etymolo^cal,  Historical,  Geographical 
and  Discursive.     London.     1886. 


ABBEEVIATIONS. 


Amer. 

=  American. 

Ar. 

=  Arabic. 

A.S. 

=  Anglo-Saxon. 

CD. 

=  Oape  Dutch. 

D. 

=  Dutch. 

Eng. 

=  English. 

F. 

=  French. 

G. 

=  German. 

Grk. 

=  Greek. 

Heb. 

=  Hebrew. 

Hind. 

=  Hindustanee. 

Hot. 

=  Hottentot. 

It. 

=  Italian. 

K.  or  Kaf . 

=  Kaffir. 

L. 

=  Latin. 

M.  or  Mai. 

=  Malay. 

M.E. 

=  Middle  English, 

O.F. 

=  Old  French. 

O.H.G. 

=  Old  German. 

Pers. 

=  Persian. 

PI. 

=  Plural. 

Pol. 

=  Polish. 

P.  or  Port. 

=  Portuguese. 

S.  or  Ses. 

=  Sesuto. 

Sech. 

=  Sechuana. 

Sp. 

=  Spanish. 

Z. 

=  Zulu. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH. 

In  a  country  like  South  Africa,  the  various  territories  of 
which  have,  at  different  periods,  been  held  by  so  many  differ- 
ent peoples,  and  the  intercourse  betv^een  it  and  the  East  and 
West  having  been  at  times  so  intimate  and  close,  it  could 
scarcely  be  otherwise  than  that  the  languages  spoken  in  the 
sub-continent  should  retain  traces  of  that  intercourse  and 
evidences  of  those  various  occupations.  There  is  little  doubt 
that  the  aborigines  of  South  Africa  were  the  Bushmen,  traces 
of  whose  occupation  have  been  found  everywhere  from  the 
Indian  Ocean  to  the  Atlantic  and  from  the  Zambezi  to  the 
Cape  Peninsula,  in  cave  paintings,  rock  chippings,  nomen- 
clature, etc.  They  have,  however,  been  so  ruthlessly  hunted 
down  and  destroyed  by  successive  intruding  races,  that  now 
they  have  almost  entirely  disappeared  from  the  vast  territory 
which  at  one  time  was  their  exclusive  hunting-ground. 

The  Hottentots,  or,  as  they  were  pleased  to  designate 
themselves,  the  Khoi-Khoin  (men  of  men),  driven  before 
the  flooding  Bantu  tide,  which  came  wave  on  wave  from  the 
northern  interior,  travelled  southward  and  westward,  until 
they  were  stopped  by  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic,  a  few  de- 
grees below  the  equator.  Thence  they  found  their  way  along 
the  coast  southward,  and  eventually  spread  over  pretty  well 
the  whole  of  the  sub-continent  lying  between  the  Orange 
River  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which  territory  they  oc- 
cupied when  the  Cape  was  discovered  by  Bartholomew  Diaz 
toward  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century. 

The  Bantu  or  Kaffir  races  were  then  in  possession  of  the 
central  and  eastern  territories  ;  just  how  far  south  they  had 
at  that  time  pushed  their  way  it  would  be  difficult  to  say 
exactly  ;  but  that  the  Bushmen  and  Hottentots  of  one  tribe  or 
another  had  occupied  the  country  along  the  eastern  coast  as 
far  as  the  Great  Kei  River  and  had  continued  to  occupy  it 
until  comparatively  recent  times,  there  can  be  little,  if  any, 
doubt ;  for  the  names  of  the  rivers  up  to  the  Great  Kei  have 


2  AFEICANDEEISMS 

the  characteri^.tic  clicks  of  the  speech  of  these  peoples,  while 
beyond  the  Great  Kei  they  have,  speaking  generally,  the 
open  syllables  which  are  characteristic  of  the  Bantu  speech. 

The  Portuguese,  who  discovered  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
made  very  little  direct  impression  either  upon  the  nomen- 
clature or  upon  the  languages  of  the  territory  now  covered 
by  the  British  Colonies ;  for  apart  from  a  few  names  given 
to  islands,  bays,  and  capes  (e.g.  Santa  Cruz,  Saldanha  Bay, 
St.  Helena  and  St.  Francis  Bays,  Diaz  Point,  Capes  Agulhas 
and  Eecife),  and  a  few  words  still  in  current  use,  there  are 
not  many  other  traces  of  their  visits. 

For  a  century  and  a  half  after  the  discovery  of  the  Cape, 
it  was  nothing  other  than  a  place  of  call,  and  as  such  was 
visited  by  the  ships  of  those  countries — Portugal,  Holland, 
and  England — engaged  in  the  eastern  trade,  which,  by  the 
discovery  of  the  new  route  to  India  by  Vasco  da  Gama  in 
1497,  had  passed  for  ever  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Venetian 
merchants.  In  1652,  however,  a  definite  settlement  was 
made  ;  the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  under  Charter  granted 
by  the  States-General  of  the  United  Provinces  of  Holland, 
took  possession  of  Table  Bay  Valley,  establishing  there  a 
provision  station  for  the  benefit  of  their  vessels  engaged  in 
the  Eastern  trade,  Jan  Anthony  van  Riebeeck  being  appointed 
the  first  Governor. 

For  some  time  the  operations  of  the  Company  were 
limited  to  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Table  Bay  Valley, 
the  httle  settlement  bartering  various  commodities  with  the 
Hottentots  for  their  cattle  and  fat-tailed  sheep  ;  gradually, 
however,  these  operations  were  extended  until  they  embraced 
a  fairly  wide  field.  Then,  as  the  servants  of  the  Company 
served  their  time  and  obtained  their  discharge,  some  of  them, 
electing  to  remain  in  the  country,  were  located  as  Burghers 
upon  Loan  Farms,  as  they  were  called  :  others  pushed  their 
way  northward,  westward,  and  eastward,  until  by  the  time 
the  Colony  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  British  in  1806,  the 
whole  of  what  is  now  called  the  Western  Province  and  the 
Great  Fish  River  District,  was  more  or  less  under  the  control 
of  the  Company,  and  was  occupied  as  far  as  Graaff  Reinet 
(which  had  been  formed  into  a  District  in  1786)  and  Algoa 
Bay  by  Dutch  Burghers. 

The  country  beyond  was  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Kaffirs  ; 
this  has  since  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  British,  who 


HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  3 

have  continued  to  push  the  frontier  forward  and  northward, 
until  the  territory,  which  now  acknowledges  the  sovereignty 
of  the  King  of  Great  Britain,  reaches  to  and  beyond  the 
Zambezi. 

Languages. 

So  far  as  the  languages  are  concerned  which  are  spoken 
in  a  territory  which  has  changed  hands  so  frequently  and  so 
rapidly,  and  in  which  the  conquerors  and  the  conquered  have 
continued  to  live  side  by  side,  only  one  result  could  be  expected. 
Various  races,  using  different  languages,  cannot  occupy  the 
same  territory  and  live  in  daily  contact  and  intercourse  with- 
out being  mutually  affected,  each  will  acquire  something  from, 
and  in  turn  give  something  to,  the  others.  Whether  that 
something  is  to  prove  an  advantage  or  otherwise,  time  alone 
can  determine. 

1.  The  Click  Class  of  Language. 

This  class  consists  of  the  languages  of  the  Bushmen  and 
the  Hottentots.  These  peoples,  of  whom  there  are  now  very 
few,  if  any,  of  pure  blood,  have,  generally  speaking,  lost  their 
own  language,  and  now  speak  either  Dutch  or  English  or 
both.  Even  the  Namaquas  and  Korannas,  isolated  as  they 
have  been  in  the  desert  countries  which  they  occupy,  have 
few  among  them  to-day  who  can  speak  the  language  of  their 
fathers,  but  they  have  not  failed  to  contribute  their  proportion 
to  the  vocabulary  of  every-day  South  African  speech,  as  such 
words  as  baroo,  biichu,  dagga,  gnu,  kambroo,  karoo,  karos, 
kiri,  quagga,  and  such  place  names  as  Sapkamma,  Tsitsi- 
kaynina,  Kraggakamma,  Keiskaiyia,  Gamka,  Dwyka,  Gamtoos, 
Camdeboo,  O'okiep,  Nababeep,  and  others,  bear  ample  testi- 
mony; a  fair  number  of  these  being  of  Bushman  origin. 

And  here  it  may  be  said,  in  passing,  that  the  importance  of 
the  study  of  place  names  is  too  often  overlooked.  In  the  large 
majority  of  cases  they  are  fraught  with  quite  a  considerable 
ethnological,  historical,  or  descriptive  interest,  which  a  careful 
research  will  serve  to  elucidate.  Not  unfrequently  an  altogether 
unexpected  light  has  been  shed  upon  obscure  ethnological 
points  by  the  unfolding  of  the  original  significance  of  place 
names ;  a  light  which  has  settled  questions  which  would  other- 
wise have  remained  in  continual  dispute.  As  South  Africans 
our  lot  is  cast  in  a  country  which,  compared  with  the  hoary 

1* 


4  AFBICANDEEISMS 

antiquity  of  some  of  the  countries  of  the  northern  hemisphere, 
is  quite  young ;  geologically  it  is  probably  older  than  they  are, 
but  historically  it  is  much  their  junior.  The  South  African 
place  names  have  not,  on  this  account,  and,  speaking  generally, 
become  so  much  disguised  by  phonetic  abrasion  as  have  so 
many  of  those  in  the  countries  referred  to,  and  their  reference, 
historical  or  descriptive,  is  consequently  not  so  difficult  to 
ascertain.  This  is  true  in  the  main  of  place  names  of  both 
Kaffir  and  European  origin ;  there  are  some,  however,  that 
so  far  have  refused  to  reveal  the  secret  of  their  birth ;  pos- 
sibly they  were  originally  Bushman  names,  which  have  been 
so  disfigured  as  Hottentots  or  Kaffirs,  Dutch  or  English  have 
maltreated  them,  that  now  they  give  no  hint  of  their  original 
form  or  meaning. 

This,  however,  is  by  the  way,  though  it  is  a  well-known 
fact  that  nations  which  were  so  unlettered  as  to  be  quite  un- 
able to  inscribe  their  annals  on  tablets  or  in  books,  have,  never- 
theless, left  sufficient  information  in  the  names  of  hills, 
valleys,  mountains,  rivers,  and  other  natural  features,  to 
enable  men,  centuries  after,  to  reconstruct  the  main  line  of 
their  history.  The  Bushmen  have  gone,  the  Hottentots  are 
rapidly  following,  but  their  fleeting  breath  has  established 
monuments  all  over  South  Africa  far  more  enduring  than  they 
themselves :  their  place  names  fall  upon  the  ear  like  the 
echoes  of  a  departing  people,  reminding  us  that  they  once 
were,  and  that  at  one  time  the  land  was  theirs.  Those  that 
we  do  understand  are  sufficient  and  apt,  describing  the  features 
of  nature  as  they  struck  these  keen-eyed  children  of  the  desert, 
and  some  of  them  are  highly  poetical. 

2.  The  Alliteral  Class  of  Language. 

This  class  consists  of  the  various  languages  of  the  Bantu 
peoples.  Whether  the  Kaffirs  adopted  many  Bushmen  or 
Hottentot  words  into  their  vocabulary  or  not  is  a  question 
upon  which  authorities  differ  :  although  theKev.  J.  L.  Dohne 
in  the  Introduction  to  his  Zulu-Kaffir  Dictionary  will  not 
allow  much  in  this  direction,  he  is  nevertheless  compelled  to 
recognize  some  as  from  this  source  :  e.g.  u  Tixo,  the  Divine 
Being ;  Camnca,  to  talk  a  great  deal ;  i  Cwilika,  steel  for 
strikmg  fire  ;  i  Nqaluka,  a  pack-saddle,  etc.  It  would  seem, 
however,  that  the  Amaxosa  and  other  Bantu  peoples  are 
mdebted  for  the  curious  clicks  which  mark  their  speech  to 


HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  6 

the  Bushmen  and  Hottentots  whose  domains  they  invaded 
and  appropriated.  This  appears  to  be  indicated  first  by  the 
fact  already  mentioned  that  the  names  of  the  rivers  and  other 
natural  features — such  names  being  endowed  the  world 
over  with  a  tenacious  vitality — in  territory  originally  held 
by  Bushmen  and  Hottentots,  have  these  clicks :  e.g.  i  Nciba, 
the  Great  Kei ;  i  Nxoba,  the  Great  Fish  River ;  i  Xeli,  the 
Keiskamma  ;  i  Qonci,  the  Buffalo  ;  etc.  (the  c,  q,  and  x  in 
each  case  represent  different  clicks — dental,  palatal,  and 
lateral  respectively)  ;  while  they  are  unknown  to  the  purely 
Kaffir  names  of  the  rivers  beyond  ;  e.g.  Umtata,  Umzimvubu, 
Umzimkulu,  Umlaas,  Umhloti,  etc. 

This  suggestion  as  to  the  origin  of  the  Kaffir  clicks  would 
seem  to  be  supported  further  by  the  fact  that  they  are  en- 
tirely absent  from  the  Sechuana  dialects,  and  are  pronounced 
less  vigorously  by  the  Zulus  than  they  are  by  the  natives 
of  the  Cape  Colony,  while  they  gradually  disappear  as  one 
advances  in  the  direction  of  what  may  be  regarded  as  the 
original  home  of  the  Bantu  race.  Dr.  Bleek  speaks  of  "  the 
readiness  with  which  the  Kaffirs  adopt  Hottentot  manners 
and  words,  and  it  is  certainly  remarkable,"  he  continues, 
"  that  not  one  instance  has  yet  been  known  where  Hotten- 
tots have  in  the  like  manner  imitated  their  Eastern  neigh- 
bours, except  of  course  such  Bushmen  ^  as  have  been  living 
among  Kaffir  tribes,  and  who,  like  true  gipsies,  have  made 
their  language,  at  least,  a  mixtum  compositum,  out  of  all  sorts 
of  tongues.  .  .  .  The  Kaffir  .  .  ,  clicks  ...  I  consider  to  be 
originally  Hottentot  and  adopted  from  them  by  the  Kaffirs. 
.  .  .  The  numerous  black  population  of  the  tropical  parts  of 
South  Africa  pressing  upon  them  (the  Hottentots) ,  they  were 
driven  from  one  position  to  another,  their  kraals  destroyed, 
their  males  killed,  and  their  women  and  girls  taken  prisoners. 
That  these,  who  became  then  the  wives  of  their  victors, 
should  not  have  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  them,  and 
still  more  upon  the  rising  generation,  would  be  absurd  to 
suppose ;  nay,  we  might  expect  that  if  they  had  been  admitted 
to  the  councils  and  courts  of  justice,  where  principally  the 

^  Dr.  Bleek  does  not  appear  to  distinguish  with  sufficient  clearness  between 
the  Bushmen  and  the  Hottentots.  This  is  a  failing,  too,  on  the  part  of  the 
writers  of  the  earlier  Dutch  records,  by  whom  the  two  terms  are  often  used  as 
if  they  were  synonymous,  which  has  given  rise  to  confusion  of  ideas  and  incor- 
rect impressions. 


6  AFEICANDERISMS 

right  orthodox  language  was  stamped,  their  remarkable  gift 
of  the  tongue  would  soon  have  thoroughly  Hottentotized  the 
Kaffir  language.  As  it  was  they  introduced  their  pecuHarity 
of  pronunciation,  the  clicks."  (Bleek's  "  Researches  into  the 
Relations  between  the  Hottentots  and  Kaffirs,"  "  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  pp.  202-3,  1857.) 

The  Rev.  J.  L.  Dohne,  while  admitting  the  possibility  of 
the  clicks  having  been  adopted  by  the  Kaffirs  from  the  Hot- 
tentots, says  that  "  the  Hottentot  influence  is  generally 
supposed  greater  than  is  really  the  case,  because  every  word 
which  contains  a  chck  is  not  necessarily  of  Hottentot  descent ; 
and  it  appears  to  be  more  certain  that  the  Kaffir  nation  have 
in  some  way  or  another  allowed  themselves  to  be  influenced  by 
clicking  nations,  so  as  to  change  other  characters  for  clicks  ". 
Further,  he  says  that  the  Hottentot  "  chcks  differ  consider- 
ably from  the  Kaffir,  and  are  in  general  of  a  more  difficult 
pronunciation.  ...  I  am  ready  to  admit,"  he  concludes,  "  that 
the  Hottentot,  etc.,  clicks  are  the  oldest,  and  that  the  Kaffir 
are  a  contraction  of  them."  ("  Zulu-Kaffir  Dictionary," 
Introduction,  pp.  xxxvi-xxxvii.) 

The  Kaffir  vocabulary  has  been,  and  is  being,  considerably 
augmented  by  words  from  both  Dutch  and  English,  denoting 
ideas  and  objects  which  have  been  brought  within  their  cog- 
nizance either  by  one  or  the  other.  Mr,  I.  Bud  M' belle  in 
his  "  Kaffir  Scholar's  Companion  "  gives  a  hst  of  300  words 
borrowed  by  the  Kaffirs  from  the  Dutch,  and  another  of  225 
borrowed  from  the  Enghsh,  and  a  further  list  of  450  native 
words  necessitated  by  the  advent  of  Europeans  :  e.g.  i  Mesi, 
D.  mes,  a  knife ;  um  Bontye,  D.  hoontje,  a  bean  ;  i  Fenstile, 
D.  venster,  a  window  ;  i  Kostina,  D.  schoorstee?i,  a  chimney  ; 
i  Baibele,  Eng.  the  Bible ;  i  Kabitshi,  Eng.  a  cabbage  ; 
i  Kloko,  Eng.  a  clock,  etc.  On  the  other  hand  many  purely 
Kaffir  words  are  in  frequent  use  in  the  daily  speech  of  South 
Africa:  e.g.  Impi,  Indaba,  Inkosi,  Donga,  Amasi,  Induna, 
Lobola,  Mahem,  Mamba,  and  many  others. 

What  influence  these  Bantu  peoples  are  to  have  in  the 
future  upon  the  history  and  language  of  South  Africa  is  a 
question  of  considerable  interest.  That  it  is  to  be  a  diminish- 
mg  influence  is  scarcely  likely.  The  Red  Indians  are  rapidly 
disappearing  in  America  ;  the  Maories  seem  to  be  decreasing 
in  New  Zealand ;  but  the  strong  arm  of  British  authority  in 
South  Africa,  having  put  a   stop   to  those  intertribal  wars. 


HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  7 

which  ever  and  again  destroyed  whole  native  communities 
and  tribes,  has  done  much  not  only  to  preserve  these  peoples, 
but  to  increase  their  numbers,  and,  as  a  consequence,  their 
power  to  influence  the  country  either  for  good  or  bad  has 
been  increased  also.  This  is  a  factor  that  must  enter  into 
the  calculation  in  any  effort  to  forecast  the  future  of  South 
Africa,  whether  as  to  its  history  or  language ;  it  can  be  ig- 
nored neither  by  the  Statesman  nor  by  the  Student  of  South 
African  domestic  affairs. 

3.  Oriental  Languages. 

It  was  stated  in  an  earlier  paragraph  that  the  Portuguese 
made  little  direct  impression  either  upon  the  nomenclature  or 
upon  the  languages  of  the  territory  now  covered  by  the  Cape 
Colony  and  Natal ;  indirectly,  however,  they  must  have  in- 
fluenced the  Dutch  speech  of  South  Africa  to  an  extent  that  is 
not  always  appreciated.  How  this  was  accomplished  the  fol- 
lowing quotation  from  the  Introductory  remarks  (p.  xvi)  to 
Yule  and  Burnell's  "Anglo-Indian  Glossary,"  will  indicate: 
'*  The  conquests  and  long  occupation  of  the  Portuguese,  who, 
by  the  year  1540,  had  established  themselves  in  all  the  chief 
ports  of  India  and  the  East,  have,  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected, bequeathed  a  large  number  of  expressions  to  the 
European  nations  who  have  followed  and  in  great  part  super- 
seded them.  .  .  .  The  natives  in  contact  with  the  Portuguese 
learned  a  bastard  variety  of  the  language  of  the  latter,  which 
became  the  lingua  franca  of  intercourse,  not  only  between 
European  and  native,  but  occasionally  between  Europeans  of 
different  nationalities.  This  Indo-Portuguese  dialect  continued 
to  serve  such  purposes  down  to  a  late  period  in  the  last 
century,  and  has  in  some  localities  survived  down  nearly  to 
our  own  day."  A.  Hamilton,  whose  experiences  belonged 
chiefly  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century,  though  his 
book  was  not  published  till  1727,  states:  "Along  the  sea- 
coasts  the  Portuguese  have  left  a  Vestige  of  their  language, 
tho'  much  corrupted,  yet  it  is  the  language  that  most  Euro- 
peans learn  first,  to  qualify  them  for  a  general  converse  with 
one  another,  as  well  as  with  the  different  inhabitants  of  India." 
("  A  New  Account  of  the  East  Indies,"  Preface,  p.  xii.)  Lockyer, 
who  published  sixteen  years  before  Hamilton,  also  says : 
"This  they  (the  Portuguese)  may  justly  boast,  they  have 
established  a  kind  of  Lingua  Franca  in  all  the  seaports  in 


8  AFEICANDEKISMS 

India  of  great  use  to  other  Europeans,  who  would  find  it 
difficult  in  many  places  to  be  understood  without  it."  ("  An 
Account  of  the  Trade  in  India,  etc.,"  p.  286,  1711.) 

Ever  since  the  discovery  of  the  Cape  route  to  the  East 
the  intercourse  between  the  Cape  and  the  Orient  has  always 
been  more  or  less  close,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the 
words  of  Portuguese,  Indian,  and  Malay  origin,  still  current 
in  South  African  Dutch,  are  remnants  of  the  mixed  speech 
just  spoken  of,  the  vocabulary  of  which  was  composed  chiefly 
of  these  elements.  These  words  would  find  their  way  into 
the  South  African  vocabulary,  (1;  to  some  shght  extent  as  the 
result  of  intercourse  with  the  crews  of  vessels  calling  at  the 
Cape  on  their  way  to  or  from  the  East ;  (2)  to  a  still  further 
extent  as  the  result  of  the  settlement  in  South  Africa,  after 
lives  of  adventure  in  various  Dutch  East  Indian  possessions, 
of  many  of  the  European  sailors  and  servants  of  the  Dutch 
East  India  Company ;  (3)  but  most  of  all  as  the  result  of 
the  introduction  into  the  country  of  numerous  slaves  from 
India,  Ceylon,  the  Malay  Archipelago,  etc.  ;  for  in  not  a  few 
cases,  this  Lingua  Franca  would  be  the  only  means  of  com- 
munication between  masters  and  slaves,  while  the  need  of 
some  common  means  of  intercourse  would  compel  those 
slaves  brought  from  Madagascar  and  from  the  East  and  West 
coasts  of  Africa,  to  acquire  something  of  it  as  well. 

That  this  was  the  actual  condition  of  things  at  the  Cape 
until  well  on  toward  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  appears 
from  the  following  quotation  from  Thunberg's  "Travels" 
(3rd  ed.,  i.  p.  102,  1795) ;  writing  of  the  Cape  in  1772  he 
says:  "The  domestics  here  do  not  consist  of  Europeans, 
but  of  black  or  tawny  slaves  from  Malabar,  Madagascar,  or 
other  parts  of  India.  These,  in  general,  speak  either  broken 
Portuguese,  or  else  the  Malabar,  seldom  the  Dutch  language." 
To  the  intercourse  of  this  period  belong  such  Portuguese 
words  as  ayah,  Upper-sol,  nooi,  sambreero,  sambriel,  etc. ; 
such  Malay  words  as  atjar,  baatje,pondoh,  blatcham,pierinki, 
lory,  sambal,  etc.,  and  such  words  as  tjap  (chap),  niebos, 
kabaai,  sjambok,  and  others. 

Then  later  on,  after  the  Cape  had  become  a  Dependency 
of  Great  Britain,  and  the  officers  of  "John  Company  "  found 
their  way  to  South  Africa  to  recruit  their  health  in  its  salu- 
brious climate,  they  would  bring  with  them  a  further  instal- 
ment of  Eastern  words,  some  of  which,  as  chowrie,  chutiiey, 


HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  9 

tiffin,  etc.,  would  find  a  permanent  place  in  the  South  African 
vocabulary. 

And  yet  again  in  quite  recent  times,  the  Indian  labourers 
introduced  into  Natal  by  the  Government  of  that  Colony, 
many  of  whom,  having  served  the  term  for  which  they  were 
indentured,  have  made  their  way  into  other  parts  of  South 
Africa,  have  added  their  quota  in  such  words  as  brinjall, 
dhohy,  punkah,  sirdar,  and  others,  all  of  which  are  of  frequent 
use  in  the  Garden  Colony  among  the  European  colonists. 

The  still  more  recent  introduction  of  the  Chinese  to  the 
Transvaal  may  result,  their  speedy  repatriation  notwithstand- 
ing, in  a  few  additions  to  the  South  African  vocabulary  from 
that  source. 

4.  The  Dutch  Lang^uas^e. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  words  and  phrases  common  in  the  every-day  speech  of  the 
South  African  colonist  of  other  than  Dutch  descent,  are 
Dutch.  It  could  not  be  otherwise  since  the  Dutch  were 
the  earliest  Europeans  to  settle  at  the  Cape,  and  since  it  con- 
tinued to  be  a  Dutch  possession  for  over  a  century  and  a  half 
before  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  One  can 
imagine  somewhat  of  the  astonishment  and  curiosity  which 
would  possess  these  earliest  settlers  in  this  country  as  they 
began  to  acquaint  themselves  with  the  details  of  their  new 
surroundings ;  how  every  feature  of  nature,  every  flower 
and  tree,  every  bird  and  beast  would  attract  their  attention 
and  evoke  their  surprise,  either  because  of  its  likeness,  or 
because  of  its  unlikeness,  to  the  features,  the  flora  and  fauna, 
of  the  land  they  had  left.  They  would  pick  up  a  few  names 
from  the  natives,  such  as  buchu,  dagga,  gnu,  quagga,  kiri, 
karos,  karoo,  etc.,  but  that  would  be  quite  too  slow  a  process 
for  their  requirements,  and  there  would  be  for  them  no  other 
course  than  to  fall  back  upon  the  names  of  the  objects  with 
which  they  were  familiar  in  their  native  land  and  apply  them 
to  those  new  objects,  which,  for  one  reason  or  another, 
would  remind  them  of  objects  which  they  had  left  behind. 
This  would  account  for  the  many  names  of  animals,  birds, 
fish,  plants,  etc.,  transferred  from  Europe  and  given  to  South 
African  animals,  birds,  fish,  plants,  etc.,  such  as  das  {sie),  a 
badger  ;  eland,  an  elk  ;  kaheljouw,  a  cod  ;  seisje,  a  linnet ; 
spreeuw,  &  starling;  meerkat,  &  monkey ;  snoek,a>ipike  ;  tulp, 


10  AFBICANDEEISMS 

a  tulip  ;  ui  or  ajuin,  an  onion ;  schoenlapper ,  a  butterfly — in 
Holland  the  name  of  a  variety,  in  South  Africa  a  generic  name 
— and  many  others. 

It  must  not  be  thought,  however,  that  the  Dutch  of  the 
Cape  lost  the  power  of  originating  when  they  emigrated 
hither,  and  were  unable  to  evolve  new  names  ;  neither  must 
it  be  supposed  that  the  new  names  which  they  evolved  were 
wanting  in  pertinence,  for  whether  picturesque  or  practical, 
poetic  or  humorous,  they  are  all  of  them  apt.  As  examples 
of  the  picturesque  take  noois-bootn,  the  young  lady's  tree, 
because  it  grows  in  shape  something  hke  an  umbrella  or 
parasol ;  mist-kruier,  dung-porter,  the  beetle  that  rolls  the 
balls  of  dung ;  galjeon,  the  fish  whose  shape  is  suggestive  of 
that  of  the  old  Spanish  galleon  ;  fiskaal,  the  butcher-bird, 
whose  tyrannous  dealings  with  its  captives  are  reminiscent  of 
the  rule  of  the  Fiskaal  of  earlier  days.  As  examples  of  the 
practical  we  have  vel-  or  veld-schoen,  skin-  or  field-shoes  ; 
velhroeh,  the  leather  riding-trousers  which  used  to  be  known 
among  the  settlers  of  1820  as  crackers ;  hrand-zolder,  the  loft 
above  the  thick  brick  or  earthen  ceiling  and  under  the  thatch 
of  the  roof,  by  which  the  under  part  of  the  house  was  protected 
should  the  thatch  take  fire  ;  matjesgoed,  reeds  used  for  making 
mats  ;  and  that  toothsome  confection  known  as  moss-boll etjes. 
Then  as  examples  of  the  poetic  we  have  kannidood,  cannot 
die,  the  Aloe  that  flourishes  through  a  long  drought ;  dageraad, 
dawn  or  daybreak,  the  fish  whose  gorgeous  colouring  re- 
sembles the  sky  at  dawn;  naaldkoker,  needle-case,  the 
dragon-fly ;  vogelent,  bird-graft,  mistletoe  ;  and  the  expression 
schimmel-dag,  describing  the  dappled  appearance  which  the 
sky  so  often  has  at  daybreak.  And  as  examples  of  the 
humorous  take  wacht-en-bietje,  wait-a-bit,  the  thorn  that 
detains  one  in  spite  of  one's  self ;  roer-mij-niet,  touch  me  not ; 
the  name  given  to  two  very  different  plants,  contains  a  hint  as 
to  their  disagreeable  character ;  jantjie-trap-suutjes,  Johnny- 
tread-Hghtly,  the  chameleon  ;  kalkoeneier,  turkey  egg,  one 
with  a  freckled  face ;  pampoentjes,  little  pumpkins,  the 
mumps  ;  biscop,  a  fish  whose  large  head  and  peculiar  facial 
features  give  it  a  ludicrously  grave  appearance  ;  Jakob  Evert- 
sen,  another  fish  whose  florid  face  and  protruding  eyes  were 
supposed  by  the  early  colonists  to  present  a  striking  resem- 
blance to  the  facial  features  of  a  Dutch  captain  of  that  name  ; 
and   the   tasty   dish,    0<L-vrouiv-onder-dc-kombers,   old    wife 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  11 

under  the  blanket,  known  to  English-speaking  folk  as  "  Toad 
in  the  hole  ". 

It  must  be  said,  however,  that  some  of  the  anomalies  of 
Cape  Dutch  nomenclature  seem  to  be  as  perverse  and  want- 
ing in  reason  as  one  can  imagine :  e.g.  the  giraffe  is  a  camel 
(kameel) ;  the  leopard  is  a  tiger  (tijger),  a  name  which  the 
English  colonists  have  adopted  ;  the  hyena  is  a  wolf ;  the  kori 
bustard  is  a  peacock  (pauw) ;  the  horse  mackerel  is  a  Mars- 
banker,  although  the  bank  on  which  the  real  Marsbanker  is 
caught  is  near  the  Marsdiep  in  "  the  roUing  Zuyder  Zee  "  ; 
and  a  whale  whose  habitat  is  the  Southern  Ocean  is  incon- 
gruously enough  called  a  Noordkaaper,  as  though  its  natural 
waters  were  somewhere  in  the  Arctic  regions. 

5.  The  Qerman  Language. 

Many  of  the  surnames  borne  by  old  Cape  families  indicate 
that  a  fair  number  of  those  who  found  their  way  to  South 
Africa  in  the  early  days  as  servants,  either  civil  or  military, 
of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  were  Germans.  Being 
under  no  repressive  restrictions  as  to  the  use  of  their  mother 
tongue,  we  are  not  surprised  to  find  evidences  of  their  influence 
in  the  Cape  vocabulary.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  is 
to  these  sons  of  the  Fatherland  that  the  Cape  Dutch  is  in- 
debted for  such  words  as  gansegaar,  lager,  nixnuts,  dan  en 
tvan,piets,  swaap,  sens,  stewel,  etc. 

6.  The  Huguenots  and  the  French  Language. 

The  Huguenots  who  had  succeeded  in  escaping  from  their 
native  land  and  from  the  bloody  persecutions  which  ensued 
upon  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  found  their  way, 
some  300  of  them,  men,  women,  and  children,  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  They  were  settled  on  lands  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Stellenbosch  and  at  Fransche  Hoek.  But  permanent 
and  beneficial  as  their  influence  has  been  upon  the  agriculture 
of  the  Colony,  and  also  upon  the  character  of  the  Dutch 
section  of  the  colonists  with  whom  they  are  now  so  closely 
identified  as  only  to  be  distinguished  by  the  names  they  bear, 
they  seem  to  have  made  no  corresponding  impression  upon 
the  colonial  vocabulary,  only  a  few  words  of  French  origin 
surviving  among  the  people,  such  as  andoeli,  bandiet,frikadel, 
gilletjes,  huspot,  kaneel,  kastrol,  rossignol,  Seuer,  tamme- 


12  AFBICANDEKISMS 

lijtjes,  and  a  few  others.  This  paucity  of  French  words  in 
the  Cape  vocabulary  arises  to  a  large  extent,  there  can  be 
little  doubt,  from  the  arbitrary  treatment— necessary  perhaps 
from  the  political  point  of  view  of  the  Dutch  East  India 
Company— which  was  meted  out  to  them  on  their  arrival  in 
South  Africa,  1688-1690,  by  the  express  instructions  of  the 
directors  of  that  Company.  They  ordered  that  these  refugees 
should  be  mixed  as  much  as  possible  with  the  Dutch  of  the 
Colony,  that  nothing  but  Dutch  should  be  taught  to  their 
children,  and  ultimately  forbade  them  the  use  of  their  own 
language  in  official  affairs  and  even  in  the  service  of  God's 
House.  As  was  desired,  these  drastic  measures  were  so  suc- 
cessful in  the  direction  contemplated,  viz.  the  loss  of  their 
distinctive  national  character,  that  in  two  generations  the 
French  language  had  entirely  died  out  at  the  Cape. 

Mr.  H.  C.  V.  Leibbrandt,  late  Keeper  of  the  Cape  Archives, 
in  an  article  contributed  to  the  "  Zuid  Afrikaansche  Tijd- 
schrift,"  September,  1886  (a  translation  of  which  he  also 
pubhshed  in  the  "  Cape  Times,"  13  June,  1905),  traversed 
the  current  opinion,  which  is  stated  by  him  thus :  "  that  the 
representatives  of  the  East  India  Company  at  the  Cape  had 
made  every  possible  effort  to  let  the  French  language  fall  into 
disuse,  and  in  order  to  gain  their  object  had  acted  very  harshly 
and  unfairly  towards  the  French  refugees".  He  adduces 
in  support  of  his  contention  that  this  statement  is  incorrect, 
a  large  number  of  extracts  from  the  dispatches  which  passed 
between  the  Lords  Directors  in  Holland  and  their  representa- 
tives at  the  Cape;  but  certain  facts  remain  disclosed,  for  the 
most  part,  in  the  very  extracts  just  referred  to  which  appear 
to  make,  in  their  cumulative  effect,  very  strongly  against  the 
view  set  forth  by  Mr.  Leibbrandt,  and  for  what  he  terms 
"  the  wrong  impressions  and  erroneous  traditions  "  which 
have  been  current  ever  since  among  the  descendants  of  these 
same  refugees. 

(1)  There  is  the  expressed  anxiety  of  the  Lords  Seventeen 
to  "kill  "  the  French  language  at  the  Cape.  In  their  reply 
to  Governor  W.  A.  van  der  Stel's  letter  (14  March,  1701),  in 
reply  to  an  application  made  by  the  Eev.  Pierre  Simond, 
French  Minister  of  Drakenstein,  for  permission  to  return  to 
Europe  (28  September,  1701),  they  say  that  one  will  be  ap- 
pomted  as  his  successor  who  will  understand  both  the  Dutch 
and  the  French  languages,  "  not  however  to  preach  in  the 


HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  13 

latter  language,  but  only  to  be  able  to  minister  to  the  aged 
colonists  who  do  not  know  our  language,  by  visitation,  ex- 
hortations, and  consolations,  and  by  that  means,  in  course  of 
time,  to  kill  that  language  ". 

(2)  There  is  the  expressed  order  of  the  same  Lords  Seven- 
teen that  the  French  children  should  be  taught  at  school  to 
speak,  read,  and  write  Dutch  only  :  "  With  that  object "  (that 
is,  to  kill  the  French  language)  "  the  school  shall  henceforth 
proceed  in  no  other  direction  or  further  than  to  let  the  youth 
learn  our  language,  read  and  write  it ". 

(3)  There  is  the  endorsement  by  the  Lords  Seventeen  of 
Governor  van  der  Stel's  plan  of  mixing  the  French  refugees 
with  the  Dutch  colonists. 

(4)  There  is  the  sternness  with  which  Simon  van  der 
Stel  in  1689  opposed  the  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Huguenots 
in  the  Drakenstein  Mountains  to  establish  their  own  church 
and  elect  their  own  vestry.  At  a  Council  meeting  "after 
mature  deliberation  it  was  unanimously  resolved,  for  the 
greater  advantage  of  the  Company,  to  restrain  their  French 
impertinences  and  all  their  plotting  and  check  it  in  time ; 
and  by  judicious  punishments,  to  expose  their  subterfuges  to 
the  community  at  large  and  to  warn  them  very  seriously  to 
do  their  duty  ". 

(5)  There  is  the  early  entire  disappearance  of  the  French 
language  at  the  Cape.  The  Abbe  de  la  Caille  (1767)  asserts 
that  "  he  had  seen  no  one  under  forty  years  that  could  speak 
French,  unless  he  was  a  new-comer  from  France".  And  M. 
Le  Vaillant,  whose  travels  cover  the  period  1780  to  1785, 
writes  thus  of  the  descendants  of  his  fellow-countrymen  as 
he  found  them:  "In  visiting  Fransche  Hoek,  I  did  not,  as 
before,  regard  without  interest  that  race  of  French  refugees, 
formerly  persecuted  by  their  unjust  country,  stripped,  pro- 
scribed, dishonoured  as  so  many  wretches  unworthy  to  exist. 
.  .  .  Banished  from  France,  they  have  even  forgotten  the 
language  ;  but  they  have  not  forgotten  their  calamity.  Their 
customs  they  have  borrowed  from  the  Dutch,  their  original 
character  being  totally  lost,  but  they  are  distinguished  for 
the  most  part  by  the  darkness  of  their  hair,  which  forms  a 
striking  contrast  with  the  almost  white  hair  of  the  other  in- 
habitants." ("  New  Travels  in  Africa,"  i.  p.  33,  1796.)  This 
is  conclusive  as  to  the  early  disappearance  of  the  national 
language  and  characteristics. 


14  AFBICANDEBISMS 

(6)  There  is  the  meagreness  of  the  remnants  of  the  French 
language  which  have  found  a  permanent  place  in  the  Cape 
vocabulary. 

(7)  And  last,  there  is  the  vigour  and  persistency  of  the 
tradition  of  harsh  treatment  which  lingered  among  the  de- 
scendants of  the  French  Huguenots  until  quite  recent 
times. 

The  facts  mentioned  in  the  paragraphs  numbered  one  to 
four  show,  clearly  enough,  the  disposition  and  desire  of  the 
authorities  to  repress  and  to  kill  the  French  language  at  the 
Cape.  The  facts  of  the  remaining  three  paragraphs  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  repressive  and  even  harsh  measures 
were  adopted  to  secure  the  disappearance  of  the  French 
language  and  also  of  anything  and  everything  of  manners 
and  customs  that  was  distinctively  French. 

But  though  the  vocabulary  of  the  Cape  Dutch  was,  for 
the  reasons  given,  affected  so  little  by  this  comparatively 
large  influx  of  foreigners,  the  language  itself  was  modified  by 
them  in  quite  another  direction,  and  that  to  an  extent  often 
overlooked.  The  intermingling  of  the  two  peoples — the 
French  with  the  Dutch — at  the  Cape,  and  the  compelling  of 
the  former  to  learn  the  language  of  the  latter,  could  only  have 
one  issue,  it  would  result  in  the  corruption  of  the  language 
spoken,  by  the  paring  down  and  ultimate  disappearance  of 
its  inflexions  and  by  the  breaking  up  of  its  grammar.  Com- 
pelled to  speak  a  language  hitherto  unknown  to  them,  we  can 
readily  understand  howhttle  attention  they  would  be  disposed 
to  pay  to  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  sentence,  and  how 
distinctions  of  number,  gender,  case,  would  be  largely  un- 
heeded by  them.  Intermarriage  between  the  French  refugees 
and  the  Dutch  colonists  would  tend  to  propagate  and  to  per- 
petuate these  deflexions  from  the  purity  of  the  language  and 
this  ignoring  of  its  niceties. 

In  like  manner,  and  perhaps  to  as  great  an  extent,  the 
Dutch  language  would  be  affected  by  the  Hottentots  and 
slaves,  whose  broken  Dutch  and  mixed  vocabulary  in  the 
kitchen,  on  isolated  homesteads,  in  the  veld  and  elsewhere, 
would  help  in  the  same  direction,  and  the  Dutch  children 
constantly  hearing  it  thus  degraded,  could  hardly  be  expected 
to  mamtam  it  in  its  purity,  and  so  the  tide  of  corruption 
would  be  mcreased  in  volume  year  by  year. 

These  were  among  the  most  powerful  influences   that 


HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  15 

wrought  to  make  the  Dutch  of  the  Cape,  though  very  expres- 
sive, so  different  a  language  from  the  Dutch  of  Holland. 

7.  The  English  Language. 

The  Dutch  and  the  English  living  side  by  side  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  South  Africa,  vv^hile  they  have 
adopted  and  corrupted  Bushman,  Hottentot,  and  Bantu  names 
for  natural  objects,  edible  roots,  and  various  other  things,  have 
at  the  same  time  made  free  with  each  other's  vocabulary. 
The  English,  finding  many  names  to  hand  among  their  Dutch 
neighbours  for  things  at  first  unfamiliar  to  them,  have  been 
perhaps  the  greatest  misdoers  in  this  direction,  though  the 
Dutch  have  incorporated  a  good  many  English  words  in  their 
daily  speech.  The  following  list  contains  a  very  small  pro- 
portion only  of  the  words  which  have  been  thus  annexed  by 
the  English  colonist  from  his  Dutch  neighbour.  They  are 
many  of  them  quite  unknown  to  the  great  Oxford  Dictionary, 
but  the  English  colonist  would  find  himself  sadly  hampered 
every  day  had  he  to  do  without  them :  baas,  banket,  biltong, 
brak,  erf,  hamel,  hok,  kloof,  kranz,  lager,  inspan  and  outspan, 
morgen,  muid,  nek,  poort,  schanz,  schelm,  schimmel,  schut, 
sluit,  spruit,  trek,  trippler,  veld,  vlei,  etc. 

But  capable  as  the  English  colonist  appears  to  be  in  the 
matter  of  annexing,  there  are  a  few  Africanderisms  for  which 
he  is  solely  responsible ;  some  of  them  are  self-explanatory, 
but  the  new-comer  would  need  to  have  the  special  meaning 
of  others  explained  to  him :  e.g.  a  seventy-four  is  a  fish  so 
named  from  its  resemblance  in  shape  to  the  old  74-gun  man- 
of-war,  cf.  galjeon ;  Jaxik  Hanger  and  Butcher  bird  will  be 
recognized  by  those  who  know  the  habits  of  this  bird  as  the 
eminently  appropriate  name  of  Lanius  collaris,  known  to  the 
Dutch  as  the  Fiskal ;  in  South  Africa  a  mason  is  not  one  who 
dresses  stone  or  builds  with  it,  he  is  simply  a  bricklayer ;  a 
camp  is  part  of  a  farm  which  is  wired  or  fenced  in  ;  a  boy,  if 
he  happens  to  be  a  native,  may  be,  and  sometimes  is,  a  grey- 
headed grandfather ;  a  good-for  is  a  South  African  name  for 
what  is  elsewhere  know  as  an  lOU ;  lands  in  South  Africa 
are  not  the  broad  acres  of  an  estate,  but  just  those  portions  of 
a  farm  that  can  be  used  for  the  cultivation  of  crops ;  a  canteen 
is  a  low-class  drinking  place  ;  a  devil  is  a  somewhat  modified 
variety  of  whirlwind  ;  a  barber  need  not  be  a  "  tonsorial  artist," 
it  may  be  a  fish  ;  a  spider  has  four  wheels ;  and  when  a  South 


16  AFBICANDEEISMS 

African  river  has  risen  in  flood,  it  is  universally  spoken  of  as 
being  down,  even  though  its  waters  may  have  risen  above  the 
banks  and  flooded  the  neighbouring  country. 

There  are  a  few  expressions  that  one  often  hears  from 
English  lips  in  the  Midland  Districts  of  the  Cape  Colony  the 
loss  of  which  would  be  a  distinct  gain  :  e.g.,  "He  threw  me 
over  the  hedge  with  a  rock  "  is  rather  a  curious  way  of  saying 
"  He  threw  a  stone  over  the  hedge  at  me  and  hit  me,"  but  that 
is  what  it  means ;  when  one  is  asked  "  Are  you  going  with  ? " 
you  feel  disposed  to  answer  "  With  what  ?  "  or  "  With  whom  ?  " 
but  when  you  are  asked  "  A? 3  you  going  saamV  the  likeli- 
hood is  that  you  will  be  still  more  mystified ;  when  you  are 
informed  that  two  oxen  were  "  tramped  by  the  train"  you  are 
disposed  to  wonder  what  South  African  trains  are  Hke  ;  when 
a  man  tells  you  that  a  certain  road  which  you  propose  to  travel 
is  "  growing  shut "  it  takes  you  a  moment  or  two  to  realize 
that  he  means  the  road  is  so  little  used  that  the  bush  and 
grass  are  encroaching  upon  it ;  when  a  mother  scolds  her  off- 
spring for  "rolling  on  the  floor  and  coming  home  full  of  mudp 
you  will  learn  in  due  time  that  the  floor  is  the  ground  of  the 
street  or  garden,  and  you  will  be  relieved  to  find  that  it  is  not 
"■full  of  mud  "  that  she  means,  but  simply  splashed  with  mud : 
and  when  you  are  informed  that  the  person  for  whom  you  are 
asking  is  "  hy  the  house''  you  will  soon  get  to  understand  that 
he  or  she  is  actually  "m"  the  house.  A  not  uncommon 
usage  too  in  that  same  part  of  the  country,  among  the  poorer 
white  people,  especially  if  they  wish  to  be  specially  deferential 
and  polite,  is  to  use  the  third  person  in  direct  address  :  speak- 
ing to  Mr.  Smith  they  will  make  a  request  thus :  "  If  Mr. 
Smith  will  lend  me  half-a-crown,  I  will  pay  Mr.  Smith  back  at 
the  end  of  the  week  ".  It  is  not  without  interest  to  know  that 
it  was  the  custom  in  Suffolk  years  back,  and  may  be  so  still, 
for  the  lower  classes  to  intimate  their  deference  to  the  person 
addressed  in  exactly  the  same  way.  These,  and  a  few  other 
curious  ways  of  putting  things,  are  most  of  them  due,  of 
course,  to  Dutch  idioms,  and  might  not  seem  at  all  out  of  the 
way  from  a  Dutchman  or  a  German  making  his  first  attempts 
m  English ;  but  it  gives  an  Englishman,  who  loves  the  sen- 
tence that  is  lucid  and  logical,  a  shock  to  hear  his  native 
tongue  maltreated  by  those  who  are  just  as  English  in  blood 
as  himself. 


HISTOEICAL  SKETCH  17 

8.  The  Discovery  of  Diamonds  and  Gold. 

There  are  one  or  two  other  events  in  South  African  history 
to  which  reference  must  be  made  as  having  affected  the  vo- 
cabulary of  the  sub-continent.  The  discovery  of  diamonds  in 
South  Africa  in  1867,  and,  some  twenty  years  later,  the  dis- 
covery of  the  now  famous  Sheba  Gold  Keef,  naturally  at- 
tracted seekers  after  wealth  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  As 
the  diamond  and  gold  industries  developed,  and  towns  like 
Kimberley  and  Johannesburg  sprang  into  existence,  where 
but  a  short  while  before  the  wild  animals  of  the  veld  were 
wont  to  disport  themselves  in  enormous  herds,  large  con- 
tributions were  made  to  the  colonial  vocabulary,  some  of 
which  met  a  very  obvious  want,  others  of  which,  together 
with  the  things  they  signify,  the  country  could  dispense  with 
to  great  advantage :  among  the  former  may  be  mentioned 
such  words  as  reef,  amalgam,  tailings,  stamps,  blue-ground, 
floors,  stands,  slimes,  output,  yellow-ground,  claim,  to  peg- 
off,  debris,  banket,  and  others  ;  and  among  the  latter  goniv, 
gonivah,  I.D.B.,  to  jump,  schlenter,  snyde  diamonds,  and 
last  and  perhaps  worst  of  all,  traps. 

The  recent  war  in  South  Africa,  as  well  as  the  large 
amount  of  war  literature — much  of  it  ephemeral  enough — 
dealing  directly  or  indirectly  with  South  African  doings  and 
misdoings,  which  has  not  yet  ceased  to  flow  from  the  press, 
have  familiarized  readers  all  through  the  Empire  with  a 
good  many  Africanderisms,  but  there  are  very  many  more, 
familiar  to  the  South  Africrn  colonist  of  any  experience, 
which  the  ordinary  English  reader  and  the  new-comer  to 
South  Africa  would  need  to  have  explained  to  them. 


18  AFEICANDEBISMS 


Aangeslaan.— This  word  is  used  in  Cape  Dutch  of  a 
tongue  that  is  furred  or  coated  with  morbid  matter. 

Aankappen.— (D.  aan,  on,  upon,  in;  happen,  to  cut, 
chop,  fell.)  A  Cape  Dutch  word  used  of  the  chafing  or 
brushing  of  a  horse's  fetlock  with  the  shoe  or  hoof  of  the 
fellow  foot. 

Aanmaning.— (D.  aan,  to,  at,  near;  manen,  to  exhort; 
aanmaning,  exhortation,  warning,  notice.)  The  name  given 
by  farmers  to  the  occurrence  of  horse-sickness  (q.v.)  in  an 
animal  that  was  supposed  to  be  immune  or  salted  (q.v.). 

"  Long  ago  farmers  had  the  experience,  that  the  so-called 
salted  horses  may  break  down  in  immunity.  They  called 
these  relapses  or  aanmaning s."  ("  S.  A.  Journal  of  Science," 
IX.  p.  10,  No.  2,  1912.) 

Aans. — (D.  aanstonds,  presently.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this 
word  means  just  now,  perhaps. 

Aanstoot. — (D.  aan,  on,  upon  ;  stooten,  to  push,  thrust.) 
In  Cape  Dutch  this  word  is  used  of  a  "  knock  on  "  at  football. 
Aapsekost. — (D.  aap,  an  ape  ;  host,  food,  victuals.)    Gar- 
denia Bothmannia.     See  Kaarshout. 

Aapstert. — (D.  aap,  an  ape ;  staart,  a  tail.)  A  Sjambok 
(q.v.),  a  whip. 

Aar. — (D.  ader,  a  vein.)  An  underground  stream  gener- 
ally indicated  by  the  greater  greenness  of  the  vegetation 
growing  on  the  surface  immediately  above  it. 

"  Here  in  limestone  formation  they  had,  even  in  time  of 
drought,  a  good  water  supply,  which,  by  opening  up  fresh  veins 
{aars  the  Boers  call  them) ,  they  had  largely  augmented."  (Bry- 
den's  "  Gun  and  Camera  in  South  Africa,"  p.  443,  1893.) 

"  The  farmers  of  the  Karoo  have  long  used  differences  of 
vegetation  as  surface  indications  of  dolerite  dykes  or  water 
aars."    ("  Education  Gazette,"  VI,  ii.  p.  28,  1906.) 

Aarbeiplant. — (D.  aardhezie,  CD.  aarbij,  a  strawberry.) 
Arbutilon  venosa,  a  shrub,  the  flowers  of  which  are  thought 
to  be  not  unlike  strawberries.     See  Bebroeide  eiers. 

Aarbosje.— (D.  ader,  a  vein ;  bos,  a  tuft,  bush.)  Selago- 
lepta  stachya,  E.  Mey.,  sometimes  called  "water-finder" 
(q.v.) ;  both  names  refer  to  the  fact  that  it  generally  grows 
above  an  underground  watercourse.     See  Aar. 

Aardappel.— (D.  aard,  earth  ;  appel,  apple.)    The  potato. 


AFEICANDEKISMS  19 

This  name  appears  to  have  been  applied  in  Holland  in  earlier 
days  to  a  sort  of  cucumber  or  gourd  ;  then  when  the  potato 
was  introduced  and  became  known,  the  already  existing  name 
was  applied  to  this  new  vegetable,  perhaps  as  being  still  more 
appropriate.  The  history  of  the  German  word  Erd-apfel  is 
precisely  similar,  though  in  twisting  Kartoffel  into  Erd-apfel 
there  was  a  partial  reversion  to  the  original  meaning,  Kar- 
toffel standing  for  Tartufol.  It.  Tartufola,  from  L,  terrae 
tuber,  earth  tuber,  truffle. 

Aardappelkop. — (D.  hop,  a  head.)    A  blockhead,  numskull. 

Aardi^. — (D.  aardig,  pretty,  agreeable,  pleasant.)  In  Cape 
Dutch  this  word  has  acquired  the  very  different  meaning  of 
queer,  strange  (in  an  unpleasant  sense).  Een  aardige  reuk, 
a  peculiar,  or  unpleasant  smell.  Ek  voel  banja  aardig,  I  feel 
queer,  creepy. 

Aardkruipers. — (D.  kruipen,  to  creep.)  A  variety  of  Nerita 
which  is  sometimes  used  as  food. 

Aardroos. — (D.  roos,  a  rose.)  Thunberg  ("Flora  Cap- 
ensis,"  p.  2,  1823)  applies  this  name  to  Phelipaea  sanguinea, 
but  it  is  now  applied — and  much  more  appropriately  as  far  as 
colour  is  concerned — to  the  thick-stemmed,  rosy-red,  root 
parasite,  Hyobanche  sanguinea. 

Aardslang". — (D.  aard,  earth ;  slang,  a  snake.)  Typh- 
lops  bibronii.  This  snake  burrows  in  the  ground  and  is  non- 
poisonous. 

Aardvark. — (D.  varken,  a  pig.)  The  Cape  Dutch  name 
of  the  curious  quadruped  Orycteropus  afer,  known  to  English 
colonists  as  the  Ant-bear  (q.v.).  This  animal  possesses  teeth 
of  a  very  curious  character,  each  tooth  being  composed  of  a 
great  number  of  polygonal  columns,  each  of  which  is  traversed 
by  a  fine  tube,  and  represents,  apparently,  a  single  tooth,  so 
that  each  grinder  is  composed  of  a  large  number  of  teeth  com- 
pressed together.  The  animal,  which  is  classed  by  zoologists 
among  the  Edentates,  is  rarely  seen  during  the  day,  but  at 
night  may  be  found  burrowing  into  the  mounds  raised  by 
the  so-called  White  ants  (q.v.).  With  its  whip-Hke  tongue, 
covered  with  a  sticky  fluid,  it  searches  the  tunnels  which 
ramify  these  mounds,  and  in  a  very  short  time  will  have 
destroyed  the  numerous  inhabitants. 

"The  Aard-varken  or  earth-pig,  which,  probably  is  a 
species  of  Manis."     (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  270,  1785.) 

"  Two  distinct  animals  are  seen  in  this  part  of  the  country, 

2* 


20  AFEICANDEBISMS 

that  alike  burrow  into  the  ground,  and  appear  to  subsist  en- 
tirely upon  ants  and  termites.  ...  Of  these  the  ant-bear  or 
Aard-vark  of  the  colonists  is  the  more  common."  (Harris's 
"Wild  Sports  of  South  Africa,"  p.  301,  1839.) 

Aardwolf. — Proteles  cristatus,  Gray.,  called  more  fre- 
quently the  Maanhaar  (q.v.).  An  animal  about  the  size  of  a 
fox,  occupying  an  intermediate  position  between  the  jackals 
and  the  hyenas.  This  animal,  supposed  to  live  on  carrion 
and  insects,  seems,  like  the  baboon,  to  have  developed  quite 
recently  the  habit  of  killing  lambs,  and  for  the  same  purpose, 
that  it  may  obtain  the  curdled  milk  in  the  lambs'  stomachs. 

"  The  genus  Proteles  contains  but  a  single  species,  the 
Aard-wolf  or  earth-wolf,  so  called  by  the  European  colonists 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Algoa  Bay  in  South  Africa."  ("  Penny 
Cyclopaedia,"  i.  p.  4.) 

Aasbloem. — (D.  aas,  carrion ;  bloem,  a  flower.)  The 
flowers  of  the  fetid  smelling  Stapelias  have  received  this  ap- 
propriate name  in  Cape  Dutch. 

Aasvogel. — (D.  aas,  carrion ;  vogel,  a  bird.)  The  great 
carrion  scavenger  of  South  Africa,  Gyps  Kolhii.  Disliked  be- 
cause of  their  repulsive  appearance  and  habits,  these  vultures, 
nevertheless,  perform  a  service  invaluable  to  the  country. 

"  Vultus  Fulvus  and  Vultus  Auricularis,  white  and  black 
Aasvogel  oi  the  Cape  colonist."  (Harris's  "Wild  Sports  of 
South  Africa,"  p.  196  n.,  1839.) 

"  Of  the  vultures  there  are  four  varieties.  .  .  .  The 
Aasvogel  is  the  commonest  and  flocks  by  thousands  through 
every  district  of  South  Africa."  (Fleming's  "  Southern 
Africa,"  p.  376,  1852.) 

Aasvogel  besjes.— (D.  bezie,  a  berry.)  The  fruit  of  Cassine 
maurocenia,  Linn.     See  Kaffir-cherry  and  quotation. 

"Hottentot  oheviy  {aasvogels  besjes,  or  vulture  berries  as  the 
Boers  call  it)."    (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  130,  1889.) 

Abakweta. — (Kaf.  um  Kweta,  a  circumcised  lad.)  Circum- 
cised boys  are  so  called  during  the  unclean  period,  while 
dwelling  apart,  as  required  by  Kaffir  custom. 

"  In  the  afternoon  we  strolled  over  a  plain  to  a  neighbour- 
ing hamlet  to  see  the  amaquati  or  circumcised."  (Kay's 
"Caffrarian  Eesearches,"  p.  75,  1823.) 

"  The  state  of  initiation  is  called  ubukweta,  the  boys  them- 
selves being  termed  abakweta.''  ("Compendium  of  Kaffir 
Laws  and  Customs,"  p.  97, 1858.) 


AFRICANDEKISMS  21 

Abba. — (Hot.  awa,  "  ein  Kind  auf  dem  Eiicken  tragen," 
Kronlein.)    To  carry  on  the  back  as  a  mother  does  her  child. 

Abiquas  geelhout. — (D.  geel,  yellow ;  hout,  wood.)  Tam- 
arix  articulata. 

"According  to  Eck.  &  Zey.,  the  Hottentots  call  this  plant 
Daweep  and  the  Boers  Abiquas  geelhout.  The  species  is 
found  also  in  North  Africa,  Arabia,  and  Persia."  ("  Flora 
Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  120,  1859-1860.) 

Achteros. — (D.  achter,  after,  behind  ;  os,  ox.)  One  or  other 
of  the  last  pair  in  a  span  of  oxen.  "  De  achteros  kom  ook 
in  de  kraal "  (The  hind  ox  also  comes  into  the  kraal).  A  Cape 
Dutch  proverb  meaning  "slow  and  sure,"  patience  will  suc- 
ceed in  the  end. 

Achterossjambok. — See  Sjambok. 

Achterrijder.  —  A  servant  who  follows  on  horseback ; 
generally,  if  the  journey  is  a  long  one,  leading  an  extra  horse. 
The  English  colonists  have  simply  translated  the  term  and 
speak  of  their  "  after  rider". 

"  These  achter-rijders  are  servants  intended  both  for  out- 
ward show  and  for  use,  and  correspond,  in  this  twofold  nature 
of  their  duty,  to  many  of  our  English  grooms."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  132,  1824.) 

"  In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  we  were  met  by  a  farmer 
from  Beaufort  on  the  Karoo  with  a  Hottentot  achter  rijder." 
(Harris's  "  Wild  Sports  of  South  Africa,"  p.  333,  1839.) 

"  The  Hottentot  '  after  riders '  with  spare  horses  went 
round  collecting  the  slain."  (Mitford's  "  The  Weird  of  Deadly 
Hollow,"  p.  78,  1891.) 

Achterstel. — The  after  parts  of  a  wagon  connected  with 
the  hind  wheels. 

"  Those  parts  belonging  to,  and  joined  with  the  fore  pair 
of  wheels,  are  denominate  the  voor-stel ;  and  those  to  the  after 
pair,  the  agter-stel"     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  150, 1822.) 

Achtertong. — (D.  tong,  tongue.)  A  wooden  fork  that 
passes  up  from  the  hind  axle  to  the  long- wagon,  fastening 
them  together. 

Acht  uur. — (D.  acht,  eight;  uur,  hour.)  Eight  o'clock 
used  as  synonymous  with  breakfast-time.     See  also  Twaalfuur. 

Acre, — This  term  is  used  somewhat  loosely  in  South  Africa, 
due  perhaps  to  the  influence  of  the  D.  Akker  (q.v.).  When 
used  as  a  definite  land  measurement  it  is  generally  spoken  of 
as  the  "  English  acre  ". 


22  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"An  acre  is  generally  taken  as  300  strides  long  by  18 
wide— divided  into  2  of  9  by  300— but  as  a  rule  farmers  are 
not  at  all  particular  as  to  a  few  yards  more  or  less."  (Noble's 
"C.G.H.  Official  Handbook,"  p.  227,  1886.) 

Adonis. — A  nickname,  often  used  of,  or  to,  a  baboon. 

"  Der  gute  alte  Mann  .  .  .  haben  wollte  dass  die  Zeitung 
in  Pretoria,  die  '  Volkstem '  verboten  werden  mtisse,  weil  sie 
sich  unterstanden  habe,  ein  Mitglied  des  Hochweisen  Volks- 
rates  '  Affe '  zu  schimpfen !  AUes  was  der  arme  Eedakteur 
verbrochen  hatte,  war;  er  hatte  von  einem  Mitgliede  des 
Volksrates  .  .  .  als  von  dem  Mciowis' des  Volksrates  gespro- 
chen.  .  .  .  Der  alte  T.  .  .  .  hatte  Keine  Ahnung  von  der 
Bedeutung  des  Wortes,  er  wusste  nur,  dass  die  Boeren  einem 
zahmen  Affen  gewohnlich  den  Namen  'Adonis^  geben." 
Schiel's  "23  Jahre  in  Sud-Afrika,"  p.  177,  1902.) 

Adam  fig. — A  large  brown  variety  of  fig  is  thus  designated 
in  South  Africa. 

African  chamois. — See  Klipspringer. 

"  Higher  up  among  the  precipitous  rocks  near  the  summits 
the  African  chamois  (Klipspringer)  is  always  to  be  found.'' 
(Nicholson's  "  Fifty  Years  in  South  Africa,"  p.  35,  1898.) 

African  coast  fever. — Piroplasma  parvum.  Another  of 
the  scourges  among  cattle  with  which  the  South  African 
farmer  has  to  contend.  While  distinctly  different  it  appears 
to  be  allied  to  Kedwater  and  is  transmitted  by  ticks  (q.v.). 
{Bhipicephalus  appendiculatus  and  others.)  See  East  Coast 
Fever. 

"They  clearly  recognized  and  described  the  small  and 
characteristic  organisms  of  African  Coast  Fever."  ("  Science 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  339,  1905.) 

African  cucl<oo. — Guculus  gularis,  the  South  African 
cuckoo.  This  bird  comes  south  from  North  and  Central 
Africa,  but  is  a  rare  visitor  in  Natal  and  seldom  if  ever  seen  in 
the  Cape. 

Africander. — This  word  has  been  used  with  a  variety  of  sig- 
nifications :  (1)  African-born  descendants  of  European  parents 
generally,  (2)  African-born  offspring  of  Dutch  parents  only,  (3) 
Coloured  people  of  mixed  blood.  Often  enough  the  word  is 
used  adjectivally  with  an  equal  number  of  similar  significa- 
tions. In  recent  years  an  effort  has  been  made  to  limit  its 
meanmg  to  (1)  or  (2). 

"  All  those  who  are  born  in  the  Colony  speak  that  language 
(Dutch)  and  call  themselves  Africaanders,  whether  of  Dutch, 


AFKICANDEEISMS  23 

German,  jor  French  origin."    (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  21, 
1822.) 

"  The  number  of  matches  that  have  taken  place  between  the 
fair  Africanders  (the  general  term  for  natives  of  European 
descent  .  .  .)  proves  that  their  attractions  are  appreciated." 
("  C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette,"  iv.  p.  103,  1834.) 

"  They  (the  slaves)  may  be  divided  into  three  classes — the 
Malays  ,  .  .  the  East  or  West  coast  negro,  and  the  Africander, 
who  is  the  descendant  of  an  European  man  and  Malay  or  negro 
girl."     (Martin's  "History  of  South  Africa,"  p.  125,  1836.) 

"  I  carry  resting  on  my  right  thigh  in  true  Africander 
fashion  a  double-barrelled  smooth  bore."  (Barter's  "Dorp 
and  Veld,"  p.  108,  1852.) 

"  Africander  is,  however,  a  term  used  to  include  all  of  South 
African  birth,  whether  Dutch,  French,  EngHsh,  German,  or 
any  other  stock."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  30  June,  1885.) 
The  Africander  Boers  with  their  natural  shrewdness  and 
intelHgence."  ("  C.G.H.  Official  Handbook,"  p.  250,  1886.) 
"The  term  Afrikander ,  vthich.  is  now  extended  to  all 
'  country  born '  whites,  was  originally  coined  to  designate 
this  very  class  of  Boers  who  were  known,  or  supposed,  to  be 
touched  with  this  (yellow)  tar-brush."  (Keane's  "  The  Boer 
States,"  p.  86,  1900.) 

"It  is  generally  recognized  that  no  matter  whether  he 
speaks  English  or  Dutch,  so  long  as  a  man  is  imbued  with 
the  South  African  spirit,  no  matter  whether  we  came  here 
200  or  300  years  earlier  than  he  did,  he  is  as  good  an  Africander 
as  the  next."  ("Eeport  of  Speech  by  General  Herzog  at 
Caledon,"  p.  5.  "  The  Bloemfontein  Post,"  1  April,  1912.) 
Africander. — The  name  given  to  a  particular  breed  of  cattle. 
"  There  are  three  or  four  recognized  breeds  now  common 
in  the  country ;  namely  the  fatherland,  .  .  .  the  Africander, 
the  Zulu,  and  the  bastard  Zulu.  The  Africander  is  a  very 
tall,  ponderous,  large-horned  breed  of  cattle."  ("  The  D'Urban 
Observer,"  9  January,  1852.) 

Africanderdom.— That  section  of  the  people  of  South 
Africa  animated  by  the  Africander  spirit  and  ideals. 

Africanderisms. — Dutch  words  and  idioms  in  use  in  South 
African  Enghsh  are  thus  designated. 

"  If  an  English  boy  learns  Dutch  he  is  apt  to  acquire 
what  are  popularly  called  Dutchisms  or  Africanderisms.'' 
("  The  State,"  p.  701,  December,  1909.) 


24  AFEICANDERISMS 

Africaner. — The  early  colonists  gave  this  name  to  Gladi- 
olus tristis  and  other  species  of  this  genus.  (Riversdale, 
G.  recurvus,  L.) 

"  The  gladiolus  which  is  here  called  Africaner,  is  un- 
commonly beautiful  with  its  tall,  waving  spike  of  striped 
flowers,  and  has  also  a  fragrant  smell."  (Barrow's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  25, 1801.) 

African  oak. — Ocotea  bullata  is  sometimes  so  called  because 
of  the  acorn-like  appearance  of  its  fruit.     See  Stinkwood. 

African  open -bill,  The. — Anastomus  lamelligerus.  This 
stork  is  abundant  along  the  Zambezi  Valley  and  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Lake  Ngami — very  occasionally  south  of  this. 
Two  features  mark  this  bird  off  from  all  other  storks :  (1) 
the  shape  of  its  bill,  the  upper  and  lower  mandibles  of  which 
are  curved  outward,  with  the  result  that  the  bill  cannot  be 
closed  in  the  middle  ;  (2)  the  curious  character  of  its  breast 
feathers.     See  Clapper  bills. 

African  walnut. — Schotia  brachypetala,  So7id.  A  tree 
bearing  handsome,  bright  scarlet  flowers.  The  wood  is  said 
to  be  much  like  walnut,  but  closer  in  the  grain,  and  takes  a 
splendid  polish. 

Afrikaans. — The  Dutch  spoken  in  South  Africa — Cape 
Dutch  as  it  is  called  (q.v.). 

"  Samesprake  in  Afrikaans  en  E^igels."  ("  Deur  Oom 
Willem,"  1885.) 

"I  have  always  regarded  (high)  Dutch  as  my  mother  tongue 
and  Africaans  (low  Dutch)  as  a  hodge-pot  sort  of  a  language." 
("  Bast  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  20  October,  1908.) 

After-clap. — The  canvas  curtain  hanging  at  the  back  of 
the  wagon. 

"With  'fore-clap'  and  '  after-clap, '  which  is  the  colonial 
name  for  two  broad  canvas  curtains  that  form  part  and 
parcel  of  the  sail  and  hang  in  front  and  rear  of  the  wagon, 
reaching  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  ground."  (Gordon 
Cumming's  "Adventures,"  i.  p.  23,  1850.) 

After-tongue.— See  Achter  tong. 

"  The  trek-touw  of  the  other  wagon  was  made  fast  to  the 
'  after-tongue,'  and  all  our  kaffir  servants  .  .  .  dragged  at  it 
to  slow  the  wagon  down."  (Lacy's  "Pictures  of  Travel," 
etc.,  p.  6,  1899.) 

Aftrap.— (D.  af,  off,  from ;  trappen,  to  kick.)  The  "  kick- 
off"  at  football. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  25 

Agulhas  bank. — A  shelf  of  rock  and  gravel  running  along 
the  South-east  coast  from  the  Bashee  to  Cape  Point ;  it 
abounds  in  a  great  variety  of  fish. 

"  There  appears  nevertheless  one  source  of  gain  open  to 
enterprise  in  the  great  hank  of  Lagullas,  which  is  equal  to 
that  of  Newfoundland."    (Owen's  "  Narrative,"  i.  p.  62, 1833.) 

Agulhas,  Cape. — (Port,  agulhas,  a  needle ;  L.  acucula, 
acicula.)  The  southernmost  point  of  the  African  continent, 
so  called  because  off  this  Cape  the  Portuguese  mariners  found 
that  the  compass  needle  pointed  to  the  true  north. 

"  And  againe  in  the  point  of  Afrika,  a  httle  beyond  the  point 
that  is  called  Cape  das  Agulias  (in  English  the  Needles)  it 
returneth  againe  unto  the  North."  (Hakluyt,  II,  ii.  p.  100, 
1579.) 

Ah  now !  or  Ha  now ! — An  expression  employed  by 
wagon-drivers  when  stopping  their  oxen. 

"Loud  cries  of  Juk  (or  trek)  to  start  the  oxen,  'Ah 
now'  to  stop  them."  (Barter's  "Dorp  and  Veld,"  p.  50, 
1852.) 

Aigretje. — (O.H.G.  heigir,  a  heron ;  F.  aigre,  dim.  aig- 
rette ;  this  name  was  in  French  transferred  from  the  bird  to 
the  crest  of  feathers  which  adorned  its  head.)  The  Western 
Province  name  of  a  wild-flower. 

"Among  them  the  crimson  gladiolus,  the  proteas  of  all 
kinds,  the  Aigrettje  or  little  aigrette."  (Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a 
Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  10,  1902.) 

Air  plant. — Various  species  of  epiphytical  orchids  are  so 
called. 

"Here  we  find  .  ,  .  several  kinds  of  'air-plants'." 
("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  I,  i.  p.  24, 1878.) 

Akadijs. — (D.  hagedis ;  G.  eidechse,  a  lizard.)  The  com- 
mon name  of  a  small  lizard  which  runs  with  great  rapidity 
among  the  bushes.  The  word  is  however  applied  somewhat 
loosely. 

"Akadijs  or  properly  Imgedis  is  a  very  vague  definition 
as  the  name  is  applied  to  all  species  of  lizard."  ("Scientific 
African,"  i.  p.  78,  1896.) 

Akker. — (D.  akker,  a  field.)  A  plot  of  cultivated  ground 
without  reference  to  any  exact  size. 

"  The  akker  used  in  ploughing  varies  on  almost  every 
farm  and  runs  from  ten  to  sixteen  yards  wide  as  a  rule,  and 
from  two  to  three  hundred  yards  long.     It  is  therefore  no 


26  AFEICANDEBISMS 

guide  to   say   how  much  manure   is   used   on   an   akker." 
("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Journal,"  p.  814,  1905.) 

Akkertje.— (Dim.  of  above.)  A  garden  or  flower-bed. 
Akkewani.— (M.  akar,  root;  wangi,  odorous;  "  Akar- 
wangi.  The  name  of  a  plant  with  odorous  roots,  Andro- 
pogon  mwnca^ws."— Crawford.)  Cymbopogon  marginatus, 
Stapf.  (Synonym.  Andropogon  Nardus,  var.  marginatus), 
the  many  thread-like  roots  of  which  have  a  somewhat  pecuHar 
and  not  unpleasant  scent,  and,  when  dried,  arc  placed  among 
woollen  articles  to  preserve  them  from  moth.  See  Mottekruid, 
Motworteltjes,  and  Vrouwhaar.  Most  of  the  Andropogons 
have  scented  roots. 

Alamagtig.— (D.  almachtig,  almighty.)  A  common 
expletive.  Alamatjes,  Alamastig,  Alajnopsticks,  are  forms  of 
the  word  employed  by  those  who  have  scruples  about  using 
the  word  Almagtig,  and  salve  their  consciences  by  these 
variations. 

"  Dutchmen  flocked  round  the  unfortunate  '  Piper  for  the 
day '  with  as  much  astonishment  as  if  he  had  dropped  from 
the  clouds,  drawhng  out  the  constant  exclamation  Alla- 
machtig!  Allamachtig ! "  (King's  "Campaigning  in  Kaffir- 
land,"  p.  291,  1855.) 

"  Never  was  such  a  spluttering  and  splashing,  but  as  the 
bank  was  not  ten  yards  off,  all  got  safely  ashore,  when  the 
verdoming  and  alamagtiging  was  enough  to  make  one's  hair 
stand  on  end."    (Lacy's  "  Pictures,"  p.  403,  1899.) 

Albacore. — (P.  albacor,  Ar.  albukr,  a  young  camel,  a 
heifer.)  Seriola  lalandii.  This  name,  sometimes  corrupted 
into  albert-koord  and  half-cord,  and  at  Somerset  Strand  into 
half-koot,  is  applied  in  South  Africa  to  this  species  of  mackerel ; 
as  employed  in  Hakluyt  and  Stavorinus  and  by  sea-faring  men 
generally  it  refers  to  quite  another  fish.  See  also  Yellow-tail. 
"  In  the  sea  the  fish  which  is  called  albocore,  as  big  as  a 
salmon,  folio weth  them  with  great  swiftness  to  take  them." 
(Hakluyt,  II,  ii.  p.  100,  1598.) 

"  We  also  took  albacores,  so  called  by  the  Portuguese  be- 
cause of  their  white  colour."  ("A  Voyage  to  Siam  by  Six 
Jesuits,"  p.  29,  1688.) 

"  Flying  fish  ...  are  the  best  bait  that  can  be  put  to 
a  hook  for  catching  dorados  and  albicores."  (Stavorinus' 
"Voyages,"  i.  p.  14,  1798.) 

"  Scomber   Gapensis,  Cm.  and  Val.  (Half-cord).  ...  A 


AFEICANDEEISMS  27 

large  fish  measuring  from  two  to  three  feet."  (Fleming's 
"  Southern  Africa,"  p.  480,  1856.) 

Albaster. — A  marble  to  play  with.  Compare  the  English 
alley  or  ally,  which  appears  to  be  a  shortened  form  of  the 
word  alabaster,  and  is  used  of  a  superior  sort  of  marble,  said 
to  be  made  of  that  material. 

Albertinia  white  heath. — Erica  bowieana,  Lodd.  is 
known  in  the  south-west  by  this  name. 

Algoa  Bay. — (P.  al  Goa,  to  Goa).  So  called  as  this  was 
the  last  calling-place  on  the  voyage  to  India,  as  Delagoa  (from 
Goa)  Bay  (q.v.)  was  the  first  place  of  call  on  the  return  voyage. 

"  In  February,  1593,  we  fell  in  with  the  eastermost  land  of 
Africa  at  a  place  called  Baia  de  A  goa,  some  100  leagues  to 
the  north-east  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope."  (Hakluyt,  II,  ii. 
p.  108,  1598-1600.) 

"  Algoa  Bay  has  little  to  recommend  it  for  shipping.  Like 
all  the  other  bays  upon  the  same  coast,  it  is  directly  open  to 
the  south-east  winds."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  85,  1804.) 

Aliwal  Shoal. — A  shoal  off  the  coast  of  Natal,  named  after 
the  ship  "  Aliwal,"  the  master  of  which  was  the  first  to  report 
its  existence  in  1848. 

Allah  ! — (Ar.).  The  Mohammedan  name  for  the  Creator. 
Alone,  and  in  conjunction  with  other  words,  it  is  in  common 
use  in  some  parts  of  the  Colony  as  an  expression  of  astonish- 
ment, and  has  been  acquired  from  the  Malays. 

"  '  It's  the  inside  that  matters,  and  the  white  man's  head 
inside  here' — Outa  tapped  his  wrinkled  forehead — 'Allah! 
but  it  can  hold  a  lot.'  "     ("  The  State,"  p.  82,  July,  1912.) 

Alligator  pear. — A  corruption  of  Avocado  pear,  the  fruit 
of  Persea  gratissima.. 

"  Guavas,  melons  .  .  .  alligator  pears  .  .  .  are  to  be  had 
at  almost  all  seasons."  (Whiter 's  "  A  Trip  to  South  Africa," 
p.  15,  1892.) 

Alliteral  or  Euphonic  concord. — This  is  the  name  given 
to  an  intricate  grammatical  principle  of  Kaffir  speech,  for  the 
discovery  and  unravelling  of  which  we  are  indebted  to  the 
Bev.  W.  B.  Boyce,  a  Wesleyan  Missionary,  the  author  also  of 
the  first  "  Kaffir  Grammar,"  published  in  1834.  This  peculi- 
arity of  the  language  is  sufficiently  described  in  the  following 
quotation  from  the  first  edition  of  the  work. 

"  The  Kaffir  language  is  distinguished  by  one  peculiarity 
.  .  .   the  whole  business  of  declension,  conjugation,  etc.,  is 


28  AFEICANDEEISMS 

carried  on  by  prefixes  and  by  the  changes  which  take  place  in 
the  initial  letters  or  syllables  of  words  subject  to  grammatical 
government :  as  the  changes,  in  addition  to  the  precision  they 
communicate  to  the  language,  promote  its  euphony,  and  cause 
the  frequent  repetition  of  the  same  letter  as  initial  to  many 
words  in  the  sentence,  this  peculiarity,  upon  which  the  whole 
grammar  of  the  language  depends,  has  been  termed  the 
Euphonic  or  Alliteral  concord."  (Boyce's  "  Kaffir  Grammar," 
p.  3,  1834.) 

Alpratjes.— (D.  praten,  to  talk.)  A  name,  "all  talk," 
given  by  Dutch  prospectors  to  that  most  common  stumbling- 
block  of  the  gold-seeker,  iron  pyrites ;  pratjes  being  a  Cape 
Dutch  corruption  of  pyrites.  Its  appearance  has  so  often 
deceived  the  inexpert  into  believing  that  they  had  actually 
found  gold,  that  the  humour  of  the  name  is  apparent. 

"Pyrites,  al  praatjes,  all  talk,  as  the  farmers  call  it." 
("The  Scientific  African,"  p.  20,  December,  1895.) 

Altijd  Boschje. — (D.  altijd,  always.)  Staavia  radiata, 
Thun.  So  called  because  the  bush  may  be  found  in  flower 
well-nigh  the  year  through.     A  Eiversdale  district  name. 

Amaas. — (This  word  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  i  Masisi, 
the  Kaffir  form  of  the  Dutch  maselen,  measles.)  The  natives 
have  given  this  name  to  an  eruptive  disease,  which,  if  it  is  not 
smallpox,  very  closely  resembles  it.  It  is  also  used  of  that 
disease. 

"It  was  reported  to  the  Council  that  the  late  Trooper  .  .  . 
was  suffering  from  Amaas,  in  consequence  of  which  .  .  .'s 
services  were  retained  by  the  Council."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  4,  14  November,  1911.) 

Amadumbies. — (Z.  ama,  pi.  pref. ;  i  Dumbi,  a  tuber  grown 
by  the  natives  something  like  a  small  turnip.)  The  anglicized 
form  of  the  native  name  of  a  plant,  probably  a  variety  of 
^ddoes. 

"  Cash  .  .  .  was  scarce,  consequently  the  people  bartered 
.  .  .  pumpkins,  amadoombies  (an  edible  potato-like  root)." 
(Kussell's  "Old  Durban,"  p.  146,  1899.) 

Ama-Qerman  or  Jeleman. — Among  the  Fingoes  and 
other  natives  of  the  Transkei  the  florin  was  known  by  this 
appellation  due  to  the  coins  coming  into  circulation  on  the 
Frontier  at  the  same  time  that  the  German  Legion  arrived. 
See  also  Scotchman. 

"  They  were  dubbed  '  Germans  '  and  have  been  called  so 


AFEICANDERISMS  29 

ever  since  by    the    natives."     ("  East  London    Dispatch," 
22  May,  1909.) 

Amajoni. — (K.  ama,  pi.  pref.  ;  joni,  Eng.  Johnny.) 
The  Natal  natives'  name  for  the  English  soldiers. 

"  When  the  amajoni  are  mustered  .  .  .  the  trumpet  is 
blown. "  (Mitford's  "  Romance  of  the  Cape  Frontier,"  p.  252, 
1891.) 

Amajuba. — (Z.  Juha,  a  dove,  pigeon.)  A  flat-topped 
mountain,  7000  ft.  high,  situate  on  the  extreme  north  of 
Natal,  It  V7as  made  historic  during  the  Boer  War  of  1881  by 
the  defeat  of  Sir  George  Pomeroy  Colley,  w^ho  with  many  of 
his  men  fell  before  the  rifle-fire  of  the  Boers. 

"  Ingogo  Heights,  Mount  Prospect,  Amajuba  and  Laing's 
Nek,  all  notable  in  the  war  of  1881."  (Russell's  "  Natal," 
p.  54,  1891.) 

Amakafula. — (Z.  i  Kafula,  Zuluized  form  of  the  word 
Kaffir,  applied  by  the  Zulus  proper  to  the  Natal  natives.) 
An  opprobrious  name  for  natives  resident  in  Natal. 

"  For  of  those  youths — those  red  cattle  (soldiers)  and  the 
amakafula  who  are  aiding  them  to  fight  against  us — there 
will  soon  be  not  one  left  alive — not  one."  (Mitford's  "  Curse 
of  Clement  Waynflate,"  p.  236,  1894.) 

Amalgam. — In  the  amalgamation  process  for  the  recovery 
of  the  gold  from  the  ore,  the  stamps  or  crushing  machines 
are  fitted  with  bright  copper  plates ;  these  are  covered  with  a 
thin  film  of  mercury  by  which  the  free  gold  is  attracted,  with 
which  it  forms  a  pasty  substance  which  is  technically  known 
as  amalgam. 

"  The  amalgam  has  not  been  successfully  reduced  yet. 
One  attempt  was  made  with  the  result  that  the  retort  burst." 
(Mather's  "  Golden  South  Africa,"  p.  312,  1888.) 

"  The  case  against for  amalgam  stealing  was  resumed 

this  morning."     ("Cape  Argus,"  Weekly  Edition,  p.  4,  17 
November,  1897.) 

Amapakati. — (K.  "middle  ones".)  This  is  the  title 
borne  by  the  councillors  of  a  tribe,  who  stand  between  the 
chief  and  the  people,  to  maintain  or  control  the  chief's  power. 

"  I  requested  Tchatchou  would  assemble  his  Amapakati 
(council)  betimes."     (Gardiner's  "  Journey,"  p.  6,  1836.) 

"  The  parties  concerned  have  the  right  however  to  com- 
promise any  civil  case,  without  bringing  it  before  either 
the    Amapakati  or   the   chiefs ;    but   they   have   no    right 


30  AFBICANDEBISMS 

to  compound  for  criminal  cases,  as  that  would  be  robbing  the 
chief  of  part  of  his  revenue."  ("  Compendium  of  Kaffir 
Laws  and  Customs,"  p.  59,  1858.) 

Amasi.— (K.  This  plural  form  only  is  used.)  Milk  curdled 
in  a  skin  or  calabash  (see  Calabash  milk) ;  a  common  beverage 
among  the  natives  of  South  Africa. 

"  Their  general  diet  is  extremely  simple.  This  ordinarily 
consists  of  milk,  which  .  .  .  they  invariably  use  in  a  sour, 
curdled  state.  It  is  called  amaas."  (Kay's  "  Caffrarian 
Eesearches,"  p.  121,  1833.) 

"  Amarsa,  a  delicious  Caffir  beverage  of  fermented  milk." 
(Mason's  "Life  with  the  Zulus,"  p.  224,  1855.) 

Amasoja — Another  name  for  the  English  soldiers  coined 
by  the  Kaffirs,  soja  being  the  Kaffir  pronunciation  of 
"  soldier  ".    It  is  also  native  slang  for  a  native  fop. 

Amatungulu. — (Z.  i  Tungulu,  the  so-called  Natal  plum.) 
The  brilliant  lake-coloured  fruit  of  Garissa  grandiflora,  Mey., 
an  evergreen  shrub  of  the  Periwinkle  family  which  grows  on 
the  coast.  The  fruit  is  somewhat  larger  than  a  damson  ; 
when  opened  it  exudes  a  milky-white,  pleasantly  acid  juice, 
and  contains  several  small  brown  seeds.  It  is  called  by  the 
colonists  the  "Natal  plum"  (q.v.). 

"Amongst  which  were  growing  in  wild  profusion  the 
huge  cactus,  the  deep  crimson  martingola,  starch  and  castor 
oil  plants."    (Mason's  "  Life  with  the  Zulus,"  p.  70,  1855.) 

"  The  native  name  of  this  plant  is  Amatungulu,  and  the 
botanical  name  Arduinia  grandiflora."  (Brooks'  "  Natal," 
p.  168,  1876.) 

American  aloe. — Agave  Americana.  The  habits  of  this 
plant  are  somewhat  similar  to  those  of  the  Aloe,  but  it  is  not 
an  Aloe  at  all,  belonging  to  the  order  Amaryllidaceae, 

"The  American  aloe  .  .  .  Agave  Americana  is  not  a 
true  aloe,  but  more  nearly  related  to  the  fibre  plant  Fourcroya, 
grown  in  Mauritius,  and  to  New  Zealand  flax,  Phormium 
tenax."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  South  Africa," 
p.  92,  1896.) 

Amper— (M.  ampir,  nearly.)  This  word,  introduced  by 
the  Malays,  is  in  common  use  in  Cape  Dutch  and  among 
English  residents  in  districts  where  Dutch  prevails. 

The  Cape  Dutch  proverb,  "  Amper  is  ver  van  Amsterdam  " 
(Nearly  is  a  long  way  from  Amsterdam),  is  quite  as  good  as 
the  English,  "  A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile  ". 


AFEICANDEEISMS  31 

**  Neem  1  lb.  wit  suiker,  smelt  dit  in  amper  een  bottel 
kokende  water."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Besepten 
Boek,"  p.  84, 1898.) 

Ampertjes. — Diminutive  of  the  above  is  equally  common 
in  the  sense  of  nearly,  almost. 

Andoeli. — (F.  andouille,  a  sausage  ;  L.  inductilis.)  The 
intestinal  skin  which  contains  the  minced  meat  has  given  its 
name  to  the  contents.     Sausage. 

Angels'  food. — A  favourite  Cape  fruit-salad  composed  of 
sliced  bananas,  oranges,  guavas,  and  pine-apples. 

"We  were  fortified  by  luscious  coffee  and  mystic  trifle, 
and  angel's  food,  and  ambrosia,  and  spiced  stars."  ("  Bloem- 
fontein  Post,"  p.  16,  7  September,  1912.) 

Angler. — Lophius  upsicephalus  is  so  called  at  East 
London.     See  Devil  fish,  paddy,  and  fishing  frog. 

Angora  goats. — Generally  spoken  of  as  "  Angoras,"  were 
imported  from  Angora  in  Asia  Minor  by  Col.  Henderson,  an 
Indian  officer,  about  the  year  1840.     (Wallace.) 

Anijs  wortel. — (D.  anijs,  anise ;  ivortel,  a  root.)  Several 
plants  appear  to  share  this  name — Anesorhiza  macrocarpa. 

"  An  umbelliferous  plant  .  .  .  called  by  the  Hottentots 
anijs  wortel  (anise  root)  .  .  .  but  it  is  entirely  different  from 
the  anijs  wortel  of  Zwartland."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i. 
p.  232  n.,  1822.) 

Anker. — (D.  anker,  a  holdfast,  support.)  The  under- 
ground shoots  of  various  creeping  plants  are  so  named. 

Ansjovi. — (D.  ansjovis,  anchovy.  Mahn  (Webster)  traces 
this  word  to  an  "  Iberian  origin,  Ht.  a  dried  or  pickled  fish, 
from  Biscayan  antzua,  anchua,  anchuva,  dry  ".)  Engraulis 
holodon — the  Cape  anchovy.  The  European  anchovy  is 
E.  encrasicholus,  Bond.  The  assimilation  in  Dutch  of  the 
latter  part  of  the  word  to  visch  (pronounced  vis)  seems  in 
Cape  Dutch  to  have  been  unconsciously  corrected. 
Ant-bear. — See  Aardvark. 

"The  ant-bears,  which  are  much  better  furnished  with 
strong  claws  for  penetrating  the  indurated  clay  of  a  dry 
cHmate."  (Hoodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  254, 
1835.) 

Ant-heap. — The  earth  brought  to  the  surface  by  the  so- 
called  white  ants  (Termites)  is  employed,  under  this  desig- 
nation, to  floor  rooms,  tennis  courts,  etc.  When  properly 
prepared  it  gives  a  smooth,  hard  surface  eminently  suitable 
for  such  purposes. 


32  AFRICANDEEISMS 

"  Following  the  custom  of  the  country,  I  directed  a  dozen 
or  two  of  large  ant  hillocks  ...  to  be  broken  up  and  brought 
into  the  hut.  This  material,  from  having  been  apparently 
cemented  by  the  insect  architects  with  some  glutinous  sub- 
stance, forms,  when  pounded  and  sprinkled  with  water,  a 
strong,  adhesive  mortar,  which  only  requires  to  be  well  kneaded 
with  trampling  feet  for  a  few  days  in  order  to  become  a  dry 
and  compact  pavement,  almost  as  soHd  and  impenetrable  as 
stone  or  brick,"     (Pringle's  "  Narrative,"  p.  39,  1840.) 

"  The  material  of  the  '  ant-heap '  is  somewhat  largely 
employed  by  settlers  in  the  formation  of  plaster,  mortar,  and 
cement."     (Brooks'  "  Natal,"  p.  160,  1876.) 

Anvil  bird, — In  the  neighbourhood  of  King  William's 
Town  several  birds  are  known  by  this  name — Barhatula 
pusilla,  Cossypha  hicolor,  Sycobrotis  bicolor,  etc. — which  has 
reference  to  the  striking  resemblance  which  their  notes  have 
to  the  tapping  of  a  hammer  on  an  anvil.     See  Tinker  bird. 

Appel-der-liefde. — (F.  pomme  d'amouTy  love  apple  ;  a 
corruption  of  It.  pomi  dei  Moriy  or  Moor's  apples,  mala 
Aethiopica  (Prior).)  The fruitof  the Ly cop ersicum  esculentum. 
The  name  is  sometimes  applied  to  the  Cape  gooseberry  (q.v.) 
and  also  to  the  Pampelmoose  (q.v.);  and  is  often  colloquially 
corrupted  into  Appieleepie. 

"  Kersen  vindt  men  hier  zelden  en  aalbessen  in  het  geheel 
niet,  doch  wel  aardbeien,  bramen  en  appel-de-liefde  {Phy- 
salis  Peruviana)."  (Cachet's  "De  Worstelstrijd  der  Trans- 
valers,"  p.  353,  1882.) 

"Di  blare  van  appel-der-liefde  {pampelmoertji)."  (Dijk- 
man's  "  Kook,  Koek  and  Resepten  Boek,"  p.  155,  1898.) 

Appell<oos.— (D.  abrikoos,  apricot.)  (1)  A  corruption  of  the 
Dutch  name  of  the  apricot  in  common  use  among  the  Dutch  of 
South  Africa.  A  similar  corruption  exists  in  Germany,  Apri- 
kosen  being  turned  into  Appelkosen  in  Saxony.  (2)  The  name 
is  also  given  to  the  fruit  of  Dovyalis.     See  Cape  cranberry. 

"  Waarfoor  is  dit  nodig  om  '  appelkoos-hoom '  te  ge  met 
di  fertaling  'apricot  tree,'  daar  elkeen  dit  net  so  goed  kan 
kry  deur  op  alby  woorde  apart  te  kyk."  ("  Patriot  Woorde- 
boek,"  Preface,  iii,  1902.) 

Apple,  Kei.— The  intensely  acid  fruit  of  the  Aberia  Caffra, 
so  called  because  found  in  such  abundance  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Kei  River.  In  Natal  the  fruit  is  also  known  as 
"  Dmgaan's  apricot  "  (q.v.). 


AFEICANDEKISMS  33 

"  This  fruit  is  familiarly  known  as  the  hei  apple,  or  in  some 
places  as  Dingaan's  apricot,"  (Brooks'  "Natal,"  p.  185, 
1876.) 

Apples  of  Sodom. — The  fruit  of  Solanum  aculeastrum  and 
S.  sodomaeum  are  thus  designated. 

April  fool. — A  western  province  name  for  several  varieties 
of  Haemanthus.     See  Veldschoenblaren. 

"  The  April  fool  merits  its  name  as  we  think  when  we 
find  that  what  we  took  to  be  a  single  flower  is  really  a  dense 
umbel  of  many  flowers  surrounded  by  bright  red  bracts." 
(Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  Their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
192,  1906.) 

Arabs,  or  Arab  merchants. — The  Indian  merchants  and 
shop-keepers  in  Natal  are  locally,  but  erroneously  known  by 
these  designations.  They  are  chiefly  Mohammedans  and  are 
also  known  as  "  Bombay  merchants  "  (q.v.). 

"  The  other  class,  less  numerous,  but  better  educated  and 
more  intelligent,  consists  of  so-called  'Arabs'".  (Bryce's 
"Impressions  of  South  Africa,"  p.  361,  1898.) 

"  A  fight  took  place  at  Verulam,  Natal,  on  Saturday  night, 
between  several  Arab  merchants,  resulting  in  two  being  very 
seriously  injured."  ("  Eastern  Province  Herald,"  5  May, 
1902.) 

Arend. — (D.  arend,  an  eagle  ;  A.S,  earn.)  The  Bearded 
vulture,  Gypaetus  meridionalis,  Bp.,  is  known  by  this  name 
among  the  Dutch. 

*'  We  are  going  to  lay  wait  for  an  Arend  to-morrow  even- 
ing. He  always  sits  on  one  particular  yellow-wood  tree  in 
the  forest."     (Layard's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  2,  1867.) 

"  Do  you  know  the  story  of  the  Arend  among  the  Dutch  ? 
It  is  supposed  to  be  the  raven  let  out  of  the  ark,  and  it  is 
considered  unlucky  to  do  it  any  injury."  (Layard's  "Birds 
of  South  Africa,"  p.  33,  1875-84.) 

Arikreukel. — (D.  kreukel,  a  fold.)    A  well-known  shell-fish. 

Aroena. — A  wild  fruit. 

Arri ! — (Hot.  ar^,  an  interjection  expressing  astonishment, 
anger,  vexation).  This  interjection  is  in  frequent  use  in  the 
Midland  Districts. 

"  Mar  een  daarvan,  'n  bietjie  dikker,  Maak  so'n  uitgehaalde 
flikker.  Dat  Klaas  plaas  van  sijn  bek  te  hou,  Skre  arrie  dit 
was  fluks  van  jou."  (Eeitz's  "  Afrikaanse  Gedigte,"  p.  39, 
1888.) 

3 


34  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"  Arri !  but  Oom  Jakhals  was  a  slim  Kerel !  No  one  ever 
got  the  better  of  him  without  paying  for  it."  ("  The  State," 
p.  639,  December,  1911.) 

Arrow  poison. — See  Bushman's  poison  bush. 

Artillery  bird. — Ploceus  capensis.  The  yellow  Kaffir 
fink,  so  called  on  account  of  its  yellow  and  black  colours. 

"The  Artillery  bird  frequents  river  sides  or  marshy 
places  where  reeds  or  long  grass  abound."  ("  Trans.  S.A. 
Phil.  Soc,"  I.,  Part  iii.  p.  31,  1879.) 

Ash  cookies  or  Askoek. — (D.  Koek,  a  cake.)  (1)  Dough 
cakes  roasted  in  the  ashes  of  a  wood  fire  ;   (2)  A  ne'er-do-well. 

"Another  way  of  making  bread  is  what  is  called  an  Ash 
cookie.  It  is  something  akin  to  an  Australian  'damper'." 
(Browning's  "Fighting  and  Farming  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
314,  1880.) 

"J —  S —  who  jumped  a  bag  of  askoek  from  a  trans- 
port wagon,  was  sentenced  to  a  month's  hard  labour." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  10  July,  1908.) 

Asch  bosje. — (D.  asch,  ashes;  CD.  bos,  shrub,  bush.) 
In  the  Eiversdale  district  this  name  is  applied  to  two  plants 
— Mesembryanthemum  junceum,  Harv.  and  Salsola  aphylla. 
The  plants  are  burned  and  the  ashes  are  used  in  soap- 
making. 

Askoekklop  or  Askoekslaan. — (D.  kloppen,  to  knock, 
strike  ;  slaan,  to  beat,  to  kick.)  A  dance  peculiar  to  the  Hot- 
tentots, in  which  the  heels  are  struck  together  ;  the  noise  pro- 
duced is  thought  to  resemble  that  made  by  the  knocking 
together  of  askoekies. 

Aspres. — (F.  expres,  purposely,  with  intention.)  Used  in 
Cape  Dutch  with  the  meaning  purposely,  on  purpose. 

Asseblief.— (D.  Als  het  u  belieft,  if  you  please.)  This  is 
the  common  Cape  contraction  of  the  Dutch  phrase. 

"  Ge  my  asseblief  'n  paar  voorbeelde,  hoe  jy  di  woorde 
gebruik."     (Oom  Willem's  "  Samesprake,"  p.  7,  1885.) 

Assegai.— (According  to  Dozy  this  is  a  native  Berber  word 
—zaghayah,  with  the  Arabic  az  =  al  prefixed.  This  name, 
adopted  by  the  Moors,  was  subsequently  applied  by  the  Por- 
tuguese to  the  slender  javehns  used  by  the  natives  of  Africa 
generally.)  This  word,  which  is  unknown  in  the  Kaffir 
language,  is  of  considerable  interest.  It  would  appear  to  have 
been  taken  over  by  the  Boers  and  British  of  South  Africa 
from  the  Portuguese  who  had  brought  it  to  South-East  Africa. 


AFEICANDERISMS  36 

The  word  had  a  place  in  the  English  vocabulary,  however, 
as  early  as  the  fourteenth  century,  for  Chaucer  uses  it  in  a 
form,  it  is  true,  which  makes  it  appear  to  be  quite  a  different 
word,  and  yet  lancegay  or  launcegay  is  the  form  which 
the  word  had  assumed  in  his  day  from  the  French  I'arche- 
gaie,  as  the  result  of  the  striving  after  meaning. 

And  so  befel  up-on  a  day, 

For  sothe,  as  I  yow  telle  may, 

Sir  Thopas  wolde  out  ryde  ; 

He  worth  upon  his  stede  gray, 

And  in  his  honde  a  launcegay, 

A  long  swerd  by  his  syde.        (Sir  Thopas,  11.  1938-43.) 

The  use  of  this  weapon  was  prohibited,  Cowel  says,  by  the 
Statute  of  7  Rich.  II,  cap.  13,  which  would  account  for  the  early 
entire  disappearance  of  the  word  from  the  English  vocabulary. 
Two  forms  of  the  weapon  are  in  use  among  the  natives  of 
South  Africa.  The  throwing  assegai,  which  is  known  to  the 
Kaffirs  as  um  Konto,  was  the  older  form  of  the  weapon,  but 
since  Chaka  armed  his  troops  with  the  short,  stabbing  assegai, 
i  Boqo,  the  Zulus  have  given /this  weapon  the  preference, 
and  are  not  nearly  so  dexterous  with  the  um  Konto  as  the 
natives  of  the  Cape  Colony,  but  as  a  fighting  weapon  the 
i  Boqo  stands  them  in  good  stead. 

"  The  male  sort  from  their  infancy  practise  the  rude  pos- 
tures of  Mars,  covering  their  naked  bodies  with  mastic  targets, 
their  right  hand  brandishing  a  long  but  small  Azaguay  or 
lance  of  ebony,  barbed  with  iron,  kept  bright,  which  by 
exercise  they  know  how  to  jaculate  as  well  as  any  people  in 
the  Universe."     (Sir  T.  Herbert's  "  Travels,"  p.  23,  1665.) 

"Ihre-die  Hottentotten — gewohnlichen  Waffen,  sind  der 
Stock,  Rackum  genannt,  ein  andere  Namens  Kirii,  der  Bogen, 
Pfeile,  und  die  Hassagayen."  (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung," 
p.  26,  1745.) 

"  The  Bushnien  retain  the  ancient  arms  of  the  Hottentot 
race  ...  a  light  javelin  or  assagai."  (Pringle's  "African 
Sketches,"  p.  365,  1834.) 

Assegai,  To. — To  wound  or  kill  with  an  assegai. 

"  Another  youth,  named  Jubber,  was  sent  out  at  Bathurst 
in  search  of  horses,  and  when  only  a  few  yards  from  the 
village  over  the  brow  of  the  hill  on  its  eastern  side,  he  was 
assegaied."  (Editor  of  Grahamstown  Journal's  "  Narrative," 
p.  185,  1836.) 

3* 


36  AFRICANDEEISMS 

Assegai  wood. — Gurtisia  faginea.  The  wood  of  this  tree 
was  used  by  the  natives  for  the  shafts  of  their  assegais,  but  the 
wood  of  Greioia  occidentalis  is  now  more  generally  employed. 

"  Assegai  wood  is  the  most  valuable  of  the  wagon  woods. 
.  .  .  It  is  'extremely  tough  and  strong,  heavy  and  elastic, 
close-grained  and  durable,  if  exposed  to  only  moderate  damp '. 
The  colour  is  bright  red,  but  it  soon  fades  if  exposed  to 
the  air."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  Cape  Colony," 
p.  123,  1896.) 

Assous. — The  name  given  at  Hout  Bay  to  the  fish  known 
elsewhere  as  Spiering  (q.v.). 

Atjar. — (Crawford  gives  Achar,  pickles,  as  a  Persian  word 
used  by  the  Malays.)  A  Cape  name  for  vegetables  pickled  in 
vinegar. 

"When  green  it  (the  Mango)  is  made  into  Attjar ;  for 
this  the  kernel  is  taken  out,  and  the  space  filled  up  with 
ginger,  pimento,  and  other  spicy  ingredients,  after  which  it  is 
pickled  in  vinegar."    (Stavorinus'  "Voyages,"  i.  p.  237, 1798.) 

"Red  cabbage  pickle  (Atjaar)."  (Hilda's  "Diary  of  a 
Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  63,  1902.) 

Aum. — (D.  aam,  a  liquid  measure  equal  to  about  36 
gallons.)  A  Cape  measure  of  about  32  Imperial  gallons. 
See  Measures. 

"  A  cask  of  Cape  brandy,  called  a  half -aum,  and  contain- 
ing nineteen  gallons,  may  be  purchased  in  any  part  of  the 
Colony,  at  from  twenty  to  thirty-six  rix-doUars."  (Dr.  Philip's 
"Researches,"  i.  p.  354  n.,  1828.) 

Australian  bug.— The  name  given  in  South  Africa  to  the 
insect  pest,  leery  a  purchasi,  Mask.,  which  does  so  much 
damage  to  trees. 

"  The  Australian  bug  was  introduced  into  Natal  on  some 
young  apple-trees.  In  less  than  six  months  it  had  spread 
itself  throughout  the  Colony  far  and  wide."  ("  Queenstown 
Free  Press,"  24  July,  1877.) 

"  The  soft,  cushiony,  white-ribbed  scale  insect  commonly 
known  as  the  Australian  bug  (the  Cottony  Cushion  Scale 
of  North  America)  ranks  among  the  most  destructive  of  the 
msect  pests  hurtful  to  trees  and  shrubs  in  South  Africa, 
although  little  more  than  fifteen  years  have  elapsed  since 
this  pest  was  first  observed  in  the  Colony."  Ormerod's 
"  Observations  on  some  Injurious  Insects  of  South  Africa," 
p.  70,  1889.) 


AFEICANDERISMS  37 

Australian  drabok. — Lolium  italicum  is  known  by  this 
name  in  South  Africa. 

Avond  bloemetjes. — (D,  avond,  evening  ;  hloem,  a  flower.) 
The  word  is  usually  shortened  to  Aa'nthlom ;  it  is  the  Cape 
Dutch  name  for  several  plants — Hesperantha  radiata,  Ker. 
and  other  Irideae — whose  flowers  open  in  the  evening,  most 
of  them  having  a  very  pleasant  scent.  In  the  Eastern  Pro- 
vince the  name  is  also  applied  to  Gladiolus  recurvus,  L. 

"I  have  met  with  a  remarkable  species  of  Avond-bloem 
(Hesperanthera).  This  genus  is  very  widely  dispersed." 
(Burchall's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  273  n.,  1824.) 

"  Another  of  our  favourites  was  the  aant-blom,  a  kind  of 
ixia."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  21, 
1890.) 

Axe,  The  War  of  the.— The  Kaffir  War  of  1846  was  so  called 
because  the  theft  of  an  axe  by  a  Kaffir  of  Sandili's  tribe  was 
the  spark  which  ignited  the  materials  that  a  mistaken  Govern- 
ment policy  had  allowed  to  accumulate  day  by  day  since  the 
previous  war  of  1835.  The  Kaffir  was  on  his  way  with  some 
other  prisoners  from  Fort  Beaufort  to  Grahamstown  for 
trial  for  the  theft,  when  he  was  rescued  by  some  of  his 
countrymen,  who  at  the  same  time  cruelly  mutilated  and 
murdered  a  Hottentot  prisoner  to  whom  the  Kaffir  was  hand- 
cuffed. The  surrender  of  those  implicated  in  these  outrages 
was  demanded  by  the  Government  and  refused  by  the  chiefs, 
and  war  was  immediately  declared  by  the  Governor. 

"  The  outbreak  of  1846  .  .  .  has  been  termed  very  absurdly 
The  War  of  the  Axe,  implying  that  it  alone  was  the  cause  of 
a  Frontier  War  which  involved  millions  in  its  suppression,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  loss  of  human  life.  The  fact  is  that  the 
simple  act  of  theft  and  the  brutal  murder  connected  with  it  was 
merely  the  culminating  point  (the  last  straw  which  broke  the 
camel's  back)  of  a  ten  years'  series  of  outrages,  so  incessant 
and  atrocious  in  their  details  as  to  surpass  behef  unless  sup- 
ported by  such  indubitable  evidence  as  is  here  furnished." 
(Godlonton's  "  Case  of  the  Colonists,"  Pref.  xv,  1879.) 

Ayah  or  Aja. — (P.  aia,  a  nurse  or  governess.)  This  word 
is  in  common  use  in  South  Africa,  especially  among  the  Dutch, 
for  a  nursemaid.  It  was  introduced  by  the  Portuguese  into 
India  and  was  thence  imported  at  an  early  date  into  the  Cape. 

"  Each  child  in  the  better  sort  of  families  having  its  proper 
slave,  called  its  ay  a,  a  Malay  term  borrowed  perhaps  from  the 


38  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Portuguese  or  Italian,  signifying  nurse  or  protectress." 
(Barrow's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  105,  1804.) 

"He  generally  called  her  old  Ayah,  a  title  she  herself 
preferred,  not  only  as  one  of  some  honour  among  the  people, 
but  as  describing  the  character  in  which  she  liked  to  be  known, 
that  of  a  professional  nurse."  (Briggs'  "Sunny  Fountains 
and  Golden  Sands,"  p.  105, 1888.) 

Azijnbottel  or  Azijnvat. — (D.  azijn,  vinegar  ;  vat,  a  cask.) 
A  nickname  applied  to  a  surly,  sour-faced  man. 

Baaken. — (D.  baak,  a  beacon.)  In  addition  to  its  general 
sense  of  "beacon,"  this  word  was  also  applied  to  the  stake 
which,  in  the  early  days  of  the  Colony,  was  driven  into  the 
ground  by  the  applicant  for  a  farm,  at  the  place  where  he 
proposed  to  build  his  homestead, 

"  General  Van  Plettenberg  in  commemoration  of  the  event 
caused  a  stone  or  baaken  to  be  erected  there."  (Barrow's 
"Travels,"!,  p.  255,  1801.) 

"  The  disputes  about  these  stakes  or  baakens  as  they  call 
them  are  endless."     (Ibid.  ii.  p.  380,  1804.) 

Baakhout. — (D.  baak,  a  beacon;  hout,  wood.)  Greyia 
Sutherlandii.  When  in  flower  in  the  spring  its  crimson 
flowers  make  it  a  conspicuous  object  in  the  Natal  uplands. 

Baan. — (D.  baan,  way,  road  ;  cf .  G.  Bahn.)  Cricket  pitch. 
A  tennis-court  in  Cape  Dutch  is  a  tennis-baan. 

Baar. — (M.  baharu,  new,  inexperienced.)  "  The  word  is 
employed  of  both  men  and  animals  ;  in  the  former  case  it  has 
the  meaning  of  unskilful,  untrained  ;  in  the  latter  case  it 
means  unbroken  to  yoke  or  harness.  The  word  has  come 
down  from  the  days  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  ;  the 
men  who  had  seen  considerable  service  were  called  Oorlam- 
men  (Mai.  orang  lami,  old  person),  while  the  recruits  were 
called  Baren  (Mai.  orang  baru,  new  hand).  In  India  and 
also  at  the  Military  Academy  at  Breda  the  word  seems  to  be 
used  in  the  sense  of  green,  inexperienced.  In  sailor  language 
it  also  indicates  a  novice."  (Mansvelt's  "  Idioticon  ".)  The 
evidence  seems  to  favour  this  derivation  rather  than  the  one 
suggested  in  the  quotation. 

"  Those  Hottentot  slaves  who  left  the  Colony  and  now  live 
in  Great  Namaqualand  call  themselves  Orlams  in  distinction 
from  the  aborigines,  the  Namaquas,  and  by  this  they  mean 
to  say  that  they  are  no  longer  uncivilized.  If  for  instance 
they  give  a  traveller  a  man  as  a  servant :  '  He  is  very  orlam, 


AFEICANDEKISMS  39 

he  is  not  haar*  (he  is  very  handy,  he  is  not  stupid)." 
(Hahn's  "  Tsuni  Goab,  the  Supreme  Being  of  the  Khoi-Khoi," 
p.  153,  1881.) 

"  Bari  is,  however,  a  good  Dutch  word,  which  we  meet 
with  in  the  various  Teutonic  languages ;  thus  English,  bare 
(bare-faced,  bare-foot);  Anglo-Saxon,  bar,  boer ;  Swedish, 
Danish,  and  German,  bar;  Dutch,  baar ;  O.H.  German, 
por ;  meaning  uncovered,  destitute,  naked,  raw,  without  any- 
thing."    {Ibid.  p.  144.) 

Baardman  or  Baardmannetje. — (D.  baard,  a  beard.)  The 
Western  Province  name  of  the  fish  JJmbrina  capensis. 

"  Baartman  (white-fish,  barbel,  catfish),  a  well-known 
ugly  species  of  the  family  Siluridae."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 5  December,  1907.) 

"  Many  of  the  Cape  fish  are  endowed  with  the  quaintest 
Dutch  names.  Here  are  a  few  of  them  :  Kabeljouw,  Baard- 
mannatje  .  .  .  and  others."  (Bryden's  "Gun  and  Camera 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  449,  1893.) 

Baardmannetje. — (D.  baard,  beard,  whiskers ;  mannetje, 
little  man.)  Sporopipes  squamifrons.  The  name  refers  to 
its  black  moustache.  This  bird  is  also  called  the  Scaly 
feathered  finch,  the  white  edges  of  the  feathers  giving  them 
a  scale-like  appearance. 

Baas. — (D.  baas,  master,  foreman.)  Used  throughout 
South  Africa  as  the  equivalent  of  "master,"  "headman," 
by  the  coloured  and  native  labourers,  and  often  enough  by 
white  employees  when  speaking  of  masters  or  overseers. 

"  I  therefore  took  leave  of  the  baas,  an  appellation  given 
to  all  the  Christians  here,  particularly  to  bailiffs  and  farmers." 
(Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  55,  1785.) 

"  The  officers  who  do  not  serve  in  the  regular  military 
force,  and  called  bas  (or  bas  officers)  have  a  small  stipend, 
generally  240  dollars. ' '    (Damberger's  "  Travels, ' '  p.  32,  1801. ) 

Baatje. — (M.  badjoe,  baja,  a  jacket.)  This  word  was 
introduced  into  South  Africa  either  by  the  Malays  or  by  the 
sailors  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company.  It  has  made  a 
permanent  place  for  itself  in  the  vocabulary  of  the  Dutch 
sailor,  baatje  being  the  name  that  he  gives  to  his  jacket.  In 
South  Africa  it  is  applied  to  almost  every  description  of  short 
coat,  but  is  perhaps  more  familiar  to  English  colonists  in  the 
compound  word  rooi-baatje  (red  jacket),  by  which  the  British 
soldier  is  designated. 


40  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"In  December,  1839,  the  rooi-baatjes  weighed  anchor  and 
had  scarcely  set  sail,  when  a  three-coloured  flag  was  hoisted 
on  the  same  staff  that  had  lately  borne  the  British  ensign." 
(Delagorgue's  "  Travels,"  1847.  In  Bird's  "  Annals  of  Natal," 
I.  p.  562,  1888.) 

"  The  inhabitants  were  supposed  to  be  all  Boers,  dressed 
in  fustian  if  they  were  fairly  well  off,  in  leather  crackers  and 
batjes  if  less  well-to-do."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of 
the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  162,  1896.) 

Babiaan  or  Baboon. — (1)  Gynocephalus  porcarius.  These 
animals  "  are  distinguished  by  a  long,  dog-like  snout,  large 
canine  teeth  or  tusks,  capacious  cheek  pouches,  and  naked 
callosities  on  the  buttocks  ".  In  some  parts  of  South  Africa 
they  are  so  numerous  as  to  be  a  nuisance.  Their  food  consists 
of  roots,  fruits,  Hzards,  scorpions,  etc.,  but  in  recent  years 
they  seem  to  have  acquired  the  pernicious  habit  of  kiUing 
lambs  and  kids  for  the  sake  of  the  curdled  milk  found  in 
their  stomachs.  The  baboons  are  popularly  credited  among 
the  Dutch  colonists  with  the  kindly  offices  attributed  in 
Germany  to  the  stork  :  "  De  Babiaan  het  daar  en  kind 
gebreng  ".  (2)  The  word  is  also  frequently  used  as  a  term  of 
abuse. 

"  The  Baboons  were  pretty  numerous  and  indeed  dangerous 
to  travellers,  for  sitting  undismayed  on  the  tops  of  the  rocks, 
where  they  were  frequently  out  of  the  reach  of  shot,  they  would 
roll  and  even  throw  down  stones  of  all  sorts  and  sizes." 
(Thunberg's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  284,  1795.) 

"  A  large  kind  of  monkey  with  a  long,  greenish-brown  fur 
(Cerccypithecus  ursinus)  called  Baviaan  by  the  colonists,  in- 
habits this  mountain."    (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  45, 1822.) 

"  Die  rohen  Wehmutter  bezeichnen  ihre  Arbeit  mit  dem 
Wort  dass  sie  Paviaanchen  fangen  toollen."  (Wangemann's 
"  Bin  Eeisejahr  in  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  30,  1868.) 

Babiaan  bosch.— (D.  bos,  bush,  tuft.)  A  variety  of  Protea. 
"  The  boven  jaan  bosch  or  monkey  protea,  which  is  so  called 
because  ...  the  monkeys  tear  off  the  flower  balls  and  chew 
them  until  they  extract  the  seed,  which  they  eat."  ("  Cape 
Times,"  p.  8,  3  September,  1904.) 

Babiaanbout.  —  (D.  bout,  leg,  shoulder.)  The  old-fash- 
ioned, muzzle-loading  musket ;  the  name  refers  to  its  shape. 

"  He  was  fain  to  confess  that  ...  his  heart  was  sore  about 
the  guns  and  until  he  should  become  the  happy  owner  of  the 


AFEICANDEEISMS  41 

Babijaana  (baboons),  a  contraction  of  Babiaan's  bout  (ba- 
boon's thigh),  the  colonial  term  for  a  musket,  he  could  enjoy 
nothing  else."      (Baine's  "  Explorations,"  p.  280,  1864.) 

Babiaan  druiven. — (D.  druif,  a  grape.)  The  berries  of 
Phytolacca  have  received  this  name  at  Sterkstroom  because 
baboons  are  said  to  eat  them. 

Babiaan  kos. — The  name  given  to  a  wild  plant  in  Nama- 
qualand. 

Babiaan  oor. — (D.  oor,  ear.)  A  variety  of  Stapelia  is  so 
called  in  the  Graaff  Eeinet  District. 

Babiaan  stert. — (D.  staart,  tail,  end.)  Barbacenia  sp.  is 
known  by  this  name  in  the  Transvaal  where  it  is  common  on 
the  kopjes. 

Babiaantjes. — Babiana  plicata.  In  earlier  days  this  and 
several  other  species  were  known  as  Baviaan  uyntjes. 

"  The  baboons  of  Table  Mountain  .  .  .  feed  also  upon  the 
pulpous  bulbs  of  several  plants.  .  .  .  The  Gladiolus  plicatus 
appears  to  be  the  most  favourite  plant  with  those  that  live 
near  the  Cape,  for  which  reason  also  this  plant  is  known  by 
the  name  of  theBabooii."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  285, 
1795.) 

"  A  few  of  those  are  frequent  in  the  Cape  gardens,  and 
generally  known  by  the  names  of  Afrikaatiders,  Bavyantjes, 
etc.     ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  350, 1857.) 

Baboon  ropes  or  Baviaans'  touw. — The  stout  rope-like 
stems  of  various  climbing  plants  which  festoon  the  trees  of  the 
forests :  Vitis  capensis  and  V.  Thunbergii.  See  Monkey 
ropes. 

"  The  baboons'  ropes,  as  they  are  called,  which  hung 
in  festoons  from  the  branches."  (Moodie's  "Ten  Years  in 
South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  183, 1835.) 

Baby,  The. — A  sifting  machine  used  at  the  Vaal  Eiver 
diamond  diggings  in  the  process  known  as  "  dry-sorting  ". 

"  The  earliest  method  was  that  known  as  '  dry-sorting,' 
analagous  to  the  use  of  the  Baby  at  the  Eiver  diggings,  and 
consisted  merely  in  sifting  the  excavated  ground  through 
hand  sieves."     (Noble's  "  Handbook,"  p.  189,  1886.) 

"  Third  in  order  came  the  Baby,  so  called  from  its  in- 
ventor, a  Mr.  Babe,  an  American."  (Matthew's  "Incwadi 
Yami,"  p.  175.  1887.) 

Baby,  To. — Ground  which  had  been  sifted  by  the  above 
machine  was  said  to  have  been  "  babied  ". 


42  AFBICANDEKISMS 

"  The  average  quantity  of  maiden  ground  that  one  man  can 
excavate  in  a  day  is  about  one  and  a  half  loads  of  rough  gravel 
and  sand,  which  after  being  'babied'  yield  half  a  load  of 
pebbles  to  be  washed."     (Noble's  "  Handbook,"  p.  219, 1886.) 

Bacchus  fish. — (This  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  hehkies 
or  bakkies ;  D.  bek,  a  beak.)  Is  this  the  fish  known  in  Natal 
as  the  gar-fish  (q.v.)  ? 

"There  were  a  great  many  little  fish  like  eels  with  it,  they 
have  bills  like  woodcocks,  and  are  called  Bacchus  fish." 
("  South  Africa  a  Century  Ago,"  p.  174,  1901.) 

Back  chat  or  talk. — A  slang  term  applied  to  saucy  or  im- 
pertinent replies. 

"  '  That'll  do,  Sargeant  Jones,'  I  heard  one  of  our  colonial 
officers  remark,  '  I  don't  want  any  more  of  your  back- 
chat'  "    ("  A  Subaltern's  Letters  to  his  Wife,"  p.  108,  1901.) 

Backveld. — The  country  lying  at  some  distance  from  the 
towns,  where  the  conditions  of  life  are  of  a  somewhat  primitive 
character. 

"In  what  way  will  a  few  visitors  from  the  back  veld  equip 
the  boys  and  girls  for  the  battle  of  life."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  6,  8  November,  1911.) 

"The  purposeless  drifting  which  is  all  too  often  the  rule 
on  the  backveld  i&im:'  ("  The  State,"  p.  580,  December,  1911.) 

Backvelder. — A  term  applied  to  a  not  very  progressive 
class  of  farmer. 

"  Mr. 's  work  will  have  considerable  value  as  tending 

.  .  .  to  present  the  vugged  backvelder  in  his  true  colours." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3,  28  October,  1911.) 

Bafaro. — The  Cape  Peninsula  name  for  Polyprion  prog- 
nathus. 

Bagger  or  Barger. — Galeichthysfolic&ps.  The  appearance 
of  this  fish  creates  a  prejudice  against  it ;  it  is,  however,  of  a 
delicate  eel-hke  flavour.     See  also  Barber  and  Catfish. 

"On  the  14th  of  August  four  fishermen  came  contrary 
to  what  they  used  to  do,  with  Hayes  and  Beggers  on  board 
of  us."  (Kaempfer's  "History  of  Japan,"  i.  p.  84,  1690-2. 
Keprint.) 

"  The  bager  a  very  bad  species  of  fish  and  supposed  to  be 
of  a  poisonous  quality."    (Percival's  "  Account,"  p.  44,  1804.) 

Bag -worm. —The  name  given  to  Isaria  Psychidae,  and 
other  members  of  the  same  genus.  They  form  in  the  grub 
state  an  exceedingly  tough  bag  of  silk  into  which  twigs,  smaU 


AFKICANDEKISMS  43 

pebbles,  or  other  foreign  materials  are  woven,  in  which  they 
suspend  themselves  from  the  food  plant.  In  some  cases  the 
female  is  wingless.  The  sheep-farmers  attribute  the  death  of 
their  stock  sometimes  to  the  swallowing  of  these  insects. 
See  also  Basket  worms. 

"  The  doorn-boom  is  the  host  of  an  innumerable  lot  of 
pests,  being  often  cleared  of  foliage  by  caterpillars  of  several 
large  moths  and  by  Bag  worms''  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of 
Cape  Colony,"  p.  212,  1907.) 

Bakbakiri  or  Bush  Shrike. — Laniarius  gutturalis.  An 
onomatopoetic  name  derived  from  the  clear  and  varied  call  of 
the  male  bird  and  the  immediate  answer  of  the  female  ;  so 
closely  does  the  female's  answer  come  after  the  call  of  the 
male  that  the  two  sound  like  one  call.  Its  cheery  song 
and  rich  green  plumage  make  this  bird  a  favourite  with  all 
lovers  of  nature.     See  also  Kook-a-vic. 

"A  rivulet .  .  .  flows  through  it  with  a  tinkling  murmur 
that  mingles  well  with  the .  .  .  cry  of  the  backbacery  and  the 
twittering  of  the  graceful  sugar-birds."  ("  C.  G.  H.  Liter- 
ary Gazette,"  iv.  p.  52,  1834.) 

"  Pleasant  the  rest  under  the  orange  boughs  ...  to  listen 
to  the  cry  of  the  back-my-keerie  (whip-poor-will)."  (Godlon- 
ton  and  Irving's  "  Kaffir  War,  1851-52,"  p.  247,  1852.) 

Bakleier  or  Baasbakleier. — (M.  barkalahi,  to  fight; 
kalahi,  a  fight,  combat.)     A  fighter,  bully. 

Bakleislag. — (M.  barkalahi,  to  fight ;  D.  slag,  a  blow, 
battle.)     A  fighting  party,  a  fight. 

Balderja. — (G.  Baldrian;  L.  Valeriana;  Capon's  tail.) 
A  plant  the  root  of  which  is  aromatic. 

Balstikker.— (D.  bal,  a  ball ;  stikken,  to  stitch.)  Sanse- 
viera  languinosa.  The  fine  threads  from  the  fibre  of  this 
plant  are  used  by  certain  native  tribes  to  make  fish  nets. 

"  The  emigrant  Boers  call  this  plant  ballstikker." 
(Distant's  "  A  Naturalist  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  39,  1892.) 

Bamboo  fish. — Box  salpa.  A  fish  which  lives  among  the 
Sea  bamboo  (q.v.)  and  large  Sargassa.  It  feeds  only  upon 
algsB.     See  also  Stink-fish. 

Bamboos. — Formerly  deep,  cylindrical,  wooden  vessels  cut 
out  of  a  solid  block  of  wood  and  used  by  the  Hottentots  to 
hold  milk  or  other  liquids.  According  to  Kronlein  (Art. 
*  hoes)  the  name  is  applied  to  milk-baskets  in  Namaqua- 
land  which  are  made  of  woven  rush  or  willow.     The  name 


44  AFKICANDEEISMS 

has  probably  been  transferred  from  the  gigantic  grass,  to 
which  it  is  generally  applied,  to  these  domestic  utensils,  as 
the  result  of  the  intercourse  between  South  Africa  and  the 
East;  the  slaves  from  the  Malay  Archipelago  and  from 
Malabar  were  accustomed  to  use  joints  of  the  bamboo  for  a 
similar  purpose;  the  transfer  of  the  name  to  the  Hottentot 
articles  would  be  an  easy  matter. 

"  They  brought  us  three  bambooses  for  which  we  gave 
them  some  tobacco." 

"A  bamboos  is  a  deep  wooden  vessel,  something  in  shape 
Hke  a  tea  canister  but  cut  out  of  a  block  of  wood."  (Camp- 
bell's "  Travels,"  i.  p.  46,  1822.) 

"  A  young  man  had  gone  into  the  country  to  sell  bain- 
bouses,  which  are  a  sort  of  jars  made  of  willow  wood." 
(Backhouse's  "Narrative,"  p.  565,  1844.) 

"  One  of  the  present  writers  has  seen  (and  partaken  of) 
rice  cooked  in  a  joint  of  bamboo,  among  the  Khyens,  a  hill- 
people  of  Arakan."  (Yule  and  Burnell's  "  Glossary  of  Anglo- 
Indian  Words,"  Art.  Bamboo,  1886.) 

Banana,  Wild. — Strelitzia  angusta.  The  local  name  of 
this  plant  in  Natal,  where,  along  the  coast  it  grows  in  great 
profusion,  and  in  its  foliage  is  not  unlike  the  banana.  See 
Bird  of  Paradise  flower. 

"Although  the  strelitza  is  commonly  designated  as  the 
wild  banana,  it  differs  considerably  from  it  in  two  remarkable 
particulars.  The  flaps  of  the  banana-leaf  are  pendulous, 
whereas  these  open  upwards;  the  branches  of  the  former 
spring  from  all  sides  of  the  trunk,  these  only  from  opposite 
sides,  forming  a  sort  of  fan  as  they  spread  upwards." 
(Gardiner's  "Journey,"  p.  229,  1806.) 

Bandiet. — (F.  bandit ;  It.  bandito,  p.p.  of  bandire,  to  pro- 
scribe, to  ban.)     A  convicted  criminal. 

"Towards  night  water  rose  so  many  feet  .  .  .  as  to  .  .  . 
go  near  to  drown  ...  all  the  bandits  in  the  lower  yard." 
("  South  Africa  a  Century  Ago,"  p.  219,  1901.  Letter  dated 
12  September,  1799.) 

Bandom.— (D.  ba^id,  hoop,  girdle ;  om,  about.)  (1)  An  ox 
with  a  white  mark  round  the  body ;  (2)  a  bullet  with  a  groove 
round  it ;  (3)  the  word  is  also  applied  to  a  curiously  marked 
pebble  which  is  striated  with  a  succession  of  parallel  rings. 
The  specific  gravity  of  this  stone  is  almost  identical  with  that 
of  the  diamond,  so  that  where  this  stone  is  found  the  diamond 
IS  confidently  expected. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  45 

"  I  noticed  that  occasionally  the  curious  banddoom  stone,  so 
often  found  in  the  Vaal  Eiver  with  diamonds,  and  indeed  often 
considered  by  diggers  as  a  sure  indicator  of  *  stones,'  was  to  be 
met  with."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  201,  1899.) 

"  A  digger  at  Lombard's  has  had  a  stroke  of  luck.  He 
ordered  his  boy  to  sink  a  hole  for  water.  At  a  few  feet  he 
struck  a  layer  of  bantoms.  The  digger  set  to  work  washing 
these,  and  in  a  short  while  had  a  22-carat  stone,  followed  by 
another  of  less  weight."  ("  Transvaal  Leader,"  Weekly  Ed., 
p.  17,  8  September,  1906.) 

Bang. — (D.  bang,  afraid.)  A  word  in  common  use  in  the 
Midland  and  Western  Districts,  meaning  fearful,  afraid. 

"  So  I  started  down  a  opening  in  the  gleaming  rows  and 
kept  on  twisting  about,  till  I  got  bang  at  the  thought  that  I 
was  lost."     ("  The  Empire,"  p.  7,  11  February,  1899.) 

Bangbroek. — (D.  broek,  trousers.)     A  coward,  a  poltroon. 

Banja  or  Baing. — (M.  banjaJc,  many,  much,  very.)  A  word 
in  use  all  over  South  Africa  ;  sometimes  employed  adjectively 
— en  banje  kerel,  a  fine  fellow ;  and  sometimes  as  an  adverb, 
baije  ver,  very  far. 

"  He  offered  to  bring  the  water  of  two  neighbouring 
fountains  to  water  his  land,  but  all  his  arguments  made  no 
impression  on  the  lazy  boor,  who  said  it  would  be  bye  (super- 
fluous) trouble."     (Campbell's  "  Travels,"  p.  120,  1815.) 

"  '  In  zehn  Minuten  sind  wir  da  '  meinte  Wuras.  '  Dat 
licht  is  nog  bye  ver'  (sehr  fern)  meinte  Johannes."  (Wange- 
mann's  "  Ein  Reise-Jahr  in  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  306,  1868.) 

Banket. — (D.  banket,  sweetmeat,  confection.)  The  gold- 
bearing  quartz  reef  is  so  called  because  of  its  fancied  resem- 
blance to  a  certain  Dutch  confection  called  Banketje,  which 
consists  of  broken  almonds  embedded  in  sugar — almond  rock. 

"  It  consists  of  four  or  five  narrow  veins  of  conglomerate 
locally  called  banket  (emphasis  on  the  second  syllable),  a  name 
given  by  the  Boers  to  the  stuff  on  account  of  its  similarity  to 
'  Almond  rock,'  auriferous  pebbles  being  the  almonds,  and 
the  sometimes  soft  and  sometimes  hard  gold-yielding  ore  in 
which  they  lie,  being  the  sticky  stuff."  (Mather's  "  Golden 
South  Africa,"  p.  300,  1888.) 

Banketje. — See  above.  Both  words  have  the  same  origin 
as  the  EngHsh  word  "  banquet  "  ;  they  are  derived  through  the 
French  from  the  Italian  banchetto,  dim.  of  banco,  a  table. 

Bank  Steenbras. — See  River  Steenbras  and  Tiger-fish. 


46  AFEICANDEBISMS 

Bansela— (Z.  bansela,  to  be  kind  to,  to  give  to  ;  ngi 
bansela,  please  give  me  something.)  This  word  (cf.  basela) 
has  come  to  be  equivalent  to  the  English  word  "  tip,"  a 
gratuity,  in  Natal. 

"  Well,  let  us  proceed  there  and  instruct  one  of  the  inmates 
to  catch  us  some  fish.  They  know  how  to  do  so  for  a  bansela 
though  they  never  do  so  on  their  own  account."  (Turnbull's 
"  Tales  from  Natal,"  p.  23,  1901.) 

Bantu.— (K.  aba  Ntu,  people.)  The  name  generally  given 
by  ethnologists  to  the  Kaffir  peoples  of  South  Africa. 

"  I  see  that  it  is  the  fashion  with  many  eminent  ethno- 
logists to  call  this  collection  of  tribes  the  Bantu  tribes. 
As  a  Zulu  linguist  I  respectfully  object  to  this  Bantu  or 
Abantu — Abantu  simply  means  'people'  in  Zulu,  and 
is  used  in  this  sense,  Abantu  bamhlope,  '  white  people,'  and 
Abantu  bamnyama,  'black  people'.  (Hoodie's  "Battles," 
I.  p.  578,  1888.) 

Baobab. — Adansonia  digitata.  An  African  tree  of  enor- 
mous growth  and  long  life,  regarded  by  Humboldt  as  being 
"the  oldest  organic  monument  of  our  planet".  It  is  also 
known  as  the  "  Cream  of  tartar  tree  "  (q.v.). 

"  In  the  letter  from  Mr.  Livingstone  before  quoted,  he  de- 
scribes a  tree  met  with  by  a  party  on  the  banks  of  the  Limpopo 
Kiver,  within  the  tropics,  which  is  probably  the  famed  baobab 
tree  of  North  Africa."  (Methuen's  "  Life  in  the  Wilder- 
ness," p.  275,  1848.) 

"  We  spent  a  night  at  a  Baobab  which  was  hollow,  and 
would  hold  twenty  men  inside."  (Livingstone's  "Travels," 
p.  573,  1857.) 

Baraputse.— (S.  The  people  of  the  father  of  Putse.)  The 
Amaswazi  are  known  to  the  Bechuanas  by  this  designation. 
It  was  adopted  by  the  early  Bechuana  missionaries,  but  has 
now  been  superseded  by  the  designation  "  Swazies"  (q.v.). 

"  There  are  the  Baphiri  lying  about  four  hundred  miles 
from  the  Baraputse."  (Appleyard's  "  Kaffir  Language,"  p. 
32,  1850.) 

Barbadoes  gooseberry. — Bhipsalis  barbadensis  is  known 
by  this  name  in  South  Africa. 

Barbel  or  Barber.— (1)  The  East  London  name  for  the 
fish  Galeichthys  feliceps.  See  Catfish.  (2)  A  fresh-water 
fish. 

"  We  were   particularly  successful    among   the   barbel. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  47 

This  fish  {Glanis  silurus)  grows  to  enormous  weight  and 
size  in  the  larger  African  rivers."  (Bry den's  "Gun  and 
Camera  in  South  Africa,"  p.  463,  1893.) 

"Barbel,  or  more  correctly  'catfish'."  ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  7  October,  1907.) 

Barber. — (D.  harheel^hoxheX.)  Barhus  capensis.  A  large 
fresh-water  fish,  considered  by  some  to  be  good  eating.  In 
appearance  it  is  by  no  means  prepossessing,  the  long  fleshy 
filaments  which  hang  from  the  corners  of  its  mouth  giving  it 
a  rather  repelling  appearance.     See  Witte  visch. 

"  A  few  fish  called  barbers,  of  a  long  and  eel -like  sort, 
with  whiskers  or  feelers,  were  caught  in  the  river."  (Meth- 
uen's  "  Life  in  the  Wilderness,"  p.  67,  1848.) 

"  Here  I  first  learned  to  eat  the  barba,  a  prodigy  of  fishes, 
and  to  love  it.  Do  you  know  the  bull-head,  the  miller's 
thumb  we  used  to  catch  at  home  ?  .  .  .  Fancy  this  ugly  beast 
of  any  size  between  a  half-pound  and  two  hundredweight, 
give  it  great  teeth  more  cutting  than  a  pike's,  adorn  its  big 
mouth  with  four  long  beards,  and  you  will  have  the  barba." 
(Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  207,  1873.) 

Barberton  daisy. — Gerbera  Jamesoni. 

"When  several  bracts  surround  a  head  of  flowers,  as  in 
Protea,  Barberton  daisy,  and  others  of  their  tribe,  they  form 
an  involucre."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  115,  1906.) 

Barger. — See  Blue  fish. 

"  Four  fishermen  came  .  .  .  with  Hayes  and  Beggers  on 
board  of  us."  (Kaempfer's  "  History  of  Japan,"  p.  84.  Ke- 
print.  Vol.  i.,  Orig.  pub.  1727.) 

Bark,  To. — A  slang  term  meaning  to  sit  up  at  night  to 
watch  the  fire  when  camping  out  in  the  open  veld. 

"  So  from  henceforth  it  was  necessary  that  one  of  us 
should  sit  up  all  night,  or  as  it  is  called  in  this  country  baric. 
The  origin  of  the  term  is  a  little  story :  Two  sailors  lost  in 
the  veld  up  country  heard  the  lions  roar  all  round  them  and 
were  greatly  frightened.  They  had  no  means  to  light  a  fire, 
and  they  could  not  boast  a  dog.  So,  turn  and  turn  about, 
the  one  of  them  slept  and  the  other  circled  about  him,  bark- 
ing as  like  a  mastiff  as  he  knew  how.  Hence  the  expression, 
Our  newcomer  volunteered  to  bark  first  night."  (Boyle's 
"  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  346,  1873.) 

Barker. — One  who  "  barks  "  as  above. 


48  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  Uitkyk  10  p.m.,  and  two  hours'  quiet  sleep  in  the  wag- 
gon, even  for  the  barker  of  the  night."  (Boyle's  "  To  the 
Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  348,  1873.) 

Baroo.—Cyphia  voluhilis.  The  Hottentot  name  of  this 
watery  bulb,  which  is  much  esteemed  by  them  for  the  mois- 
ture which  it  contains  even  in  seasons  of  protracted  drought. 
The  Kaffir  name  is  i  Gontsi. 

"  The  natives  of  the  central  and  northern  districts  know 
very  well  how  to  find  such  underground  reservoirs  of  the 
precious  liquid,  e.g.  the  '  Komaroo '  (Fockea)  and  Barroe 
(Cyphia)."  (Marloth's  "  Elementary  Botany  for  South 
Africa,"  p.  125,  1897.) 

Barracouta. — Stromateus  microchirus  is  so  called  at  East 
London.  In  the  West  Indies  this  is  the  appellation  of  a  large 
and  voracious  fish  of  the  perch  family — Sphyrcena  barra- 
cuda, while  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand  it  is  appHed  to 
Thyr sites  atun,  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  Snoek  (q.v.). 

"  We  did  not  state  the  barracouta  was  called  blue  fish  in 
East  London,  but  in  Cape  Town. "  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
8  April,  1905.) 

Barsje. — The  Struis  Bay  name  applied  to  the  Zeverrim 
(q.v.). 

Basela. — (K.  basela,  to  kindle  the  flame  of  love,  gratitude  ; 
ndi  basela,  give  me  some  token  of  love  to  excite  my  gratitude.) 
This  and  the  word  Bansela  (q.v.)  are  practically  synonymous 
in  the  expressions  given,  though  this  word  seems  to  be  more 
frequently  applied  to  a  something  thrown  in  after  a  purchase 
has  been  made. 

"We  are  frequently  met  by  Gaffers  who  come  running 
dovm  the  hills  .  .  .  calling  out  bassella,  which  signifies  a 
present."     (Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  240,  1844.) 

"  The  Idutywa  correspondent  of  the  '  Transkeian  Gazette ' 
says :  I  don't  think  a  Postmaster's  life  is  any  happier  than 
the  proverbial  policeman's.  I  happened  to  enter  our  local 
stamp  shop  the  other  day  just  in  time  to  hear  a  native  de- 
manding a  basela  on  a  penny  stamp  he  had  purchased." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  1  April,  1905.) 

Basket  worms. — See  Bag  worms. 

"The  larvae  of  these  forms  {Psychidce)  are  known  as 
Basket  or  Bag  worms,  as  they  inhabit  a  case  or  bag,  which 
they  carry  about  with  them."  (Gilchrist's  "  South  African 
Zoology,"  p.  148,  1911.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  49 

Baso. — (K.  i  Baso,  a  token  of  love,  a  present.)  A  present 
or  bonus. 

"  If  a  practice  is  made  by  the  mines  of  paying  a  bonus 
or  baso  to  boys  who  present  themselves  in  this  way,  it  will 
seriously  hamper  local  recruiters."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  6,  3  July,  1912.) 

Bastaard. — (D.  bastaard,  bastard,  base-born.)  The  de- 
signation, neither  euphonious  nor  euphemistic,  given  to  the 
offspring  of  mixed  white  and  coloured  parents,  even  though  the 
parents  may  have  been  united  in  holy  matrimony.  The 
Griquas  as  a  people  were  thus  designated  because  of  their 
mixed  origin. 

"  The  coachman  is  generally  one  of  those  people  known 
in  the  Colony  by  the  name  of  Bastaards,  being  a  mixed 
breed  between  a  Hottentot  woman  and  European  man,  or  a 
Hottentot  woman  and  a  slave."  (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i. 
p.  49,  1801.) 

"  Among  the  Dutch  of  the  Colony  they  (the  Griquas)  were 
long  known  as  The  Bastards,  a  descriptive  title  given  with 
greater  regard  to  fact  than  to  courtesy."  (Dower's  "Early 
Annals  of  Kokstad,"  p.  5,  1902.) 

Bastard  s^aljeon. — Another  name  for  the  Parrot  fish 
(q.v.). 

Bastard  geelhout. — (D.  geel,  yellow  ;  hout,  wood.)  Podo- 
carpus  elongata — the  real  Yellow  wood  being  P.  Thunbergii. 

Bastard  gemsbok. — (D.  ge7ns,  a  chamois.)  Hippotragus 
leucophcBus  is  known  by  this  name  among  the  Dutch  of 
South  Africa. 

"  This  magnificent  and  exceedingly  scarce  antelope — the 
bastard  eland,  or  bastard  gemsbok  of  the  Dutch,  sometimes 
also  called  by  them  in  bygone  days  the  blaauwbok  —  was 
formerly  found  within  the  Colony,  but  apparently  only  in  the 
Swellendam  division,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Breede 
Eiver."     (Bry den's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  290,  1889.) 

Bastard  ironwood. — Olea  foveolata,  a  common  South 
African  forest  tree. 

Bastard-maid — Name  given  to  a  fish  at  Biversdale  and 
Port  Elizabeth. 

Bastard  saffraan. — In  Natal  Pleurostylia  capensis  is 
known  by  this  name. 

Bastard  white  ironwood. — Cyclostemon  argutus.  The 
natives  make  a  drink  from  the  fruit  of  this  tree ;  the  tree 

4 


50  AFEICANDEEISMS 

is  known  by  this  name  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Port  St. 

John. 

Bast  boom.— (D.  hast,  bark  ;  hoom,  a  tree.)  Golpooon 
compressum,  the  bark  of  which  is  used  for  tanning. 

Basuto.— This  is  really  a  plural  word  (expressed  by  the 
syllable  Ba) .  To  speak  of  a  Basuto  is  as  bad  as  saying  a 
Zulus,  and  to  add  a  final  s  for  the  plural  is  a  pleonasm.  The 
same  applies  to  several  other  names  of  native  tribes. 

Basuto  pony. — These  ponies,  well  known  throughout 
South  Africa  for  their  splendid  qualities,  are  the  descendants 
of  horses  originally  brought  from  Batavia  by  the  Dutch, 
more  than  a  century  ago ;  and  were  secured  in  one  way  and 
another  by  the  Basutos  from  the  Boers. 

"  How  far  nature  and  the  care  of  the  Basuto  people  com- 
bined bad  succeeded  in  producing  s.pony  war-horse  capable  of 
great  physical  endurance  and  marvellous  feats  of  activity,  the 
British  troops  well  knew  during  the  last  Basuto  War." 
(Wallace's  "Farming  Industries  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  313, 
1896.) 

Batatas  or  Petaats. — (P.  batata;  Sp.  patata ;  from  the 
original  American  word.)  Ipomoea  batatas.  The  tuberous, 
edible  roots  of  this  convolvulaceous  plant  are  well  known 
throughout  South  Africa;  among  English-speaking  colonists  as 
"  Sweet  potatoes  "  (q.v.) ;  among  the  Dutch  the  name  batata  is 
used,  often  pronounced  pataat  or  petaaL  By  English-speak- 
ing people  the  world  over,  this  word,  in  the  form  "  potato,"  has 
been  transferred  to  quite  another  plant — Solanum  tuberosum. 

"  A  despatch  of  the  end  of  this  year  refers  almost  ex- 
clusively to  the  improvement  of  the  Colony  in  the  growth  of 
wine,  indigo,  oh ves,  ^a^^a^^as,  etc."  (Sutherland's  "South 
African  Tribes,"  ii.  p.  557,  1846.) 

''Batatas  and  maize  were  often  planted."  (Livingstone's 
"Journal,"!,  p.  73,  1866.) 

Bataviase  or  Baviaanse  kweek. — (D.  kweek,  couch-grass.) 
A  species  of  quick-grass  is  so  called  in  the  Western  Province. 

"  Bataviase  (Baviaanse)  kweek,  dit  groei  diip  in  di  grond 
bet  dikka  wortles."  (Dijkman's  "Kook,  Koek,  en  Eesepten 
Boek,"  p.  147, 1898.) 

Baviaan's  ooren. — (D.  oor,  an  ear.)  Eriospermum  lati- 
folium,  Jacq.  The  tuber  of  this  plant  is  used  for  abrasions 
and  sores.    The  name  refers  to  the  shape  of  the  leaves. 

Baviaan  spinnekop.— (D.  spinnekop,  a  spider.)      These 


AFEICANDERISMS  61 

large     spiders     belong    to     the    genus     Harpactira.       See 
Tarantula. 

"I  have  seen  here  a  rare  spicier,  called  by  the  natives 
Baviaan  spinnekop.  It  is  covered  with  hair,  looks  like  a 
crab  V7hen  running,  and  w^hen  frightened  rolls  itself  up  like  a 
ball.  It  has  formidable  fangs  between  the  eyes  half  an  inch 
long."     ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  21  November,  1879.) 

"  Locally  known  as  Baviaan  spinnekoppen  (Baboon 
spiders)  either  because  baboons  are  supposed  to  be  fond  of 
them  or  on  account  of  the  resemblance  of  the  velvet-padded 
feet  to  the  fingers  of  a  monkey."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa," 
p.  178,  1905.) 

Baviaan's  touw. — (D.  touw,  a  rope.)  The  name  given 
to  several  climbing  plants  whose  thick,  tough  stems  some- 
times hang  in  such  tangled  masses  of  festoons  from  tree  to 
tree,  as  to  make  the  bush  all  but  impenetrable,  until  the  axe 
has  opened  a  path  through  it.  See  Baboon  ropes.  In  the 
Transvaal  the  name  is  given  to  Canthium  Gueninzii,  Sond. 
=  Plectronia  sp. 

"  Bushrope,  or  Bavianstau,  a  species  of  creeper  resemb- 
ling a  rope,  grows  here  in  abundance,  and  nearly  envelops 
some  of  the  loftiest  trees,  to  the  destruction  of  their  growth 
and  beauty."    (Latrobe's  "Journal,"  p.  152,  1818.) 

"  Among  other  parasitical  plants  the  baviaan's  touw 
(baboon's  rope)  protruded  itself  in  all  directions,  in  a  wild  web 
of  tangled  vegetation."     (Pringle's  "Narrative,"  p.  32,  1840.) 

Bay,  The. — Port  Elizabeth,  situated  in  Algoa  Bay,  is 
generally  so  termed  by  the  colonists. 

"  So  devious  was  the  journey  that  passengers  from  '  the 
Bay  '  did  not  hope  to  reach  their  journey's  end  before  the 
eighth  day."  (Boyle's  "To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  46, 
1873.) 

"  At '  the  Bay  '  we  found  wagons  had  been  sent  more  than 
400  miles  to  fetch  us."  (Rev.  J.  Edward's  "  Reminiscences," 
p.  42,  1883.) 

Beaker. — (D.  beker,  a  cup,  bowl.)     A  mug  or  tin  can. 

"  Old  Piet  Koper  brought  a  sheep  and  two  bucks  which 
I  bought  for  five  beakers'  sugar."  (Baines'  "  South-West 
Africa,"  p.  61,  1864.) 

Beaters. — Heavy  wooden  instruments  employed  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Diamond  Fields  to  break  up  the  Yellow 
ground  (q.v.). 

4* 


52  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  The  '  yellow  ground '  only  extends  to  a  certain  depth  ; 
this  is  friable,  and  was  easily  broken  up  by  means  of  shovels 
and  clubs  known  as  heaters."  (Matthews'  "  Incwadi  Yami," 
p.  179,  1887.) 

Bebroeide  eiers. — (D.  broeien,  to  brood,  hatch ;  ei,  an 
egg.)  The  shrub  known  also  as  the  Aarbeiplant  (q.v.).  This 
name  has  reference  to  the  red  veining  on  the  petals,  which  is 
thought  to  resemble  that  on  the  yolk  of  partly  hatched  eggs. 

Bechuana. — "  The  terms  Bechuana  (a  variation  of  Bachu- 
ana)  and  Sechuana  are  different  forms  of  the  same  verbal 
root,  the  former  referring  to  people  and  the  latter  to  language. 
Their  present  generic  use  is  generally  allowed  to  be  of  foreign 
origin,  as  it  does  not  appear  that  the  natives  themselves 
have  any  national  epithet  of  so  extensive  an  application,  and 
has  thus  been  accounted  for.  It  is  probable  that  when  first 
visited  by  Europeans  and  asked  concerning  the  people  around 
and  beyond  them,  they  would  answer,  '  Ba-chuana  ' — they 
are  like  ;  and  if  their  language  were  inquired  of,  they  would 
reply,  '  Se-chuana,'  it  is  like.  The  traveller,  therefore,  con- 
stantly hearing  these  terms  in  answer  to  his  questions,  would 
naturally  suppose  them  to  be  national  ones,  and  employ  them 
accordingly.  By  the  Hottentot  tribes  the  Bechuanas  are 
called  Briquas,  the  goat  people."  (Appleyard's  "  Kaflfir 
Grammar,"  p.  31,  1850.) 

"  To  the  Caffre  race  belong  the  Bichuanas  and  the 
Dammaras,  together  with  the  Kosas  or  Caffres  proper,  the 
Tambookies  and  probably  all  the  tribes  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Continent  as  far  as  Delagoa  Bay."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  582, 1822.) 

Becreep. — (D.  heTiruipen,  to  creep  upon,  to  take  by  sur- 
prise.) The  anglicized  form  of  the  term  applied  by  the  Cape 
Dutch  to  what  is  known  among  English  hunters  as  stalking. 

"  The  watchful  monster  did  not  charge  as  we  expected, 
and  made  off  before  we  had  time  to  becreep  him."  (Alex- 
ander's "Expedition,"  ii.  p.  8,  1838.) 

"What  we  call  stalking  the  Boers  have  a  much  more 
correct  term  for— be-kruiping,  or  be-creepiiig."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  110,  1868.) 

Becreeping  cap.— This  is  a  literal  translation  of  the 
Dutch  name  for  the  Mticle—Bekruip-muts.  The  quotation 
describes  the  method  of  using  it. 

"  On  the  head  of  one  man,  I  noticed  an  unusually  large 


AFKICANDEKISMS  53 

fur-cap.  It  was  made  of  spring-buck  skin,  of  a  shape  ex- 
tending far  behind  the  head,  and  intended  to  have  as  much  as 
possible  the  appearance  of  that  animal's  back.  This  was  for 
the  purpose  of  deceiving  the  game  and  of  enabling  the  wearer 
as  he  creeps  along  between  the  bushes,  to  approach  the 
animal  within  reach  of  his  arrows.  It  is  called  a  he-creeping 
cap  (Bekruipmuts)  and  is  only  worn  when  in  pursuit  of 
game."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  56, 1824.) 

Bee  cuckoo. — See  Honey  bird. 

"  They  had  also  a  most  useful  ally  and  assistant  in  carry- 
ing out  this  work,  in  the  honey-bird — the  Bee  cuckoo,  of 
Sparrman."  (Stow's  "  Native  Eaces  of  South  Africa,"  p. 
86,  1905.) 

Beef- eaters. — The  name  given  in  Natal  to  Buphaga 
erythrorhynca  and  B.  africana. 

"  They  are  nearly  allied  to  the  starlings,  and  are  sometimes 
c&Wed  Beef -eaters."   (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  65, 1899.) 

Beef  wood. — The  common  name  of  Gasuarina  equiseti- 
folia.  The  name  has  reference  to  the  red  colour  of  the  wood. 
(Australian  orig.) 

Bee  moth. — Acherontia  atropos.    See  Groot  bij. 

"  Mr.  Trimen  gave  instances  of  the  dread  with  which  it 
was  regarded  both  by  Europeans  and  the  native  Africans  in 
the  Colony,  many  of  whom  stoutly  alleged  that  the  Bee  moth 
(as  they  term  it)  could  kill  a  man  with  a  single  sting ! " 
(Trans.  S.  A.  Phil.  Society,  p.  12,  vi.,  Part  ii.,  1892.) 

Bee  pirate. — Palarus  latifrons  and  Philanthus  diadema, 
insects  which  make  great  havoc  among  bees ;  the  former  is 
the  better  known  of  the  two. 

"  The  Bee  pirate  is,  from  what  I  can  gather,  an  old- 
established  enemy  of  the  honey  bee  in  the  whole  of  the  Cape 
Colony."  ("C.G.H.  Agric.  Journal,"  p.  129,  February, 
1909.) 

Beerbloem. — The  name  of  a  wild-flower. 

"  There  is  a  flower  very  like  an  attenuated  geranium,  the 
leaves  creep  along  the  ground,  and  the  flower  is  on  a  long 
stalk — local  name  beerbloem."  (Hilda's  "Diary  of  a  Cape 
Housekeeper,"  p.  189,  1902.) 

Beer  drink. — The  natives  are  in  the  habit  of  gathering  on 
frequent  occasions  for  the  purpose  of  drinking  "Kafiir  beer," 
(q.v.  ;  see  also  Tywala)  ;  such  a  gathering  is  known  as  a 
Beer  drink. 


54  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  When  the  bride  reaches  her  new  home  the  event  is 
celebrated  with  a  big  dance  and  a  heer  drink."  (Brown's 
"  On  the  South  African  Frontier,"  p.  213,  1899.) 

Beer,  Kaffir.— There  are  several  different  native  beverages 
undistinguishable  except  to  the  initiated,  which  pass  by  the 
name  of  Kaffir  beer;  the  chief  of  these  is  known  to  the 
natives  themselves  as  u  Tywala.  In  making  this  beer  they 
have  learnt  from  Europeans  how  to  malt  the  grain,  and  the 
regular  process  of  fermentation  goes  on.  This  beer  is  of  a 
mildly  intoxicating  character,  but  when  it  is  fortified,  as  too 
often  nowadays  it  is,  by  the  addition  of  the  villainous 
"  Cape  smoke  "  (q.v.),  it  very  speedily  maddens  the  drinker 
beyond  all  possibility  of  self-control. 

"  I  have  seen  only  one  Kafir  drunk  with  their  own  native 
heer.''  (Holden's  "Past  and  Future  of  the  Kaffir  Eaces," 
p.  279,  1866.) 

Beest. — (D.  heest,  beast,  brute.)  As  employed  in  South 
Africa  this  word  is  restricted  to  bovine  animals,  a  cow,  ox,  or 
bull. 

Beestegras. — (D.  heest,  beast,  animal ;  CD.,  a  cow  or  ox.) 

"  Many  Free  State  farmers  are  of  opinion  that  the  grass- 
veld  in  which  cattle  contract  the  disease  (lamziekte)  prin- 
cipally consists  of  '  rooigrass,'  '  zuurpol,'  and  beestegrass." 
("  S.  A.  Agric.  Journal,"  p.  39,  July,  1912.) 

Bee -tiger- moth.  —  Acherontia  atropos  (Death's  head 
moth)  is  thus  designated  from  its  habit  of  entering  hives  for 
the  honey ;  a  habit  which  the  bees  do  not  seem  to  resent. 

"  It  is  also  called  the  Bee-tiger-moth  as  it  frequents  bees' 
nests  and  steals  the  honey."  ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Journal,"  xxxvi. 
No.  4,  p.  424.) 

Begrafeniskoek. — (D.  hegrafenis,  a  burial.)  A  special 
cake  prepared  for  funerals. 

Begrafenisrijst.  —  (D.  rijst,  rice.)  Eice  prepared  with 
turmeric.  Both  this  and  the  preceding  word  contain  a  refer- 
ence to  the  custom,  still  in  vogue  in  country  districts,  of  pro- 
viding a  meal  for  those  who  had  come  long  distances  to  be 
present  at  the  funeral,  though  now  they  are  used  quite  apart 
from  funerals. 

Bek.— (D.  hek,  a  beak,  bill,  nose.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this 
word  is  frequently  used  in  the  same  sense  as  the  English 
slang  word  "  cheek  "— "  Hou,  uw  bek  ".  "  Shut  up !  "  "  Don't 
be  cheeky !"     Sir  T.  Shepstone's  Proclamation  of  11  March, 


AFRICANDEEISMS  55 

1878,  was  called  by  the  Boers  of  the  Transvaal  the  "  Hou' 
uw  bek  "  Act,  because  it  aimed  at  suppressing  discussion  of 
the  recent  Annexation. 

Bekprater. — (D.  hek,  beak,  bill ;  praten,  to  talk,  prate.) 
The  term  applied  in  Cape  Dutch  to  a  flatterer. 

Belhambra. — (Sp.  hel  sombra,  referring  to  the  shade  which 
the  thick  foliage  affords.)  Phytolacca  dioica,  L.  A  colonial 
corruption  of  the  Spanish  name  of  this  soft-wooded  tree. 

"  P.  dioica  is  a  tree,  native  of  South  America,  and  is  com- 
monly known  as  belhambra  or  '  bella-sombra '."  (Wood's 
"  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  110,  1907.) 

Bell  crane.  —  Bugeranus  carunculatus .  See  Wattled 
crane. 

Bell  heath. — See  Orange  heath. 

Bellman. — A  Riversdale  name  for  Umbrina  capensis.  See 
Baardman. 

Benauwde  borst. — (D.  benauwd,  oppressed  ;  borst,  breast, 
chest.)  In  Cape  Dutch  asthma  is  so  named.  Cf.  Dutch 
benaauwd  op  de  borst,  asthmatic. 

"  Most  of  the  patients  complained  of  an  oppression  at 
the  breast,  and  an  anxiety  about  the  heart  {borst  quaal  en 
benaauwde  borst)."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  ii.  p.  173, 
1785.) 

Benauwde  ziekte. — (D.  benauwen,  to  oppress,  distress ; 
ziekte,  sickness.)     The  croup  is  sometimes  so  called. 

"  Wurgsiikte,  oi  Benoude  siikte,  of  Kroup."  (Dijkman's 
"  Kook,  Koek,  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  165,  1898.) 

Berea. — The  name  given  in  1835  by  Captain  Allen  Gar- 
diner, R.N.,  to  the  bush-covered  hill  running  at  the  back  of 
the  town  of  Durban,  Natal,  now  occupied  by  the  fine  resi- 
dences and  beautiful  gardens  of  the  colonists.  (Cf.  Acts  xvii. 
10-11.) 

"Decided  on  naming  the  Missionary  Establishment 
Berea,  since  notwithstanding  ill  success  with  Dingaan,  the 
word  has  here  been  gladly  received."  (Gardiner's  "  Journey," 
p.  80,  1836.) 

Berg. — (D.  berg,  a  mountain.)    A  mountain  or  hill. 

"  As  there  was  no  water  to  be  obtained  nearer  than  a  mile 
from  the  berg,  we  suffered  greatly  from  thirst."  (De  Wet's 
"  Three  Years'  War,"  p.  25,  1903.) 

Berg  adder. — Bitis  atropos.  So  named  because  generally 
found  on  the  sides  of  hills  or  on  high  ground. 


56  AFBICANDEEISMS 

"The  Berg  adder  is  as  venomous  as  the  Puff  adder." 
(Fitzsimon's  "  Snakes  of  South  Africa,"  p.  243,  1912.) 

Bergbaroo.— (D.  berg,  a  mountain.)  In  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Prince  Albert  Fockea  capensis  is  known  by  this 

name. 

"  The  plant  which  is  locally  known  as  bergbarroe,  is  not 
edible,  while  the  tubers  of  three  other  species  of  Fockea,  called 
'  Kambarroe,'  are  eaten  raw  by  the  natives  or  turned  into  pre- 
serves by  the  rural  housewife.' '  ("The  South  African  Journal 
of  Science,"  vi.  p.  98,  1910.) 

Bergbast.— (D.  bast,  bark,  rind.)  The  name  given  in 
the  Transvaal  to  the  tanning  material  obtained  from  the 
Colpoon  compressum. 

Berg  canarie. — Alario  alario.  See  Namaqua  canarie  and 
Blackhead. 

"  The  '  Pietje '  and  the  Berg  canarie  are  not  unhke  London 
sparrows  in  plumage,  but  they  sing  with  great  vigour."  ("  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  222,  1870.) 

Berg  cypress. — Widdringtonia  cupressoides.  A  shrub 
growing  on  the  mountains  from  Cape  Town  to  Natal. 

Berg  eend. — (D.  eend,  a  duck.)     Casarca  Caiia.  Gm. 

"  The  Berg  eendt  is  readily  distinguished  by  its  rufous 
colour  and  grey  head."  (Layard  and  Sharp's  "  Birds  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  753,  1875-84.) 

Bergenaars. — Native  rebels  who  had  strongholds  in  the 
mountains  and  lived  principally  by  thieving. 

"A  number  of  disaffected  people  now  began  to  leave  the 
country  to  join  the  Bergenaars  or  Mountaineers  (as  the  dis- 
affected party  were  called),  who  were  getting  from  the  colon- 
ists what  the  Griquas  attached  to  the  Government  were 
unable  to  obtain."     (Philip's  "  Besearches,"  ii.  p.  81,  1828.) 

Berg  gans. — (D.  gans,  a  goose.)  Ghenalopex  Mgypticus. 
This  fine  goose  is  fairly  common,  ranging  through  the  whole 
of  South  Africa. 

"  The  big  berg  gans  (mountain  goose)  ...  a  magnificent 
fellow  whose  harsh,  noisy  'honk'  warns  us  of  his  where- 
abouts."    (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  93,  1889.) 

Berghaan. — (D.  haan,  a  cock.)     See  Dassie  vanger. 

"  Suddenly  starting  as  if  from  space  comes  a  great  black 
mountain  eagle.  We  know  him  at  once  for  a  Berghaan 
(Cock  of  the  mountain)  or  Dassie  vanger  (coney  eater)." 
(Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  273,  1889.) 


AFEICANDEBISMS  67 

Berghaas. — (D.  haas,  a  hare.)  Pedetes  caffer.  See  Spring- 
hare. 

"In  the  mountains,  between  the  clefts  of  the  naked  rocks, 
resides  a  kind  of  jumping  rat  (Jerboa  capensis),  which  the 
farmers  considered  as  a  species  of  hare,  and  called  it  Berg- 
haas or  Springhare."    (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  182, 1796.) 

"  It  is  sometimes,  though  less  frequently,  called  the  Berg- 
haas (mountain  hare)."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  488, 
1822.) 

Berg  kamomille. — (D.  hamomille,  camomile.)  The  Eivers- 
dale  name  of  Gamolepis  j^ectinata,  Less.,  where  it  abounds  on 
the  mountains. 

Berg-klapper. — (D.  klappen,  to  clap,  rattle.)  Montinia 
acris  is  known  by  this  name  because  of  the  rattling  noise 
which  the  seeds  make  in  the  dry  capsule. 

Berg  patrijs. — (D.  patrijs,  a  partridge.)  Francolinus 
africanus.     See  Greywing. 

Berg  roos. — (D.  roos,  a  rose.)  Protea  nana  vel  rosacea 
is  so  named  in  the  Cape  Peninsula. 

Berg  schildpad. — (D.  schildpad,  a  tortoise.)  A  mountain 
tortoise. 

"  See  what  Outa  caught  for  the  baasjes  near  the  Khp  Kop 
this  afternoon,  a  nice  little  berg  schildpad."  ("  The  State," 
p.  642,  December,  1911.) 

Berg  sijsje. — (D.  sijsje,  a  linnet.)  Serinus  albigularis. 
See  Dik-bek  sijsje. 

Berg  slang. — (D.  slang,  a  snake.)  I  have  heard  this  name 
applied  to  several  different  snakes. 

"  A  boy  died  here  a  few  days  ago  in  consequence  of  the 
bite  of  a  small  species  of  viper — Vipera  inornata — called  in  the 
Colony  Berg  slang,  mountain  snake."  (Backhouse's  "  Narra- 
tive," p.  167,  1844.) 

Berg  thee. — (D.  thee,  tea.)  (1)  Geranium  incanum.  (2) 
Eiversdale  District,  Cyclopia  Vogelii,  Harv. 

"This  is  the  Berg  thee  of  the  colonists."  ("Flora 
Capensis,"  i.  p.  257,  1859-1860.) 

Berg  winds. — The  name  given  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  George  to  the  hot,  arid  winds  which  are  prevalent  there 
toward  the  latter  part  of  the  winter. 

"  The  effect  of  berg  winds  cannot  under  ordinary  conditions 
be  considered  beneficial  to  forest  vegetation."  (Sim's  "  Forest 
Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  38,  1907.) 


58  AFEICANDERISMS 

Berg  zwaluw. — (D.  zwaluw,  a  swallow.)  The  Dutch 
name  for  the  European  Bee  eater — Merops  apiaster. 

Bermuda  grass. — Cynodon  dactylon,  known  also  as  Kruis 
grass  (q.v.). 

Bessing  bosch. — A  Transkeian  corruption  of  bezem  bosch 

(q.v.). 

"The  usual  abundant  presence  of  Bessing  bosch  (Rhus 
erosa  and  R.  dregeana)."  (Sim's  "Forest  Flora  of  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  42,  1907.) 

Beukenhout. — (D.  beukeboom,  a  beech  tree;  hout,  wood.) 
(1)  Myrsine  melanophleos.  (2;  In  Pondoland  Faurea  arbotea 
is  so  called. 

Bewaarplatsen. — (D.  bewaarplats,  a  depository,  store- 
house.) In  South  Africa  this  term  is  applied  to  certain  pieces 
of  land  granted  under  Government  hcence  to  be  used  as 
dumping  places  for  debris  or  slimes  from  the  mines.  Origin- 
ally the  sites  thus  granted  were  not  supposed  to  be  auriferous, 
or  not  sufficiently  so  to  be  profitably  worked  ;  as  the  result, 
however,  of  improved  methods  of  gold  recovery  not  a  few 
of  these  bewaarplatsen  have  now  become  very  valuable. 
Licences  for  such  beivaarplatsen  ceased  to  be  issued  in  1902. 

"  The  companies  which  owned  these  beivaarplatsen  now 
contended  that  they  should  be  allowed  to  convert  them  into 
claims,  as,  by  their  enterprise,  they  had  exploited  the  upper 
levels  and  revealed  the  conditions  which  made  the  beivaar- 
platsen valuable."  (Fitzpatrick's  "The  Transvaal  from 
Within,"  p.  92,  1899.) 

Bewertjies. — (D.  beven,  to  shake,  quiver.)  A  variety  of 
quaking  grass. 

Bezem  bosch. — (D.  bezem,  a  besom,  broom.)  Rhus  dreg- 
eana and  R.  erosa  are  so  named  because  their  rigid  branches 
are  used  as  brooms.     See  Bessing  bosch. 

Bezem  grass. — (D.  bezem,  a  broom.)  Eragrostis  betsch- 
uana  is  so  named  in  Bechuanaland. 

Bezemriet. — (D.  bezem,  a  besom,  broom  ;  riet,  reed,  rush.) 
{Restio  dichotomus.  Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  89, 
1823.)     Restio  triticeus,  Rottb. 

Bid.-— (D.  bidden,  to  say  one's  prayers,  to  implore.)  Some- 
times this  word  is  used  euphemistically  for  curse,  swear :  Hij 
kann  goed  bid— he  can  swear  well. 

Biessiespol.— (D.  bies,  a  rush,  reed.)  A  tussock  of  sedge 
or  rush. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  69 

Biessiespol. — This  word  is  one  of  several  curious  terms, 
e.g.  Doornlat,  Mielieblaar,  etc.,  employed  when  speaking  of 
a  pretty  girl.  (Has  the  Malay  word  bisai,  handsome,  pretty, 
neat,  had  any  influence  here  ?) 

Bietje  or  (dial.)  Biekie. — (D.  beetje,  little,  some.)  (1)  A 
little,  a  small  portion  or  space.  (2)  As  sometimes  used  the 
words  seem  to  be  reminiscent,  if  not  an  actual  survival  of  the 
German  bitten,  to  request;  ich  bitte,  if  you  please;  e.g. 
Boep  en  bietje  ver  horn. 

Bietouw. — Haplocarpha  lyrata,  Harv. ;  in  the  Queenstown 
District,  Dimorphotheca  Ecklonis,  D.C. ;  and  in  Bechuanaland, 
D.  Zeyhere.  With  some  show  of  reason  these  plants  are 
supposed  to  be  poisonous  to  sheep.  According  to  the  "  C.G.H. 
Literary  Gazette,"  p.  224,  September,  1831,  Osteospermum 
was  known  as  Bidow. 

"  Possibly  the  name  Bietouw  may  be  applied  elsewhere  to 
a  different  plant."  (Smith's  '*  Contribution  to  South  Africa 
Materia  Medica,"  p.  130,  1888.) 

Big  eyes. — A  local  name  at  East  London  for  a  small  fish. 

"I  have  seen  the  following  fish  caught  upon  it  (i.e.  ink- 
fish  or  squid),  sharks,  white,  black,  and  river  steenbras,  big-eyes, 
rock-cod."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3,  21  November, 
1905.) 

Big  jaw. — Actinomycosis  of  the  bony  structure  of  the  jaw. 
See  Ray  fungus  disease.  Lumpy  jaw,  and  Wooden  tongue. 

Bijter. — (D.  bijten,  to  bite.)  The  Cape  name  of  Blennius 
cornutus,  L. 

Bijvanger  or  Bijvreter- — (D.  bij,  a  bee ;  vangen,  to  catch  ; 
vreten,  to  eat,  swallow.)  Dicrurus  afer  and  D.  ludwiggii 
are  both  so  called.     See  also  Smoke-bird. 

Bijwoner. — (D.  bijwonen,  to  assist,  be  present  at.)  The 
appellation  by  which  authorized  squatters  on  another  man's 
farm  are  known  throughout  South  Africa.  Frequently 
enough,  however,  professing  to  farm  on  shares,  they  are  mere 
parasites,  living  at  the  expense  of  the  wealthier  and  more 
industrious  farmer.  The  bijwoner  system  seems  to  discourage 
anything  like  individual  enterprise. 

"  The  beiwoner — a  sort  of  sub-farmer  on  the  estate  of  a 
richer  farmer,  who  is  expected  to  perform  certain  duties  for 
the  privilege  of  running  his  stock."  (Bryden's  "Kloof  and 
Karoo,"  p.  253,  1889.) 

Billet. — The  note  by  which  the  mihtary  assigned  quarters 


60  AFEICANDEEISMS 

to  their  men.     This  word  is  in  common  use  in  the  Colony 
for  an  appointment  or  situation. 

Billy. — An  Australian  word  meaning  a  tin  utensil  used 
for  boiling  water  or  cooking  food. 

"  The  sound  comes  '  B  troop  roll  up  for  tea,'  and  every 
man  goes  with  his  patrol-tin  or  billy  as  it  is  usually  called 
and  gets  his  tea  and  his  whack  of  bread."  (Browning's 
"  Fighting  and  Farming  in  South  Africa,"  p.  103,  1880.) 

Biltong. — (D.  bil,  buttock  ;  cf.  hilstuch,  a  round  of  beef ; 
tong,  tongue.)  Strips  of  lean  meat  slightly  salted  and  hung 
up  in  the  open  air  until  they  become  quite  dry  and  hard ;  in 
this  form  it  becomes  an  invaluable  adjunct  to  the  commis- 
sariat of  the  hunter  or  traveller.  It  is  eaten  uncooked,  is 
found  to  be  very  nourishing,  and  is  easily  assimilated  even  by 
invalids. 

"  He  lived  almost  entirely  upon  dried  mutton  and  biltong." 
(Lichtenstein's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  67,  1815.) 

"  The  merits  of  biltong  are  not  sufficiently  known  and 
appreciated.  It  is  admirable  provender  for  a  campaign." 
(Wood's  "Through  Matabeleland,"  p.  35,  1893.) 

Bimbri  kost. — The  fruits  of  both  Vitis  capensis  and  V. 
TJmnbergii,  often  made  into  jam,  are  sometimes  so  called. 

Binnegoed. — (D.  binnen,  within  ;  goedy  things.)  The  en- 
trails of  an  animal. 

Binnelanders. — The  Bastaards  (q.v.)  who  crossed  the 
Orange  Eiver  in  the  early  part  of  last  century,  and  located 
themselves  near  where  Philipolis  now  stands,  called  themselves 
by  this  name. 

"Amongst  themselves  they  take  the  designation  Bmwe- 
landers — inhabitants  of  the  interior."  (Arbousset's  "  Narra- 
tive," p.  10, 1846.) 

Bird  of  paradise  acacia. — Caesalpinia  Gilliesii. 

Bird  of  paradise  flower. — The  name  is  given  in  the  Trans- 
vaal to  Strelitzia  angusta.     See  Wild  banana. 

Bird's  brandy. — Lantana  salviae-folia,  Jacq.  is  known 
by  this  name ;  it  is  used  as  a  remedy  in  cases  of  ophthalmia 
or  "  Sore  eyes  ". 

Biscop. — (D.  bischop,  a  bishop.)  A  variety  of  Ghrysophrys. 
The  name  is  supposed  to  have  reference  to  the  curiously 
grave  appearance  which  the  large  head  and  peculiar  facial 
features  of  this  fish  give  to  it. 

Bitter  Almond.— Pygeu7n  africanum  is  so  called  in  Natal 


AFRICANDEKISMS  61 

and  East  Griqualand ;  it  is  known  also  as  the  Red  stink- 
wood. 

Bitter  apple. — The  fruit  of  several  species  of  Solanaceae 
are  so  called.  See  Snake-berry.  This  name  is  also  given  to 
Citrullus  vulgaris,  Sch. 

"  The  bush  commonly  known  as  snake-berry  or  bitter 
apple."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  31  August,  1911.) 

Bitter  bark. — Bersama  Tysoniana. 

"  Another  remarkable  tree  that  grows  in  the  coast  belt 
and  called  Bitter  bark  or  Wild  quinine  tree,  is  said  by  Kaffir 
doctors  to  be  a  specific  for  fevers."  (Henkel's  "  The  Native 
or  Transkeian  Territories,"  p.  55,  1903.) 

Bitter  blaar. — (D.  blad,  a  leaf.)  Brachylaena  elliptica 
is  known  by  this  name  in  the  Eastern  Province.  It  is  also 
called  Salie  (q.v.). 

"  Of  leaf- galls  one  of  the  simplest  is  seen  on  the  Bitterblar 
or  isidula."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  4  March,  1910.) 

Bitter  karoo. — Chrysocoma  tenuifolia,  Berg.,  the  leaves 
of  which  have  a  bitter  taste. 

"  Plants  which  not  only  occupy  the  surface,  but  are 
actively  injurious  in  one  or  other  of  several  ways.  To  the 
latter  belongs  the  bitter  Karoo  bosje,  Chrysocoma  tenuifolia 
Berg.,  which  fortunately  is  only  eaten  in  times  of  scarcity, 
as  it  produces  stomach  and  biliary  disorders."  (Wallace's 
"  Farming  Industries  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  94,  1896.) 

Bitter- melon  or  Apple. — Citrullus  vulgaris  Sch.  See 
also  Tsama  water-melon. 

And  the  bitter  melon  for  food  and  drink, 
Is  the  pilgrim's  fare  by  the  salt  lake's  brink. 

(Pringle's  "  Afar  in  the  Desert,"  p.  90,  1828.) 

Bitter  wortel. — (D.  wortel,  a  root,  carrot.)  Xysmalobium 
undulatum,  B.  Br.  The  intensely  bitter,  carrot-shaped  root 
of  this  plant  is  used  both  by  the  Zulus  and  Cape  Colony 
natives  as  a  medicine.  The  name  is  also  borne  by  Gompho- 
carpus  crispus,  B.  Br.,  the  natives  using  it  in  the  same  way, 
that  is,  as  a  tonic. 

Black-fish. — (1)  Dipterodon  capensis  is  so  called  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  East  London.  See  Galjeon.  (2)  In  Natal 
the  name  is  applied  to  Dinoperea  queketti. 

"  Shaped  much  like  the  black-fish  or  galjeon."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  8  April,  1905.) 

"  Blackfish  (the  species  with  large  eyes  and  mouth,  and 


62  AFEICANDERISMS 

white  spots)  are  unknown  at  the  sister  port."  ("  Natal 
Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  154,  5  December,  1906.) 

Black-gallsickness. — A  form  of  sickness  among  cattle  in- 
duced by  eating  Tulp  (q.v.). 

"  A  large  admixture  of  mucus  and  other  elements  along 
with  the  bile  causes  the  latter  often  to  present  the  appearance 
and  consistency  of  Stockholm  tar,  which  has  given  rise  to  the 
name  of  Black-gallsickness."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
350,  1905.) 

Black  haglet. — Majaqueus  aequinoctialis.  One  of  the 
somewhat  numerous  names  given  by  sealers  and  whalers  to 
this  bird.     See  Stinker  and  Black  night  hawk. 

Black  hawk. — Lophocetus  occipitalis  is  known  by  this 
name  in  Natal.     See  Kuifkop  valk. 

Blackhead. — (1)  In  Natal  Pyc7ionotus  layardi  is  so  named. 
See  Snake-bird  and  Top-knot  or  Toppie.  (2)  In  the  Eastern 
Province  of  the  Cape  Colony  the  Alario  alario  is  so  called. 
See  Berg  canarie. 

"{Pycnonotus  layardi.)  Boys  often  call  this  bird  the 
Blackhead."    (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds,"  p.  21,  1899.) 

Black  ironwood. — Olea  laurifolia.  The  fruit  of  this  tree 
is  a  favourite  food  of  the  wild  parrots. 

Black  ivory. — The  name  given  by  the  Boers  to  captured 
natives :  technically  such  natives  were  apprenticed,  but  in 
some  cases  they  were  Httle,  if  anything,  other  than  slaves. 
The  quotations  indicate  a  condition  of  things  at  the  time  of 
which  they  speak,  which,  though  disguised  by  other  names, 
was  slavery  pure  and  simple.     See  Inbooking. 

"You  have  already  been  made  aware  that  loads  of  black 
ivory  (young  Kaffirs)  are  continually  hawked  about  the 
country  and  disposed  of  like  so  many  droves  of  cattle."  (G. 
W.  Steyn's  Letter  to  Sir  Philip  Wodehouse,  13  March,  1866. 
See  Chesson's  "  Dutch  Republics  of  South  Africa,"  p.  18, 1871.) 

"  Some  of  them  carried  on  an  abominable  system  of  trad- 
ing in  children  obtained  from  friendly  Kaffir  tribes,  whom 
they  attacked  and  plundered  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  black 
ivory  and  enriching  themselves  with  cattle."  (Moodie's 
"  Battles,"  II.  p.  259,  1888.) 

"  I  have  known  men  who  have  owned  slaves,  and  who  have 
seen  whole  waggon-loads  of  black  ivory,  as  they  were  called, 
sold  for  about  £15  a  piece."  (Haggard's  "The  Last  Boer 
War,"  p.  39,  1900.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  63 

Black  jacks. — Bidens  pilosa,  L.  The  hooked  seeds  of 
this  weed  are  so  called  because  of  their  colour.  They  are 
also  known  as  "  Sweethearts,"  "  Weduwenaars  "  (q.v.)-  The 
Kaffirs  call  them  Umhlaha-nguho,  "the  blanket  stabbers". 

"An  innocent-looking  plant  .  .  .  bearing  a  most  aggra- 
vating tuft  of  little  black  spires  which  lose  no  opportunity  of 
sticking  to  one's  petticoat  in  myriads.  They  are  familiarly 
known  as  Black  jacks.''  (Lady  Barker's  "A  Year's  House- 
keeping in  South  Africa,"  p.  130,  1877.) 

Black  night  hawk.  —  See  Black  haglet,  Stinker,  and 
Stinkpot. 

Black  pigeon. — The  Natal  name  of  Columba  arquatrix. 

"  From  its  dark  plumage  (it)  is  popularly  known  as  the 
black  pig eo?i."     (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  130,  1899.) 

Black  rhinoceros. — Rhinoceros  hicornis. 

"  The  white  is  not  so  fierce  or  dangerous  as  the  hlach 
species,  but  both  are  moody,  eccentric  brutes."  (Methuen's 
"Life  in  the  Wilderness,"  p.  138,  1848.) 

Black  sea-snake. — Hydrus  platurus.  See  Zwart  zee 
slang. 

Blacksmith  plover. — Hoplopterus  armatus.  The  name 
has  reference  to  its  peculiar  metalhc  call. 

"  The  Blacksmith  plover  feeds  on  worms,  insects,  snails, 
and  similar  animal  matter,  thus  being  a  practical  benefit  to 
the  farmer."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African 
Bird  Life,"  p.  135,  1908.) 

Black  south-easter. — A  violent  south  wind  heavily  laden 
with  saline  and  other  matter,  prevalent  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year  round  the  South  African  coast. 

Black  spot. — Fusicladium  dendrificum.  A  disease  affect- 
ing apples. 

Black  sun-bird. — Cynnyris  amethystinus. 

Black-tail. — Sargus  rondeletii,  known  at  East  London 
and  Mossel  Bay  by  this  name ;  this  fish  is  called  the  Dasje 
(q.v.)  at  Port  Elizabeth  and  Knysna. 

"  A  few  friends  fishing  in  the  Buffalo  Eiver  .  .  .  had  some 
excellent  sport  taking  ...  a  black  fish  of  about  9  lbs.  and 
black-tail  of  about  2^  lbs."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  29 
July,  1905.) 

Black  tea  bush. — Eugenia  Zeyheri  is  sometimes  so  called. 

Black  vulture. — Otogyps  auricularis  is  generally  known 
by  this  name  in  Natal.     See  Koning  aasvogel. 


64  AFEICANDERISMS 

"  Suddenly  a  new  arrival  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  the 
others  scattered,  leaving  the  new-comer,  a  solitary  Black 
vulture,  to  its  lonely  repast."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches 
of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  4,  1908.) 

Blackwater. — A  virulent  type  of  malarial  fever. 

"  Feeling  that  the  clutch  of  the  fell  fever-fiend  was  upon 
him,  he  fled  to  the  mountains,  but  even  there  could  not  escape 
and  fell  a  victim  to  the  dreaded  hlackioater  on  30  July,  1897." 
(Du  Plessis'  "A  Thousand  Miles  in  the  Heart  of  Africa," 
p.  50,  1905.) 

Bladder  plums. — An  excrescence,  produced  by  fungi,  on 
several  varieties  of  plum  tree. 

"  The  fungi  which  cause  the  formation  of  the  well-known 
Bladder  plums  in  several  species  of  the  prune."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  4  March,  1910.) 

Blanket-vote. — The  collective  Kaffir  vote  is  thus  desig- 
nated. The  reference  is,  of  course,  to  the  blanket  which  has 
gradually  but  generally  superseded  the  more  dignified  Karos 
(q.v.)  as  an  article  of  apparel  among  the  natives. 

"  There  were  a  few  muttered  jeers  about  '  the  niggers' 
friend,'  and  getting  into  the  assembly  on  the  strength  of 
blanket  votes,  QMdi  so  ionih.''  (Mitford's  " 'Tween  Snow  and 
Fire,"  p.  230,  1898.) 

Blasop. — (D.  ophlaz en, to  h\oYf  or  ^uE  \i^.)  (1)  Tetrodon 
honkenyi — a  species  of  fish  common  in  South  African  waters, 
which  distends  itself  almost  to  bursting ;  when  thus  inflated 
it  lies  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  belly  upwards  and  quite 
helpless.  It  is  also  called  the  "  Toad  Fish  "  (q.v.).  (2)  This 
name  is  also  given  by  the  Dutch  to  the  male  of  Pneumora 
scutellaris,  and  is  descriptive  of  the  large  inflated  bodies  of 
these  insects.  (3)  It  is  also  applied  to  a  frog,  because  of  its 
habit  of  blowing  itself  up  when  irritated — Breviceps. 

"Blaas-op,  sn.  poisonous  fish."  ("  Patriot  Woordeboek," 
p.  42,  1902.) 

"  The  oppblazers  (pneumora),  a  kind  of  grasshopper,  were 
caught  in  the  evening.  .  .  .  Their  whole  body  is,  as  it  were, 
a  bladder,  and  so  empty  that  these  creatures  cannot  be  car- 
ried about  stuck  through  with  a  pin  like  other  creatures." 
(Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  150,  1795.) 

"  The  Pneumora,  or  as  they  are  styled  by  the  Dutch,  the 
Blas-op,  are  also  common."  (Fleming's  "Kaffraria,"  p.  77, 
1853.) 


AFRICANDEEISMS  65 

"Another  very  curious  frog  is  the  Blas-op.  .  .  .  The 
Blas-op  spends  most  of  his  time  under  ground,  coming  only 
to  the  surface  after  very  wet  weather."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  5,  23  October,  1908.) 

Blatcham  or  Blatjang. — (M.  bdlachdn,  a  condiment  made 
of  pounded  prawns  and  small  fish,  pickled.)  A  relish  made 
with  dried  apricots,  peaches,  quinces,  raisins,  chillies,  vinegar, 
etc.  The  preparation  is  unlike  the  mixture  so  named  among 
the  Malays  proper,  which  consists  of  various  small  fish  which 
have  been  allowed  to  ferment  in  a  heap  and  are  then  mashed 
together. 

"  Ik  verruilde  een  woollen  kombaars  voor  twee  sakken 
mielies,  en  nu  had  ik  toch  voor  dien  tergenden  honger  mielies 
en — begreep  eens — blatjang!"  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twin  tig  Jaren 
in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  38,  1890.) 

"  Blatjang  made  this  way  will  keep  for  a  year.  I  have 
sent  it  to  England  several  times,  and  have  had  orders  for 
another  supply  from  those  who  prefer  it  to  chutney."  (Hilda's 
"  Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  69,  1902.) 

Blatsack. — (D.  schouder-blad,  shoulder-blade ;  zak,  a  bag.) 
A  bag  worn  over  the  shoulder  when  hunting  in  which  pro- 
visions are  carried.  In  the  Midlands  a  shoulder  of  mutton  is 
called  a  "blad  ". 

Blauwbaard. — (D.  hlauw,  blue ;  baard,  a  beard.)  A  variety 
of  lizard  with  a  blue  head.     See  Blauwkop  salamander. 

Blauw  beestje. — (D.  beest,  beast,  brute.)  One  of  the 
Chrysomelidae,  Haltica  indigacea,  found  on  vines.  See 
Ladybird. 

Blauw  blazjes. — (D.  blauw,  blue ;  blazen,  to  blow.) 
Phy sails.     See  Portuguese  Man  o*  War. 

Blauwblometje. — (D.  bloem,  a  flower.)  Felicia  sp.  A 
well-known  karoo  bush,  a  composite  having  blue-rayed 
flowers. 

"A  cineraria  ...  of  a  beautiful  deep  blue,  on  which  the 
Dutch  have  bestowed  the  euphonious  name  of  blauwblometje 
(little  blue  flower).  Several  irises  .  .  .  are  among  our  prettiest 
flowers."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p. 
49, 1890.) 

Blauw  blometje. — Stories,  tittle-tattle,  nonsense. 

"  '  But,'  said  Triegardt,  '  they  told  me  such  a  lot  of  non- 
sense {blauwe  blommetjes)  which  meant  nothing,  that  I  did 
not  believe  them  '."     ("The  State,"  p.  654,  April,  1911.) 

5 


66  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Blauwbok.— See  Bastard  gemsbok. 

"  The  Blauwbok  (Hippotragus  leucoph<2us),  an  antelope 
resembling  the  Eoan,  but  somewhat  smaller  and  without  the 
black  face  markings."     ("  Science  in  Africa,"  p.  122,  1905.) 

Blauwbok. — Cephalopus  monticola,  the  smallest  of  the 
South  African  bucks.     See  also  Ipiti  and  Blue-buck. 

"  The  woods  also  abound  with  ...  an  elegant  little  ante- 
lope, not  more  than  a  foot  in  height,  called  the  hlaawe  hock 
or  blue  buck."  (Hoodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  ii. 
p.  139,  1835.) 

Blauwboontjes. — (D.  boon,  a  bean.)  Bullets  are  some- 
times so  designated.  Cf.  the  German,  Blaue  Bohnen  zu 
regnen,  to  rain  bullets.  (Grimm's  "  Marchen,"  18th  Ed.,  p. 
399,  1882.) 

Blauw  bosch. — (D.  blauw,  blue;  60s,  a  bush.)  Royena 
pollens.  When  ripe  the  fruit  of  this  tree  is  edible ;  the  seeds 
are  sometimes  roasted  and  used  as  coffee. 

Blauw  katakuro. — The  Knysna  name  of  the  Cuckoo 
shrike,  Grauculus  caesius,  a  bird  of  very  shy  habit,  found  in 
the  coast  bush  from  Knysna  to  Zululand. 

Blauwkop  salamander  or  Koggelmannetje. — A  lizard — 
fam.  Humivagae — of  somewhat  striking  colours,  the  head  and 
back  being  a  bright  blue  and  the  throat  of  an  exquisitely 
delicate  rose  colour.     See  Koggelmander. 

"  The  Boers  call  it  the  Blaauw  kop  salamander  (blue- 
headed  salamander),  and  look  upon  it  with  feelings  of  awe 
and  horror.  They  will  tell  you  solemnly,  and  they  verily 
beheve  it,  that  this  reptile  is  deadly  poisonous,  and  that  from 
it  all  the  snakes  obtain  and  renew  their  poison."  (Bryden's 
"Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  278,  1889.) 

Blauw  schimmel. — (D.  schimmel,  a  grey  horse.)  A  blue- 
grey  horse  as  distinguished  from  Kooi  schimmel  (q.v.). 

"  A  blauw-schimmel  paard  is  a  dappled  grey,  and  others 
are  distinguished  as  red  or  brown,  according  to  their  colour." 
(Baine's  "Gold  Eegions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  66, 
1877.) 

Blauwtong — (1)  Horse.  There  are  two  varieties  of  this 
deadly  disease  known  all  over  South  Africa  as  "the  Horse- 
sickness,"  Dutch, paarde  ziekte  :  (a)  The  common  form  which 
affects  the  lungs  chiefly,  and  (6)  the  form  called  "dikkop" 
(q.v.),  thick  head.  The  prominent  symptom  of  this  latter  is 
a  swelling  of  the  subcutaneous  tissue  of  the  head  ;  sometimes 


AFEICANDERISMS  67 

the  swelling  is  confined  to  the  tongue  and  gives  rise  to  that 
form  of  the  sickness  known  as  blauwtong  or  blue-tongue. 

(2)  Sheep.  A  form  of  influenza  affecting  sheep,  which  is 
thought  to  be  nearly  allied  to  the  "  Horse-sickness  "  (q.v.),  if 
not  identical  with  that  form  of  it  which  affects  the  head  and 
tongue  more  particularly.  In  bad  cases  the  tongue  becomes 
purple  and  much  enlarged.  (See  Wallace's  "  Farming  Indus- 
tries of  South  Africa.") 

Blauw  valk — (D.  valk,  hawk,  falcon.)  The  name  some- 
times given  to  Elanus  coeruleus ;  see  Witte  Sperwel ;  but 
more  frequently  perhaps  to  Melierax  canorus,  the  chanting 
goshawk. 

Blauw  vischvanger. — (D.  vangen,  to  catch.)  Alcedo  semi- 
torquata.  A  pretty  little  kingfisher  found  all  over  South 
Africa. 

Blauw  zaad  gras. — (D.  zaad,  seed,  spawn.)  Eragrostis 
lehmanniana,  Nees.     See  Eastern  Province  Vlei  grass. 

Blesbok. — (D.  bles,  blaze,  a  white  mark.)  Damaliscus 
albifrons,  extinct  in  the  Cape  Colony  except  in  one  or  two 
localities  where  it  is  preserved. 

"  The  Blesbok  is  so  called  from  having  a  white  mark  on 
its  forehead,  similar  to  that  which  in  horses  is  termed  in 
Dutch  a  bles,  and  by  English  horsemen  a  star  or  blaze." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  335  n.,  1824.) 

Bles  hoender. — (D.  bles,  blaze,  a  white  mark ;  CD. 
hoender,  fowl.)  A  water-fowl  with  a  bles  or  white  spot 
on  the  head  ;  it  is  often  found  on  vleis. 

Blesmol. — Georychus  capensis.  The  name  refers  to  the 
white  mark  which  this  animal  has  on  the  front  of  its  head. 
See  Cape  mole. 

"  The  second,  called  the  Blaze-fronted  mole  (Bles  moll, 
Marmota  capensis),  is  smaller,  and  white  with  brown  spots." 
(Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  263,  1795.) 

"  There  is  another  kind  of  mole-rat  much  resembling  this 
in  colour  and  nature,  but  in  size  not  exceeding  the  common 
mole  of  Europe,  it  is  also  peculiar  to  this  country,  and  is 
known  by  the  name  of  Bles  moll  (white-faced  mole)." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  57,  1822.) 

Blik. — (D.  blik,  tin,  dustpan ;  G.  blech,  tin.)    Small  tin  cans, 
used  by  labourers  to  carry  tea  or  coffee  in,  are  known  as  bliks. 
Blikhuis. — (D.  huis,  a  house.)    A  house  built  of  galvanized 
iron,  common  enough  in  most  of  our  colonial  towns. 

5* 


68  AFKICANDEBISMS 

Blikoor.— (D.  oor,  an  ear.)  One  of  several  nicknames  given 
to  the  Transvaalers  by  the  Dutch  of  the  Cape  Colony,  and 
subsequently  applied  by  the  Transvaalers  to  their  brethren  of 
the  Orange  Free  State. 

"  Their  Transvaal  brethren  do  not  hesitate  to  admit  that 
the  Blikoors  (nickname  of  Free  Staters)  are  the  best  body  of 
men  round  Ladysmith."  ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  7,  24  November, 
1899.) 

Blinde  mol.— (D.  blind,  Wind ;  mol,  a  mole.)  (1)  An  insect- 
eating  mole  that  is  said  to  be  Wind.  (2)  The  game  of  blind 
man's  buff. 

Blinder. — A  huge,  curling  wave,  such  as  used  to  occur  at 
Durban  and  East  London  on  the  bars  previous  to  the  deepen- 
ing of  the  channel  by  dredging. 

"  A  wave  properly  called  a  blinder  would  curl  up." 
(Eussell's  "  Old  Durban,"  p.  84,  1899.) 

Blinde  vlieg. — (D.  blind,  blind  ;  vlieg,  a  fly.)  A  large  gnat 
which  draws  blood. 

Blind  River. — A  river  whose  waters  only  flow  into  the  sea 
in  times  of  flood,  but  which  at  ordinary  times  is  without  a 
mouth. 

"  The  Kleinemonde  over  yonder  were  a  blind  river  same 
as  now,  with  a  stretch  of  beach  of  about  200  yards  wide 
'tween  its  Hp  and  the  sea  foam."  (Glanville's  "  Tales  from 
the  Veld,"  p.  275,  1897.) 

Blind  snake. — Typhlops  schegellii. 

"  Several  examples  of  the  huge  Blind  snake,  Typhlops 
schegellii  were  found  together  in  Rhodesia  in  the  heart  of 
a  termite-mound."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  158, 
1905.) 

Blind  South-easter. — See  South-easter  and  Black  South- 
easter. 

"  During  a  blind  south-easter  the  top  of  Table  Mountain 
is  devoid  of  any  cloud,  but  the  mountains  to  the  north  of 
Table  Bay  are  usually  covered  with  fog  or  mist."  ("  Addresses 
Joint  B.  and  S.A.A.A.S.,"  i.  p.  287,  1905.) 

Blink.— (D.  blinken,  to  shine,  glitter.)  To  shine,  applied 
to  cattle  when  in  good  condition— blink-fet. 

Blinkblaar.— (D.  blinken,  to  shine,  glitter  ;  blad,  a  leaf.) 
Rhamnus  prinoides,  a  shrub  with  glossy,  shining  leaves. 

Blink-blad  Wacht-en-bietje — (D.  blinken,  to  shine, 
glitter;  blad,  a,  le&i ;   wachten,  to  wait,  stay  ;  beetje,  a  little, 


AFEICANDEBISMS  69 

little  bit.)  Zizyjjhus  mucronata  is  known  by  this  name  in 
the  Transvaal. 

Blinkwater. — (D.  hlinken,  to  shine,  glitter.)  The  Cape 
Dutch  name  for  the  Will-o'-the-wisp,  and  also  for  marine 
phosphorescence. 

Blistering  bush. — Buhon  Galbanum,  L.     See  Wild  celery. 

"  The  other  day  a  friend  of  mine  had  a  more  than  usual 
dose  of  bhstering.  .  .  .  The  awkward  feature  of  this  danger  is 
that  one  does  not  notice  any  effect  on  the  hand  until  about 
thirty  or  forty  hours  after  one  has  touched  the  plant.  Its 
name  is  Bubon,  or  if  any  one  prefers  the  colonial  name  '  Wild 
celery  '."    ("  Mountain  Club  Annual,  Cape  Town,"  p.  24, 1903.) 

Blits. — (G.  Blitz,  lightning.)  This  word  was  probably 
introduced  into  Cape  Dutch  by  German  servants  of  the  Dutch 
E.  I.  Company. 

Blockhouse. — (G.  Blockhaus,  a  small  fort  blocking  the 
entrance  to  a  besieged  town.)  The  round  towers  built  in  the 
early  days  of  the  settlement  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape 
Town  to  protect  the  inhabitants. 

Bloed  pens. — (D.  bloed,  blood ;  pens,  paunch,  stomach.) 
(1)  Dysentery.  (2)  A  disease  also  to  which  lambs  are  sub- 
ject. 

"  They  are  doing  badly  owing  to  the  prevalence  of  .  .  . 
bloed  pens.^'  ("Queenstown  Representative,"  5  September, 
1911.) 

Bloemetjes. — (D.  bloem,  a  flower^.  Small  flowers  gener- 
ally. 

"  There  was  that  wonderful  valley  of  the  lake  with  the 
bloemetjes  and  the  scent-laden  avond  bloem."  (Argus' 
"  Christmas  Annual,"  p.  12,  1904.) 

Blood  fink. — (D.  vink,  a  finch.)  Pyrornelana  oryx  is  so 
called  in  Natal. 

"  Mr.  Tyrrel  says  that  it  is  popularly  known  as  the  Blood 
jink  and  that  the  male  bird  has  several  little  brown  females." 
(Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  70,  1899.) 

Blood  flowers. — The  Natal  name  of  Hcemanthus  Nata- 
lensis.  Percival  refers  to  a  flower  that  I  have  not  been  able 
to  identify. 

"  The  blood- flower  takes  its  name  from  an  opinion  that 
it  stops  the  bleeding  on  being  applied  to  the  wounded  part." 
(Percival's  "  Account,"  p.  146,  1804.) 

"  Durban   again   conjured    up  a   vision   of   the   glorious 


70  AFEICANDEEISMS 

scarlet  cockades  of   a   plant — Hcemanthus   Natalensis — the 
blood-floiver."     ("  Methodist  Churchman,"  19  June,  1906.) 

Blood  louse. — Schizoneura  lanigera,  known  also  as  the 
Woolly-aphis,  is  sometimes  so  called  because  when  crushed 
it  gives  a  red  stain. 

Blood  spoor. — The  blood  marks  by  which  a  wounded 
animal  is  traced. 

"A  native  man  .  .  .  came  somewhat  suddenly  upon  the 
two  wolves.  He  .  .  .  shot  both.  The  blood  spoor  was 
traced  a  considerable  distance."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press," 
16  September,  1862.) 

Bloodwood. — The  Transvaal  name  of  Pterocarpus  ango- 
lensis. 

Blow  out.  —A  large  mass  of  detached  auriferous  quartz  as 
distinct  from  the  reef,  is  known  to  the  miners  by  this  name. 

"  There  is  some  doubt  as  to  whether  the  quartz  now 
being  worked  is  a  legitimate  reef,  or  is  not  rather  a  hlow- 
ouC     (Churchill's  "  Men,  Mines,  and  Animals,"  p.  306, 1905.) 

Bluebacks.  —  The  notes  of  the  Transvaal  Government 
issued  in  1865.  The  impecunious  condition  of  the  Transvaal 
at  the  time  made  these  notes  very  much  less  than  their  face 
value.     Cf.  the  American  term  "  Greenbacks  ". 

"Dit  voorbeeld  werd  in  Transvaal  gevolgd,  en  blue-backs 
in  omioop  gebracht  tot  een  bedrag  van  £60,000."  (Cachet's 
"  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  437,  1882.) 

"  They  were  not  at  all  anxious  to  return  to  the  time  of 
blue-backs.  (Martin's  "  At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p. 
501,  1884.) 

"  There  was  no  money  in  the  country  except  a  little 
English  gold,  and  everything  was  by  barter  until  1865  when 
paper  money  was  issued  called  Blue-backs  to  the  extent 
of  £1000."  (Anderson's  "  Twenty-five  Years  in  a  Waggon," 
II.  p.  58,  1887.) 

Blue  bell. — The  beautiful  hlac-coloured  Gladiolus  spatha- 
ceus  (and  other  species)  is  known  by  this  name  in  the  Caledon 
and  Riversdale  Districts. 

Blue-berry. — Vaccinium  exul,  Bolus,  is  so  called  in  the 
Transvaal. 

Blue-bird. —  (1)  Phoebetria  fuginilosa.     This  bird  is  also 
known  as  the  "  Sooty  albatross  ".     (2)  In  Natal  this  name  is 
given  to  Lamprocolius phoenicopterus  and  L.  melanog aster. 
"The  Black  albatross,  or  Blue-bird  as   the   sailors   call 


AFRICANDEBISMS  71 

it,  is  common  along  our  southern  coast."  (Layard  and 
Sharp's.     "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  773,  1875-84.) 

"  This  and  the  following  species  are  popularly  known  as 
Blue-birds."     (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  63,  1899.) 

Blue  buck. — Cephalopus  monticola.  The  smallest  of  the 
South  African  bucks.     See  also  Ipiti. 

'*  An  elegant  little  antelope  not  more  than  a  foot  in 
height,  called  the  hlaawe  hock  or  blue  buck.''  (Hoodie's 
'•  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  139,  1835.) 

Blue  crane. — Anthropoides  paradisea.  This  elegant 
bird,  which  is  confined  to  South  Africa,  is  of  a  uniform  light 
blue  colour,  with  a  white  head. 

Blue  disa. — Disa  graminifolia,  Ker. 

Blue  fish. — (1)  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town  this 
name  is  given  to  Stromateus  microchirus.  See  Barracouta 
and  Pompelmoosje.  (2)  At  East  London  the  name  is  applied 
to  another  fish — Pimelepterus  fuscus.  Known  lower  down 
the  coast  as  Barger  and  in  Natal  as  the  Butter-bream.  See 
Fat-fish. 

"  The  blue  fish  is  partly  herbivorous,  partly  carnivor- 
ous in  its  feeding,  and  so  far  as  I  know  is  only  caught  with 
ascidian  (rock  bait)  upon  our  part  of  the  coast."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  7  August,  1905.) 

Blue  ground. — The  name  given  at  Kimberley  to  the  dark, 
greyish-blue  soil  which  forms  the  matrix  in  which  the 
diamonds  are  found.  It  is  also  called  "blue-clay  "  or  simply 
"the  blue". 

"  It  was  soon  found,  however,  that  the  blue  ground 
(as  it  was  called)  also  pulverized  after  short  exposure  to  the 
atmosphere,  and  that  far  from  being  barren  of  diamonds  it 
yielded  even  better  returns  than  the  upper  layers  of  '  yellow 
ground  '."     (Noble's  "  Handbook,"  p.  193,  1886.) 

Blue  jay. — Coracias  garrulus,  the  European  roller,  a 
rather  uncommon  bird  in  South  Africa. 

"  The  Rollers  or  Blue  jays,  as  they  are  generally  called 
by  the  colonists,  are  very  conspicuous  birds  in  the  more 
tropical  portions  of  South  Africa,  such  as  the  northern  part 
of  the  Transvaal  and  Rhodesia."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa," 
p.  140,  1905.) 

Blue  skin. — The  Natal  name  of  the  fish  Dentex  Natalensis. 

Blue  water-lily. — Nymphcea  stellata.     The  Lotus  flower. 

Bluff,  The. — The   termination   of   a   ridge  of  lofty  hills, 


72  AFBICANDEKISMS 

forming  an  abrupt  promontory  some  200  feet  high  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Bay  of  Natal.  It  serves  as  a  magnificent 
landmark  and  is  known  to  seamen  as  "  the  Bluff  of  Natal," 
or  simply  "  the  Bluff".  A  fine  lighthouse  has  been  built  upon 
the  top  of  it. 

"  In  the  far  distant  horizon  an  object  like  a  thin  dark  line 
.  .  .  extending  into  the  Indian  Ocean.  .  .  .  That  thin  line 
enlarges  and  becomes  better  defined  the  nearer  you  approach  ; 
it  is  the  Bluff  of  Natal."  (Holden's  "  History  of  Natal,"  p.  5, 
1855.) 

Boart  or  Bort. — The  name  given  on  the  Diamond  Fields 
to  a  coarse,  dark-coloured  variety  of  diamond ;  it  is  useless 
for  the  jeweller's  purpose,  but  is  employed  in  polishing  and 
cutting  other  stones.  Though  in  frequent  use  in  South 
Africa,  this  word  is  not  an  Africanderism. 

"  A  piece  of  bort  weighing  281  carats  has  been  found  this 
week  at  the  Pan."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  7  November, 
1873.) 

"  One  might  easily  find  month  after  month  inferior  stones, 
splints,  and  boart,  which  would  hardly  pay  for  working  the 
claims."     (ElHs'  "  South  African  Sketches,"  p.  50,  1887.) 

"  They  would  make  the  weights  in  their  books  tally  by 
taking  out  the  bort  (a  cheap  kind  of  carbon)  and  substituting 
the  purchased  good  stones  for  it."  (Cohen's  "  Reminiscences 
of  Kimberley,"  p.  142,  1911.) 

Bobbetjes. — This  word  appears  to  be  a  South  African 
adaptation  of  the  Cabob  of  the  Anglo-Indian  household,  a 
dish  prepared  in  much  the  same  way.  Small  pieces  of  mutton 
and  bacon  are  skewered  on  a  stick  and  broiled.  They  are 
sometimes  called  "Cats'  meat,"  for  a  sufficiently  obvious 
reason.     See  Sassatjes. 

"  All  the  writing  in  the  world  will  not  induce  Cape  Colon- 
ials to  forgo  .  .  .  their  carbonaatjes,  boebootis,  and  sassatjes." 
("  Graaff  Reinet  Budget,"  23  July,  1900.) 

Bobooti.— (This  word  is  probably  of  Malay  origin;  cf. 
Malay  bubur,  pulpy  matter,  soup,  pottage.)  Finely  cut  meat 
prepared  with  curry  powder. 

Babooti '  and  '  frikadel '  and  '  potato-pie  '  are  great  im- 
provements upon  the  minced  meats  of  England."  ("Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  224,  1870.) 

Boer — (D.  boer,  a  peasant,  countryman  ;  G.  Bauer  ;  Eng. 
boor.)    The  rural  descendants  of  the  early  Dutch  settlers  are 


AFKICANDEKISMS  73 

generally  known  as  Boers  throughout  South  Africa.  The  word 
is  not  so  exactly  defined  in  meaning  now  as  in  earlier  days, 
and  is  often  employed  of  others  than  farmers  or  country  folk. 

"  I  am  just  returned  .  ,  .  after  having  had  occasion  to 
visit  several  African  '  boors,'  so  they  here  call  a  set  of  hearty, 
honest  fellows,  who,  though  they  do  not  indeed  differ  in  rank 
from  our  Swedish  peasants  .  .  .  are  yet  for  the  most  part  ex- 
tremely wealthy."     (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  50,  1785.) 

Boer  biscuit. — Small  loaves  fermented  with  raisins  are 
first  baked  altogether  then  separated  and  dried  in  a  very  slow 
oven. 

"  The  provisions  consist  of  meat  cut  in  strips,  salted, 
peppered,  and  dried,  or  else  of  sausages  and  Boer  biscuits." 
(De  Wet's  "  Three  Years'  War,"  p.  9,  1903.) 

Boer  boon. — (D.  boon,  a  bean.)  Scotia  speciosa  and 
S.  latifolia  are  so  called. 

"  The  Boerboontjes  (Schotia  speciosa)  a  leguminous  shrub 
with  beautiful  scarlet  flowers  growing  in  clusters  out  of  the 
old  wood."     ("  Bunbury's  Journal,"  p.  101,  1848.) 

Boerboontjes — In  the  Midlands  a  variety  of  broad  bean 
is  so  named.     See  also  Platte  Peters  (q.v.). 

Boer  brandy  or  Boers. — See  Cape  smoke,  Dop. 

"  For  instance  the  price  of  a  glass  of  Boers  or  whisky 
is  sixpence,  though  the  former  costs  the  hotel  keeper  consider- 
ably less  than  half  the  price  of  the  latter."  ("  Queenstown 
Free  Press,"  22  June,  1884.) 

Boer  goats. — The  ordinary  goat  is  thus  distinguished  from 
the  Angora  goat. 

"The  Boer  goat  ...  is  a  strong,  coarse,  hardy,  energetic 
animal,  strongly  resembling  the  English  goat."  (Wallace's 
"  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  323,  1896.) 

Boer  handelaar. — (D.  handel,  trade ;  handelaar,  merchant, 
trader.)  Merchants  tracing  with  Dutch  farmers,  in  earlier 
days  bartering  goods  for  produce. 

"  We  do  not  say,  nor  do  we  think,  that  none  of  the  Boer 
Handelaars  at  the  Bay  are  fair  dealing,  honourable  men." 
("Queenstown  Free  Press,"  7  February,  1865.) 

Boer  meal. — Coarsely  ground  wheaten  flour,  largely  used 
throughout  South  Africa  for  bread,  porridge,  etc. 

"  Bread  we  could  not  get,  only  the  Boer's  meal,  i.e.  the 
flour  of  the  country."  (Eoche's  "  On  Trek  in  the  Transvaal," 
p.  110,  1878.) 


74  AFBICANDEKISMS 

"  Then  I  found  a  little  tea  and  Jackson  some  Boer  meal 
(coarse  flour) ;  of  the  latter  we  made  a  really  very  good 
porridge,  and  had  a  few  spoonsful  round  and  a  sip  of  tea." 
(Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,"  p.  399,  1896.) 

Boer  met  de  varkens. — (D.  varken,  hog,  pig.)  Lit. 
"  Farmer  with  the  pigs  ".  A  school  of  porpoises  is  so  desig- 
nated along  the  coast. 

Boer  tobacco. — "  The  common  plant  grown  in  the  country, 
by  the  name  of  '  Boer '  or  *  Transvaal '  tobacco,  is  a  coarse 
bastard  variety  from  Sumatra."  (Wallace's  "  Farming 
Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  477,  1906.) 

"  No  satisfactory  tenders  having  been  received  for  the 
supply  of  boer  tobacco  .  .  .  fresh  tenders  .  .  .  will  be  received." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  30  June,  1863.) 

Boer  verneuker. — (CD,  verneuk,  to  cheat,  deceive.) 
Itinerant  traders  who  make  it  their  business  to  barter  nearly 
worthless  articles  to  Boer  farmers  for  produce  worth  very 
much  more  than  the  Boer  receives. 

"  The  boer  verneukers  buy  up  as  rashly  and  indiscrimin- 
ately as  ever."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  24  February, 
1863.) 

"  The  Natal  traders  and  Boer  verneukers  (literally  swind- 
lers of  the  Boers)  began  to  perceive  that  if  they  did  not  take 
a  decisive  step,  their  trade  with  the  Transvaal  would  soon  be 
lost."     (Atcherley's  "  Trip  to  Boerland,"  p.  85,  1879.) 

Boetebossi  or  Boeteklis. — (D.  boete,  penalty,  fine  ;  bos, 
bush ;  klis,  bur,  tangled  knot.)  Xanthium  spinosum,  so 
called  from  the  fact  that  a  fine  is  the  penalty  for  failing  to 
keep  one's  land  free  from  this  pest, 

"  Consider  what  destruction  is  made  by  a  few,  as  for  in- 
stance 'dodder,'  '  steekgras,'  boeteklis."  ("  C.  G.  H.  Agric. 
Journal,"  p.  159,  February,  1909.) 

Boeti. — (D,  broeder,  brother.  This  is  a  nursery  contrac- 
tion of  broedertje,  broertje,  httle  brother.)  A  pet  name  often 
given  to  the  eldest  or  favourite  son. 

"Na  den  strijd  moet  Moshesh  den  Gouverneur  habben 
toegeroepen  :  '  Boetie  (Broer)  wees  maar  niet  boos.  Wij  zijn 
beiden  kinderen  der  koningin,  en  wij  hebben  maar  gespeeld.' 
Een  bloedig  spel  met  jammerlijken  afloop."  (Cachet's  "  De 
Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  288  n.,  1882.) 

"  There's  a  lot  of  things  you  don't  know,  bootie."  (Glan- 
ville's  "  The  Diamond  Seekers,"  p.  270,  1903,) 


AFRICANDEEISMS  75 

Bogwood. — Nuxia  congesta,  an  indigenous  evergreen. 
See  Witte  salie. 

Bok  or  Buck. — (D.  bok,  a  goat.)  This  word  is  used 
throughout  South  Africa  to  designate  goats  and  antelopes 
ahke,  male  and  female ;  e.g.  boer-,  spring-,  bles-,  gems-bok, 
etc. 

"  Dit  w.  wordt  voor  beide  geslachten  gebruikt ;  van  daar 
dat  men  van  hokkemelh  hoort  spreken."  (Changuion's  "  Proeve 
van  Kaapsch  Taaleigen,"  p.  9,  1844.) 

The  follovt^ing  quotation  is  a  gem,  the  vsriter  is  speaking 
of  the  springbok  : — 

"  Look  at  the  photograph  and  you  will  see  a  queer  white 
streak  on  the  back  of  the  animal.  This  is  really  a  fold  in  his 
skin  and  he  can  open  and  shut  it  like  a  book — hok,  do  you 
see?  but  he  only  does  this  when  he  is  startled."  ("Zoo- 
Keepers  and  their  Pets,"  "  Boys'  Own  Paper,"  p.  109,  Decem- 
ber, 1910.) 

Bokbaard. — (D.  baard,  a  beard.)  (1)  A  chin  beard  like 
that  of  a  goat.  (2)  In  some  parts  of  Griqualand  East  Festuca 
caprina  is  known  by  this  name. 

"  Festuca  caprina.  Nees,  locally  known  as  bokbaard,  a 
grass  remaining  green  through  the  severe  winter,  yields  ex- 
cellent herbage  on  the  mountain  slopes."  ("Report  S.A.A.A. 
Science,"  p.  209,  1908.) 

Bokhal. — (D.  bokaal,  a  beaker  ;  G.  Pokal,  a  drinking  cup  ; 
Gr.  BavKoXi^,  a  vessel  to  cool  water  or  wine  in.)  A  tankard, 
mug. 

"  One  of  the  principal  guests  arises  holding  in  his  hand  a 
bokhal  filled  to  the  brim."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i. 
p.  45,  1870.) 

"  One  hour  later  we  were  in  the  old  voorhuis  together 
drinking  bokals  and  making  the  rafters  ring  with  song  and 
tale  and  laughter."  ("  Cape  Times  Christmas  Number," 
p.  15,  1904.) 

Bokhoorntjes. —  (D.  hoorn  or  Jioren,  horn.)  Applied  in- 
discriminately to  the  follicles  of  various  Asclepiadacece  in  the 
Riversdale  District. 

Bokkum. — (D.  bokking,  G.  Bucking,  Bilckling,  smoked 
herring,  probably  derived  from  G.  pokeln,  to  pickle  in  salt.) 
In  South  Africa  this  word  is  applied  to  various  small  fish 
preserved  whole. 

"  They  (springers)  make  good  table  fare,  but  are  more 


76  AFEICANDEEISMS 

frequently  salted  or  smoke-dried  (Bokkums)  like  the  herring." 
(Pappe's  "  Edible  Fishes  of  the  Cape,"  2nd  ed.,  p.  19,  1866.) 

Bokman.— A  labourer  who  levels  the  ground  turned  over 
by  the  diggers. 

Bokooi. — (D,  bok,  a  goat,  antelope  ;  ooi,  a  ewe.)  In  Cape 
Dutch  a  she-goat. 

Bokveld. — The  name  given  to  the  Karoo  Districts,  which 
at  one  time  were  the  habitat  of  countless  herds  of  almost 
every  species  of  gregarious  antelope. 

There  is  also  a  curious  colloquial  use  of  the  word  ;  a  per- 
son who  is  dead  is  said  to  have  gone  to  the  Bokveld — Hij  is 
Bokveld  toe.     The  sun  having  set  is  spoken  of  in  hke  manner. 

"  Mr.  Mong,  the  boode,  had  informed  me  that  proper  oxen 
might  be. obtained  in  the  Bokkeveld."  (Burchell's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  134,  1822.) 

Bolderwagen. — (D.  "(a  kind  of)  covered  stage-coach, 
covered  wagon".  Calisch.  The  etymology  seems  to  be 
unknown.)     A  stage-coach. 

"  European  carriages  are  used  only  in  Cape  Town  and 
its  vicinity,  nor  is  there  any  public  conveyance  except  the 
Bolderwagen  (stage  wagon)  to  Stellenbosch."  (Burchell's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  76,  1822.) 

Bolletjes,  Moss. — (D.  most,  must,  new  wine ;  bolletje,  a 
little  ball.)  A  sort  of  cake  in  the  preparation  of  which  the 
freshly  fermented  juice  of  grapes  (must)  is  used. 

"Moss  bolletje. — So  called  from  '  moss,'  juice  of  the  grape 
in  its  first  stages  of  fermentation,  and  'bolletje,'  a  bun." 
(Hilda's  "  Where  is  it  ?  of  Eecipes,"  p.  143,  1904.) 

Bologna-sausage  tree. — See  Sausage  tree. 

Bombay  merchants. — See  Arabs. 

Bond,  Africander. — (Cf.  G.  Bund,  a  league,  union.)  A 
pohtical  organization  formed  in  1882,  which  sought  to  unite 
the  various  Dutch  elements  of  South  Africa  into  a  homo- 
geneous whole.  It  worked  vigorously  and  successfully  for 
thirty  years,  and  on  the  consummation  of  union  was  merged 
in  the  Nationahst  party. 

Bongolo. — (Kaf.  ini  Bongolo,  a  mule.)     A  mule. 

"  Mr.  .  .  .  has  been  appointed  one  of  the  official  Judges 
of  the  South  African  Judges  Association,  his  specialty  being 
mules,  and  none  knows  a  bongolo  better  than  .  .  .  says  the 
Umtata  paper."  ("  Queenstown  Weekly  Keview,"  25  Novem- 
ber, 1911.) 


AFKICANDERISMS  77 

Bon  kresan. — (F.  Bon  Ghritien ;  as  applied  to  a  variety  of 
pear  this  name  was  evolved  by  French  gardeners  from  the 
Greek  Ilavxpeo'ro^,  universal  good.)  The  name  given  to  a 
vs^ell-known  variety  of  pear. 

Bonnet. — A  slang  name  for  a  man  employed  in  the 
gambling  hells  in  the  early  days  of  the  Diamond  Fields  to 
induce  others  to  stake  their  money  freely  ;  a  decoy. 

"  Upon  entering  we  encountered  an  individual  (technically 
called  a  bonnet)  whose  hateful  duty  it  was  to  tempt  men  to 
play  by  the  lavish  way  in  which  he  staked  money  which  to  all 
appearance  was  his  own,  and  to  seduce  the  unwary  into  the 
meshes  of  his  employer's  net."  (Matthew's  "  Incwadi  Yami," 
p.  119,  1887.) 

Bont. — (D.  bont,  parti-coloured.)     Variegated,  motley. 

Bontebok. — Damaliscus pygargus.  This  beautiful  animal 
which  existed  at  one  time  in  enormous  herds  in  the  Cape 
Colony,  has  almost,  if  not  entirely,  disappeared. 

"The  buntebuck,  something  less,  but  more  corpulent  in 
proportion  than  the  hartebeest,  is  the  antilope  scripta  of 
Pallas,  and  the  guib  of  buffon."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i. 
p.  129,  1785.) 

"  Its  colour  is  so  beautiful,  and  its  markings  so  distinct,  as 
to  give  rise  to  the  name  Bontebok  or  Painted  goat."  (Ley- 
land's  "Adventures,"  p.  81,  1866.) 

Bontebok  Flats. — An  extent  of  country  lying  at  the  foot  of 
the  Amatola  Mountains,  at  one  time  the  haunt  of  this  buck. 

Bonte  canariebijter. — (D.  bijten,  to  bite.)  Dryoscopus 
ferrugineus.     See  Zwart  canariebijter. 

Bonte  elsje. — (D.  els,  an  awl.)  Becurvirostra  avocetta. 
The  name  refers  to  the  peculiar  shape  of  the  bird's  bill, 
which  is  curved  upwards. 

"The  Bonte  elsje,  lit.  'pied  cobbler's  awl,'  occurs  periodi- 
cally in  small  flocks  in  the  Colony."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's 
"  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  673,  1875-84.) 

Bonte  haai. — (D.  bont,  parti-coloured;  haai,  a  shark.) 
See  Lui  haai  and  Tiger  shark. 

Bonte  kraai. — (D.  kraai,  a  crow.)     Corvus  scapulatus. 

"  The  bonte  kraai  (pied  crow)  of  the  Dutch  (Corvus 
scapulatus)  is  also  pretty  often  seen."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and 
Karoo,"  p.  15,  1889.) 

Bontrok. — (D.  rok,  a  coat.)  The  Mossel  Bay  name  of  a 
species  of  Dentex  referring  probably  to  its  varied  colouring. 


78  AFRICANDERISMS 

Bontrokje. — Pratincola  torquata,  a  species  of  Stone- 
chat. 

"  The  name  Bontrok  ...  is  perhaps  derived  from  some 
supposed  resemblance  to  the  Bontrokje,  a  species  of  stone- 
chat."  (Gilchrist's  "  History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape 
Fish,"  p.  221, 1900.) 

Bont  slang. — (D.  hont,  parti-coloured  ;  slang,  a  snake.) 
Homalosoma  variegatum. 

Bont  span. — (1)  A  span  of  oxen  of  different  colours. 
(2)  The  name  is  also  applied  to  the  alternate  pieces  of  flesh 
and  fat  spitted  on  a  stick  for  roasting. 

"  A  skilful  man  would  so  arrange  the  meat  on  his  spit  as  to 
have  alternate  pieces  of  fat  and  lean  and  thus  get  v^hat  we 
used  to  call  a  bont  span."  (De  Wet's  "  Three  Years'  War," 
p.  11,  1903.) 

Bont  tick. — Amblyomma  hebrcBum,  the  tick  which  is  now 
known  to  communicate  heartwater  from  a  diseased  animal  to 
a  susceptible  one. 

"  The  large  Bonte  tick  that  destroys  the  teats  of  cows  and 
produces  terrible  sores  on  all  animals."  (Douglas'  "  Ostrich 
Farming,"  p.  17,  1881.) 

Bontveld. — A  flat  open  country  with  low-growing  shrubs, 
grasses,  etc.     See  Eland-veld. 

"  The  intervening  country,  if  not  the  usual  bonte-veld  or 
Eland-veld,  consists  of  a  succession  of  sandy  bults  or  ridges." 
(Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  16,  1868.) 

Boode. — (D.  bode;  G.  Bote^  a  messenger.)  The  official 
messenger  of  a  law-court. 

"  Mr.  Mong,  the  boode,  had  informed  me  that  proper  oxen 
might  be  obtained  in  the  Bokkeveld."  (Burchell's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  134,  1822.) 

Booked. — See  Inbooking. 

"The  children  of  the  natives  killed  on  the  commando 
were  booked  for  a  number  of  years  until  they  had  reached  a 
certain  age,  but  they  were  .seldom  relieved  when  they  reached 
that  period."  (Hoodie's  "  Battles  of  South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  255, 
1888.) 

Boom. — (D.  boom,  a  tree,  pole.)  In  one  or  other  of  its 
significations — tree  or  pole — this  word  appears  in  frequent 
combinations  :  e.g.  Kafir-boom,  Dissel-boom,  etc.  Cf.  English 
Jib-boom. 

Boom. — In  the  language  of  the  share  market  a  "  boom  " 


AFEICANDERISMS  79 

is  a  rapid  advance  in  the  price  of  shares,  produced  by  active 
speculation,  resulting  from  an  increased  output,  large  finds, 
or  the  expectation  of  such  things.  The  v7ord  is  of  American 
origin. 

"  The  materials  for  building  other  houses  were  already  on 
the  ground,  and  the  usual  symptoms  of  a  boom  were  discern- 
ible."    (Boyce's  "  Impressions,"  p.  292,  1898.) 

Boom  dassie. — (D.  das,  a  badger.)  Procavia  arborea, 
called  also  Bosch  dassie.  Moodie  says  that  it  inhabits  holloM^ 
trees  and  runs  along  the  branches  M^ith  great  rapidity. 

"  The  tree  dassie  which  lives  in  trees  and  feeds  upon  the 
leaves.  Colonists  know  this  dassie  as  the  boom  or  bosch 
dassie."     ("  Eastern  Province  Herald,"  18  November,  1908.) 

Boomgift. — (D.  gift,  poison.)  The  juice  of  a  species  of 
Euphorbia  used  by  the  Bushmen  of  Namaqualand  in  the 
preparation  of  their  arrow  poison. 

"  The  poison  for  their  arrows  is  obtained  from  different 
substances,  snake  poison  is  used  .  .  .  they  use  also  the 
milky  juice  taken  from  a  species  of  cactus  called  boom-gift 
in  Dutch — or  Euphorbia — which  grows  in  the  Langeberg." 
C  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  25  July,  1912.) 

Boomplaats. — (D.plaats,  a  place.)  The  locality  of  a  battle 
fought  in  1848  between  the  Dutch  under  Andries  Pretorius 
and  the  British  under  Sir  Harry  Smith,  in  which  the  Dutch 
suffered  defeat.  The  place  was  so  named  because  it  had  a 
few  trees  growing  upon  it,  the  surrounding  country  being 
bare. 

"  Sir  Harry  Smith  came  up  in  person  with  a  strong  force 
which  met  the  Boer  commando  at  Boomplaats  and  defeated 
it  after  a  short  but  sharp  encounter,  whereby  British  authority 
became  once  more  established  in  the  Orange  River  Sove- 
reignty." (Hoodie's  "  Battles  of  South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  249, 
1888.) 

Boom  singertje.  —  The  name  given  sometimes  to  the 
Cicada,  and   sometimes   to   a  species   of   tree   cricket. 

Boom  slang. — (D.  slang,  a  snake.)  Dispholidus  typus, 
Smith.  A  tree  snake  at  one  time  considered  to  be  non- 
poisonous,  but  recently  proved  to  be  very  poisonous,  though 
its  poison  is  slow  in  working.  It  is  found  from  six  to  ten 
feet  in  length,  and  varies  in  colour  from  a  vivid  green  to  a 
near  approach  to  black. 

"  The  natives  of  South  Africa  regard  the  Boom  slange  as 


80  AFRICANDEEISMS 

poisonous,  but  in  their  opinion  we  cannot  concur,  as  we  have 
not  been  able  to  discover  the  existence  of  any  glands  mani- 
festly organized  for  the  secretion  of  poison."  (Smith's 
"  Zoology  of  South  Africa  :  Eeptiha,"  1848.) 

Boom,  To.— The  noise  made  by  the  cock  ostrich  during 
the  breeding  season.     See  Brooming. 

"In  the  characteristic  'bromming'  or  booming  of  the 
cock  during  the  pairing  season,  the  neck  becomes  greatly  in- 
flated by  the  fiUing  of  the  food  pipe  with  air."  ("  S.A. 
Agric.  Journal,"  p.  24,  January,  1912.) 

Boom,  To. — To  work  up  a  keen  general  interest  in  some 
particular  shares,  candidate,  or  undertaking. 

Boord. — (D.  boomgaard,  an  orchard.)  An  orchard.  In 
Cape  Dutch  the  word  has  been  contracted  into  this  form. 

Booted  eagle. — Eutolmcetus  pinnatus. 

"  The  booted  eagle — a  handsome  bird,  which  shows  light, 
crescent-shaped  markings  in  its  outstretched  wings — may 
often  be  seen  hereabouts."  ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  9,  14  Septem- 
ber, 1912.) 

Bootlace  fern. — Vittaria  lineata,  Sw.  This  single  Cape 
species  is  thus  popularly  known  on  account  of  its  bootlace- 
like appearance. 

"  The  bootlace  fern  usually  found  on  mossy  stumps  in 
the  forest  and  looking  more  like  a  hank  of  green  bootlaces 
than  anything  else."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  17 
February,  1911.) 

Border,  The. — The  Districts  of  King  WilHamstown  and 
East  London  are  often  spoken  of  as  "  The  Border  "  or  "  The 
Frontier,"  because  they  are  situated  between  the  Colony 
proper  and  the  native  territories. 

"  King  WilHamstown,  or  '  King '  as  it  is  sometimes 
shortly  termed  .  .  .  has  also  the  chief  command  of  the  native 
trade,  extending  beyond  the  Border  and  north  to  Basutoland." 
(Noble's  "  Handbook,"  p.  102,  1886.) 

Borer. — A  small  beetle  which  bores  its  way  into  wood,  and 
by  its  depredations  renders  it  sooner  or  later  quite  useless. 

"  Coffee  enterprise  seemed  dying  out  fast,  no  planting  going 
on,  the  trees  suffering  from  an  insect,  the  borer,  and  from 
the  leaf  disease  (Hemiteia  Vastratrix),  which  has  played  such 
havoc  in  Ceylon."    (Matthews' ''  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  323, 1887.) 

"  The  native  woods  of  the  country  are  attacked  by  a  small 
beetle,  commonly  known  as  the  Borer,  which  is  brown  in 


AFRICANDEEISMS  81 

colour  and  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length."  (Brown's 
"  On  the  South  African  Frontier,"  p.  316,  1899.) 

"  An  insect  called  the  borer  drills  holes  into  your  house's 
beams  and  rafters  and  uprights."  (Du  Plessis'  "  In  the  Heart 
of  Africa,"  p.  55,  1905.) 

Borri. — Turmeric,  used  to  colour  rice  for  the  table. 

"  In  such  cases  the  man  is  rubbed  with  horri  or  turmeric." 
(Stavorinus*  "  Voyages,"  ii.  p.  136,  1798.) 

Borstrok. — (D.  borst,  the  breast ;  rok,  a  coat.)  In  Holland 
this  name  is  given  to  what  is  known  among  the  fishermen  of 
the  south-east  coast  of  England  as  a  "  Guernsey ".  In  the 
Colony  it  is  appHed  to  a  lady's  corset  or  stays. 

Bosch  dassie. — See  Boom  dassie. 

Bosch  druif. — (D.  bosch,  wood,  forest ;  druif,  a  grape.) 
Vitis  capensis  is  known  by  this  name  in  the  Western  Pro- 
vince. 

Bosch  duif. — (D.  duif,  a  pigeon,  dove.)  Columba  phoeo- 
nota. 

Bosch  guarri. — (Kaf.  um  Givali.)  Euclea  lanceolata,  a 
common  shrub  all  through  the  Colony  and  Natal. 

Bosch  lory. — ("The  word  lory  is  a  corruption  of  the 
Malay  nuri,  a  parrot." — Yule  and  Burnell's  "Anglo-Indian 
Glossary".)  Hapaloderma  narina,  one  of  the  TrogonidcB 
whose  habitat  is  the  dense  bush.  Curiously  enough  Ar- 
bousset  ("  Narrative,"  p.  222,  1846)  gives  the  name  "  fiscal " 
to  this  bird. 

Bosch  luis. — (D.  luis,  a  louse.)  A  variety  of  the  "  Tick" 
family. 

"  A  noxious  little  insect  annoying  both  to  man  and  beast, 
the  acarus  sanguisugus,  which  Dr.  Clarke  supposes  to  be  the 
kind  of  louse  which  of  old  plagued  the  Egyptians.  The 
Dutch  colonists  of  the  Cape  call  it  the  bosch  luis,  or  wood- 
louse."     (Arbousset's  "  Narrative,"  p.  68,  1846.) 

"  Dat  bosluizen  de  oorzaak  zyn  van  meer  dan  een  bekende 
veeziekte,  is'n  feit  dat  geen  verstandige  boer  meer  zal  ontken- 
nen."     ("  Mossel  Baai  Advertiser,"  30  July,  1912.) 

Bosch  musikant. — Ploceus  bicolor  is  so  called  on  account 
of  the  many  sweet  notes  in  its  somewhat  weird  song. 

"It  is  called  the  Bush  musician,  or  Bos  musikant  in  the 
English  or  Dutch  vernacular."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches 
of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  66,  1908.) 

Bosch   peper. — Piper  capense,    L.     "A   kind   of   pepper 

6 


82  AFBICANDERISMS 

which   partakes   of    the    quaUties    peculiar    to   the   genus." 

Pappe. 

Bosch   taaibosch.— (D.   taai,   tough.)       Bhus   lavigata, 
used  by  the  natives  for  making  pipes. 

Bosch  vaal-bosch.— (D.  vaal,  sallow,  tawny.)  Termin- 
alia  sericea,  Burch.     The  Transvaal  name  of  this  tree. 

Bosch  vark.— (D.  varken,  a  hog,  pig.)  Potamochoerus 
choeropotamus,  a  nocturnal,  forest  haunting  animal. 

"  Two  species  of  wild  hog  are  met  with  in  Southern  Africa 
— Sus  larvatus,  the  Bosch  vark,  bush  pig,  which  is  about 
two  and  a  half  feet  high  and  five  feet  long,  and  has  a  tuber- 
cular excrescence  covered  with  coarse  hair  on  the  face." 
(Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  213,  1844.) 

"  This  boar  was  what  is  generally  known  in  colonial  par- 
lance as  the  Bosch  vaark ;  without  the  ofifal  it  weighed  up- 
wards of  130  lbs."  ("  The  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  5  Sep- 
tember, 1860.) 

Bosch  veld. — See  Bush  veld. 

"  Het  Transvaal-gebied  wordt  verder  onderscheiden  in  : 
Hoogveld,  Bosch  veld  en  Gebroken  veld."  ("  De  Worstelstrijd 
der  Transvalers,"  p.  332,  1882.) 

Bosch  vogel. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird;  cf.  Eng.  fowl.)  Aii- 
dfopadus  importunus.  Le  Vaillant  states  that  it  builds  on 
branches  of  large  trees  and  lays  four  or  five  eggs  marked  with 
olive  colour.  It  has  a  clear,  shrill,  single  piping  note,  and  it 
will  readily  come  to  anyone  who  knows  its  call  and  can  imi- 
tate it.     See  Pilawit. 

"  The  Boschvogel  as  it  is  called  is  not  very  rare  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds 
of  South  Africa,"  p.  214,  1875-84.) 

Bosjesman's  doom. — (D.  doom,  a  thorn,  prickle.)  Sarcc- 
caulon  Burmanni,  D.G.,  is  known  by  this  name  in  Nama- 
qualand. 

Bosjesman's  thee. — Catha  edulis,  Forsk.  See  Bushman's 
tea.  An  infusion  of  its  leaves  is  used  for  coughs,  asthma, 
etc.  A  rare  shrub  in  South  Africa  known  only  from  the 
Queenstown  and  Cathcart  districts.  Stachys  rugosa,  Ait., 
is  also  known  as  "Bushman's  tea"  in  the  Cradock  Dis- 
trict. 

"  Methyscophyllum.  .  .  .  This  is  the  Bosjesman's  thee  oi 
the  colonists.  The  leaves  chewed  to  excess  by  the  Bosjes- 
men  have  intoxicating  effects  :  a  moderate  infusion  is  said  to 


AFKICANDEKISMS  83 

be  as  good  as  tea,  and  also  as  a  remedy  for  asthma."    ("  Flora 
Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  463,  1859-60.) 

Bosjestroop. — (D.  stroop,  syrup,  treacle.)  This  syrup, 
which  is  used  for  the  relief  and  cure  of  coughs,  is  made  by 
boiling  the  mixed  honey  and  dew  taken  in  the  early  morning 
from  the  calyx  of  Pro  tea  mellifera. 

Bosmannetje. — (CD.  mannetje,  dim.  of  man.)  Gerco- 
pithecus  lalandii,  tree  monkeys  numerous  in  the  wooded  parts 
of  Knysna  and  Pondoland,  are  so  called  by  the  Dutch. 

"  1654,  24  April.  This  morning  there  was  found  in  the 
mountain  a  dead  bosmannaken,  called  in  Batavia  ourang- 
outangh."  (Van  Eiebeeck's  "Journal,"  Hoodie's  "Ke- 
cords,"  p.  60,  1841.) 

Boss  up  I — A  corruption  of  the  Cape  Dutch  Pas  op  ! — Take 
care  !  look  out !     Cf.  G.  Passen  Sie  auf ! 

"  Wherefore  extra  precautions  should  be  observed,  or  as 
the  Dutch  hunters  say  boss  up."  (Nicolls  and  Eglinton's 
"  The  Sportsman  in  South  Africa,"  p.  81,  1892.) 

Boter  bloem. — (D.  boter,  butter  ;  bloem,  a  flower.)  Gaz- 
ania  pinnata  var.  integrifolia.  The  flower  is  yellow,  and  an 
infusion  of  the  whole  plant  is  used  as  a  preventative  of  mis- 
carriage. 

Boterboom. — (D.  boom,  a  tree.)  Cotyledon  fascicularis, 
Ait.     Sometimes  it  is  called  "  Boter-bosch  ". 

"  The  Cotyledons  have  thick,  succulent  leaves,  and  stout, 
soft  stems  ;  some  of  them  are  arborescent  shrubs  about  eight 
feet  high ;  they  are  called  in  the  Colony  Boter-boo7ns,  Butter 
trees."     (Backhouse's  "Narrative,"  p.  113,  1844.) 

Bottle-brush. — Calistemon  speciosum,  G.  regulosum,  and 
G.  rigidum.  The  name  has  reference  to  the  shape  of  the 
flowers,  which  is  like  that  of  the  brush  used  for  cleaning  bottles. 

"  CaHstemon,  the  bottle-brush  of  Cape  Gardens  .  .  .  are 
natives  of  New  Holland."  ("Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p. 
88,  1857.) 

Bottle  licence. — A  licence  to  sell  liquor  in  quantities  of 
not  less  than  a  bottle. 

Bottle  store. — A  store  or  shop  at  which  liquor  is  sold  under 
a  "bottle  licence". 

"  The  houses  generally,  if  they  are  not  bottle  stores  (i.e. 
public-houses)  are  either  dry  goods  stores  or  mining  syndicate 
offices."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,"  p.  25, 
1897.) 

6  * 


84  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Bougys. — (F.  bouge ;  "  coquillage  servant  de  monnais  aux 
Indes,"  Boiste.)     A  species  of  cowry. 

"  Co  wry  s  and  bougys  for  which  they  are  eager. "  ("  Memo, 
of  Van  Eiebeeck's,  1672,"  Hoodie's  "Eecords,"  p.  247, 
1841.) 

Bovenland. — (D.  boven,  above,  over,  up.)  Applied  in  Cape 
Dutch  to  the  country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town. 
See  Onderveld. 

"  Over  the  whole  colony  the  words  boven  (upper)  and  boven- 
land are  used  to  signify  those  parts  of  it  which  are  nearer  to 
Cape  Town,  and  often  Cape  Town  itself ;  while  onder  (under) 
and  onderveld  are  the  terms  applied  in  contradistinction." 
(Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  88,  1822.) 

Boys. — Coloured  labourers,  whether  Hottentot,  Bastard,  or 
Kaffir,  and  whatever  their  age,  are  invariably  termed  "  boys  " 
throughout  the  whole  of  South  Africa. 

"The  boisterous  singing  of  a  lame  Irish  cobbler  who  was 
'  keeping  it  up '  with  two  Hottentot  boys  neither  of  whom 
was  under  fifty  years  of  age."  (Harris'  "  Wild  Sports,"  p.  15, 
1839.) 

Braaking. — (D.  braak,  fallow;  cf.  G.  brack.)  The  term 
applied  to  the  ploughing  of  virgin  soil. 

"  Ploughing  of  virgin  soil  or  braaking  is  done  in  Sep- 
tember after  rains."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the 
Cape  Colony,"  p.  468,  1896.) 

Braakland. — Land  which  has  been  ploughed  for  the  first 
time,  or  which  has  been  lying  fallow  for  several  years. 

Braambosch. — (D.  braambosch,  bramble.)  Bubus  pin- 
natus,  the  Cape  bramble. 

"The  roots  are  astringent,  and  used  as  a  decoction  for 
chronic  diarrhoea,  etc.  The  fruit  of  this  species  of  bramble  or 
Blackberry -bush  (Braambosch)  is  equal  in  flavour  and  taste 
to  that  of  Europe."  (Pappe's  "  Florae  Capensis  Medicae 
Prodromus,"  p.  12,  1868.) 

Braiding. — (D.  bereiden,  to  prepare.)  The  rubbing  pro- 
cess by  which  skins  are  rendered  soft  and  fit  for  use.  See 
Breying. 

"  A  process  commonly  termed  braiding  which  they  per- 
form by  constantly  rubbing  it  in  their  hands,  greasing  it,  and 
thumping  it  with  large  sticks  or  stones,  till  it  becomes  soft 
and  pliable."  (Methuen's  "Life  in  the  Wilderness,"  p.  259, 
1848.) 

Brak.— (D.  brak,  saltish.)     The  term  is  applied  to  soil  or 


AFKICANDEKISMS  85 

water  in  which  there  is  an  excess  of  soda  or  salts.  This  excess 
in  the  soil  seems  to  be  due  to  the  combined  action  of  capillary 
attraction  and  free  evaporation  from  the  surface.  A  curious 
phenomenon  about  the  "brak"  springs,  which  occur  very 
frequently  in  South  Africa,  is  that  they  often  run  strongly  in 
time  of  drought  and  are  weakest  after  heavy  thunder  rains  :  a 
phenomenon  still  awaiting  satisfactory  explanation. 

"Though  water  is  struck  almost  everywhere  round  the 
house,  much  of  it  is  hrak  or  salt."  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for 
Diamonds,"  p.  170,  1873.) 

"Like  some  of  our  Boers  in  brack  districts,  when  they 
first  get  a  draught  of  pure  water  complain  of  its  being  taste- 
less and  mawkish."  ("Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  ii.  p.  47, 
1875.) 

"  The  ground  must  be  brack,  a  peculiar  kind  of  soil, 
which,  though  loose  and  friable,  is  not  porous."  (Martin's 
"  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  82,  1890.) 

Brak  bosjes. — (D.  bos,  bush,  tuft.)  Plants  of  several* 
varieties  are  thus  designated  :  (1)  In  the  Karoo  it  is  applied  to 
a  species  of  Mesembyranthemum,  the  leaves  of  which  are 
employed  in  dressing  skins.  (2)  In  the  quotations  it  is  applied 
to  Atriplex  halimus,  L.  (3)  Salicornia  fruticosa  is  so  called 
at  Riversdale. 

"  The  part  where  we  now  halted  was  covered  principally 
with  such  shrubs  and  plants  as  afford  alkali :  these  were  the 
Kanna-bush  and  another  whose  name  of  Brak-boschjes 
(brackish  bushes)  indicates  that  their  nature  has  been  well 
observed  by  the  inhabitants." 

"  A  shrubby  species  of  atriplex,  probably  the  A.  candicans. 
Yet  the  name  of  brak-boschjes  does  not  belong  exclusively  to 
this  plant."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  21,  1824.) 

"When  first  our  oxen  were  under  the  necessity  of  eating 
brak-bushes  we  felt  a  little  dismayed."  (Backhouse's  "  Narra- 
tive," p.  502,  1844.) 

Brakje. — (D.  brak,  a  setter ;  G.  Bracke,  a  bloodhound, 
setter.)  As  employed  in  the  Cape  Colony  this  word  is  almost 
exactly  equivalent  to  the  English  words,  mongrel,  cur. 

"  Paulus  Kruger  brought  his  fist  down  heavily  on  the  table, 
while  he  roared  '  Allermachtig !  are  my  brothers  to  have  no 
liberty  of  action  ?  Must  they  walk  down  the  hills  while  the 
Rooibaatjes  march  up  and  make  mince-meat  of  them  ?  Have 
these  brakjes  not  bayonets  to  plunge  into  us  and  turn  our 


86  AFRICANDEEISMS 

insides  out  ? '  "    (Nesbitt's  "  For  Right  and  England,"  p.  159, 
1900.) 

"  Thus  all  they  had  to  depend  on  was  these  small  hrak- 
kies  (mongrel  dogs)  and  their  own  kerries."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  7,  12  April,  1906.) 

Brakveld.— (D.  brak,  saltish.)  Veld  largely  composed  of 
saltish  shrubs. 

"Cattle  grazing  on  brakveld  show  but  little  craving 
for  bones."      ("S.A.    Agric.   Journal,"  p.   37,   July,   1912.) 

Brakvij. — (D.  vijg,  a  fig.)  The  fruit  of  a  species  of  Mes- 
embryanthemum. 

Brand. — (D.  brand,  fire,  conflagration,  fuel.)  An  area  of 
veld  from  which  the  grass  and  small  herbage  has  been  burnt. 

"  A  similar  statement  is  made  of  brands  where  the  young 
grass  withers  as  the  result  of  dry  weather."  ("  S.A.  Agric. 
Journal,"  p.  38,  July,  1912.) 

Brandblaren.  —  (D.  branden,  to  burn ;  blad,  a  leaf.) 
Anemone  vesicatoria  Prantl.  The  leaves  when  bruised  are 
very  effective  for  blistering  purposes. 

"  This  genus  is  exclusively  South  African.  The  species 
are  extremely  acrid  and  the  commonest  (K.  vesicatoria  and 
K.  rigida)  are  popular  colonial  remedies  for  rheumatism,  etc. 
The  bruised  leaves  applied  to  the  skin  raise  an  effective  blister. 
Popular  name  Brand-blaren."  ("  Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.  i. 
p.  4,  1859-60.) 

Brandbosjes.  —  (D.  bos,  bush,  tuft.)  Mohria  Thuri- 
fraga,  Sw.  The  leaves  of  this  fern  are  pulverized,  made  into 
an  ointment  with  fat,  which  is  very  serviceable  in  burns  and 
scalds. 

Branddam. — An  open  tank  or  reservoir  in  which  water 
is  kept  for  the  purpose  of  extinguishing  fires. 

"  It  (the  water)  is  distributed  to  Brandtdams  at  different 
parts  of  the  town  by  means  of  open  furrows."  ("  Graaff 
Eeinet  Advertiser,"  16  September,  1900.) 

Brandewijn  bosch. — (D.  brandewijn,  brandy.)  Grewia 
flava. 

"An  attempt  at  distiUing  a  spirit  from  the  berries  of  what 
they  therefore  call  the  Brandeivijn  bosch  (brandy  bush)  had 
succeeded."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  364,  1822.) 

Brand wacht. — (G.  Brandwache,  a  fire  watch,  a  guard- 
ship.)  An  old  term  which  was  revived  during  the  Boer  War 
of  1899-1902.     It  had  reference  to  the  old  custom  of  giving 


AFKICANDEEISMS  87 

alarm  by  means  of  beacon  fires,  but  it  was  applied  by  the 
Boers  to  the  system  of  outposts  adopted  by  them  during  the 
war. 

"  It  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  prisoner  to  have 
escaped  us  as  he  did  not  know  the  positions  of  the  hrand- 
zvacht"     ("  Graaff  Keinet  Advertiser,"  25  September,  1901.) 

Brandziekte. — (D.  ziekte,  sickness,  disease.)  This  dis- 
ease is  also  known  as  "  Scab  ".  It  is  "  the  result  of  an  ab- 
normal and  unhealthy  condition  of  skin  due  to  irritation 
caused  by  myriads  of  microscopic,  mite-like  insects  or  acari  ". 
(Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony  ".) 

"  They  are  subject  also  to  a  cutaneous  disease  that  works 
great  havoc  among  the  bovine  tribe.  It  is  called  by  the 
farmers  hrandt-  siekte,  or  burning  disease."  (Barrow's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  263,  1801.) 

"  Bra7idt-siekte,  a  disease  which  immediately  seizes  such 
animals  (goats)  when  placed  on  sour  grass  farms."  (Boyce's 
"Notes  on  South  Africa,"  p.  138,  1838.) 

Brandzolder. — (D.  colder,  a  loft,  garret ;  Lat.  solarium,  a 
flat  roof,  a  balcony  exposed  to  the  sun.)  A  loft  immediately 
under  the  thatch  of  a  building,  with  a  thick  mud  or  brick 
floor,  to  protect  the  under  part  of  the  building  should  the 
thatch  catch  fire.  The  Brand-zolder  is  usually  used  for  the 
storage  of  farm  produce.  It  is  of  interest  to  know  that  in 
Tusser's  "  Fme  Hundred  Pointes  of  Good  Husbandrie  "  (Ed. 
Eng.  Dial.  Soc.  57/5)  the  word  soller  is  used  for  a  loft  or 
garret  in  which  garden  or  farm  produce  was  husbanded  : — 

Maides,  mustard  seede  gather,  for  being  too  ripe, 
And  weather  it  well,  er  ye  giue  it  a  stripe  : 
Then  dresse  it  and  laie  it  in  soller  vp  sweete, 
Least  foistines  make  it  for  table  vnmete. 

Palsgrave  has  "  soller,  a  lofte,  gamier  "  ;  and  the  Prompt. 
Parv.  gives  "  Garytte,  hay  solere  ". 

"  The  house  having  been  built  with  what  the  Dutch  call  a 
hrandt- solder,  the  fire,  after  having  destroyed  the  whole  of 
the  pitched  roof,  had  burnt  itself  out,  without  actually  de- 
scending as  far  as  the  supporting  beams."  ("  At  Home  in 
the  Transvaal,"  p.  455,  1884.) 

Breadfruit. — Encephalartos  caffer^  Lehm.  The  name 
sometimes  given  in  the  Eastern  Province  to  this  and  other 
members  of  the  Cycadacece  family. 

"Our  local  cycads   are    commonly   called  '  Kaffirbread,' 


88  AFKICANDERISMS 

Breadfruit  tree"     (" East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3,  24  De- 
cember, 1908.) 

Bread,  Kaffir  or  Hottentot.— This  is  made  from  the  stems 
of  several  species  of  Gycadacece.  The  mode  of  preparation 
is  somewhat  pecuhar ;  the  stems  are  first  of  all  buried  for 
some  time,  after  which  the  mucilaginous  centre  is  taken 
out,  dried,  then  pounded  and  made  into  cakes.  See  Bread- 
fruit. 

"  It  (Encephalartos  cycadifolius)  is  the  smallest  of  all  our 
South  African  Kaffirbreads."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p. 
3,  24  December,  1908.) 

Bread -palm. — Another  Eastern  Province  name  for  the 
Cycadacea.     See  Broodboom. 

"  Our  local  cycads  are  commonly  called  .  .  .  Bread-palm" 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3,  24  December,  1908.) 

Bredi. — A  dish  of  meat  and  vegetables  served  up  in  a  sort 
of  mush. 

"  Breedi  signifies  in  the  Madagascar  tongue  spinage ;  the 
word  is  brought  hither  by  the  slaves  ;  and  at  present  through- 
out the  whole  Colony,  every  sort  of  vegetable,  which  like 
cabbage,  spinage,  or  sorrel,  is  cut  to  pieces  and  dressed  with 
cayenne  pepper,  is  included  under  the  general  term  breedi." 
(Lichtenstein's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  82,  1815.) 

Breying. — (D.  bereiden,  to  prepare.)  This  is  an  Anglicized 
form  of  the  Cape  Dutch  word  breien,  to  prepare  skins.  See 
Braiding. 

"  The  trunk  of  a  tree  is  fixed  up  near  the  hut,  for  the 
purpose  of  preparing  (or  as  they  call  it  breyen)  leathern 
riems."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  351,  1822.) 

Breypaal. — {jy.paal,  a  pole.)  A  pole  upon  which  riems 
are  prepared. 

"  Such  an  apparatus  is  called  by  them,  and  by  the 
colonists,  who  also  make  use  of  it,  a  brey-paal."  (Burchell's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  351,  1822.) 

"The  native  was  sentenced  to  be  pegged  out  to  a  b^-ay- 
paal  and  receive  twenty-five  lashes  with  a  stirrup  leather." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  3  March,  1863.) 

Bridal  wreath.— The  name  given  on  the  Border  to  Cle- 
matis brachiata ;  but  more  commonly  to  Deutzia  crenata. 

"We  have  the  white  feathery  plumes  of  the  Clematis  or 
Bridal  wreath  as  we  call  it  in  these  parts."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  5,  23  July,  1909.) 

Brief je.—(D.  brief,  a  letter.)    A  note  or  letter ;  sometimes 


AFEICANDEBISMS  89 

it  is  used  of  the  "Pass"  which  a  native  must  have  when 
passing  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  another  with  stock. 

"  I  desire  to  send  a  letter  to  one  of  my  friends  at  Selukwe, 
so  I  take  advantage  of  the  traveUing  post-office — that  is,  I 
stop  one  of  a  party  of  boys  and  give  him  a  hriefje,  as  it  is 
called  in  Kaffir  pigeon-English  (and  in  Flemish)."  (Tangye's 
"  New  South  Africa,"  p.  184,  1896.) 

Brilling-. — (D.  brullen,  to  roar  ;  G.  brilllen,  to  roar,  bellow.) 
A  colonial  corruption  of  the  Dutch  word ;  it  is  employed  to 
denote  the  peculiar  growling  noise  which  cattle  and  other 
animals  make  when  enraged  or  in  pain,  a  noise  very  different 
from  either  a  roar  or  a  bellow. 

"  Ragman  ran  and  was  barking,  when  out  came  two  lion- 
esses brilling  savagely,  at  which  the  Kaffirs  all  fled  at  the 
top  of  their  speed."  (Baldwin's  "African  Hunting," p.  Ill, 
1894.) 

Brillzand. — (D.  brullen,  to  roar ;  zand,  sand.)  A  small  area 
of  fine  white  sand  on  the  western  side  of  the  Asbestos  Moun- 
tains in  Griqualand  West,  which  emits  a  curious  sound  when 
men  or  animals  pass  over  it. 

"  The  sound  which  the  sand  produces  if  people  or  animals 
walk  over  it  is  not  like  that  of  the  so-called  *  musical  sand,' 
but  a  kind  of  roaring  noise,  on  account  of  which  it  is  called 
Brillzand."  ("Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc."  p.  Ixx,  viii.  Pt.  i. 
1893.) 

Brinjelas. — The  fruit  of  the  egg-plant,  Solanum  melongena, 
L.,  known  in  Natal  as  brinjals.  In  these  forms  the  word  is 
from  the  Portuguese  ;  its  history  is  well  worth  study  as  showing 
the  extraordinary  modifications  a  word  can  undergo  without 
change  of  meaning.  (See  Yule  and  Burnell's  "  Anglo-Indian 
Glossary".) 

"  The  nopal  or  prickly  pear  .  .  .  is  in  abundance ;  as  also 
bring  alls  and  different  kinds  of  cole  and  cabbage."  ("Percival's 
Account,"  p.  143,  1804.) 

"  Sometimes  they  bring  a  few  fresh  beans  or  bunches  of 
cabbages,  or  Beririjelas,  the  fruit  of  the  egg-plant  and  most 
delicious  when  cut  in  slices  and  fried  in  oil."  (Monteiro's 
"  Delagoa  Bay,"  p.  54,  1891.) 

"Less  well-known  species  are  the  Egg-plant  or  Brinjal." 
(Wood's  "  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  90,  1907.) 

Briquas. — (Hot.  Goat  men.)  The  name  given  by  the 
Hottentots  to  a  tribe  of  the  Bechuanas  known  as  the  Bacha- 


90  AFEICANDEKISMS 

pins.  The  name  appears  in  Sparrman's  map  but  too  near  the 
west  coast. 

"By  barter  for  beads  and  tobacco  they  annually  obtain 
from  the  Bachapins  (called  Briquas  or  Goat  men  in  the 
Hottentot  language)  a  number  of  oxen."  (Burchell's 
"Travels,"  I.  p.  364,  1822.) 

British  Kaffraria. — The  country  lying  between  the  Keis- 
kama  and  the  Kei  Kivers.  This  territory  was  first  annexed 
to  the  Cape  by  Sir  Benjamin  D'Urban  in  1835,  when  it 
formed  a  part  of  what  was  then  called  "  The  Province  of 
Adelaide".  The  following  year  it  was  restored  to  the  Kaffirs 
under  the  humane  but  mistaken  policy  of  the  then  Secretary 
of  State  for  the  Colonies — Lord  Glenelg.  In  1847  British 
Sovereignty  was  again  proclaimed  over  the  territory,  when  it 
received  the  name  of  "British  Kafifraria".  It  remained  a 
separate  dependency  of  the  British  Crown  until  it  was  incor- 
porated with  the  Cape  Colony  in  1865. 

"  There  is  Httle  doubt  that  the  Eesident  Agent  at  Block 
Drift  now  sees  the  uselessness  of  endeavouring  to  carry  out 
the  late  arrangements  of  the  Government  with  regard  to 
British  Kaffraria."  (Ward's  "  Five  Years  in  Kaffirland,"  ii. 
p.  129,  1848.) 

"  The  country  from  the  Keis  kamma  to  the  Kei  has  been 
also  annexed  to  the  British  Crown,  under  the  title  of  British 
Kaffrariar  (Smith's  "Sketches  of  South  Africa,"  "  Wes. 
Meth.  Magazine,"  p.  58,  1849.) 

Brittle  wood. — Nuxia  tomentosa  Sond.  is  known  by  this 
name  in  the  Transvaal. 

Broek  band. — (D.  broek,  trousers.)  The  waist-band  of  a  pair 
of  trousers. 

"  Blocks  three  feet  square  were  got  out  at  Broek  band, 
i.e.  'waist-deep'."  (Baines'  "Gold  Eegions  of  South-East 
Africa,"  p.  113,  1877.) 

Broek-en-baatje.— (CD.  trousers  and  jacket.)  A  wild 
flower  which  is  supposed  to  bear  some  resemblance  to  these 
articles  of  apparel. 

Broeks. — (D.  broek,  trousers.).  The  common  form  of  the 
word  among  the  Enghsh  colonists  of  the  Eastern  Province 
of  the  Cape  Colony  ;  a  pair  of  trousers. 

"Socks  of  course  he  wore  none,  and  the  tanned  broeks 
had  slightly  contracted  in  their  washing."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  4  December,  1861.) 


AFEICANDEKISMS  91 

Broer. — (D.  broeder,  a  brother.)  This  word  is  frequently 
employed  in  folk-lore  tales  and  ordinary  conversation  as 
Uncle  Kemus — Mr,  Chandler  Harris'  friend — uses  the  word 
"Brer".  Instead  of  BrerFox,  Brer  Babbit,  etc.,  we  have 
Broer  Jakhals,  Broer  Wolf,  etc. 

Bromgras. — (D.  6ron,  a  spring;  gras,  grass.)  (1)  Bromus 
mollis,  the  "  goose  grass ''  of  the  rye  grass  fields  of  Great 
Britain.     (2)  Water-cress  is  also  known  by  this  name. 

Bromkos. — (D.  hron,  a  spring ;  host,  food.)  A  water-plant 
used  as  a  salad. 

"  'n  Koppi  sop  van  bronkors,  'n  Koppi  tesuiker  en  'n  Koppi 
asyn  saam  tot'n  stroop  gekook  en  by  telepeltjies  inge."  (Dijk- 
man's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Resepten  Boek,"  p.  126,  1898.) 

Brom  vogel. — (D.  brommen,  to  mutter,  grumble ;  vogel,  a 
bird.)  Bucorax  cafer — the  Turkey  Buzzard.  The  name  has 
reference  to  its  monotonously  repeated  call — "  boom-boom  ". 

"  The  brom  vogel  is  a  very  dark-plumaged  vulture,  like  a 
turkey-cock,  with  red  wattles  and  a  bare  brown  neck ;  they 
go  in  pairs  only  and  generally  accompany  a  flock  of  common 
vultures."  (King's  "Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,"  p.  245, 
1855.) 

Bronze  bream. — The  Natal  name  of  Gantharus  Aeneus. 

Broodboom. — (D.  brood,  bread  ;  boom,  a  tree.)  Zamia 
caffra,  Thunb.  ("  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  429,  1823)  =  Enceph- 
alartos  Gaffer,  Lehm.      See  Bread  palm. 

Brooks. — (D.  broek,  trousers.)  A  common  South  African 
corruption  of  the  Dutch  name  for  a  pair  of  trousers. 

Brooming. — (D.  brommen,  to  mutter,  grumble.)  This 
word  is  used  of  the  noise  made  by  the  ostrich.     See  Booming. 

"After  a  good  rain  ostriches  soon  begin  to  make  nests; 
the  males  become  very  savage  and  their  note  of  defiance — 
brooming  as  it  is  called  by  the  Dutch — is  heard  in  all  direc- 
tions." (Martin's  "  At  Home  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  110, 
1890.) 

"  In  the  characteristic  bromming  or  booming  of  the  cock 
during  the  pairing  season,  the  neck  becomes  greatly  inflated 
by  the  filling  of  the  foodpipe  with  air."  ("  S.A.  Agric.  Journal," 
p.  24,  January,  1912.) 

Brown,  The. — "  Into  the  brown,"  a  sporting  phrase  refer- 
ring to  the  brown  stripe  on  the  side  of  the  springbuck  and 
other  antelopes,  into  which  the  sportsman  strives  to  place  his 
bullet.     It  also  is  used  of  the  moving  mass  of  bucks. 


92  AFBICANDEEISMS 

"These  people  (the  Boer  hunters)  never  can  resist  the 
temptation  of  pumping  a  stream  of  lead  'into  the  brown'  of 
any  troop  of  game  within  sight."  (Nicholson's  "  Fifty  Years 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  210,  1898.) 

Brown  Afrikander,  Large.— Gladiolus  Grandis,  Thunb. 

Brown  canary.— Chrysomitr is  totta.     See  Pietje  canary. 

Brown    XiXngixsher.  —  Halcyon    albiventris.      See    Bush 

kingfisher. 

Bruin  kapell.— (D.  bruin,  brown;  CD.  kapell  (cobra  di) 
capello.)     Naia  flava.     See  Geel  slang. 

Bruin  kommetje-gat  kat.  —  (D.  bruin,  brown;  CD. 
kommetje,  a  small  basin.)  Herpestes  pulverulentus.  See 
Zwart  muishond. 

Brul  padda. — (D.  brullen,  to  roar  ;  pad,  a  toad  ;  G.  Padde, 
a  frog.  So  also  Mid.  Eng.,  see  Skeat.)  Bana  adspersa,  the 
largest  of  our  South  African  frogs,  with  a  voice  nearly  as 
deep  and  powerful  as  that  of  a  calf.  The  strength  and  hoarse- 
ness of  the  sound  it  emits  have  won  for  it  its  name,  which 
Enghsh-speaking  colonists  more  often  render  "Bull-podder  ". 

"  Den  brul-padda,  wiens  geluid  doet  denken  aan  een  brul- 
lenden  os,  hoort  men  dikwijls."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd 
der  Transvalers,"  p.  346  n.,  1882.) 

"  The  enormous  frog  {Pycicephalus  adspersus,  Dr.  Smith) 
called  the  brul-pad  or  bellowing  toad,  from  the  noise  it  makes 
resembling  the  bellowing  of  a  bull."  (Stow's  "  Native  Eaces 
of  South  Africa,"  p.  59,  1905.) 

Brul  vogel. — (D.  brullen,  to  roar ;  vogel,  a  bird.)  Botau- 
rus  Stellaris,  L.  The  bittern  is  thus  designated,  because  of 
the  peculiar  hoarseness  of  its  cry. 

Brummer  fly. — Gynomyia  picti/acies,  Bigot.  An  insect 
somewhat  like  the  common  house-fly,  but  considerably  la,rger. 
It  is  useful  in  the  destruction  of  locusts  ;  its  larva,  deposited 
on  the  thorax  of  the  locust,  speedily  finds  its  way  through  the 
soft  skin  under  the  neck,  it  then  lives  upon  the  fatty  part  of 
the  insect,  which  it  ultimately  destroys. 

Brusher. — The  Natal  name  for  a  large  species  of  Sargus. 

Brying. — (D.  braden,  to  roast,  broil.)  To  toast  meat  on 
a  fork,  or  to  roast  it  in  the  ashes. 

"These  remained  by  the  fire  brying  bones  on  the  coals." 
(Glanville's  "  The  Fossicker,"  p.  166,  1891.) 

Buchu. — (Hot.).  Barosma  betulina,  B.  crenulata,  B. 
crenata,  B.  serratifolia.     These  plants,  which  were  in  con- 


AFKICANDERISMS  93 

stant  use  among  the  Hottentots  in  their  unciviHzed  condition, 
are  still  prized  by  many  colonists  for  their  valuable  medicinal 
qualities. 

"  Men  and  women  powder  themselves  all  over  with  Buchu." 
(Medley's  "  Kolben,"  i.  p.  150,  1731.) 

"Careb,  eine  Art  Kraut  (Quecke)  worans  Buchu,  wohlrie- 
chenden  Streupulver  bereitet  wird."  (Kronlein's  "  Wortschatz 
der  Khoi-Khoin,"  p.  17,  1889.) 

Buchu  azijn. — (D.  azijn,  vinegar.)  A  domestic  medicine 
prepared  by  macerating  buchu  leaves  in  vinegar. 

Buchu  brandy. — Brandy  in  which  buchu  leaves  have  been 
steeped  ;  it  is  taken  internally  for  stomachic  disorders  and  ap- 
plied externally  for  rheumatism. 

"We  found  the  larger  species  of  bukku  one  of  the  most 
aromatic,  medicinal  plants  in  the  country,  and  justly  esteemed 
for  its  healing  properties.  Its  leaves  steeped  in  brandy  or 
vinegar,  and  the  bottle  placed  in  the  heat  of  the  sun,  emit 
an  unctuous  juice  by  which  the  fluid  is  rendered  as  thick  as 
honey,  and  appHed  particularly  for  the  healing  of  contusions, 
sores,  and  all  external  complaints.  The  Hottentots  also 
use  it  for  inward  hurts."  (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  160, 
1818.) 

"  A  coarse  kind  of  spirit  termed  '  Bucca  brandy,'  made  I 
believe  from  the  seeds  of  a  bush  of  that  name  growing  in  the 
veld."  (Lucas'  "  Camp  Life  and  Sports  in  South  Africa," 
p.  136, 1878.) 

Buchu,  To. — The  fragrant  leaves  of  the  Buchu  plants  were 
dried  and  pulverized  by  the  Hottentots,  who  then  sprinkled 
it  plentifully  over  their  cattle  and  over  their  own  persons, 

"  I  was  therefore  greased  and  boghoued  for  the  first  time 
in  my  hfe."     (Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  304,  1796.) 

Buck. —  (D.  bok,  a  goat.)  The  South  African  name,  with- 
out reference  to  sex,  for  goats  and  antelopes  generally.  See 
Bok. 

"  Often  on  the  march  we  saw  large  herds  of  buck  and 
'  wilde  beests '."  (Fenn's  '*  How  I  Volunteered  for  the  Cape," 
p.  177,  1879.) 

Buck,  of  a  wagon. — The  side-rails  of  the  wagon,  which 
help  to  give  compactness  to  the  load,  are  known  as  the  "  buck  " 
of  the  wagon. 

"  The  damage  done  to  the  wagon  was  serious  .  .  .  the 
buck,  or  overlapping  grating,  was  broken  off  and  the  dissel- 


94  AFEICANDEKISMS 

boom  was  split  in  two."  (Atcherley's  "  A  Trip  to  Boerland," 
p.  83,  1879.) 

Buck  doctor.  —  The  name  by  which  the  Government 
veterinary  surgeon  is  known  among  the  rural  population  of 
the  Midlands,  because  the  earliest  efforts  of  these  "Vets" 
were  directed  to  the  stamping  out  of  contagious  lung  disease 
among  goats. 

Buck  fat. — The  common  Cape  name  for  goat  lard,  an 
article  in  great  request  in  country  homes  for  a  variety  of  pur- 
poses, medicmal  and  culinary. 

"  For  hoarseness  in  children.  Blue-gum  leaves  fried  in 
buck-fat  or  goat-lard  with  a  httle  turpentine  to  soften  it, 
rubbed  into  the  chest,  or  applied  on  a  hnen  rag  as  a  plaister 
is  excellent."  (Hilda's  "Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p. 
282,  1902.) 

Buck  fever. — An  excitably  nervous  condition  into  which 
young  sportsmen  sometimes  work  themselves  to  the  detri- 
ment of  their  shooting. 

"When  shooting  on  foot  in  thick  bush,  whether  the 
animals  be  dangerous  or  not,  a  thorough  recovery  from  a  very 
common  disease,  usually  known  as  buck  fever,  and  which  is 
peculiar  to  the  young  and  uninitiated  hunter,  is  the  first 
essential."  (NicoUs  and  Eglinton's  "  Sportsman  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  73,  1892.) 

Buckload. — A  buck-wagon  load. 

"  Queenstown  Market.  Firewood  {buckload)  BSs." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  9  May,  1860.) 

Buck  sail. — The  "sail"  or  canvas  covering  of  a  buck- wagon. 

"  A  buck-sail  stretched  over  the  tilt  of  two  wagons  gave 
a  shady  room  between,  in  which  we  sheltered  from  the  mid- 
day heat."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,"  p. 
436,  1897.) 

Buck,  To. — (D.  bokken  maken,  to  cut  capers.)  What  is 
known  in  Austraha  as  "  buck-jumping  "  is  spoken  of  through- 
out South  Africa  simply  as  "  bucking  ".  The  action  consists 
in  springing  from  the  ground,  bringing  the  four  feet  together, 
and,  while  in  the  air,  arching  the  back  so  suddenly  and 
acutely,  that  none  but  riders  of  considerable  experience  can 
retain  their  seats  in  the  saddle. 

"  First,  never  mount  a  bucking  horse  if  you  know  it ; 
secondly,  the  moment  your  horse  begins  to  buck  throw  your- 
self off."     (Barter's  "  Dorp  and  Veld,"  p.  37,  1852.) 


AFEICANDEKISMS  95 

"  The  horses  possess  fair  opportunities  of  putting  their 
bucking  propensities  into  play."  (Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  135, 
1859.) 

Buck -wagon. — The  large  wagon  employed  throughout 
South  Africa  for  transport  purposes ;  clumsy  in  appearance 
it  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  country  and  to  the 
state  of  the  roads. 

"  Enormous  buck-wagons  are  now  made  for  the  diamond 
fields.  They  require  twenty  oxen,  and  contain  a  sitting,  a 
bed-room,  and  a  kitchen,  and  a  huge  canvas  covers  the  whole, 
and  spreads  out  into  side  tents  for  servants  and  horses." 
(Anderson's  "  Twenty-five  Years  in  a  Waggon,"  i.  p.  57, 1887.) 

Buffalo.— Bos  Caffer. 

"  There  are  some  wild  buffaloes  about  this  place,  of  which 
we  saw  several,  but  they  were  so  very  shy  that  we  could  not 
approach  them."     (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  9,  1789.) 

Buffalo  grass. — The  Natal  name  for  the  large-leafed  grass. 
Setaria  sulcata,  Baddi. 

"  The  Buffalo  grass  has  a  large,  broad,  corrugated  leaf 
and  is  greedily  eaten  by  horses  and  cattle."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  457,  1868.) 

Buffalo's  friend. — Buphaga  africana.    See  also  Beefeater. 

"  Hunters    call   this    bird   the   Buffalo's  friend,    and   no 

doubt,  besides  ridding  the  animals  of  ticks,  it  helps  the  game 

in  another  way,    by  raising  an  alarm   cry   when  danger  is 

near."     (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  66,  1899.) 

Buffelsbal. — Gardenia  Thunbergia,  a  favourite  garden 
tree  because  of  its  strongly  scented,  white  flowers. 

Buffels  doom. — (D.  buffel,  a  buffalo ;  doom,  a  horn.) 
Ziziphus  mucronata  is  so  called. 

"  Some  species  of  trees,  easily  distinguishable  from  afar, 
are  also  peculiar  to  moist  situations  .  .  .  such  as  .  .  .  the 
Buffalo  thorn  (Zizyphus  bubalinus)."  (Burchell's  "Travels," 
II.  p.  29,  1824.) 

"  B.  Gapensis  {Buffels  doom),  the  only  species,  is  a  tree 
12  to  14  feet  high."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  263,  1906.) 

Buffel  vogel. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird.)  Buphaga  africana. 
See  also  Buffalo's  friend. 

"  In  any  case  the  stalk  required  caution,  and  with  those 
watchful  buffel  vogels  about  extreme  care  was  essential." 
(Bryden's  "  Travel  and  Big  Game,"  p.  187,  1897.) 


96  AFEICANDERISMS 

Buggy.— (CD.  Bokkie.)  In  South  Africa  this  term  is 
applied  to  a  two-seated  Cape  cart  with  a  folding  hood. 

Buig-mij-niet. — (D.  buigen,  to  bend.)  Buxus  Macowani 
Oliv.  The  Cape  box — the  name  refers  to  the  brittle  char- 
acter of  the  wood. 

Buik  plank  (of  a  wagon).— (D.  buik,  belly.)  The  flooring 
of  the  body  of  the  wagon  is  so  called. 

"  The  planks  of  the  bottom  (buik  plank)  were  two  inches 
thick."    (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  140,  1822.) 

"  The  enraged  brute  struck  his  powerful  horn  into  the 
buik  plank  (the  bottom  boards;  with  such  force  as  to  push 
the  wagon  several  paces  forward."  (Andersson's  "Lake 
Ngami,"  p.  27,  1857.) 

Bull  eye. — Brama  raii,  the  name  given  to  this  fish  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town. 

"  I  think  Brama  raii  may  be  the  correct  name  for  the 
Cape  Town  Bull  eye  .  .  .  but  if  it  is,  then  I  think  it  is  fairly 
certain  that  the  Bull  eye  and  our  well-known  *  Bully  '  are 
not  identical."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  14  August, 
1905.) 

Bull  grunter. — Pristipoma  multimaculata.  The  Natal 
name  of  a  fish  similar  in  size  and  habits  to  the  common 
grunter  but  spotted  more  thickly,  and  with  a  spotted,  blunt 
head. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  if  anyone  has  recently  taken  a 
bull  grunter  in  the  bay,"  ("Natal  Pictorial  Mercury,"  p. 
668,  1906.) 

Bull  head. — Felis  caffra.     See  Wilde  kat. 

Bull  Klip-fish. — Clinus  taurus.  The  name  has  reference 
to  the  fierce  aspect  of  this  fish. 

"  Mingling  with  G.  superciliosus  and  its  sub-species  .  .  . 
is  the  Bull  klip  {C.  taurus )."  ("  The  South  African  Journal 
of  Science,"  vii.  p.  217,  1911.) 

Bull  podder.— See  Brull  padda. 

Bully.— (1)  The  East  London  name  of  a  small  fish— 
Gobius  nudiceps — found  in  almost  every  rock-pool  along  the 
coast.  (2)  The  name  is  also  given  to  a  bird — Serinus  sul- 
phuratus.     See  also  Geel-seisje  and  Glass  eye. 

"  I  think  that  our  bully  is  one  of  the  blennies,  or  of  the 
gadoidei  which  much  resemble  them."  ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  14  August,  1905.) 

"  The  Geel-seisje  of  the  Boers  and  Bully  of  the  Colonial 


AFEICANDEEISMS  97 

boys."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African 
Bird  Life,"  p.  84,  1908.) 

Bult. — (D.  hult,  a  hump,  hunch.)    A  ridge  or  hillock. 

"  A  succession  of  sandy  hults  or  ridges."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  16,  1868.) 

"  De  ligging  op  een  platten,  langen  heuvel  of  hult,  4800 
voet  boven  de  zee,  is  niets  schilderachtig  maar  zeer  gezond." 
(Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  370,  1882.) 

"  Though  hidden  from  view  by  a  slight  hult  he  was  then 
ascending,  he  could  tell  it  was  approaching  him."  (Turn- 
bull's  "  Tales  from  Natal,"  p.  149, 1901.) 

"  Most  of  the  vines  are  big  and  strong,  especially  on  the 
hultjes,  where  they  are  simply  splendid,  and  bear  very 
heavily."     ("  S.  A.  Agric.  Journal,"  p.  236,  August,  1912.) 

Bunga. — (K.  uku  Bung  ana,  to  consult  in  secret  council.) 
The  Transkeian  designation  of  the  Transkei  General  Council, 
partly  representative  and  partly  nominated  by  Government, 
which  meets  to  consider  and  arrange  for  native  education, 
upkeep  of  roads,  breeding  of  cattle,  and  native  interests 
generally  in  the  district  over  which  it  has  jurisdiction. 

"Bunga,  the  representative  council  ior  certain  native 
districts."    ("  East  and  West  Magazine,"  p.  425,  1906.) 

"  The  Bunga  has  jurisdiction  over  an  area  fifty  per  cent 
larger  than  Basutoland  and  containing  three  times  as  many 
inhabitants."    ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  2  May,  1912.) 

Burg. — In  Cape  Dutch  this  word  is  applied  to  a  gelded 
pig.  The  Patriot  Woordeboek  says  that  a  Burg  is  an 
"  ostracized  pig  "  ! 

Burgher. — (D.  hurger,  a  citizen  of  a  burg  or  fortified 
town.)  One  who  enjoys  the  rights  of  citizenship  and  is 
under  obligation  to  render  military  service  when  required  by 
the  Government  to  do  so. 

"  The  services  of  the  Burgher  Cavalry  are  not  likely  to 
be  for  ever  again  demanded."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  ii.  p. 
217,  1804.) 

"  Two  leading  burghers,  Paul  Kruger  and  Dr.  Jorissen, 
went  to  England  and  protested  against  the  annexation." 
(Eussell's  "  Natal,"  p.  241,  1891.) 

Bush,  The. — (D.  bosch,  wood,  forest.)  Large  areas 
covered  with  trees,  which  might  reasonably  be  called  forests, 
e.g.  the  Pirie  Bush  at  the  foot  of  the  Amatolas. 

"  The  soil  .  ,  .  having  been  covered  to  a  large  extent  by 

7 


98  AFEICANDEBISMS 

a  thick  forest  of  trees  (usually  termed  hush)  for  many 
years,  is  in  parts  richly  charged  with  decayed  vegetable 
matter."     ("  The  Castle  Line  Guide  to  South  Africa,"  p.  69, 

1888.) 

Bush-baby Galago  maholi.     This  pretty  little  animal 

is  scarcely  larger  than  a  rat ;  it  has  exquisitely  soft  fur,  large 
dark-brown  eyes,  and  round  erect  ears.  It  makes  an  engag- 
ing pet.     See  Nacht  apie. 

"  The  thunder  of  the  surf  upon  the  shore  near  by,  and  the 
occasional  cry  of  a  bush-baby,  alone  broke  the  awful  still- 
ness."    (Turnbull's  ■"  Tales  from  Natal,"  p.  81,  1901.) 

Bush-buck. — Tragelaphus  scripta  sylvaticus.  Cape 
Colony. 

"  There  are  several  other  small  antelopes,  as  for  example, 
the  steenbok,  rhebok,  and  bush-buck,  which  are  holding 
their  own  and  rather  tending  to  increase  since  a  close  time 
has  been  instituted."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of 
the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  246,  1896.) 

Bush  country. — Country  that  is  well  wooded. 

Bush  dassie. — See  Bosch  dassie  and  Boom  dassie. 

"Bush  dassie  flesh  was  the  staple  food  for  the  Hotten- 
tots. This  little  creature  makes  its  home  in  a  hollow  tree. 
He  feeds  and  gets  about  his  business  at  night."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  20  December,  1911.) 

Bush  fig. — Ficus  capensis  is  so  called. 

Bush  flea. — A  variety  of  Pulex  is  so  called  in  Natal. 

"  The  Bushflea  is  quite  content  to  share  your  camp 
blanket,  if  you  do  not  resent  his  Hberty  of  action."  (Russell's 
"  Old  Durban,"  p.  503,  1899.) 

Bush  goat. — Camaroptera  olivacea.  In  Natal  this  bird 
has  received  this  name  from  the  striking  similarity  of  its 
note  to  the  bleating  of  a  lost  kid, 

"This  warbler  is  called  the  Bush  goat  on  account  of  the 
plaintive  goat-like  call  to  which  the  bird  gives  utterance." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Birds,"  p.  79, 
1908.) 

Bush  kingfisher. — Halcyon  albiventris.  This  bird  feeds 
largely  on  insects  and  crabs  as  well  as  fish.  See  Brown 
kingfisher. 

Bush  lory.— See  Lory. 

"Who  does  not  know  the  raucous  call  of  the  bush 
lourie ! "    ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  4  December,  1908.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  99 

Bushman  bells. — Hollow  spheres  made  of  skin  with  small 
stones  inside  ;  large  ones  were  fastened  by  the  Bushmen  to 
the  upper  arm  and  shoulders,  while  smaller  ones  were  fastened 
on  the  belt  and  worn  round  their  waists  at  dances.  The 
noise  they  make  is  like  that  of  peas  in  a  bladder. 

"  The  last  instruments  we  shall  notice  were  those  which 
have  been  termed  Bushman  bells."  (Stowe's  "Native  Kaces 
of  South  Africa,"  p.  110,  1905.) 

Bushman  drawings  or  paintings. — These  drawings  are 
to  be  found  in  caves  all  over  South  Africa ;  various  animals 
are  delineated  with  force  and  spirit,  and  with  such  accuracy 
of  outline  and  detail  as  to  evoke  admiration.  The  materials 
employed  appear  to  be  charcoal  and  various  ochres,  the 
colours  even  after  the  lapse  of  a  number  of  years  are  some- 
times exceedingly  vivid.  For  some  good  reproductions  see 
Bent's  "  Euined  Cities  of  Mashonaland,"  1893. 

"  In  the  course  of  travelling  I  had  frequently  heard  the 
peasantry  mention  the  drawings  made  by  the  Bosjesmen,  but 
I  took  it  for  granted  they  were  caricatures  only  ,  .  .  and  it 
was  no  disagreeable  disappointment  to  find  them  very  much 
the  reverse."    (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  200,  1801.) 

"  At  Tygerpoort  ...  a  very  fine  assortment  of  Bushmen 
drawings  may  be  seen  .  .  .  one  easily  recognized  the  out- 
lines of  a  bushman,  baboon,  horse,  eland,  koodoo."  (Wallace's 
"  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  17,  1896.) 

"  The  writer  has  in  his  possession  a  copy  of  the  first 
chromolithograph  ever  printed  in  South  Africa.  ...  It  was 
not  only  the  first  chromolithograph,  but  one  of  the  earliest 
reproductions  of  Bushman  paintings  in  this  country."  ("  The 
State,"  p.  761,  December,  1909.) 

Bushman  grass  or  "  Dwa  grass". — Aristida  hrevifolia, 
"on  which  all  stock  thrive  and  grow  quickly  ".     (Noble.) 

Bushman  rice. — The  larvae  of  several  species  of  termites 
are  sometimes  so  called,  because  in  appearance  they  are  not 
unlike  rice  grains  and  were  a  favourite  article  of  food  with 
the  Bushmen.     See  Rijst  mieren. 

"  The  ordinary  food  of  these  people  consisted  of  roots, 
berries,  wild  plants,  locusts,  larvae  of  ants — now  commonly 
called  'Bushman  rice'  by  European  colonists."  (Theal's 
"Portuguese  in  South  Africa,"  p.  12,  1896.) 

"  Kert  went  into  a  transport  of  joy  at  finding  some  *  Bush- 
man's rice,'  a  species  of  ant  .  .  .  looking  like   gentles  with 

7* 


100  AFRICANDEEISMS 

feet."     (Farinis,  "Through  the  Kalahari   Desert,"  p.  107, 

1886.) 

Bushman's  candle. — Sarcocaulon  Burmanni  and  S.  Pater- 
soni.     See  also  Candle-bush  and  Kers-bosje. 

**  Two  Sarcocaulons  (Geraneacea)  whose  thick  cuticle  .  .  . 
is  rich  in  hydrocarbons  and  burns  with  a  yellow,  smoky  flame  ; 
it  is  commonly  known  as  the  Bushman's  candle."  (The 
"  Gardener's  Chronicle,"  p.  401,  11  December,  1909.) 

Bushman's  or  Hottentot's  poison  bush. — Acocanthera 
venenata.  This  plant  was  used  by  the  Bushmen  in  making 
poison  for  their  arrows.  The  Kaffirs  use  it  for  the  cure  of 
snake-bites,  and  in  Lower  Albany  cattle  are  given  water  to 
drink  in  which  the  leaves  have  been  steeped  to  prevent  the 
effects  of  change  from  sour  to  sweet  veld. 

"  The  Bushmen  take  the  wood  of  the  plant  and  pound  it 
to  a  rough  powder,  which  they  put  into  a  clay  pot  and  boil 
for  some  time,  keeping  the  lid  on  as  the  fumes  are  noxious, 
but  stirring  the  liquid  occasionally.  They  then  take  out  the 
wood  and  simmer  the  remainder  till  it  is  reduced  to  a  cupful 
of  a  glutinous  fluid.  They  then  take  it  to  a  Euphorbia  tree 
and  shed  in  the  fresh  juice,  and  when  they  are  mixed  the 
poison  is  ready.  It  is  a  brownish  substance  such  as  you  see 
in  a  bee-hive."  (Andrew  Smith's  "Contribution  to  South 
African  Materia  Medica,"  p.  33, 1888.) 

"  This  is  the  Bushman's  poison  bush  (Acocanthera  vene- 
nata)." ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  10  November, 
1911.) 

Bushman's  tea. — Catha  edulis,  Forsk.  The  leaves  of  this 
plant  when  chewed  to  excess  are  intoxicating.  See  Harvey's 
"  Genera  of  South  African  Plants  ".  See  Bosjesman's  thee. 
Bushmen. — (CD.  bosjesman,  bush  dweller.)  A  race  of 
yellowish-brown,  hollow-backed,  woolly-headed  pigmies, 
supposed  to  have  been  the  original  inhabitants  of  South 
Africa.  They  live  by  the  chase  and  upon  various  wild  plants, 
insects,  and.honey.  Their  weapons  of  offence  are  the  bow  and 
arrow  ;  the  heads  of  the  arrow  are  coated  with  a  poison  so 
deadly  that  the  shghtest  wound  made  by  them  is  almost 
certain  death.  They  are  now  almost  extinct  in  South  Africa. 
"  There  is  another  kind  of  Hottentots  who  have  got  the 
name  of  boshiesmen  from  dwelling  in  woody  or  mountainous 
places."    (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  197,  1785.) 

"  With  each  of  the  companies  a  few  Bosjesmen  might  be 


AFEICANDEBISMS  101 

intermixed  if  they  will  take  service."  (Sutherland's  "  South 
African  Tribes,"  i.  p.  4, 1845.) 

"The  wandering  tribes' called  Bushmen.  .  .  .  By  the  Bech- 
uanas  they  are  called  Baroa  .  .  .  and  by  the  Kaffirs  Abatwa." 
(Appleyard's  "  Kaffir  Grammar,"  p.  15,  1850.) 

Bush  musician. — See  Bos-musikant. 

Bush  partridge. — The  name  given  in  the  Transvaal  to 
Francolinus  subtorquatus.     See  Swempi. 

"  My  companions  called  it  (Coquifrancolin)  the  bush 
partridge."     ("  South  African  Field,"  p.  141,  30  July,  1909.) 

Bush  quail. — Turnix  lepurana,  a  somewhat  uncommon 
bird  found  in  Great  Namaqualand  and  the  North-Western 
districts.     See  Button  quail. 

"  I  shot  another  violet-winged  courser,  and  Dove  a  brace 
of  tiny  bush  quail  {Turnix  lepurana),  dainty  creatures, 
scarcely  bigger  than  sparrows,  which  fly  very  fast,  and  lie 
more  closely,  I  think,  than  any  of  the  close-lying  African 
game  birds."     (Bryden's  "  Gun  and  Camera,"  p.  158,  1893.) 

Bush  tea. — The  leaves  of  several  shrubs  are  gathered, 
dried,  and  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea  under  this  name.  The 
common  Bush  tea  of  the  Western  Province  is  Cyclopia 
Vogelii,  Harv. 

"  In  most  of  these  Colonial  stores  bush  tea  can  be 
bought.  It  costs  sixpence  a  pound,  looks  like  the  cHppings 
of  a  privet  hedge,  including  the  twigs,  and  is  said  to  be  a 
tonic."  ("  Everyday  Life  in  Cape  Colony,"  by  X.  C,  p.  122, 
1902.) 

Bush -tick  berry. — The  fruit  of  Osteospermum  monili- 
ferum,  Linn.     ("Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.  iii.  p.  436  n.) 

Bush  veld. — (1)  Veld  composed  largely  of  bush.  (2)  The 
Low  Country,  as  it  is  also  called,  in  the  Transvaal. 

"  Minstens  de  helft  van  Transvaal  wordt  ingenomen  door 
het  Boschveld,  de  met  mimosa's,  acacia's,  euphorbien  en  derge- 
lijke  geboomten  dicht  bezette  streek,  die  zich  van  Magaliesberg 
tot  aan  den  Limpopo,  in  Noordelijke  en  Noordoostelijke 
richting  uitstrekt."  ("  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p. 
333, 1882.) 

"  Their  farm  is  of  about  5000  acres  in  extent,  on  the 
border  of  Bush  veldt,  where  there  are  scattered  bushes,  with 
spots  of  good  earth  here  and  there."  (Indicus,  "  Labour,  etc., 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  19,  1903.) 

"  Between  the  goldfields  and  the  nearest  port  lay  the 


102  AFEICANDEKISMS 

Bushveld,  and  game  enough  for  all  to  live  on."  (Fitzpa trick's 
"  Jock  of  the  Bushveld,"  p.  14,  1907.) 

Bush  willow. — Both  Combretum  erythrophyllum  and  G. 
salicifolium  are  known  by  this  name. 

Bushy  or  Broad -tailed  meerkat. — Cynictis  penicillata. 
See  Geel  Meerkat,  Eooi  Meerkat,  and  Meerkat. 

Butcher  bird. — Lanius  collaris.  The  appropriate  popular 
name  of  one  of  the  most  voracious  of  the  smaller  South 
African  birds.  An  old  English  name  for  the  shrike  or  butcher- 
bird was  wariangle  ;  G.  Wiirgengel,  the  worrying  or  destroy- 
ing angel.  In  Germany  it  is  ako  known  as  the  Neuntodter, 
the  nine-killer.  Other  South- African  names  are  Jack  Hanger, 
Laksman,  Kanariebijter,  and  Fiscal,  all  indicating  its  murder- 
ous propensities. 

"  A  kestrel  was  frequently  met  with,  and  also  the  common 
Butcher  bird  or  shrike."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  502, 
1822.) 

"  I  observed  many  of  the  thorn  trees  covered  with  dead 
insects  ...  all  beautifully  spitted  on  the  long  mimosa  thorns. 
I  knew  at  once  that  it  was  the  larder  of  the  little  cruel 
Butcher  bird."  (Anderson's  "  Twenty-five  Years  in  a 
Waggon,"  I.  p.  145,  1887.) 

"  Another  of  our  feathered  eccentricities,  the  butcher  bird, 
called  by  the  colonists  Jack  Hanger,  likes  to  eat  his  game 
high."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  252, 
1890.) 

Butter  bream. — The  fish  known  at  East  London  as  the 
"  Blue  fish  "  (q.v.)  is  known  by  this  name  in  Natal. 

"  I  noticed  last  week  an  unusual  number  of  butter- 
bream  at  the  market.  ...  It  is  not  a  bream  at  all,  but  of 
quite  another  tribe,  with  a  smaller  mouth."  ("  Natal  Mer- 
cury Pictorial,"  p.  767,  1906.) 

Butter  bush — A  variety  of  Euphorbia.  See  also  Boter- 
boom. 

"  All  along  these  stony  hillocks  ,  .  .  there  grow  very  curious 
euphorbia  bushes  called  the  butter  bush.  If  you  break  off  a 
twig  a  thick  juice  escapes,  very  sticky,  and  exactly  like 
newly  churned  butter."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  ii.  p. 
335,1871.) 

Butter  vogeltje.— (D.  vogel,  a  bird,  fowl.)  Parisoma  sub- 
cceruleum,  a  small  bird  which  is  often  burdened  with  the 
upbringing  of  the  deserted  offspring  of  the  Golden  cuckoo  (q.v.). 


AFKICANDEEISMS  103 

Button  quail. — Turnix  lepurana.     See  Bush  quail. 

"  This  diminutive  little  game  bird  is  known  in  Bechuana- 
land  and  the  Transvaal  as  the  Button  quail,  and  scarcely 
exceeds  four  inches  in  length."  (Distant's  "  A  Naturalist  in 
the  Transvaal,"  p.  107,  1892.) 

By. — (D.  bij,  by,  with,  in.)  In  localities  where  Dutch  is 
prevalent  this  word  is  often  used  by  English-speaking  colonists 
in  the  Dutch  sense,  e.g.  to  the  question,  "  Where  is  your 
father?"  the  answer  vdll  be,  "  He  is  by  the  house,"  the  mean- 
ing being,  "  He  is  in  the  house  " — "  He  is  at  home  ".  Cf.  G. 
Er  ist  hei  mir — "  He  is  at  my  house  ". 

By  and  by. — The  name  by  which  cannon  are  known  to  the 
natives  of  Natal.  It  is  said  that  inquiring  in  the  early  days 
what  these  cannon  were,  they  were  informed  that  they  would 
learn  hy  and  by,  hence  the  name,  which  seems  to  the  native 
to  represent  the  noise  of  the  explosion — a  primitive  striving 
after  meaning. 

"  They  (the  Zulus)  are  not  acquainted  with  these  mighty 
engines  from  experience,  but  have  heard  of  the  artillery 
practice  at  Pietermaritzburg,  and  hold  them  in  mortal  dread  ; 
they  believe  that  the  fearful  bye  and  bye  eats  up  everything." 
(Shooter's  "  Natal,"  p.  112,  1857.) 

"  We  laugh  at  their  bai-nbai ;  what  are  guns,  big  or  small, 
against  the  broad  shield  and  devouring  spears  of  the  ever- 
conquering  Amazulu  ?  "  (Mitford's  "  The  Gun-runner,"  p.  212, 
1893.) 

Cabbage  tree. — The  name  given  in  Natal  to  Cussonia 
Thyrsifolia.  See  Noois  boom.  C.  spicata  and  C.  umbellifera 
are  also  so  called.  In  the  Transvaal  the  latter  is  known  as 
Cabbage  wood. 

"  The  cabbage  tree  here  grows  very  tall,  without  branches, 
except  a  bunch  at  the  top  ;  the  thick,  soft  stalk  when  boiled 
resembles  our  cabbage  in  taste."  (Percival's]"  Account,"  p.  143, 
1804.) 

"  One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the  Natal  trees  is  our  only 
representative  of  the  Ivy  family,  and  is  known  as  the  Cabbage 
tree,  and  to  the  Dutch  as  the  Noje's  boom."  (Chapman's 
"Travels,"  ii.  p.  447,  1868.) 

Cadjang. — (M.  kachang,  beans ;  a  name  applied  to  legu- 
minous plants  generally.)  Dolichos  sinensis,  a  leguminous 
shrub  which  bears  a  small  round  pea. 

"  The   cadjangh  having   fairly   sprung   up  is  perished." 


104  AFEICANDEEISMS 

(Eiebeeck's   "Journal,"     29    January,    1653;      Liebrandt's 
"Precis  Archives  C.  G.  Hope,"  Part  i.  p.  64,  1897.) 

Calabash.— (The  word  is  probably  of  Persian  origin.  See 
New  English  Dictionary,  in  loc.)  The  fruit  of  a  cucurbita- 
ceous  plant,  the  shell  of  which,  when  thoroughly  dried,  is 
used  for  holding  liquids. 

"  I  also  obtained  a  calabash,  a  few  pounds  of  powder." 
(Bamberger's  "Travels,"  p.  43,  1801.) 

"  It  (the  Kaffir  snuff-box)  usually  consists  of  a  small  round 
calabash."     (Shooter's  "  Kaffirs  of  Natal,"  p.  8,  1857.) 

Calabash  pear. — So  named  from  its  shape. 

"The  large  calabash  pear,  baked  in  the  oven  and  served 
with  sugar  and  cream,  was  delicious."  (Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a 
Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  15,  1902.) 

Calabash  pipe. — A  pipe  the  bowl  of  which  is  made  from 
the  shell  of  a  peculiarly  shaped  calabash. 

Calabash  milk. — Sour  milk  which  has  been  prepared  in  a 
calabash.     See  Amasi. 

"  This  (stamped  mealies)  with  calabash  milk  forms  the 
staple  Kaffir  food."  (Lownde's  "Everyday  Life  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  87,  1900.) 

Calander. — (F.  calandre,  a  weevil ;  M.  Lat.  calandrus, 
"gryllus,  cicada,  circulio,"  Du  Cange.  The  name  was  not 
unknown  in  England  two  hundred  years  ago  ;  vide  Bradley's 
"  Fiamily  Dictionary,"  ii. — "Preserving  corn,  mites,  weevils, 
calanders  ".)  Phlyctimes  callosus,  a  small  beetle  which  does 
great  damage  to  the  vines.     See  Kalander. 

"  Vom  Korn-Wurme.  Die  Hollander  nennen  sie  Klandres, 
sowohl  auf  dem  Vorgebirge  als  in  Ost-Indien."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  358,  1745.) 

"  The  insect  pest  of  the  vineyard  known  by  the  name  of 
the  calander,  Phlyctimes  callosus,  has  been  successfully 
checked  at  Groot  Constantia  by  the  application  of  a  moderate 
dressing  of  hme  to  the  soil."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries 
of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  148,  1896.) 

"  Sparrman  the  naturalist  mentions  the  little  weevils 
(colandra)  which  are  still  so  troublesome  amongst  the  vines  " 
(Trotter's  "  Old  Cape  Colony,"  p.  62,  1903.) 

Camdeboo. — (Hot.  gam,  green;  ckabisip,  height,  elevation. 
Tindall's  "Vocabulary  of  the  Namaqua-Hottentot  Language," 
pp.  96  and  101.)  The  hilly  country  immediately  beneath  the 
Sneeuwbergen,  forming  part  of  the  Graaff  Eeinet  District. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  105 

"  The  division  called  Camdeboo,  a  Hottentot  name  signify- 
ing green  elevations,  applying  to  the  projecting  buttresses 
which  support  the  Snowy  Mountains  and  which  are  mostly 
covered  with  verdure."    (Barrow's  *'  Travels,"  i.  p.  115, 1801.) 

Camdeboo  stinkwood. — Geltis  Kraussiana,  aiuseful  timber 
tree.     See  Cannibal  stinkwood. 

Camel. — The  Anglicized  Dutch  name  for  the  Giraffe 
(kameel)  generally  employed  by  South  African  hunters. 
Sometimes  this  grand  animal  is  spoken  of  as  Cameleopard, 
an  erroneous  rendering  of  Camelopard,  the  animal,  that  is, 
which  was  supposed  to  be  part  camel  and  part  pard.  One  old 
writer  describes  it  as  a  "  beaste  not  very  often  seene,  yet  very 
tame  and  of  a  strange  composition,  mixed  up  of  a  libarde, 
harte,  buffe,  and  camele  ".     See  Kameel  and  Giraffe. 

"In  an  hour  or  two  we  were  on  fresh  spoor  of  camel.^' 
(Dryden's  "  Tales  of  South  Africa,"  p.  201,  1896.) 

"  The  Boers  as  soon  as  they  became  acquainted  with  the 
tall  giraffe,  forthwith  dubbed  it  in  their  quaint  way, '  kameel ' 
— the  camel ;  and  as  the  camel  the  giraffe  is  still  known 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  South  African 
hunting  veldt."  (Selous  and  Bryden's  "Travel  and  Big 
Game,"  p.  170,  1897.) 

Camel  tree  or  thorn. — Acacia  hirtella  and  A.  giraffce. 
See  Kameel  doom. 

"  Here  the  new  and  interesting  forms  of  some  scattered 
trees  of  Camel-thorn  or  Mokaala  gave  a  most  picturesque 
and  remarkable  character  to  the  landscape."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  292,  1824.) 

"  We  were  lying  unconcerned  in  the  shadow  of  the  great 
camel  tree,  when  Commandant  De  Villiers  got  the  report  that 
some  burghers  were  hemmed  in  at  Colenso."  (Kestell's 
"  Through  Shot  and  Flame,"  p.  26,  1903.) 

Camp. — (1)  A  locaHty  occupied  by  the  tents  and  wagons  of 
gold  or  diamond  diggers.     (2)  Enclosed  portions  of  a  farm. 

"  Pniel,  by  official  designation,  is  a  camp.  Just  a  camp 
it'  is  indeed,  and  one  very  disorderly."  (Boyle's  "  To  the 
Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  78,  1873.) 

"  The  camp  with  its  troubles,  its  stifling  heat,  its  fever 
and  its  odours,  all  left  behind,  and  ahead  the  delight  of  the 
open  plain  and  meandering  river."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  12  February,  1884.) 

Camphor  hout. — (D.  hout,  wood.)     Tarchonanthus  cam- 


106  AFEICANDEEISMS 

phoratus ;  sometimes,  on  account  of  the  light  colour  of  its 
foliage,  called  Vaalbosch  and  Wild  sage. 

Camp,  Ostrich. — One  indirect  benefit  conferred  upon 
South  Africa  by  the  ostrich  feather  industry,  was  the  neces- 
sity which  it  involved  of  fencing  in  those  parts  of  the  farms 
on  which  the  ostriches  were  to  run  ;  these  fenced  enclosures 
were  called  Ostrich  camps. 

"  He  purchased  three  birds  to  establish  a  camp  at 
Somerset  East  in  1853,  but  one  was  killed  and  the  other 
two  driven  away  by  dogs."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press," 
25  September,  1877.) 

'''  Ostriches  of  which  great  numbers  stalked  solemnly  about 
in  their  camps."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  221, 
1889). 

"  Sometimes  three  or  four  large  pieces  will  be  divided  off 
for  the  convenience  of  keeping  cattle  or  ostriches  separate ; 
these  are  not  called  fields,  a  term  never  heard  in  this  part, 
but  camps.  (Lowndes'  "  Everyday  Life  in  South  Africa," 
p.  90,  1900.) 

Camp  off  a  farm,  To. — To  make  enclosures  as  above. 

Canaan. — See  Nijlstroom. 

Cancer  bush. — Sutherlandia  frutescens,  B.  Br.  This 
plant  was  supposed  by  the  Dutch  to  be  a  remedy  for  cancer. 

Candelabra  cactus. — Euphorbia  grandifiora. 

Candelabra  flowers. — The  popular  name  of  several  species 
of  Brunsvigia. 

"Plants  with  large  bulbs,  popularly  Candelabra  flowers.'' 
(Harvey's  "  Genera  of  South  African  Plants,"  p.  382,  1868.) 

"  Brunsvigia  or  candelabra  flower — pinkish  red,  on  long 
pedicels,  and  not  too  many  of  them."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  5,  27  May,  1910.) 

Candle  bush. — See  Kers-bosje  and  Bushman's  candle. 

"  No  matter  how  bright  the  fire  of  candle  bushes,  the 
scherm  was  lonely  at  night."  (Scully's  "  Between  Sun  and 
Sand,"  p.  115,  1898.) 

Cane -rat. — Thryonomys  swinderenianus,  an  animal  be- 
longing to  the  rodents,  very  destructive  to  the  sugar-cane  in 
the  Natal  plantations.  It  is  also  called  Ground  pig  and  riet 
muis  (q.v.). 

"  The  cane-rat  or  ground-rat  that  feeds  upon  the  sugar- 
canes  is  properly  more  of  a  porcupine  than  a  rat.  It  is  a 
species  of  Aulacodus."    (Brook's  "  Natal,"  p.  116,  1876.) 


AFKICANDEBISMS  107 

"  There  are  also  jackals,  wild  or  hunting-dogs  .  .  .  cane- 
rats,  hares,  rabbits,  rock-rabbits,  and  field  and  house  rats 
and  mice."     (Kussell's  "  Natal,"  p.  34,  1891.) 

Cango. — (1)  Originally  the  name  of  the  district.  (2)  The 
best  kind  of  Cape  brandy,  produced  in  the  Oudtshoorn  Dis- 
trict, is  locally  known  by  this  name. 

"  Two  fellows  had  been  drinking  pretty  freely  (principally 
Cango  and  'Cape  smoke')  and  became  very  quarrelsome." 
(Browning's  "Fighting  and  Farming  in  South  Africa," 
p.  119,  1880.) 

"  Cango,  I  may  explain,  is  the  best  kind  of  colonial  made 
brandy."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  84,  1889.) 

Cango  caves. — Beautiful  and  extensive  caves  of  world-wide 
fame  discovered  in  1780.  They  are  situated  in  the  Zwaart- 
berg  range,  twenty  miles  from  Oudtshoorn  ;  the  largest  is 
600  feet  long,  100  feet  broad,  and  70  feet  high.  From  the 
roof  depend  splendid  stalactites  which  are  met  from  below  by 
equally  fine  stalagmites,  like  the  whitest  marble.  The  caves 
extend  for  more  than  a  mile  into  the  mountain. 

"Calhng  in  Mr.  Poleman  he  gave  me  an  entertaining 
account  of  a  journey  he  had  made  some  time  ago  to  a  re- 
markable cave  in  Kango,  a  part  of  the  District  of  Zwellendam, 
from  whence  he  had  brought  some  very  singular  stalactites." 
(Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  61,  1818.) 

Cannibalism. — There  appears  to  be  no  doubt  that  under 
the  stress  of  necessity  this  disgusting  practice  has  been 
adopted  by  one  or  two  scattered  remnants  of  native  tribes 
in  South  Africa,  and  perhaps  persisted  in  when  the  necessity 
had  ceased ;  but  it  has  never  prevailed  to  any  great  extent. 

"  Cannibalism  in  connexion  with  any  of  the  South  African 
tribes  appears  to  have  been  first  observed  by  the  Eev.  T.  L. 
Hodgson  during  one  of  his  journeys  m  the  Bechuana  country. 
See  his  Journal  under  date  4  August,  1823,  as  contained  in 
his  memoirs  of  Mrs.  Hodgson."  (Appleyard's  "Kaffir 
Grammar,"  p.  41,  1850.) 

Cannibal  stink  wood. — Celtis  Kraussiana.  The  first  part 
of  this  name  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  Camdeboo  (q.v.) ; 
it  is  applied  to  a  variety  of  stinkwood,  the  wood  of  which  is 
woolly,  porous,  and  useless  to  the  cabinet-maker. 

"  There  is  a  variety  of  this  wood  known  under  the  name 
of  the  Cannibal  stinkwood."  (Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  156, 
1859.) 

"  What  rhyme  or  reason,  what  sense  of  satisfaction  can  there 


108  AFEICANDEKISMS 

be  in  such  a  name  as  Cannibal  stinkwood  applied  to  a  grace- 
ful, handsome  tree,  whose  bark  gives  out  an  aromatic  though 
pungent  perfume ? "  (Barker's  "A  Year's  Housekeeping  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  325,  1877.) 

"  Celtis  rhamnifolia,  Prest  Camdeboo  stinkwood."  (Wal- 
lace's "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  132, 1896.) 

Canteen. — (F.  cantine ;  It.  cantina,  a  cellar,  cave.)  This 
word  is  applied  very  generally  throughout  South  Africa  to 
public-houses ;  it  was  probably  introduced  in  the  first  place 
by  the  military. 

"  So  long  as  the  coloured  population  are  .  .  .  demorahzed  in 
large  towns  in  the  neighbourhood  of  canteens,  we  cannot  ex- 
pect much  improvement  in  the  mass."  (Boyce's  "Notes  on 
South  Africa,"  p.  134,  1838.) 

"  But  the  inns  sadly  need  reformation — they  are  in  fact 
little  better  than  canteens.''  (Barter's  "The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  9,  1852.) 

Canteen-keeper. — The  proprietor  of  a  drinking  saloon. 

"  We  would  call  for  certificates  of  character  from  every 
canteen-keeper."  ("C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette,"  p.  243,  1 
February,  1832.) 

"The  canteen-keeper  sent  for  his  boys  to  turn  him  out." 
(Haggard's  "Jess,"  p.  19,  1887.) 

Cape,  The. — Originally  used  of  Cape  Town  and  the  neigh- 
bourhood only,  the  term  was  soon  employed  to  designate  the 
Cape  Colony  as  a  whole  and  indeed  South  Africa  generally. 

"  Cape  Town  is  termed  The  Gape  by  colonists."  (Phihp's 
"  Eesearches,"  i.  p.  19  n.,  1828.) 

"  The  road  from  Port  Ehzabeth  is  a  fair  sample  of  those 
generally  travelled  over  at  The  Gape."  (Nicholson's  "The 
Cape  and  its  Colonists,"  p.  21,  1848.) 

Cape  badger. — Mellivora  ratel.  See  Eatel.  The  name 
is  sometimes  given  to  the  Dassie.     See  Klip-das. 

"  The  ratel  {Gape  badger)  will  attack  and  kill  porcupines 
in  their  earths."    ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  16  August,  1907.) 

Cape  boys. — This  designation  has  various  significations. 
(1)  As  employed  at  first  it  meant  the  men  of  the  so-called 
"  bastard  "  class,  descended  from  a  variety  of  races  and  living 
chiefly  in  the  Western  Province.  (2)  As  employed  during 
the  Matabele  Campaign  and  often  since,  it  refers  to  natives 
of  the  Cape  and  Natal  Colonies  without  distinction,  including 
Ama-Xosa  and  Ama-Zulu. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  109 

"  Cape  carts  driven  by  Malays  and  Gape  hoys  rattled  up 
and  down  the  streets  in  numbers."  (Couper's  "  Mixed 
Humanity,"  p.  20,  n.d.) 

"  This  force  was,  however,  augmented  by  about  150  Gape 
hoys,  chiefly  Amaxosa  Kaffirs  and  Zulus."  (Selous'  "  Sun- 
shine and  Storm,"  p.  59,  1896.) 

"  Bastarde  aus  Sklaven  .  .  .  und  Hottentottinnen  sind  die 
sog.  Gape  hoys.'"     (Meyer's  "  Sprache  die  Buren,"  p.  6, 1901.) 

Cape  canary. — Serinus  canicollis,  Swain.  A  pretty  little 
songster  found  in  large  numbers  in  favourite  haunts. 

"  The  Gape  canary  is  a  greenish  bird,  with  a  very  pretty 
soft  note,  quite  different  from  the  piercing  screech  of  his 
terrible  yellow  brother  in  English  homes."  (Martin's  "  Home 
Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  18,  1881.) 

Cape  cart. — A  strongly  built,  two-wheeled  vehicle,  having 
a  hood,  and  a  pole  instead  of  shafts.  It  is  drawn  by  two  or 
more  horses,  and  is  splendidly  adapted  to  the  country  and 
roads. 

"Do  you  know  what  a  Gape  cart  is?  It  is  a  peculiar 
but  pleasant  institution,  something  like  what  was  once  in 
England  called  a  'white-chapel,'  on  a  pair  of  high  wheels, 
with  a  cosy  leather  or  canvas  hood,  and  drawn  by  a  pair  of 
horses.  It  can  hold  four  people  easily,  and  can  be  made  to 
hold  six."  (Statham's  "Blacks,  Boers,  and  British,"  p.  52, 
1890.) 

Cape  chestnut. — Galodendron  capense.  A  beautiful  in- 
digenous tree. 

"  The  Wild  chestnut  of  the  Cape  colonists  is  not  a  com- 
mon tree  in  Natal,  but  is  occasionally  met  with,  and  unques- 
tionably is  one  of  the  finest,  well  deserving  its  name  for  its 
exquisitely  pencilled,  delicate  pink  flowers."  (Chapman's 
"Travels,"  ii.  p.  450,  1868.) 

"  It  is  very  seldom  that  the  Gape  chestnut  and  the  Wild 
fig  become  altogether  devoid  of  leaves."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  7,  12  April,  1912.) 

Cape  cobra. — Naia  flava.  See  Spuug  kapell  and  Glee 
slang. 

Cape  cormorant. — Graculus  capensisy  Gray.  See  Duiker 
and  Trek  duiker. 

Cape  cranberry. — Dovyalis  rhamnoides  and  D.  rotundi- 

folia.    The  fruit  of  a  plant  nearly  allied  to  the  Kei  apple  (q.v.). 

"  Besides  the  names  given  .  .  .  Granherry  is  applied  to 


no  AFEICANDERISMS 

both."      (Sim's   "Forest   Flora   of   Cape   Colony,"  p.   132, 

1907.) 

Cape  doctor,  The. — A  common  name  for  the  strong 
South-easters  (q.v.)  which  at  one  season  of  the  year  are  very 
boisterous  round  the  South-African  coast.  In  the  earlier  days 
of  the  Colony  when  the  Cape  was  used  by  Anglo-Indians  as 
a  sanatorium,  they  were  wont  to  term  these  winds  the  Gape 
doctor  and  they  still  retain  the  name. 

"  For  it  is  here  that  the  celebrated  South  Easter  .  .  .  blows 
its  strongest,  and  the  Gape  doctor's  strongest  is  no  joke." 
(Statham's  "  Blacks,  Boers,  and  British,"  p.  54,  1881.) 

"  That  rough  but  benevolent  South-east  wind,  owing  to 
its  kindly  property  of  sweeping  away  the  germs  of  disease,  is 
called  the  Cape  doctor."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich 
Farm,"  p.  15, 1890.) 

Cape  Dutch. — "The  Taal"  (D.  taal,  language),  as  it  is 
called  by  the  Dutch  of  South  Africa,  has  for  various  reasons 
diverged  very  considerably  from  the  language  which  was  its 
main  source,  both  in  vocabulary  and  in  grammar.  Great 
efforts  have  been  made  in  recent  years,  and  not  without  some 
success,  to  eliminate  what  are  deemed  foreign  elements  and 
so  to  restore  to  it  some  of  its  lost  purity.     See  Afrikaans. 

"  The  Dutch  language  as  generally  spoken  by  the  bastard 
Hottentots  and  emancipated  slaves  in  the  Colony,  and  by  the 
Bastaards  and  the  Griquas  beyond,  as  well  as  by  the  Dutch 
themselves  in  the  country  districts,  is  very  different  from  the 
Dutch  as  used  in  Holland.  The  difference  partly  consists  in 
corrupt  forms  of  words,  in  the  adoption  of  foreign  words  and 
misappropriation  of  their  own,  and  partly  in  barbarous  modes 
of  expression  by  which  they  bid  defiance  to  all  rules  of  gram- 
mar, or,  in  other  words,  set  all  reputable  usage  at  nought. 
Professor  Changuion  of  Cape  Town  has  lately  published  a 
Grammar  at  the  close  of  which  will  be  found  '  Proeve  van 
Kaapsch  Taaleigen,'  where  the  peculiarities  of  Gape  Dutch 
usage  are  exposed."  (Appleyard's  "Kaffir  Grammar,"  p. 
10  n.,  1850.) 

Cape  ebony. — Both  Euclea  pseudebenus  and  Heywoodia 
lucens  are  so  named. 

Cape  edelweiss. — Lanaria  plumosa.  So  called  because 
of  the  dense  coating  of  soft  white  hairs  which  covers  its 
branches  and  flowers. 

Cape  Flats. — A  stretch  of  flat,  sandy  country  lying  between 


AFRICANDERISMS  111 

Cape  Town  and  Somerset  West,  which  has  the  appearance 
of  having  been,  at  no  very  distant  period,  covered  by  the  sea. 

"  The  Dutch  denominate  one  part  Kaapsche  Duinen  (Cape 
Downs)  and  another  Kaapsche  Vlakte  (Cape  Flats)."  (Bur- 
chell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  58,  1822.) 

Cape  gannet. — Sula  capensis.     See  Malagas. 

Cape  gooseberry. — Physalis  peruviana.  The  fruit,  which 
is  in  great  request  in  most  South  African  homes,  is  contained 
in  an  inflated  capsule.  The  plant,  though  not  indigenous, 
grows  wild  in  most  parts  of  the  country.     See  Pampelmoose. 

"  The  physalis  {Cape  gooseberry  or  winter  cherry)  is 
here  a  most  delicious  fruit."  (Owen's  "  Voyages,"  ii.  p.  238, 
1833.) 

"  The  Cape  gooseberry,  which  is  perhaps  the  most  delici- 
ous fruit  for  canning  and  preserves  that  the  whole  world  has 
to  show."  (Wallace's  "Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  172,  1896.) 

Cape  grasses. — See  quotation. 

"  Several  species  of  Itestiace(B  are  gathered  and  exported 
as  so-called  Cape  grasses,  i.e.  Elegia,  Thamnochortus,  Hypo- 
discus,  Cannamois."  (Edwards  and  Marloth's  "Elementary 
Botany  for  South  Africa,"  p.  182,  1897.) 

Cape  hen. — The  sailor's  name  for  Majaqueus  cequinocti- 
alis. 

"The  Cape  hen  is  a  constant  resident  in  Table  Bay." 
(Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  766, 1875- 
84.) 

Cape  hemp. — Leonotus  leonurus.     See  Dagga. 

Cape  honeysuckle.  —  Tecomara  capensis,  Spach.  See 
Orange  creeper. 

"  In  the  flower  beds  English  violets  peep  out  beneath  the 
.  .  .  flaming  scarlet  of  the  Cape  honeysuckle."  (Devereux's 
"  Side  Lights  on  South  Africa,"  p.  10,  1899.) 

Cape  jessamine. — Jasminum  angulare,  Vahl.,  and  /.  glau- 
cum.  Ait. 

"  The  Gardenia  Thunbergia  or  the  wild  Cape  jessamine 
being  in  the  height  of  its  blossom,  gave  out  so  powerful  a 
scent,  that,  in  the  evening,  it  could  be  felt  at  the  distance  of 
several  miles."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  81,  1804.) 

Cape  lark — Macronix  capensis.  See  Cut-throat  lark 
and  Kalkoentje. 

Cape  lilac. — Melia  Azedarach.     See  Seringa. 


112  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"  Melia  Azedarach,  Linn Bead-tree,  Cape  lilac,  Indian 

lilac,"  etc.     ("  Report  S.A.A.A.  Science,"  p.  274,  1904.) 

"  In  Cassia  and  Cape  lilac  they  (lenticels)  extend  across 
the  stem."  (Stoneman's  "Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  31,  1906.) 

Cape  lobster. — Palinurus  (Jasus)  lalandii.  The  Cray- 
fish so  common  in  Table  Bay.     See  Kreef. 

"The  Gape  lobster  (Cancer  arctos)  has  no  large  claws 
and  is  craggy  all  over."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  240, 
1795.) 

"  '  Crayfish '  or  *  Kreeft '  is  also  plentiful  all  through  the 
summer.  We  also  call  it  Cape  lobster"  (Hilda's  "  Diary 
of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  47,  1912.) 

Cape  mahogany. — Trichilia  emetica.  The  flowers  of 
this  tree  which  open  in  November  are  strongly  scented. 

Cape  mole. — This  name  seems  to  have  been  appHed  to 
two  different  animals,  both  of  which  are  peculiar  to  South 
Africa :  they  differ  in  several  important  features  from  the  real 
mole,  and  appear  to  be  a  connecting  hnk  between  the  mole 
and  the  rat.  They  resemble  the  former  in  its  subterranean 
habits,  but  belong  to  the  Order  Bodentice.  (1)  The  Sand- 
mole,  Bathyergus  maritimus,  is  as  large  as  a  half-grown 
rabbit,  it  burrows  in  the  sand  of  the  Cape  Flats  and  similar 
localities,  and  makes  riding  on  the  Flats  a  somewhat  excit- 
ing pastime.  Its  food  consists  of  bulbs  and  roots.  (2)  The 
Bles-mole,  Georychus  capensis,  closely  resembles  Bathyer- 
gus but  is  much  smaller,  and  is  a  great  nuisance  in  gardens. 
The  popular  name  refers  to  the  white*face  of  the  animal. 

"  The  animal  is  a  very  large  kind  of  mole-rat  and  nearly 
as  big  as  a  rabbit.  It  is  peculiar  to  this  Colony  and  is  called 
Zand  moll  (sand  mole)."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  56, 
1822.) 

"  Some  parts  of  the  road  were  so  full  of  the  burrows  of 
the  Gape  mole,  Bathyergus  maritimus,  as  to  make  riding 
very  unpleasant."  (Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  132,  1844.) 
"  There  is  another  kind  of  mole-rat  peculiar  to  this  country 
.  .  .  known  by  the  name  of  the  Bles  moll  (white-faced  mole)." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  57,  1822.) 

"  The  Cape  mole  (Bathyergus  capensis)  is  very  common  in 
gardens  here,  and  very  mischievous  .  .  .  devouring  great  quan- 
tities of  bulbs  and  roots."  (Bunbury's  "Journal,"  p.  203, 
1848.)  '     t         > 


AFEICANDEKISMS  113 

Cape  mulberry. — The  mulberry  grown  in  the  Cape  is  an 
imported  tree. 

"  I  both  sent  and  took  home  specimens  of  the  Cape  or 
wild  mulberry,  and  every  other  variety  grown  in  the  Colony ; 
and  by  careful  comparison  and  investigation,  those  who  had 
been  in  Japan  and  China  at  once  fixed  upon  the  Cape  mul- 
berry as  identical  with  the  tree  most  prized  in  Japan  for  pro- 
ducing the  highest  quality  of  silk."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  2  January,  1871.) 

Cape  nightingale. — A  humorous  name  for  the  frogs  which 
are  so  vociferous  on  a  stormy  summer  evening. 

"  The  very  smell  of  the  water  and  the  din  of  the  huge 
frogs,  Cape  nightingales,  as  we  call  them,  revived  them." 
(Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  1889.) 

Cape  of  Good  Hope. — When  first  discovered  by  Bartholo- 
mew Diaz,  he  named  this  Cape  Cabo  Tormentosa,  because, 
baffled  by  storms,  he  was  unable  to  weather  it ;  subsequently 
he  doubled  it  without  being  aware  of  it.  King  John  of  Portu- 
gal, seeing  in  the  doubling  of  the  Cape  the  promise  of  a  new 
route  to  the  wealthy  orient  changed  the  name  to  Cabo  de 
Bona  Esperanza — Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

"  The  name  of  the  Cape  itself  reveals  the  spirit  of  hopeful 
enterprise  which  enabled  the  Portuguese  to  achieve  so  much." 
(Taylor's  "Words  and  Places,"  p.  23,  1878.) 

Cape  parson. — (Estrelata  macroptera.  The  dark  plumage 
of  this  bird  has  suggested  this  name  to  the  sailors. 

Cape  partridge. — Francolinus  Africanus,  Steph.  South 
Africa  possesses  neither  a  true  partridge  nor  a  true  pheasant 
among  its  birds. 

"  In  the  Cape  Colony  the  two  best-known  species  are  the 
Cape  redwing  {Francolinus  levaillanti)  and  the  greywing 
or  Cape  partridge  {F.  Africanus)."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's 
"  Sketches  of  South  African  Birds,"  p.  125,  1908.) 

Cape  Peninsula. — That  part  of  South  Africa  connected 
with  the  mainland  by  the  sandy  flats  which  run  from  Table 
Bay  to  False  Bay — the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  proper. 

Cape  people. — The  coloured  people  of  mixed  blood  in  the 
Western  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony  are  thus  designated. 

"  Cape  people  .  .  .  who  look  like  negroes,  but  are  a 
mixture  of  Dutch,  Hottentots,  and  Bushmen."  (Ealph's 
"  Towards  Pretoria,"  p.  58,  1900.) 

Cape  pheasant. — The  two  birds  most  commonly  so  called 

8 


114  AFKICANDEEISMS 

are  Pternistes  Swainsoni  and  P.  nudicollis.  The  name  is 
sometimes  given  to  other  birds. 

"  There  are  two  genera  of  Francolins  .  .  .  Francolinus, 
Pternistes.  To  the  former  belong  the  '  partridges  '  and  to 
the  latter  the  '  pheasants  '."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches 
of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  125,  1908.) 

Cape  pig-eons. — Daption  capensis.  The  name  vt^hich  this 
bird  bears  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town. 

"  On  the  19th  of  May  we  saw  for  the  first  time  the  birds 
called  Cape  pigeons."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  ii.  p.  30, 
1798.) 

"  The  merry  little  Cape  pigeon  now  visits  the  ship  in 
large  flocks,  and  crowds  astern  in  hopes  of  finding  food." 
(Drayton's  "  Tales  of  the  Outspan,"  p.  31,  1862.) 

Cape  plane. — Ochna  atropurpurea,  known  in  the  Eastern 
Province  as  the  Silverbark  (q.v.).  Dutch  name  Boodehout 
(q.v.) ;  also  Ochna  arbor ea. 

Cape  robin. — Cossypha  caffra,  a  bird  that  resembles  the 
English  robin  somewhat,  but  is  without  the  red  breast. 

"  The  so-called  Cape  robin — Bessonorius  phcenicurus, 
one  could  almost  reckon  upon  finding  about  the  gardens  or  in 
the  thickets  by  the  river,  and  its  song  at  eventide  was  an 
acceptable  echo  of  the  popular  home  bird."  ("  Scientific 
African,"  p.  87,  1896.) 

Cape  saffron. — Sutera  atropurpurea,  Hiern.  The  flowers 
are  used  to  make  a  yellow  dye.     See  Geelbloemetjes. 

"  L.  crocea  is  called  Cape  saffron.'^  (Stoneman's  "  Plants 
and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  260,  1906.) 

Cape  salmon. — (1)  At  the  Cape  this  name  is  applied  to 
Otolithus  cequidens,  Cuv.  See  Geelbek.  (2)  On  the  east 
coast — Port  Elizabeth,  East  London,  etc.,  Elops  saurus  is 
thus  designated.  (3)  In  Natal  and  by  deep-sea  fishermen 
Scicena  aquila  is  so  called.     See  Kabeljauw. 

"  Under  this  name  the  '  Geelbek  '  has  been  eulogized. 
Dr.  Pappe  says,  '  the  flesh  is  dry,  but  fit  for  salting,  it  forms 
food  for  the  poor  and  lazy '.  Why  call  it  the  Cape  salmon  ?  " 
("  Science  Gossip,"  p.  64,  1865.) 

"  Our  Cape  salmon  {Elops  sauriis)  must  not  be  confounded 
with  the  geelbek  or  yellow-mouth  {Otolithus  cequidens):' 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  14  August,  1905.) 

"  The  Kabeljauw  {Scicena  aquila)  is  sometimes  called 
Cape  salmon  by  the  deep-sea  fishermen."     (Ibid.) 


AFBICANDEEISMS  115 

Cape  sheep. — A  parti-coloured,  lop-eared  animal,  with  a 
large  proportion  of  rough,  wiry,  brown  hair  among  its  wool ; 
the  broad  flat  tail,  which  consists  almost  entirely  of  pure, 
sweet  fat,  weighs  ordinarily  from  6  to  15  lb.,  but  frequently 
even  the  latter  weight  is  considerably  exceeded.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  this  breed  is  a  modified  or  crossed  variety  of 
the  Siberian  goat  or  "  Mouflon  "  of  Asia. 

"  The  sheep  which  the  savages  breed  in  the  Eastern  parts 
are  of  a  species  known  under  the  name  of  the  Gape  sheep. 
They  have  acquired  considerable  reputation  from  the  size  of 
their  tails  ;  but  this  has  been  greatly  exaggerated,  their  ordin- 
ary weight  is  not  above  4  or  5  lb."  (Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels," 
II.  p.  80,  1796.) 

"  The  native  sheep  is  in  high  favour  with  the  butcher, 
who  will  buy  a  mixed  flock  of  Cape  sheep  .  .  .  and  merinos 
when  he  would  not  look  at  a  flock  of  the  latter  by  themselves." 
(Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  331, 
1896.) 

Cape  sheep. — Diomedia  exulans.  The  name  given  by 
sailors  to  the  Great  albatross. 

"  Another  sea  bird  found  round  the  coast  of  Africa  is  the 
splendid  wandering  Albatross,  sometimes  called  the  Great 
albatross,  and  more  familiarly  known  to  sailors  by  the  curious 
designation  of  the  Cape  sheep."  (Bry den's  "  Animals  of 
Africa,"  p.  119,  1900.) 

Cape  smoke. — A  brandy  manufactured  in  nearly  all  the 
vine-growing  districts  of  the  Colony. 

**  Already  in  imagination  were  they  revelling  in  the  luxuries 
of  Cape  smoke  or  brandy  and  sheep-tail  fat."  (Methuen's 
"  Life  in  the  Wilderness,"  p.  250,  1848.) 

"  White  brandy  which  is  sold  under  the  name  of  Cape 
smoke.  This  abomination  ...  is  a  poison  calculated  to  burn 
the  inside  of  a  rhinoceros."  (Hutchinson's  "In  Tents  in  the 
Transvaal,"  p.  169,  1879.) 

Cape  sumach. — See  Bergbast  and  Pruimbast. 

•'  The  experiments  in  the  propagation  of  Gape  sumach  have 
been  continued,  not,  I  regret  to  say,  with  much  success." 
(Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  304,  1907.) 

Cape  teak. — Strychnos  Atherstonei. 

Cape  tulip. — Homeria  collina  is  known  by  this  name  in 
the  Western  Province. 

"  I  introduce  this  plant,  the  Morcea  Collina,  Thhg.  (which 


116  AFKICANDERISMS 

is  known  to  almost  every  child  in  the  Colony  as  the  Cape 
tulip)."  (Pappe's  "  Florae  Capensis  Medicse  Prodromus,"  p. 
37,  1868.) 

Cape  trumpet  flowers. — Tecomara  capensis,  Spach.  The 
name  refers  to  the  shape  of  the  blossoms.  See  Cape  honey- 
suckle. 

"  Here  I  first  saw  in  blossom  that  beautiful  scarlet-flowered 
climber  the  Cape  trumpet  flower  {Tecoma  capensis)  which  is 
very  abundant  in  bushy  places  in  Caffraria."  (Backhouse's 
"Narrative,"  p.  251,1844.) 

"  Here  also  is  a  beautiful  climber  bearing  scarlet  flowers, 
called  the  Cape  trumpet  flower  {Tecoma  capensis)."  (T. 
Smith,  "  Wes.  Meth.  Magazine,"  p.  61,  1849.) 

Cape  Willow. — Salix  capensis,  growing  upon  the  banks  of 
rivers  and  streams  in  all  parts  of  the  Colony. 

Carbonatje. — (Sp.  carbonado ;  D.  karhonade,  flesh  roasted 
on  the  coals.)  Thin  slices  of  meat  roasted  on  a  pointed  stick 
or  a  fork,  and,  as  prepared  by  the  Dutch  housewife,  a  dish  for 
an  epicure. 

"  Our  Hottentot  cooks  having  some  broiled  mutton  carhon- 
aadtjes  (chops  or  steaks)  it  was  not  long  before  supper  was 
finished."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  229,  1822.) 

Cardinal  pecker. — Dendropicus  cardinalis. 

"  The  Cardinal  woodpecker  {Dendropicus  cardinalis)  is 
the  commonest  and  most  widely  distributed  of  the  South 
African  woodpeckers."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "Sketches  of 
South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  34,  1908.) 

Carpenter. — This  word  seems  to  be  a  corruption  of 
Kaapenaar ;  Dentex  argyroxona  is  so  called  in  East  London. 
See  Kaapenaar  and  Silver  fish. 

Carpenter  bees. —  Xylocopa  sicheli  drills  long  galleries 
into  dry  wood  which  it  divides  into  cells. 

Carrion  flowers. — The  flowers  of  the  genus  Stapelia  are 
so  called  because  of  the  fetid  odour  which  some  of  them  ex- 
hale ;  so  much  does  it  resemble  that  of  carrion  that  carrion- 
loving  insects  often  deposit  their  eggs  upon  them. 

Carrot  fern. — Asplenium  rutcefolium,  Kze. 

Cartel. — See  Katel. 

Catawba  grape. ^ — An  American  name  given  in  Natal  to  a 
variety  of  grape  having  a  pecuUar  strawberry-like  flavour. 

"  Several  species  of  American  grape  vine  are  in  cultivation, 
one  of  them  known    here   as   the   Catawba  is   really   the 


AFRICANDEKISMS  117 

'Isabella,'  of  which  there  are  many  varieties."  (Wood's 
"  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  33,  1907.) 

Caterpillar  catchers. — Campophaga  hartlaubi  is  so  named 
in  Natal,  caterpillars  being  its  favourite  food. 

"  This  family  of  birds  is  sometimes  called  Caterpillar 
catchers."     (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds,"  p.  10,  1899.) 

Catfish. — (1)  In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  Octopus 
vulgaris  is  thus  designated.  (2)  Clarais  Gariepinus,  a  mud- 
loving,  fresh-water  fish  of  the  Siluridce  family  is  also  so  called. 
This  latter  is  also  known  as  the  Plattekop,  Devil  fish,  etc. 
(3)  At  East  London  the  name  is  given  to  Galeichthys  feliceps. 
See  Barbel. 

"  The  gentlemen  of  our  party  lighted  upon  a  most  horrible 
creature  called  a  catfish,  but  which  ought  more  properly  to 
have  been  named  *  a  sea  devil '  if  there  be  such  a  thing — as 
it  was  all  arms  and  legs,  and  huge  goggle-eyed  head."  ("  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  ii.  p.  135,  1871.) 

"  There  is  another  strange,  mud-loving  fish  which  swarms 
in  many  of  the  larger  South  African  rivers.  I  mean  the 
Catfish,  one  of  a  class  of  fish  known  to  naturalists  as  Silu- 
roids."  (Bryden's  "Animals  of  South  Africa,"  p.  196, 
1900.) 

"  Ayres  found  a  two-pound  Catfish  {Clarias)  in  the 
stomach  of  one  individual."  (Stark  and  Slater's  "  Birds  of 
South  Africa,"  iv.  p.  57,  1906.) 

Cat's  eye. — A  curiously  marked  stone  found  in  large 
numbers  at  the  Vaal  River  diggings.  The  valuable  stone 
found  in  Ceylon,  and  named  by  the  Portuguese  Olho  de  gato, 
of  which  Cat's  eye  is  a  translation,  was  so  named  because 
of  its  glowing  internal  reflections  and  greenish  grey  colour ; 
the  Vaal  River  stone  seems  to  have  been  so  called  because  of 
the  peculiar  circular  markings  which  characterize  it. 

"  This  substance  (Crocidohte)  has  been  by  some  minera- 
logists considered  as  allied  to  that  which  is  called  Cat's  eye." 
(Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  334  n.,  1822.)  (Burchell  refers 
to  the  Ceylon  stone.) 

"  Chrysoberyl  is  quite  abundant  for  so  rare  a  stone.  The 
prevailing  variety  is  yellow,  but  the  opalescent  (precious) 
cat's  eye  .  .  .  also  occurs."  ("Report  S.A.A.A.  Science,"  p. 
291,  1907.) 

Cat's  meat. — See  Bobbetjes. 

Cat's  thorn. — See  Kat  doom. 


118  AFRICANDEEISMS 

"A  species  of  creeper  called  cat^s  thorn.''  (Latrobe's 
"Journal,"  p.  101,  1818.) 

C.C. — These  letters  stand  for  Cape  Colony  and  also  for 
Civil  Commissioner. 

The  CO.  of  Caledon  sent  to  disperse 

This  horde  of  banditti,  a  small  Burgher  force. 

(Hudson's  "Features  in  South  African  Frontier  Life,"  p.  96, 
1852.) 

Cedarboom. — Callitris  arborea,  Schrad.  These  trees  are 
practically  confined  in  South  Africa  to  the  mountains  of  the 
Clanwilliam  District,  known  in  consequence  as  the  Cedarberg ; 
the  name  is,  however,  incorrectly  applied,  the  true  cedars, 
of  which  there  are  three  species,  belonging  to  the  genus 
Cedrus. 

Ceded  territory. — Immediately  after  the  attack  of  the 
Amaxosa  Kaffirs  upon  Grahamstown  in  1819,  a  large  force  of 
British  troops  entered  Kaffir  territory  to  punish  this  daring 
inroad  into  the  Colony.  Having  defeated  the  Kaffirs,  the 
country  from  the  Keiskamma  to  the  Great  Fish  River  was 
made  a  neutral  zone,  between  the  Kaffirs  and  the  Colony. 
This  tract  of  country  was  then,  and  for  some  years  after, 
known  as  the  Ceded  territory. 

"  It  has  sometimes  been  designated  '  neutral,'  at  other 
times  ceded  territory,  and  by  the  Acting  Governor  (Sir 
Rufane  Shaw  Donkin)  '  newly  acquired  territory  '."  (Kay's 
"  Caffrarian  Researches,"  p.  494,  1833.) 

"  Of  this  tract  a  considerable  portion,  extending  from  the 
Fish  River  to  the  Keiskamma,  and  formerly  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Ceded  territory,  has  by  proclamation  by  the 
Governor,  Sir  Harry  Smith,  been  recently  annexed  to  the 
Colony."  (T.  Smith's  "  Sketches,"  "  Wes.  Meth.  Magazine," 
p.  58,  1849.) 

Cess  or  Ciss. — (CD.  sis  or  sies.)  An  expression  of  disgust 
in  common  use,  occasionally  elaborated  into  "  pooh-ga-ciss  ". 

"  I  have  lost  more  cattle  from  the  attacks  of  hyenas  than 
I  have  from  lions  or  leopards,  and  as  to  sheep,  cess,  I've  had 
nearly  a  whole  flock  worried  by  them."  (Dray son's  "  Tales 
of  the  Outspan,"  p.  67,  1862.) 

Ceylon  pumpkin. — A  large,  oval-shaped  pumpkin  with 
orange-coloured  flesh.  The  Kaffir  name,  u  Solontsi,  is  a  cor- 
ruption of  Ceylon. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  119 

Ceylon  rose. — Nerium  Oleander.  The  Natal  name  of 
this  pretty  flowering  shrub. 

"  The  streets  (of  Graaff  Reinet)  are  spacious,  intersecting 
at  right  angles.  Many  of  them  are  planted  on  each  side  with 
lemon  trees  interspersed  with  acacia  and  oleander  or  the 
Ceylon  rose."  (Iron's  "  Settler's  Guide  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  and  Natal,"  p.  96,  1858.) 

"  I  find  that  the  Ceylon  rose  is,  as  I  suspected,  the  other 
poison  with  which  the  Damaras  tip  their  arrows  in  war." 
(Chapman's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  15,  1868.) 

Chad  or  Shad. — The  East  London  name  of  Temnodon 
saltator.     See  Elft. 

Chains,  The. — That  portion  of  Simmonds  Street,  Johan- 
nesburg, which  is  closed  to  vehicular  traffic,  and  reserved  for 
the  operations  of  stock  and  mining  speculations. 

Chaka. — A  merciless  savage  of  great  ability,  under  whom 
the  originally  small  Zulu  tribe  became  a  dreaded  power.  At 
the  height  of  his  power  he  had  an  army  of  100,000  warriors. 
He  was  murdered  at  Dukuza  in  1828  by  Dingaan  and 
Mahlangana  his  brothers.  No  more  sanguinary  monster  has 
stained  the  page  of  history. 

"  So  fell  Tshaka  ...  in  sanguinary  executions  and  in 
refined  cruelties,  he  outstripped  all  who  have  gone  before  him 
in  any  country  in  the  world.  He  was  a  monster,  a  compound 
of  vice  and  ferocity,  without  one  virtue,  except  that  of  valour, 
to  redeem  his  name  from  the  infamy  to  which  history  has 
assigned  it."  (Hoodie's  "Battles  of  Southern  Africa,"  i.  p. 
406,  1888.) 

Chamsgeslacht. — (D.  Cham,  Biblical  pr.  name.  Ham; 
geslacht,  race,  generation.)  An  opprobrious  term  applied  to 
Malays  and  coloured  people. 

Chandelier  lily. — Brunsvigia  gigantea,  Heist. 

"  We  noticed  here  a  gigantic  species  of  a  plant  from  its 
singular  form  .  .  .  called  the  Chandelier.  ...  Its  root  is  a 
bulb."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  165,  1818.) 

"  A  grand  family  of  plants — the  Amaryllidacece — of  which 
our  Chandelier  lily  {Brunsvigia  Josephines)  is  an  example." 
("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  iii.  p.  122,  1871.) 

Chandelier  plant. — A  species  of  Euphorbia. 

"  We  .  .  .  crossed  a  tract  of  land  covered  with  aloes,  called 
likewise  the  chandelier  plant."  ("Scenes,  etc.,  in  Albany 
and  Caflferland,"  p.  4,  1827.) 


120  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Chap.— See  Tjap. 

Charm  sticks. — Part  of  the  equipment  of  the  Kaffir  witch 
doctor.     See  also  Dolossi. 

"  Umlangeni's  flight  was  ...  so  precipitate  that  many 
of  his  charm  sticks  had  been  left  behind."  (Godlonton's 
"  Kaffir  War,"  1850-1851,  p.  356,  1852.) 

China  spider. — I  have  not  been  able  to  identify  this 
spider. 

"  The  gaily  painted  China  spider  (?),  as  it  is  commonly 
called  in  South  Africa,  is  another  example  of  deceptive  colour." 
("Trans.  S.  A.  Philosophical  Soc,  i.  ii.  p.  41,  1879.) 

Chinkering  ching.  —  Ornithogalum  thyrsoides.  The 
popular  name  of  this  plant  in  the  Western  Province.  The 
name  is  supposed  to  represent  a  somewhat  peculiar  sound 
produced  by  rubbing  two  flower-stalks  lightly  one  upon  the 
other.  See  Viooltjes.  The  plant  is  now  known  to  be  poison- 
ous to  horses. 

"  Tinterinties  is  a  name  given  to  a  species  of  Ornithogalum, 
with  a  white  flower,  from  the  sound  it  produced  when  two 
stalks  of  it  were  rubbed  together."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  153,  1795.) 

"  The  Chinkerinchee,  Chincher-and-ching,  '  Viooltjes,' 
as  that  beautiful  white  flowering  bulb,  the  Ornithogalum 
thyrsoides,  is  variously  called  in  South  Africa,  occurs  over  a 
wide  area.  The  flower  heads  are  now  known  to  be  a  deadly 
poison  when  eaten  by  horses."  ("C.G.H.  Agric.  Journal," 
p.  6,  July,  1904.) 

Chok. — Aquila  rapax,  also  called  the  Coo  vogel  (q.v.). 

Chook. — The  name  given  in  the  neighbourhood  of  King 
William's  Town  to  several  varieties  of  weaver-bird  ;  e.g. 
Hyphantornis  olivaceous,  etc. 

Chor-chor. — Pristipona  hennettii.  The  name  is  onoma- 
topoetic  and  refers  to  the  curious  noise  which  the  fish  makes 
when  taken  from  the  water.  It  is  also  known  by  several 
other  names :  Grunter,  Varkje,  Oortje,  and  in  Natal  as  the 
Eock  grunter. 

Chowrie.— (Hind,  chauhri.)  The  tuft  of  hair  at  the  end 
of  the  tail  of  an  ox,  fastened  to  a  handle  and  used  as  a  fly- 
flapper. 

"These  tails  sell  very  high  and  are  used  mounted  on 
silver  handles  for  chowras  or  brushes,  to  chace  away  the  flies." 
(Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  in.  p.  179  n.,  1798.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  121 

"  It  was  necessary  to  wave  a  chowrie  in  front  of  one's  face 
to  keep  the  swarms  of  flies  ata  distance."  (Brigg's  "  Sunny 
Fountains  and  Golden  Sands,"  p.  214,  1888.) 

Christ- thorn. — The  popular  name  of  Euphorbia  splendens, 
an  exceedingly  thorny  plant,  the  bright  red  flowers  of  which 
are  supposed  to  resemble  drops  of  blood.  It  is  an  introduced 
plant, 

Christmas  bee  or  beetle. — The  various  CicadcB,  which 
fill  the  air  with  deafening  shrillness  about  Christmas  time, 
are  so  called  in  some  localities. 

"  The  Christmas  bee  or  cicada  is  another  familiar  insect 
of  which  only  the  male  has  the  power  of  '  song '  ;  and  it  must 
be  confessed  he  is  exceedingly  persistent  in  the  exhibition  of 
his  accomphshment,  for  a  noisier  insect  it  would  be  hard 
to  find."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  16  February, 
1912.) 

Christmas  bush. — Pavetta  caffra  is  known  by  this  name. 

Christmas  rose. — Helleborus  niger. 

"  In  the  Christmas  rose  leaves  and  leaflets  take  the  place 
of  ovaries  and  ovules."  (Stoneman's  "Plants  and  their 
Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  117,  1906.) 

Christmas  tree. — Pavetta  lanceolata,  Eck.  (1)  This 
shrub  blooms  in  pure  white  about  Christmas  time.  (2)  The 
name  is  also  given  in  the  Eastern  Province  to  a  plant  of  the 
order  Sapindacece  Aitonia  capensis,  its  various  coloured, 
lantern-like  fruits  and  narrow  evergreen  leaves  suggesting 
the  name. 

Chutney. — (Hind,  chatnl.)  A  strong,  hot  relish,  origin- 
ally brought  from  India. 

Cinnamon  dove. — Harplopelia  larvata.    See  Lemon  dove. 

"  The  Cinnamon  dove  ...  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  forests 
of  the  Cape  ranging  from  Knysna  to  Natal,  and  the  Trans- 
vaal." (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird 
Life,"  p.  114,  1908.) 

City  of  the  Saints.^ — A  nickname  given  in  early  days  to 
Grahamstown. 

"  I  hope  we  may  find  more  catholicity  of  sentiment  pre- 
vailing than  what  I  have  been  led  to  expect  in  that  so-called 
City  of  the  Saints."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  iii.  p.  88, 
1871.) 

Civet  kat. — Viverra  civetta. 

"  As  to  .  .  .  the  African  civet  cat,  I  much  doubt  if  it  be 


122  AFEICANDEKISMS 

to  be  found  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope."  (Sparmann's 
"Voyage,"  I.  p.  151,  1785.) 

Claim. — At  Kimberley  a"  claim  "  was  a  piece  of  diamond- 
iferous  ground  measuring  thirty  feet  each  way  "  claimed  "  by 
those  who  "pegged  it  off". 

"  Thirty  feet  square  was  and  is  the  measure  of  a  claim, 
and  not  more  than  two  claims  could  be  held  by  one  person." 
(Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  87,  1873.) 

Clap. — (D.  klap,  a  slap,  snap.)  The  term  applied  to  the 
noise  made  by  a  whip,  or  by  a  bullet  when  it  hits  the  mark. 

"  As  the  drivers  clap  their  long  whips  and  the  teams  .  .  . 
move  briskly  over  the  way,  all  eyes  are  upon  them."  (Silver's 
"Handbook  to  South  Africa,"  p.  225.  1876.) 

"  The  bullet  clapped  loudly,  and  I  saw  her  stagger,  but 
recovering  immediately  she  went  on."  (Selous'  "Wander- 
ings," p.  232,  1895.) 

Clapart  leeuwerk  or  Bartailed  lark. — (D.  leeuwerik,  a 
lark ;  cf.  Scotch  laverock  and  Chaucer's  laverokkes,  "  Eomaunt 
of  the  Eose,"  1.  662.)     Mirafra  apiata. 

Clapper. —  (D.  Mapper,  a  coconut;  M.  Kelapa,  Klapa.) 
The  fruit  of  Strychnos  pungens  and  S.  spinosa,  called 
also  Wooden  orange  (q.v.). 

"  We  had  a  capital  lunch  from  some  wild  fruit  about  three 
times  the  size  of  an  orange,  called  a  clapper.  It  has  a  hard 
shell  outside,  which  one  must  batter  against  a  tree  to  crack 
or  break."     (Baldwin's  "African  Hunting,"  p.  187,  1890.) 

Clapper. — The  name  given  to  Crotalaria  Burkeana  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Graaff  Eeinet,  the  seed-pods  of  which 
make  a  rattling  sound  when  shaken  by  the  wind.  See 
Stiefziekte  bosje. 

Clapper  bill. — Anastomus  lamelligerus.  See  the  African 
Open-bill. 

"Now  flit  past  a  number  of  those  very  remarkable  birds 
aptly  termed  clapper  bills  {Anastovius  lamelligerus)."  (Schil- 
hng's  "With  Flashlight  and  Eifle,"  i.  p.  75,  1906.) 

Click  beetle. — Various  species  of  the  Elateridce  are  so 
named  because  of  the  curious  click  which  they  make  when 
jumping. 

"  The  giants  of  these  click  beetles  range  from  Abyssinia 
to  Port  St.  John  in  the  Cape  Colony."  ("  Science  in  Africa," 
p.  167,  1905.) 

Clicks,   Kaffir. — These  curious  sounds  do  not  appear  to 


AFEICANDEKISMS  123 

have  belonged  to  the  Kaffir  language  originaUy,  but  to  have 
been  acquired  from  the  Hottentot  tribes  with  whom  the 
Kaffirs  had  intercourse.  Among  the  Kaffirs  the  clicks  em- 
ployed are  three  in  number :  viz.  (1)  The  C  or  dental  click. 
(2)  The  Q  or  palatal  click.  (3)  The  X  or  lateral  click. 
Kronlein,  in  his  "  Wortschatz  der  Khoi-Khoin,"  says  that  the 
Nam  aqua  Hottentots  have  a  fourth  click,  which  he  calls  the 
cerebral,  being  produced  far  back  in  the  throat. 

"  One  peculiarity  of  their  language  is  so  singular  that  it 
has  not  failed  to  attract  the  attention  of  all  travellers.  Most 
of  their  (the  Hottentots)  words  are  pronounced  with  a 
smack  or  clucking  sound,  produced  by  the  quick  retrac- 
tion of  the  tongue  from  the  teeth  of  the  upper  jaw,  or  from 
the  palate  against  which  it  had  been  pressed.  Words  of 
more  than  one  syllable  are  accompanied  or  divided  and 
rendered  special  and  emphatic  in  their  application  by  two 
clucks,  and  these  accents,  if  we  may  so  term  them,  are  sounded 
in  three  different  ways  as  the  word  or  subject  requires,  by 
striking  the  point  of  the  tongue  more  or  less  backward 
against  the  palate."     (Philip's  "  Eesearches,"  i.  p.  15,1828.) 

"  The  dialect  now  spoken  by  the  frontier  Kaffirs  partakes, 
to  a  certain  extent,  of  the  Hottentot  cluck,  a  peculiarity  not 
to  be  found  among  the  tribes  further  back."  (Pringle's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  93,  1840.) 

Clingstone. — A  term  applied  to  peaches,  etc.,  when  the 
flesh  of  the  fruit  is  closely  attached  to  the  stone.    See  Taaipit. 

Clompje. — See  Klompje. 

"  His  neighbours,  however,  were  continually  losing 
small  and  large  clompjes  of  sheep."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  19  February,  1884.) 

Clover,  Boer. — Medicago  nigra,  called  also  Dutch  or 
Cape  clover ;  it  has  a  single  flower. 

Clover  bur. — Medicago  denticulata.  The  btir  adheres  to 
the  wool  of  sheep  and  detracts  considerably  from  its  value. 

Clover,  Stink. — Melilotus  officinalis  has  a  spray  of  flowers 
and  a  purplish  stripe  up  the  centre  of  the  leaf. 

Cluster  pine. — Pinus  pinaster,  an  exotic  tree  which  has 
become  naturahzed  on  the  Cape  Peninsula. 

C.M.R.— See  F.A.M.P. 

Coach. — The  vehicle,  sufficiently  described  in  the  quota- 
tion, by  which  travellers  who  were  in  a  hurry  found  their 
way  to  the  diamond  fields  in  the  early  days. 


124  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"  Packed  up  our  kits  and  in  the  afternoon  embarked  .  .  . 
in  the  coach  for  Bulawayo.  The  coach  is  a  regular 
Buffalo  Bill,  Wild  West,  Deadwood  affair,  hung  by  huge 
leather  springs  on  a  heavy,  strong-built  under-carriage, 
drawn  by  ten  mules.  Our  baggage  and  three  soldier  ser- 
vants on  the  roof ;  two  coloured  drivers  (one  to  the  reins,  the 
other  to  the  whip).  Inside  are  four  transverse  seats,  each 
to  hold  three,  thus  making  twelve  '  insides '."  (Baden 
Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,"  1896,  p.  12,  1897.) 

Coal. — The  word  is  commonly  used  in  the  Colony  in  the 
Bible  sense ;  "  having  a  live  coal  in  his  hand,"  Is.  vi.  6. 
A  glowing  wood  cinder ;  a  meaning  which  has  become 
archaic  in  the  English  of  the  homeland. 

"  The  coffee  is  the  most  delicious  you  ever  tasted  in  your 
life,  the  roostekoeks  too  that  have  been  roasting  on  the 
coahr    (Hick's  "  The  Cape  as  I  Found  It,"  p.  170,  1900.) 

Coalwood. — Lachnostylis  capensis. 

Coast  pheasant  or  partridge. — Francolinus  natalensis  is 
so  called  in  Natal.     See  Namaqua  pheasant. 

"  Francolinus  natalensis  is  the  Coast  partridge  of  Natal 
or  '  Namaqua  pheasant '  of  the  Transvaal."  (Gilchrist's 
"  South  African  Zoology,"  p.  255,  1911.) 

Cob  or  Mealie  cob. — The   rachis  on  which   the   mealies 
grow  and  from  which  they  have  to  be  "  stripped  ". 

"Two  odoriferous  Fingoes  sat  .  .  .  round  a  heap  of 
cohs,  hammering  away  at  it  with  kerries."  (King's  "  Cam- 
paigning in  Kafl&rland,"  p.  202,  1855.) 

"A  man  wishing  to  have  some  mealies  for  seed,  applied 
to  his  neighbour  who  had  obtained  a  supply  just  before,  but 
found  he  had  planted  the  whole  without  knocking  it  off  the 
cohs."     (Dugmore's  "  Keminiscences,"  p.  16,  1872.) 

Cockscomb. — A  fine  mountain  of  the  Winterhoek  range 
in  the  District  of  Uitenhage  ;  rising  to  a  height  of  5400  feet, 
it  is  sighted  by  mariners  from  the  East  a  long  way  at  sea. 
At  one  time  it  was  known  as  the  '  Grenadier's  Cap '  (q.v.). 

"  The  sailors  call  it  the  Cockscomb  mountain,  a  name 
which  gives  a  good  idea  of  its  outline."  (Bunbury's 
"Journal,"  p.  127,  1848.) 

"  The  Cock's  Comb,  seen  on  the  road  to  Hankey,  is 
about  6000  or  7000  feet  high,  and  is  one  of  the  highest 
points  in  the  range."       (Freeman's  "Tour,"  p.  52,  1851.) 

Coffee  blight — Hamelia  vastatrix.    This  blight  destroyed 


AFEICANDEKISMS  125 

the  whole  of  the  coffee  plantations  in  Natal  and  effectually 
ruined  a  most  promising  industry. 

"  Coffee  was  grown  successfully  for  a  time  near  Durban. 
The  cause  of  the  breakdown  of  the  industry  was  twofold. 
First  the  appearance  of  the  blight  known  as  Hamelia 
vastatrix.  Second  the  impetus  given  to  tea  growing." 
(McNab's  "  On  Veldt  and  Farm,"  p.  305,  1897.) 

Coffee  palm. — Phoenix  reclinata,  Jacq.  So  called  because 
the  Settlers  (q.v.)  roasted  and  ground  the  seeds  and  used  it 
as  coffee. 

"  Phoenix  reclinata,  Jacq.,  locally  known  as  the  Wild  palm 
or  Wild  coffee."  (Sim's  "Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p. 
341,  1907.) 

Colley. — This  name,  which  in  England  (Somerset)  is 
given  to  the  blackbird,  is  occasionally  used  in  South  Africa 
of  the  Muis-vogel  (q.v.). 

"  We  got  here  plenty  of  birds  ...  as  colley s  with  bluish 
plumage,  crests,  and  long  tails."  (Alexander's  "  Expedition," 
I.  p.  182,  1838.) 

"It  is  not  unlike  a  gigantic  Goly  ;  it  also  climbs  and  flies 
like  the  colies,  which  it  strongly  resembles  in  its  general 
habits."  (Anderson's  "Birds  of  Damaraland,"  p.  204, 
1872.) 

Colonial. — A  word  often  used  in  South  Africa  for 
"colonist". 

"  There  are  said  to  have  been  70,000  Europeans  and 
Colonials  in  Natal,  mostly  the  former."  (Indicus'  "Labour, 
etc.,  in  South  Africa,"  p.  52,  1903.) 

Colour,  To  find  or  get. — To  find  at  the  bottom  of  the  pan 
in  which  soil,  supposed  to  be  gold  bearing,  has  been  washed, 
a  slight  streak  of  the  precious  metal. 

"  Finding  the  colour  in  several  places,  but  .  .  .  unable 
to  prosecute  any  researches  to  a  successful  issue."  (Baine's 
"Gold  Kegions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  124,  1877.) 

"  When  a  miner  sees  this  yellow  streak,  he  exclaims  that 
he  has  got  colour.''  ("Adventures  in  Mashonaland,"  p.  168, 
1893.) 

Coloured  people. — The  people  of  mixed  African  and 
European  blood,  chiefly  resident  in  the  Western  Province,  are 
thus  designated.  They  are  most  of  them  descendants  of  the 
old  slaves. 

"  The  hunters  and  wagon-drivers  .  .  .  generally  half-breeds, 


126  AFRICANDEBISMS 

who  are  known  by  the  distinctive  title  of  coloured  people,  in 
differentiation  from  the  natives  up  country."  (Schulz  and 
Hammond's  "New  Africa,"  p.  15,  1897.) 

Colour  span. — A  span  of  oxen  the  individuals  of  which  are 
of  the  same  colour  or  markings. 

"Many  farmers  possess  colour  spans,  but  in  that  district 
there  was  not  such  a  perfectly  marked  and  symmetrical 
colour  span  as  Gert  Potgieters."  (Watkin's  "  From  Farm 
to  Forum,"  p.  20,  1906.) 

Comb  duck. — Sarcidromis  melanonota.  See  Knobbilled 
duck. 

Comberse. — (D.  kombaars,  a  coverlet,  rug ;  the  word  has 
the  same  derivation  as  the  English  word  "Compress  ".)  A 
blanket,  rug.  The  sun  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  "  De  arm 
mens  sij  combers  " — the  poor  man's  blanket. 

"  The  bed's  .  .  .  clothing  consisted  of  ...  a  felt  coinberse 
or  quilt  sewn  up  in  a  sheet  of  cotton  print  and  apparently 
never  washed."  (Lucas'  "Life  and  Sport  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
137,  1878.) 

Come  and  I'll  kiss  you. — A  name  occasionally  given  in 
Natal  to  the  well-known  AVacht  en  bietje  thorn  (q.v.).  It 
appears  to  be  the  literal  rendering  of  the  Zulu  name. 

"Then  there  was  the  cachis  with  spikes  three  inches  in 
length,  and  the  Gome  and  I'll  kiss  you,  a  bush  armed 
with  almost  equally  formidable  thorns."  (Kingston's  "  Hen- 
dricks the  Hunter,"  p.  5,  1894.) 

"  The  natives  sometimes  call  a  thorn  bush  which  Europeans 
name  '  Wait-a-bit,'  by  the  expressive  name,  "  Gome  and  I'll 
kiss  you."    (Kidd's  "  The  Essential  Kaffir,"  p.  37,  1904.) 

Comitje. — (D.  kom,  a  bowl,  basin.)     A  small  basin. 

"  The  meal  usually  consisted  of  kid's  flesh  .  .  .  little  cow- 
■mitjies,  or  bowls  of  milk,  being  placed  by  the  side  of  each 
person."  (Lucas'  "  Life  and  Sport  in  South  Africa,"  p.  136, 
1871.) 

Comitjes. — (D.  kom,  a  bowl,  basin.)  The  basin-Hke  de- 
pressions in  the  veld,  which  in  some  places  are  very  numerous. 
This  seems  to  be  the  origin  of  the  names  Committees  Drift 
and  Committees  Flats. 

"  Colonel  Smith's  force  was  distributed  into  three  divi- 
sions ...  the  left  under  Colonel  England  at  Gommatty's 
Drift"    (Alexander's  "  Western  Africa,"  ii.  p.  8,  1840.) 

"  Passing  the  Debe  Nek  we  came  upon  a  plain  full  of 


AFKICANDEEISMS  127 

strange  holes  like  large  basins,  hence  this  plain  is  called 
Commatje  Flats."     {Ihid.  p.  74.) 

"  The  road  crosses  the  Commitje  (Anglic^,  bason)  Flat,  so 
called  from  being  dotted  in  every  part  by  little  circular  hollows 
varying  from  1  foot  to  4  feet  in  diameter  and  from  a  few 
inches  to  2  feet  in  depth."  (Godlonton's  "  Kaffir  War, 
1851,"  p.  97,  1852.) 

Commandant. — (D.  Jcommandant,  commander.)  As  usu- 
ally employed  in  South  Africa,  the  Commandant  is  the  leader 
of  a  Commando  (q.v.),  or  the  military  governor  of  a  town  or 
district. 

"  Commandant  Opperman  reports  on  the  insubordination 
of  the  inhabitants."  (Sutherland's  "  South  African  Tribes," 
I.  p.  68,  1845.) 

Commandeer,  To. — (CD.)  To  compel  men  to  military 
service  ;  to  seize  for  military  purposes  such  articles  as  may 
be  required,  with  or  without  compensation. 

"  The  night  previously  the  Boers  had  commandeered  the 
natives  and  compelled  them  to  fight."  ("  The  Times,"  1  Feb- 
ruary, 1881.) 

"  The  offices  of  one  of  the  gold-mining  companies  were 
similarly  commandeered  and  assigned  to  us  as  offices."  (Baden 
Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,"  1896,  p.  26,  1897.) 

Commando. — An  armed  force  raised  by  levying  upon  the 
men  available  in  a  given  district,  for  the  repression  of  native 
raidings,  the  recovery  of  stolen  property,  the  pursuit  and 
punishment  of  marauders.  The  word  is  now  used  with  a 
considerable  degree  of  laxity. 

•'  The  master  himself  was  at  this  time  absent  on  Commando, 
or  militia  service  against  the  Caffers  in  the  Zuurveld."  (Bur- 
chell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  Ill,  1824.) 

Commando  Tax. — A  tax  established  in  the  Cape  Colony 
by  Government  Proclamation,  4  December,  1812,  "  for  the 
maintenance  of  a  corps  for  the  defence  of  the  frontier  ". 

*'  The  pay  of  the  military  body,  an  expense  which  the 
whole  Colony  had  to  meet  in  the  shape  of  a  Commando  Tax, 
without  any  return  whatever."  ("  C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette," 
III.  p.  181,  1833.) 

Commando  vogel. — Mdicnoemus  capensis,  or  Stone  plover, 
more  commonly  known  as  the  Dikkop  (q.v.).  Why  it 
is  called  the  Commando  vogel  I  have  been  unable  to  as- 
certain. 


128  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Compass  Berg.— The  highest  mountain  in  the  Cape 
Colony,  being  7800  feet  high.  It  is  situated  in  the  Graaff 
Eeinet  Division  and  forms  part  of  the  Sneeuwberg  range. 
It  is  still  often  spoken  of  in  the  neighbourhood  by  its  earlier 
name,  "  Spitzkop  ". 

"The  Compass  Mountain  which  Governor  Plettenberg 
ascended  in  1778.  The  name  by  v^^hich  it  is  known  at  pre- 
sent was  then  given  because  with  the  assistance  of  the  map 
the  whole  country  may  be  reconnoitred  from  it."  (Lichten- 
stein's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  18,  1814.) 

"  This  is  called  by  the  colonists  Spitzkop  (the  Peak)  .  .  . 
it  has  been  in  latter  years  very  unnecessarily  re-named  Com- 
pasberg."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  124,  1824.) 

Compound. — (Yule  andBurnell — "Anglo-Indian Glossary  " 
^make  out  a  strong  case  for  the  Malay  origin  of  this  word  : 
kampong,  kampung,  rendered  by  Crawford  "  an  enclosure, 
a  space  fenced  in,  a  village,  a  quarter  or  a  subdivision  of 
a  town  ".)  In  South  Africa  this  term  is  applied  to  enclosures 
within  which  the  labourers  in  the  diamond  mines  at  Kim- 
berley  are  confined ;  they  are  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  square, 
a  row  of  wooden  huts  running  along  each  side,  with  a  large 
open  space  in  the  middle.  The  whole  is  covered  over  with 
fine  wire  netting  to  prevent  the  "  boys  "  employed  within 
throwing  diamonds  over  to  friends  outside. 

'*  Most  of  them  dwell  in  the  southern  and  western  suburbs 
which  are  called  the  Chinese  campon."  (Stavarinus'  "Voy- 
ages," I.  p.  263,  1798.) 

' '  The  men  sign  articles  to  remain  in  these  compounds  for 
a  certain  period,  usually  six  months,  and  are  not  allowed  to 
leave  for  any  cause  till  the  time  has  expired."  (Cook's 
"  Mission  Tour,"  p.  25,  1893.) 

Compound  system. — The  requirements  of  the  labourers 
confined  in  the  compounds  are  met  within  the  compound, 
provisions  being  made  for  the  supply  of  all  necessaries,  even 
to  hospital  and  church  accommodation  ;  no  intoxicating 
liquors  are  allowed,  and  the  result  is  that  many  of  the  labourers 
have  very  substantial  sums  of  money  to  receive  at  the  expir- 
ation of  their  articles.  The  system  works  advantageously 
both  for  employers  and  employed. 

"  The  Compound  system  saved  the  mines  from  the  clutches 
of  the  illicit  diamond  buyers."  ("  The  Empire,"  11  December, 
1897.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  129 

Concertina  fish. — A  fish  belonging  to  the  genus  Drepane 
is  so  named  in  Natal  on  account  of  its  curiously  telescopic 
lips. 

"  The  fish  portrayed  this  week  is  locally  known  as  the 
Concertina  fish.     ("Natal  Pictorial  Mercury,"  p.  141,  1905.) 

"  I  think  it  likely  'John  Dory'  has  discovered  a  fish  new 
to  science  in  the  Concertina  fish."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
26  June,  1906.) 

Consfella. — (Z.  um  Kangela,  a  place  for  beholding.)  This 
name,  which  refers  to  the  view  obtained  from  this  point  across 
the  Bay,  is  given  to  a  suburb  of  Durban,  Natal.  It  was  the 
site  of  the  Boer  camp  when,  under  Andries  Pretorius,  they 
opposed  the  occupation  of  Natal  by  British  troops  under 
Captain  Smith  in  1842. 

"  We  passed  through  a  small  village  belonging  to  the 
Dutch  called  Kongela,  but  there  seemed  to  be  very  few  in- 
habitants in  it,  as  they  were  all  out  in  the  country."  (Letter 
signed  Joseph  Brown,  Bugler  Twenty-seventh  Eegiment, 
given  in  Chase's  "  Eeprint  of  Natal  Papers,"  ii.  pp.  207-212. 
The  letter  bears  date  12  May,  1842.) 

Cookies. — (D.  koek,  a  cake,  gingerbread. )  A  common  name 
applied  to  comestibles  as  varied  as  the  lightest  and  sweetest 
production  of  the  professional  pastry-cook  and  the  dough  cake 
roasted  on  the  coals  of  a  wOod  fire  at  the  wayside  outspan. 
In  Scotland  this  word  is  applied  to  a  sort  of  fine  bread. 

"  Cookies  or  unleavened  cakes  of  coarse  meal,  baked  on 
the  grid-iron."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  107, 
1852.) 

"I  sat  down  to  his  simple  fare  after  raking  the  cookie 
from  the  fire-place,  whence  it  came  baking  hot,  with  wood 
cinders  embedded  in  its  steaming  crust."  (Glanville's  "  Tales 
from  the  Veld,"  p.  61,  1897.) 

Coolie. — As  used  in  Cape  Dutch  this  word  is  applied  to 
coloured  porters  and  labourers  and  not  to  Hindu  or  Chinese 
labourers  exclusively. 

"  '  Wat  is  hier  te  doen  ?  '  vraag  hy  an  een  van  die  koelies 
wat  daar  staan  kyk."  ("  Catharina  die  Dogter  van  die  Advokat 
deur  Klaas  Waarsegger,  Jr.,"  I,  Cap.) 

Coolie  Christmas. — The  curious  designation  given  in 
Natal  to  the  ceremonies  observed  by  the  Indian  immigrants, 
known  in  India  as  the  "  Mohurrum  ". 

"The  Coolie  Christmas  celebration  at   Umgeni  (Natal) 

9 


130  AFEICANDEEISMS 

last  Monday  ended  in  a  serious  riot."  ("  Graaff  Eeinet  Ad- 
vertiser," 2  May,  1902.) 

"  The  festivities  in  connexion  with  the  Hindoo's  festival 
Mohurrum,  known  locally  as  the  Coolie  Christmas,  com- 
mences to-night" — Durban  telegram.  ("East  London  Dis- 
patch," 18  March,  1905.) 

Coolieing,  To  go. — To  hawk  vegetables,  etc. 

Coo  vogel. — Aquila  rapax.     The  Tawny  eagle. 

"The  Senegal  eagle,  coo  vogel  of  the  Boers  (Aquila 
senegalla),  was  another  familiar  eagle  with  us."  (Bryden's 
"Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  150, 1889.) 

Copper  fish. — At  East  London  Cantharus  emarginatus 
is  so  named. 

"The  much  rarer  copper  fish  is  of  a  coppery  colour  .  .  . 
and  has  a  bright  blue  iris  round  the  pupil  of  the  eye."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  7  August,  1905.) 

Coral  creeper. — The  name  given  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Port  Elizabeth  to  Microloma  tenuifolium. 

Coral  snake. — Aspidelaps  lubricus,  a  beautiful  red  and 
black  banded  snake. 

Coringa. — An  inferior  cigar  at  one  time  imported  largely 
from  India  into  Natal.  It  probably  derives  its  name  from  the 
seaport  so  named. 

Corkwood  or  Cork-tree. —  Commiphora  Harvey i  and 
C.  carycBfolia  are  both  known  by  this  name,  which  refers 
to  the  lightness  of  the  wood  of  these  two  trees.  In  Natal 
Erythrina  tomentosa,  B.  Br.,  a  handsome  tree,  with  large 
woolly  leaves,  is  known  by  this  name. 

"  The  Kaffir-boom  and  the  Cork-tree  (Commiphora)  are 
the  most  conspicuous  of  our  deciduous  trees."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  7,  12  April,  1912.) 

Corn  boer. — An  insect  of  the  locust  tribe  which  is 
common  in  the  corn  lands  is  thus  designated  by  the  Hottentot 
farm  labourers. 

"During  the  time  of  supper  a  large  reptile  (!)  of  the 
locust  kind  was  creeping  up  the  inside  of  the  tent ;  it  is  called 
by  farmers  and  Hottentots  the  corn  boer  because  it  is  most 
frequently  seen  among  corn  at  the  time  of  harvest." 
(Campbell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  14,  1822.) 

Cornland  crow. — The  Natal  name  of  Heterocorax 
capensis. 

"  As  this  bird  is  very  partial  to  cultivated  ground  it  is 


AFBICANDEEISMS  131 

often  called  the  Cornland  crow."  (Woodward's  "  Birds  of 
Natal,"  p.  1,  1899.) 

Corn  pit. — A  deep  hole  (isisele)  is  often  made  by  the 
Kaffirs  in  the  middle  of  their  cattle  kraals,  somewhat  in  the 
shape  of  a  large  jar,  having  a  narrow  neck  and  a  small  open- 
ing. Into  this,  for  safe  keeping,  they  put  their  mealies  and 
corn  ;  the  top  is  then  secured  against  the  intrusion  of  damp, 
and  the  whole  is  hidden  by  the  accumulations  of  the 
kraal. 

"  At  this  time  not  a  beast  was  to  be  seen  in  the  deserted 
kraals.  In  the  corn  pits  were  also  to  be  seen  scores  of 
human  skulls.  The  author  of  this  state  of  things  we  after- 
wards learnt  to  be  Moselekatse."  (Kev.  J.  Edwards'  "  Ee- 
miniscences,"  p.  56,  1883.) 

Cotton  plant. — See  Wild  cotton. 

Crab  eaters. — Halcyon  albiventris  has  received  this  name 
in  Natal.     See  Brown  kingfisher  and  Bush  kingfisher. 

"  This  bird  ...  is  very  fond  of  crabs,  from  which  it,  as 
well  as  its  congeners,  are  called  crab  eaters."  (Woodward's 
"Natal  Birds,"  p.  93,  1899.) 

Crab's  eyes. — Abrus  precatorius,  L.  A  creeper  growing 
in  the  Zoutpansberg  with  small  red  and  black  seeds. 

Crackers. — Trousers  of  prepared  sheep-skin,  largely  used 
in  the  early  days  by  the  settlers,  and  so  named  because  of 
the  cracking  noise  which  they  made  at  every  move  of  the 
wearer. 

"  Old  Crackers  alias  leather  breeches."  ("  C.G.H.  Liter- 
ary Gazette,"  p.  238,  2  September,  1833.) 

"  You,  General  Juana  .  .  ,  would  laugh  to  see  our  motley 
group,  with  every  costume  of  a  mean  kind  which  can  be 
imagined  .  .  .  the  72nd's  men  with  crackers,  their  pipe-clayed 
belts  left  behind."  ("  Autobiography  of  Sir  Harry  Smith," 
II.  p.  348.     Letter  dated  5  April,  1845.) 

Cradle. — An  instrument  devised  in  the  early  days  of  the 
diamond  industry  for  washing  and  sorting  the  stones. 

"  To  dig  them  up,  to  carry  them  in  buckets  to  the  river 
and  there  wash  them  in  cradles  of  varied  ingenuity  is  the 
rough  work  of  'wet  diamond  digging'."  (Boyle's  "The 
Savage  Life,"  p.  13,  1876.) 

Cradock  bricks. — A  not  uncomplimentary  nickname  ap- 
plied to  the  men  of  the  town  and  district  of  Cradock. 

"  The  welcome  apparition  of  the  Cradock  bricks  suddenly 

9  * 


132  AFRICANDERISMS 

dashing  to  their  aid  .  .  .  turned  despondency  into  triumph." 
(Dugmore's  "  Reminiscences,"  p.  44,  1871.) 

Crape-flowers. — An  Eastern  Province  name  for  the  beauti- 
ful Nerines — Ord.  AmaryllidacecB. 

"  The  beautiful  pink  Nerines  or  Crape-flowers  that  are 
such  a  treat  to  look  upon  when  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun 
get  amongst  them."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6, 18  Octo- 
ber, 1912.) 

Crassula. — In  Cape  Town  this  name  is  very  commonly 
but  erroneously  applied  to  Bochea  coccinea,  D.C.,  a  beautiful 
crimson  flowered  crassulaceous  plant  found  on  the  top  of 
Table  Mountain. 

Crayfish. — See  Cape  lobster. 

"A  species  of  hr  ay  fish  (?  crayfish)  and  different  sorts  of 
crabs  are  plentiful  and  tolerably  good."  (Barrow's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  31,  1801.) 

Cream  of  tartar  tree. — Adansonia  digitata.  This  tree 
is  sometimes  called  the  "  Monkey  bread  tree  "  and  the  "  Cala- 
bash baobab  tree  ".  The  fruit  has  a  grateful  acid  flavour. 
See  Baobab. 

"  The  tree  is  also  called  the  Cream  of  tartar  tree." 
(Anderson's  "  Twenty-five  Years  in  a  Wagon,"  i.  p.  230, 1887.) 

"We  measured  a  tree  called  Cream  of  tartar  61  feet 
round  the  bole ;  but  there  are  many  very  much  larger." 
(Baldwin's  "  African  Hunting,"  p.  295,  1894.) 

Crethi    en    Plethi.  —  (Heb.    "^n"^5    (Krethi),    from    n"1| 

(Karath),  to  cut  down,  to  exterminate  ;  and  ^n^p  (Plethi), 

from  nSs  (Palath)  to  fly,  be  swift.  The  Crethi  and  Plethi 
were  the  king's  body-guard,  literally  the  executioners  and 
couriers.  (See  1  Kings  i.  38-44.)  The  phrase  is  occasionally 
employed  in  ordinary  speech  by  the  Dutch  of  South  Africa, 
as  it  is  employed  in  Germany,  with  the  meaning  of  ol  iroWoi, 
Jan  en  zijn  Maat,  the  tag-rag  and  bob-tail. 

'^  Kreti  und  Pleti  nennt  sie  die  tibrigen  Einwohner,  sie 
soUte  dochauch  bedenken,  was  sieselbst  frilher  gewesen  ist." 
(Konig's  "Eine  Miethkaserne,"  p.  28.) 

Crocidolite. — (Grk.  /cpo/ct?,  the  nap  on  woollen  cloth; 
Xt^o?,  a  stone.)  There  are  two  varieties  of  this  stone 
found  in  South  Africa,  the  one  bluish  in  colour,  sometimes 
called  "  blue  asbestos  "  (see  Doeksteen) ;  the  other  and  more 
common,  a  golden  brown.     The  latter  is  often  used  for  pur- 


AFKICANDERISMS  133 

poses  of  ornament.  In  the  quotation  from  Burchell  the  stone 
is  accm-ately  described  by  this  great  natm'alist,  though  not 
mentioned  by  this  name. 

"A  beautiful  kind  of  stone  is  found  sometimes  of  a  blue 
and  sometimes  of  a  silky  golden  colour.  .  .  .  It  is  a  species 
of  asbestos  in  a  less  mature  and  flaxen  state,  with  compact 
fibres  of  a  flinty  hardness,  either  transverse  or  oblique,  straight 
or  wavy.  .  .  .  When  cut  and  polished  this  stone  exhibits  a 
very  beautiful  appearance."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  334, 
1822.) 

"  A  cross  made  of  South  African  gold  mounted  in  c?'oci- 
dolite  and  ivory."     ("  The  CathoHc  Press,"  7  April,  1888.) 

Crocodile. — Crocodilus  niloticus.  These  animals  are  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  the  rivers  of  Natal ;  they  seem  to  differ 
from  the  alligator  in  the  formation  of  the  mouth.  The 
canine  teeth  in  the  jaw  of  the  true  crocodile  pass  into  a 
notch  in  the  upper  jaw,  while  those  of  the  alligator  have  no 
such  arrangement. 

Crombec. — (D.  krom,  crooked,  curved  ;  Early  Eng.  crumb, 
crooked ;  bek,  beak,  bill.)  Le  Vaillant's  name  for  Sylvietta 
rufescens,  which  has  a  long  curved  bill. 

"  The  Crombec  {Sylvietta  rufescens),  known  to  the  Boers 
as  the  Stomp-stertje  (stump-tail)."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's 
"  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  80,  1908.) 

Cross  snake. — I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  what 
snake  this  is. 

"  The  Rev.  G.  H.  R.  Fisk  exhibited  a  snake  caught  near  the 
Black  River,  probably  a  young  specimen  of  the  Cross  snake." 
C  Trans.  S.A  Phil.  Soc,"  Vol.  V.  Part  ii.  p.  vi,  1893.) 

Crownberry. — The  East  London  name  for  the  fruit  of 
Dovyalis  rhamnoides.     See  Cape  cranberry. 

"  Besides  the  names  given  .  .  .  Crownberry  is  in  use  at 
East  London  and  may  have  originated  in  the  crown-like 
calyx  of  D.  rhamnoides^  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  132,  1907.) 

Crown  duiker. — Graculus  africamis,  Gray.  See  Long- 
tailed  cormorant. 

Crowned  crane. — See  Kafi&r  crane  and  Mahem. 

Crow,  To. — (Hot.  gora,  to  dig.)  A  corruption  of  the 
Hottentot  word.  It  refers  to  the  mode  of  diggmg  holes  em- 
ployed by  the  Damaras.  They  take  a  pointed  stick  in  their 
right  hand,  pierce  the  ground  with  it,  clearing  away  the 


134  AFBICANDEEISMS 

broken  soil  with  their  left  hand,  and  having  to  "  crow"  holes 
for  house-building,  for  water,  roots,  etc.,  in  this  primitive 
fashion,  they  become  very  expert  at  it. 

"  This  method  of  digging  is  called  in  the  Dutch  patois  crow- 
ing the  ground  ;  thus  crow  water  means  water  that  you  have 
to  crow  for,  and  not  an  open  well  or  spring.  (Galton's  "  Tropi- 
cal South  Africa,"  p.  79,  1853.) 

"  The  Damara  wife  costs  her  husband  nothing  for  her 
keep,  because  she  crows  her  own  ground  nuts."  (Wood's 
"Uncivihzed  Kaces,"  i.  p.  313,  1878.) 

"  She  takes  ...  a  sharp  pointed  stick,  garnished  at  the 
top  with  a  piece  of  soft  stone,  with  this  last  implement  she 
can  the  more  easily  crow  up  their  dinner."  (Bryden's  "  Tales 
of  South  Africa,"  p.  47, 1896.) 

Crow  water. — Apparently  a  corruption  of  gora  water 
(q.v.).     See  quotation  above. 

Curfew  bell. — In  not  a  few  South  African  towns  a  bell 
is  rung  at  9  o'clock  at  night,  after  which  no  native  is  allowed 
about  the  streets  unless  provided  with  a  proper  "pass". 
This  bell  is  generally  known  as  the  Curfeio  hell. 

"  The  Curfew  hell  was  not  brought  into  operation  until  .  .  . 
a  year  or  two  later."    (Russell's  "  Old  Durban,"  p.  495, 1899.) 

Curly  curly. — Another  name  for  the  Jig-a-jig  (q.v.). 

Cut  one's  stick,  To. — A  slang  expression  meaning  to  run 
away,  to  sneak  off. 

"  I  seed  the  sun  shine  on  the  curve  of  his  body  as  he 
turned  to  come  down,  and  I  cut  my  stick."  (Glanville's 
"  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  278,  1897.) 

Cut-throat  lark. — Macronix  capensis.  (1)  The  throat  of 
this  bird  is  a  bright,  orange  red,  which  contrasts  somewhat 
strikingly  with  the  other  colours  of  the  bird — hence  the  name 
which  it  bears  amongst  the  English  colonists.  By  the  Dutch 
the  bird  is  known  as  the  Kalkoentje  (q.v.).  See  also  Cape  lark. 
(2)  In  Natal  Macronix  croceus  is  thus  designated. 

"This  handsome  pipit  which  is  called  the  Cut-throat 
lark  by  the  English  colonists,  '  Kalkoentje '  by  the  Dutch, 
is  common  throughout  all  the  open  country  of  the  Colony." 
(Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  530,  1875- 
84.) 

Cut- worm. — Caterpillars  of  a  species  of  Agrotis  (Noctuce), 
so  called  because  of  their  habit  of  cutting  off  young  plants  at 
the  surface  of  the  ground.     See  Mest-wurm. 


AFKICANDERISMS  135 

"  The  cut-worm  or  grub  is  often  very  troublesome  to 
cabbage  and  tobacco  plants,  biting  them  off  just  above  the 
ground."  ("  Queenstown  Daily  Representative,"  p.  6,  22 
October,  1908.) 

Daba  grass. — (Kaf.  i  Dobo,  general  term  for  long  coarse 
grass.)  In  the  native  territories  the  tough,  flag-like  grass 
used  by  the  natives  as  thatch  for  their  huts  is  so  called. 

"  Talking  of  graves,  what  about  those  brave  fellows  who 
fell  at  Gwadana  and  the  one  at  Fort  Bowker  ?  They  have 
lain  there  for  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  friendless  and  un- 
cared  for  with  the  rank  daba  grass  flourishing  over  them." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  23  August,  1904.) 

"  When  the  sun  went  down  there  doubtless  rang  out  the 
familiar  call  that  brought  the  family  once  more  together  to 
sleep,  perhaps,  amongst  the  rustling  dobbo  grass."  {"  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  18  October,  1912.) 

Dabby  bushes. — ("  Daba-heis,  the  dabee  tree."  Tindall's 
"  Namaqua-Hottentot  Grammar  and  Vocabulary  "  ;  "  Daweb, 
subst.  Dawebusch  cypressenart,  schlechtes  Holz,  liebt  salzigen 
Boden."  Kronlein's  "  Wortschatz  der  Khoi-Khoin".)  Tama- 
rix  articulata. 

"  We  arrived  at  the  water  at  Dubbie  Enables,  the  place  of 
dubbie  or  tamarisk  trees."  (Alexander's  "  Expedition,"  i.  p. 
202,  1838.) 

"  Bushes  {Dabby  bushes  I  have  always  heard  them 
called)  not  unHke  fennel  but  from  8  to  13  feet  high,  grow 
plentifully."  (Galton's  "Tropical  South  Africa,"  p.  17, 
1853.) 

"  According  to  Eck.  and  Zey.,  the  Hottentots  call  this  plant 
Daweep  and  the  Boers  '  Abiquas-geelhout '."  ("Flora 
Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  120,  1859-60.) 

Dagbreker. — (D.  dag,  day  ;  breken,  to  break.)  Emar- 
ginata  sinuata.  This  name  is  also  given  in  some  districts 
to  Saxicola  familiaris.     See  Spekvreter. 

"  This  bird  is  called  the  dagbreker  by  the  Boers  (mean- 
ing daybreaker),  a  name  which  is,  however,  also  apphed  to 
the  Famihar  chat  in  some  districts."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's 
"  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  20,  1908.) 

Dageraad. — (D.  dageraad,  dawn,  daybreak.)  Pagrus 
laticeps.  The  striking  colours  exhibited  by  this  fish  seem  to 
have  evoked  a  flash  of  poetic  imagination  that  contrasts  strik- 
ingly with  the  matter-of-fact  character  of  most  of  the  names 


136  AFBICANDEEISMS 

given  to  South  African  fish.  This  word  is  sometimes  cor- 
rupted into  Daggerhead,  Daggerheart,  etc. 

"Pagrus  laniarius,  Cuv.  and  Val.  (Dageraad).  Front 
higher  than  in  Chrysophrys."  (Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa," 
p.  477,  1856.) 

Dagga. — (Hot.  dachab,  wild  hemp.)  Cannabis  sativa,  or 
Egyptian  hasheesh.  A  powerful  narcotic,  "  the  leaves,  flowers, 
and  young  seeds  of  which  are  used  by  the  slaves  and  Hotten- 
tots as  a  succedaneum  for  tobacco,"  Barrow.  This  name 
seems  to  have  been  applied  by  the  Hottentots  to  plants  also 
totally  different  from  the  common  hemp.  Eed  or  wild  dagga, 
Leonotis  leonurus,  is  used  by  them  and  by  the  Fingoes  and 
other  natives  as  a  remedy  for  snake-bite,  and  is  so  called  both 
because  the  leaves  resemble  those  of  hemp,  and  because  when 
smoked  they  are  so  powerful  as  to  produce  intoxication.  Klip 
dagga,  Leonotis  ovala,  is  another  species  of  the  same  genus 
and  also  used  as  a  remedy  for  snake-bite. 

"Am  gewissesten,  weiss  ich  dass  der  Dacha  sich  beraus- 
chet,  und  zuweilen,  wie  toll  und  rasend  macht."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  139,  1745.) 

"  Bucku  (diosma)  and  wild  dacka  {Phlomis  leonurus) 
which  are  known  both  by  the  colonists  and  the  Hottentots  to 
be  as  efficacious  as  they  are  common."  (Sparrman's  "Voy- 
ages," I.  p.  145,  1785.) 

"  The  people  wished  for  tobacco  and  dacca  (the  leaves  of 
hemp)."     (Le  Vaiilant's  "  Travels,"  iii.  p.  267,  1796.) 

"  It  {Ginnyris  chalybeus)  is  specially  attracted  by  the  red 
dagga  or  '  Mfincafincane '  of  the  Kaffirs,  with  whose  scarlet 
flowers  its  own  breast  exactly  corresponds."  ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  9,  28  June,  1912.) 

Dagga  sack. — (D.  zak,  a  bag,  pocket.)  A  bag  or  skin- 
pouch  in  which  dagga  is  carried. 

"  A  shot  from  a  lurking  Kaffir  passed  through  his  dacha 
sack  at  the  saddle-bow."  (Godlonton's  "Kaffir  War,  1850- 
51,"  p.  306,  1852.) 

Daggerhead  or  Daggerheart See  Dageraad. 

"  I  think  this  fish  was  probably  what  is  known  as  dagger- 
head  {Pagrus  laniarius):'  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  3  July, 
1906.) 

Dagher.— (Kaf.  u  Daka,  mud,  mortar.)  Mud  often  mixed 
with  blood  and  cow-dung  and  worked  up  into  a  sort  of  mortar ; 
it  is  largely  used  for  flooring,  plastering,  bricklaying,  etc. 


AFKICANDEBISMS  137 

"  Kaffir  women  smear  the  walls  and  floors  with  dargha 
(dried  manure)."  (Prichard's  "  Friends  and  Foes  in  the 
Transkei,"  p.  282,  1880.) 

"  The  houses  were  built  of  dagga  (mud),  brick,  and  cor- 
rugated iron."  (Brown's  "  South  African  Frontier,"  p.  63, 
1899.) 

Dagher,  To. — To  apply  dagher  to  floors  or  walls. 

"  We  had  heard  at  Kimberleyithat  daghering  and  '  smear- 
ing' would  be  essential  parts  of  our  work."  ("Adventures 
in  Mashonaland  by  Two  Nurses,"  p.  32,  1893.) 

Dak. — (D.  dak,  a  roof ;  CD.  a  thatched  roof.  Cf.  Eng. 
thatch.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this  word  approximates  in  meaning 
to  the  English  word  "  thatch  ".  A  dakhuis  is  a  thatched  house, 
a  dakdekker  is  a  thatcher  or  tiler. 

Dam. — An  artificial  reservoir;  the  water  accumulated  in 
a  bauked-up  depression  is  called  a  "  dam,"  the  word  being  used 
of  the  depression  and  its  contents  rather  than  of  the  bank  of 
earth  which  dams  it  (which  in  South  Africa  is  known  as  a 
"  wal  "  or  "  dam-wal  ").  Most  South  African  farms  are  largely 
dependent  upon  such  dams  for  watering  the  stock  and  irrigat- 
ing lands. 

"  The  remedy  for  this  is  not  the  excavation  of  dams,  the 
digging  of  wells,  or  the  formation  of  tanks,  but  the  construc- 
tion of  a  railway."  ("  The  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  1  June, 
1859.) 

"  The  dam  I  shall  often  have  need  to  mention,  it  is  the 
most  indispensable  feature  of  a  farm."  (Boyle's  "  To  the 
Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  21,  1873.) 

"  Its  long,  thatched  dwelling  house  looked  homely  and  com- 
fortable, with  its  adjacent  orchard,  its  corn-fields,  and  its  large 
dam  or  pond,  lively  with  waterfowl,  near  at  hand."  (Robin- 
son's "  Life  Time  in  South  Africa,"  p.  173,  1900.) 

"  Dam  and  dam  which  in  Holland  and  England  are  em- 
bankments, here  denote  a  pool  or  reservoir,  and  '  wal '  takes 
the  place  of  the  Dutch  'dam'."  ("Northern  News,"  30 
August,  1912.) 

Damara. — The  people  of  the  Bantu  race  occupying  the 
territory  on  the  south-west  coast  of  Africa  to  the  North  of 
Great  Namaqualand.  They  are  a  purely  pastoral  people, 
though  before  contact  with  Europeans  they  had  developed 
some  skill  in  extracting  and  working  the  copper  from  the  rich 
ore   with    which    their    country   abounds,  working    it    into 


138  AFEICANDEEISMS 

rings  and  beads  for  purposes  of  barter  with  neighbouring 
tribes. 

"  Damara  is  not  the  native  national  epithet  of  the  people 
who  bear  that  name,  but  one  which  has  been  borrowed  from 
the  Namaquas.  It  properly  signifies  '  two  Damara  women,' 
and  appears  therefore  to  have  been  adopted  in  some  incidental 
manner,  when  the  object  of  the  travellers'  inquiries  happened 
to  be  two  women.  Damap  is  the  Namaqua  term  for  a  male 
Damara,  of  which  Damaka  is  the  dual  mascuhne,  Damara 
the  dual  feminine,  Damahu  the  plural  masculine,  and  Damana 
the  plural  common."  (Appleyard's  "  Kaffir  Grammar,"  p.  29 
n.,  1850.) 

Damba. — The  fish  known  at  East  London  and  elsewhere 
as  the  Galjeon  (q.v.)  is  known  on  the  Transkei  coast  by  this 
name. 

"  The  fish,  with  the  exception  of  a  nice  black-tail  or  two, 
were  all  dambas."  {"  East  London  Dispatch,"  6  February, 
1906.) 

Dammetjes. — Small  banks  made  across  a  road  at  a  slight 
angle,  to  turn  storm  water  into  the  veld. 

Dam-wal. — (D.  dam,  a  dam,  bank ;  wal,  a  wall,  bank.) 
See  Dam. 

Dance,  Kaffir. — Dances  among  the  Kaffirs  are  of  frequent 
occurrence,  they  generally  take  place  at  or  near  the  full  moon, 
and  are  often  prolonged  to  a  late  hour.  The  dancing  is  not 
of  a  character  to  commend  itself  to  Europeans — "  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  art  or  science  consists  in  their  being  able  to  put 
every  part  of  their  body  in  motion  at  the  same  time.  .  .  .  Some 
motions  are  odd,  others  repulsive,  and  others  pleasing,"  Holden. 
Only  the  men  dance,  the  women  sing  and  clap  their  hands, 
this  being  the  only  music  on  such  occasions.  There  is  a 
women's  dance  known  as  U7n  Bululu,  which  is  best  left  un- 
described. 

"  The  Kaffir  dance  bears  httle  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
English  amusement  of  that  name.  The  motion  of  the  feet 
is  altogether  different."  (Shooter's  "  Kaffirs  of  Natal,"  p.  234, 
1857.) 

Dane. —  In  Natal  the  fish  Chrysophrys  dentatus  is  so 
named. 

"  While  their  catches  include  no  very  large  fish,  they  got 
a  fine  variety.  Among  other  sorts  I  noticed  .  .  .  Danes, 
Daggerheads."     ("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  719,  1906.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  139 

Danebol  or  Dennebol. — (D.  den,  a  fir  tree ;  Cf.  G.  Tannen, 
D.  bol,  ball,  crown,  bulb.)     A  fir  cone. 

"  She  sat  down  upon  the  bank  and  began  to  break  up  a 
dennebol  between  two  stones."  ("  The  State,"  ii.  p.  768, 
1909.) 

Daneboom  or  Denneboom. — The  fir  tree. 

Dan  en  wan. — (G.  dann  und  wann,  now  and  then.)  This 
expression  as  used  in  the  Colony  has  the  exact  German  sense, 
and  was  most  likely  introduced  by  the  German  servants  of 
the  Dutch  East  India  Company. 

Danger  Point. — The  scene — a  Httle  to  the  east  of  Cape 
Hangklip,  False  Bay — of  the  loss  of  the  "  Birkenhead  "  on 
26  February,  1852. 

Danki. — (D.  dank  je  or  dank  u,  thank  you.)  This  word 
is  used  in  declining  an  offer,  as  "  Asseblief  "  (q.v.)  is  employed 
when  accepting. 

"  In  the  Dutch  language  danken  signifies  a  direct  refusal, 
but  not  being  aware  of  this,  I  interpreted  it  in  the  very  re- 
verse sense,  as  meaning  '  If  you  please  '.  As  often,  therefore, 
as  I  repeated  the  ominous  word  so  often  had  I  the  mortifica- 
tion of  seeing  the  smoking  dishes  pass  by  me."  (Andersson's 
"  Lake  Ngami,"  p.  264,  1857.) 

Dan's  cabbage. — The  Natal  name  for  the  Eagwort,  Senecio 
latifolia  (q.v.). 

"  The  plant  commonly  known  as  the  ragwort  (or,  in  Natal, 
as  Dan's  cabbage)  Senecio  latifolia."  ("  S.  A.  Agric.  Journal," 
p.  3,  July,  1912.) 

Darter. — Anhinga  rufa.     See  Snake  bird. 

"  Layard  and  Dr.  Stark  found  the  Darter  (as  this  bird  is 
also  called)  breeding  on  the  Berg  Eiver  in  the  Cape  Colony." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life," 
p.  143,  1908.) 

Das  adder. — (D.  das,  a  badger.)  Varanus  albigularis, 
Wand.     Not  very  common  in  the  Colony.     See  Legavaan. 

"It  is  in  all  probability  the  animal  which  is  called  the 
das  adder  by  the  colonists,  and  which  is  so  much  dreaded 
under  an  idea  of  its  being  extremely  poisonous."  (Smith's 
"  Eeptiles,"  Plate  2,  1849.) 

Dasje. — Sargus  cervinus.     See  Zebra  and  Wilde-paard. 

"  The  biggest  I  caught  on  these  rocks  was  a  fine  dasje 
(black-tail)  weighing  7|  lbs."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  6 
March,  1906.) 


140  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Dassen  Island.— (CD.  dassie,  the  rock-rabbit.)  An  island 
on  the  west  coast  of  Cape  Colony. 

Dassie.— (D.  das,  a  badger.)  Procavia  capensis.  There 
are  three  species  of  this  family — Hyracoidea — in  South  Africa, 
of  which  this  is  the  most  numerous.  These  animals  are  near 
relations  of  the  "  conies  "  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures. 
Cuvier  says :  "  that  excepting  the  horns,  they  are  httle  else 
than  rhinoceroses  in  miniature  ". 

"Great  numbers  of  those  little  animals  which  are  de- 
scribed by  M.  Pallas  by  the  name  of  Cavia  capensis,  and  by 
the  colonists  are  called  dassies  or  badgers."  (Sparrman's 
"Voyage,"  I.  p.  305,  1785.) 

"  We  got  a  shot  at  a  curious  little  animal,  with  a  pointed 
nose,  called  by  the  Boers  das,  and  supposed  to  be  the  coney 
of  Scripture."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  95, 
1852.) 

Dassiespis. — The  unpoetical  name  given  by  the  Dutch  to 
a  substance  common  near  the  haunts  of  the  dassie  and  sup- 
posed to  be  the  urine  of  that  animal.  Dr.  Pappe's  note,  which 
I  quote  in  extenso,  is  interesting:  "I  subjoin  to  the  above 
enumeration  of  medical  plants  a  remedy  derived  from  the 
animal  kingdom,  one  which,  if  tried  properly,  will  in  all  prob- 
ability become  an  article  of  commerce.  I  allude  to  the 
Htjraceum,  much  valued  by  many  farmers  and  well  known 
amongst  them  by  the  rather  harsh  name  of  Dassiespis. 
Thunberg  and  other  travellers  mistook  it  for  a  kind  of 
bitumen ;  but  it  is  in  fact  the  secretion  of  a  quadruped  which 
is  common  throughout  the  Colony,  and  that  lives  gregariously 
on  the  rocky  summits  of  mountains,  viz.  the  Klip  das  or 
Hyrax  capensis.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  this  production 
has  baffled  the  researches  of  eminent  zoologists,  who  have 
failed,  from  even  minute  dissection,  in  discovering  any  specific 
secretory  organs,  from  which  the  matter  could  be  derived. 
It  may  be  asserted,  however,  that  the  Hyraceum  is  produced 
by  the  uropoietical  system  of  the  animal  just  named,  and  in 
order  to  explain  this  seeming  anomaly  it  must  be  observed 
that  the  Hyrax  drinks  very  seldom,  if  ever.  Its  urine,  like 
that  of  the  hare,  is  not  thin  and  Hmpid  as  in  other  quadru- 
peds, but  thick  and  of  a  glutinous  nature.  From  a  peculiar 
instinct  these  animals  are  in  the  habit  of  secreting  the  urine 
always  at  one  spot,  where  its  watery  parts  evaporate  in  the 
sun,  while  its  more  tenacious  portions  stick  to  the  rock  and 


AFKICANDEEISMS  141 

harden  in  the  air.  The  fresh  urine  of  the  Hyrax  is  of  a 
reddish  tint,  and  this  has  given  rise  to  the  opinion  of  those 
who  took  this  for  a  kind  of  menstrual  secretion.  .  .  .  Amongst 
the  farmers  a  solution  of  this  substance  is  highly  spoken  of 
as  an  antispasmodic  in  hysterics,  epilepsy,  convulsions  of 
children,  St.  Vitus'  dance,  in  short  in  spasmodic  affections  of 
every  kind."  ("Florae  Capensis  Medicse  Prodromus,"  L. 
Pappe,  M.D.,  3rd  ed.,  pp.  46-7,  1868.) 

"  Here  they  shov^ed  me  a  kind  of  bitumen   which   the 

country  people  were  pleased  to  call  dasses-p ;  supposing 

it  to  be  the  inspissated  urine  of  the  great  mountain  rat  (cavia 
capensis)  that  is  found  there.  I  was  informed  that  this  bitu- 
men was  to  be  found  in  great  abundance  in  the  cracks  and 
crevices  of  the  mountain,  especially  at  one  large  projecting 
krants  or  summit.  The  bitumen  was  very  impure,  and  known 
to  the  country  people  on  account  of  its  great  use  in  fractures." 
(Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  166,  1795.) 

"  Der  officinell  bekannte  {Jmjrax  capensis)  Klippendachs 
liefert  sein  Praparat  fiir  die  Apotheke,  und  Gulo  Mellivorus 
(Honingdachs)  sein  schonesFell  fur  den  Kiirschner."  (Kranz's 
"  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  183,  1880.) 

Dassie  vanger. — (D.  vangen,  to  catch.)  Helotarsus  ecau- 
datus.  This  fine  black  eagle  is  also  known  as  the  Berghaan 
(q.v.). 

"  Suddenly  starting  as  if  from  space,  comes  soaring  above 
us  a  great  black  mountain  eagle.  We  know  him  at  once  for 
a  Berghaan  (cock  of  the  mountain)  or  Dassie  vanger  (coney 
eater)."    (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  273,  1889.) 

Davidjes. — Gissampelos  capensis,  Thun.  A  decoction  of 
the  roots  of  this  plant  is  used  by  Kaffir  herb-doctors  and  also 
by  the  Dutch  as  an  emetic  and  purgative  in  cases  of  snake- 
bite, while  a  paste  of  the  leaves  is  applied  to  the  wound. 

Davidjes  wortel. — (D.  ivortel,  a  root,  carrot.)  Zehneria 
scabra,  Sond.  The  resinous  root  of  this  plant  is  an  old  Hot- 
tentot remedy  for  skin  diseases,  etc. 

_"  Persi. — Dawetjes  wortel  s  op  brandewyn  getrek."     (Dijk- 
man's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Kesepten  Boek,"  p.  133,  1898.) 

Debris. — The  mining  term  for  the  refuse  from  which  the 
gold  or  diamonds  have  been  extracted.     See  Tailings. 

"  The  heaps  of  debris  (that  is  the  tailings),  which  gener- 
ated the  light,  grey  dust  that  rose  in  clouds  upon  the  slightest 
breeze."     (Couper's  "  Mixed  Humanity,"  p.  254,  n.d.) 


142  AFKICANDEEISMS 

Delagoa  Bay.— (P.  Be  la  Goa.)     See  Algoa  Bay. 

"  The  white  town  of  which  Aaron  had  heard,  must  be  a 
Portuguese  settlement  near  the  mouth  of  some  river  on  the 
Mozambique  coast,  or  at  De  la  Goa  Bay.''  (Campbell's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  359,  1822.) 

Dengue  fever. — (According  to  Dr.  Christie,  "  Glasgow 
Medical  Journal,"  September,  1'^%!— Dengue  is  a  Swaheli 
word,  the  full  name  of  the  disease  in  Zanzibar  being  Ka  dinga 
pepo  ;  Ka,  partitive  article,  "  a  kind  of  "  ;  dinga,  dyenga, 
denga,  "  sudden  cramp-like  seizure  "  ;  pepo,  "  evil  spirit, 
plague  ".  On  its  introduction  into  the  West  Indies  in  1827, 
the  name  was,  in  Cuba,  popularly  identified  with  the  Spanish 
word  dengue,  "  fastidiousness,  prudery  ".  In  this  form  it 
passed  to  the  United  States,  and  subsequently  into  general 
Enghsh  use.)  An  infectious,  eruptive  fever  prevalent  at 
certain  seasons  in  Natal  and  on  the  Indian  Ocean  coasts 
generally. 

"  A  description  of  low  fever,  known  as  the  dengue  is  some- 
times prevalent  in  the  summer  season."  (Atcherley's  "  Trip 
to  Boerland,"  p.  17,  1879.) 

"  Three  epidemics  of  dengue  are  reported  as  having  oc- 
curred within  the  eastern  hemisphere,  the  first  during  the 
years  1779-84,  the  second  1823-29,  and  the  third  from  1870 
to  1875."  (Dr.  Christie,  "  Glasgow  Medical  Journal,"  Sep- 
tember, 1881.) 

Denneboi. — See  Danebol. 

Devil. — The  lesser  whirlwinds  accompanied  by  sand  and 
dust,  with  which  the  traveller  in  the  karoo  or  veld  is  certain 
sooner  or  later  to  make  acquaintance,  are  so  termed.  They 
generally  cover  but  a  small  area,  yet  within  "  the  sphere  of 
their  influence  "  they  are  at  times  very  destructive. 

"  Stand  to  the  tent  !  A  Devil  with  its  roaring  pillar  of 
dust  and  leaves  comes  tearing  by."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Cam- 
paigning in  Matabeleland,"  1896,  p.  284,  1897.) 

"  Every  now  and  then  there  is  a  whirlwind,  which  is  called 
here  a  devil ;  it  meanders  about  and  gathers  up  all  within 
its  reach — tents  and  even  tin  houses."  (Warren's  "  On  the 
Veldt  in  the  Seventies,"  p.  367,  1902.) 

Devil-fish. — (1)  Octopus  vulgaris.  (2)  Lophius  upsice- 
phalus.  (3)  A  species  of  enormous  ray — Myliohatidce — occa- 
sionally caught  off  the  coast. 

"  Judging  from  the  abundance  of  their  remains  .  .  .  the 


AFBICANDEEISMS  143 

devil-fish  or  octopus  must  be  plentiful  off  the  coast."     (Rus- 
sell's "  Natal,"  p.  37,  1891.) 

"  The  Fishing-frog  or  Angler  of  European  seas  is  repre- 
sented in  South  African  waters  by  a  closely  allied  form 
(Lophius  upsicephalus)  and  is  known  in  several  places  in  the 
Colony  as  the  Paddy,  and  in  others  as  the  Devilfish."  (Gil- 
christ's "History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fishes," 
"  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  p.  219,  1902.) 

"  It  is  said  by  the  fishermen  that  this  fish  has  been  in  the 
vicinity  where  it  was  captured  for  the  last  five  years,  and  it  is 
believed  to  be  of  great  age.  .  .  .  Authorities  state  its  nomen- 
clature as  the  eagle-ray,  or  sea-devil,  and  it  is  sometimes  called 
the  devilfish."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  29  July,  1907.) 

Devil's  Peak. — A  mountain  to  the  left  of  Cape  Town,  con- 
nected with  Table  Mountain  by  what  is  known  as  the  Saddle. 
This  designation  is  a  literal  rendering  of  the  Dutch  Duivel's 
Kop.  By  the  English  it  was  called  at  first  Charles  Mountain  ; 
the  older  Dutch  name,  however,  prevailed.  I  can  find  no 
support  for  Scully's  assertion — see  quotation.  See  also  Wind 
berg. 

"  Der  Wind — oder  Teufels-Berg,  ist  von  dem  Lowen- 
Berge  durch  eine  Abhange  unterschieden."  (Kolben's  "  Bes- 
chreibung,"  p.  210.) 

"  He  crossed  the  high  neck  which  connects  the  eminence 
known  as  '  the  Devil's  Peak '  with  Table  Mountain.  This 
name  used  then  to  cause  great  scandal  to  the  Dutch  colon- 
ists— the  term  being  an  unconscious  perversion  by  the  Eng- 
lish of  the  original  name  of  '  Duiven's  '  or  '  Dove's  Peak  '." 
(Scully's  "  A  Vendetta  of  the  Desert,"  p.  92,  1898.) 

Devil's  snuff-box. — A  fungus  growing  to  the  size  of  a 
cricket-ball,  when  old  it  is  full  of  powder.  See  Ou'  meid's 
snuif. 

Dhoby. — (Hind,  dhobi,  a  washerman.)     This  Hindoo  word 
is  often  used  in  Natal  of  the  Hindoo  washer-  and  laundry-man. 

Diamond  fields. — The  locality  which  has  since  proved  so 
rich  in  diamonds  and  which  is  now  known  as  Kimberley. 

"  Hintza  was  also  with  Sir  Harry  Smith,  a  sort  of  prisoner 
at  large,  and  in  the  particular  charge  of  Captain  Southey  (now 
Lieut.-Governor  of  the  Diamond  Fields)."  (Bisset's  "  Sport 
and  War  in  Africa,"  p.  23,  1875.) 

Didric. — Guculus  cupreus.  An  onomatopoetic  name  for 
this  bird,  which  is  also  known  as  the  Golden  cuckoo  (q.v.). 


144  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  The  green  golden  cuckoo  of  the  Cape  .  .  .  perched  on 
the  top  of  large  trees,  it  continually  repeats  and  with  a  varied 
modulation,  these  syllables  di-di-didric,  as  distinctly  as  I  have 
written  them,  for  this  reason  I  have  named  it  the  didric." 
(Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  328,  1796.) 

Dikbekje. — (D.  dik,  thick ;  beJc,  a  beak,  bill.)  A  species 
of  Gobius.     See  Dikkopje. 

Dik-bek  seisje. — (D.  dik,  thick;  bek,  beak,  bill;  sijsje,  a, 
linnet.)     Serinus  albigularis.     See  Berg  seisje. 

Dik-dik. — Madoqua  damarensis.  A  variety  of  buck  little 
known,  found  in  German  South-West  Africa. 

"  Later  on  I  shot  a  dik-dik,  a  pretty  Httle  buck  but  little 
bigger  than  a  hare.  There  were  thousands  of  these  diminutive 
animals  to  be  seen  amongst  the  lava-rocks  a  little  way  from 
the  banks  of  the  Guaso.  They  appear  to  have  habits  some- 
what akin  to  those  of  the  klipspringer,  and  have  a  very  simi- 
lar '  hedgehog '  coat."     ("  The  State,"  p.  30,  July,  1912.) 

Dikkop. — (D.  dik,  thick ;  kop,  head.)  ^dicnemus 
capensis.  A  Dutch  name  for  the  Stone  plover,  a  fine  bird 
about  15  inches  long,  with  a  span  of  wing  of  nearly  2  feet. 

"  One  or  two  of  the  bustard  tribe  are  also  found  here  and 
are  called  the  diccop,  coran,  and  pouw."  (Dray son's  "  Sporting 
Scenes,"  p.  17,  1858.) 

"  The  Dikkop  (a  Dutch  name  meaning  '  thickhead  ')  is  a 
small  kind  of  bustard."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich 
Farm,"  p.  32,  1890.) 

Dikkop. — A  form  of  horse-sickness.     See  Blauwtong. 

"  One  of  whose  horses  was  standing  apart,  suffering  from 
the  Dikkop  form  of  horse-sickness."  (Baine's  "Gold 
Eegions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  75,  1877.) 

Dikkop. — A  term  of  reproach  meaning  numskull,  block- 
head. 

Dikkopje. — A  species  of  Gobius.     See  Dikbekje. 

Dikkop  knorliaan.— (D.  dik,  thick  ;  kop,  a  head ;  knorren, 
to  scold;  haan,  a  cock.)     Otis  vigarsi. 

Dikkop,  To  play. — To  try  to  deceive  as  the  plovers  do  by 
feigning  to  have  a  broken  wing,  when  one  approaches  their 
eggs  or  young. 

"  They're  playing  dikkop  ...  the  dikkop  drops  his  wing 
and  shams  hurt  to  lead  you  off."  (Glanville's  "  The  Diamond 
Seekers,"  p.  116,  1903.) 

Dingaan. — (Kaf.  i  Dinga,  promise  ;  dim.  Dingana.)    A 


AFKICANDEEISMS  146 

brother  and  one  of  the  murderers  of  the  Zulu  King  Chaka 
(q.v.),  succeeding  him  as  King.  He  was  the  author  of  the 
Boer  massacres  at  Weenen  and  Moord  Spruit  in  1838. 

"  After  a  long  conversation  in  the  open  air  in  which  it 
was  recommended  that  I  should  remain  until  their  sovereign 
Dingarn  had  been  apprised  of  my  arrival,  we  were  shown  to 
our  huts,  which  were  larger  and  neater  than  any  I  had  yet 
seen."     (Gardiner's  "Journey,"  p.  27,  1836.) 

Dingaan  apricot. — A  Natal  name  for  the  Kei  apple  (q.v.). 

"  The  Kei  apple  or  Dingaan" s  apricot,  invaluable  for 
forming  thorny  fences  and  yielding  a  pleasant  fruit."  (Chap- 
man's "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  449,  1868.) 

"  The  Dingaan  apricot  or  Kaw  apple,  is  the  fruit  of  a 
species  of  ebony  tree."     (Kussell's  "  Natal,"  p.  31,  1891.) 

Dingaan' s  Day. — The  16th  of  December,  the  day  on  which 
Andries  Pretorius  and  his  brave  farmers  avenged  the  treachery 
and  broke  the  power  of  this  blood-thirsty  tyrant.  Observed 
annually  by  the  Dutch  ever  since,  the  day  has  now  been 
proclaimed  a  public  holiday  throughout  the  South  African 
Union. 

"  It  was  owing  to  that  defeat  of  the  Zulus  on  Dingaan' s 
Day  that  Natal  only  became  colonizable."  (Statham's 
"  Blacks,  Boers,  and  British,"  p.  106,  1881.) 

Dinges. — (D.  ding,  a  thing.)  Thing,  almost  universal  in 
its  application,  things  animate  and  inanimate  in  Dutch-speak- 
ing districts  are  all  of  them  dinges  if  the  speaker  fails  to 
recall  their  names. 

"  Lord  !  you  don't  say  so  ?  Where  d'ye  find  the  animile  ?  " 
"Animal,  Mr.  Pike  ?"  "The  dingus — the  gentleman  who 
lumbers  round  in  space."  "Oh!  a  citizen  of  the  world  ? " 
(Fossicker's  "Kloof  Yarns,"  "The  Empire,"  27  August, 
1898.) 

Dip,  To. — Sheep  and  Angora  goats  are  dipped  in  various 
solutions  to  cleanse  them  from  certain  parasites  which  destroy 
the  fleece.     Oxen  are  dipped  to  free  them  from  ticks. 

"  Sheep  have  to  be  dipped  three  times  a  year.  Now  a 
special  Scab  Act  makes  dipping  compulsory,  and  special 
officers  under  Government  must  travel  about  to  see  it  is  done." 
(Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  5,  1902.) 

Dispens  or  Spens. — (L.  dispendere,  to  distribute.)  The 
cupboard  or  pantry  in  which  the  household  stores  are  kept 
and  from  which  they  are  dispensed.     The  word  is  in  common 

10 


146  AFEICANDEEISMS 

use  in   Cape   Dutch.     Compare    Chaucer's    "  All    vinolent 
as  hotel  in  the  spe7ice  "  (Somner's  Tale). 

Disselboom. — (D.  dissel,  a  pole,  shaft ;  hoom,  tree,  pole.) 
The  pole  of  a  wagon  or  other  vehicle,  by  which  it  is  hauled. 

"  Hottentots  rushing  to  and  fro  urging  them  (the  oxen) 
with  unearthly  shouts,  leaping  on  and  off  the  disselboom,  or 
pole,  with  frantic  energy."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  50,  1852.) 

Divers. — The  cormorant  is  so  called  in  Natal.    See  Duiker. 

"  I  notice  a  number  of  those  ugly,  useless,  and  predaceous 
birds  known  as  divers  in  the  Bay."  ("Natal  Mercury 
Pictorial,"  p.  703,  1906.) 

Divide. — A  term  adopted  from  America  meaning  a  water- 
shed. 

"  The  high  plateau  or  ridge  which  runs  north-east  roughly 
from  Buluwayo  to  Manicaland,  forming  a  great  divide  or 
watershed."     (Tangye's  "  New  South  Africa,"  p.  174,  1896.) 

Doctor,  The. — See  Cape  doctor  and  South-easter. 

"  The  South-easter,  from  blowing  all  pestilent  vapours  and 
effluvia  out  to  sea,  and  purifying  the  streets  and  avenues  by 
their  overpowering  currents  of  air,  has  obtained  the  local 
epithet  of  the  Doctor."  (Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  62, 
1856.) 

Doctor,  Kaffir. — Sometimes  called  "  Witch  doctor  ".  The 
men  so  designated  by  Europeans  are  of  two  classes  :  (1) 
doctors  of  medicine,  and  (2)  doctors  of  divination.  The 
former  {i  Nyanga  (Zulu) — yokwe  lapa,  (Xosa) — yamayeza) 
simply  practise,  after  a  very  primitive  fashion,  the  healing 
art ;  the  latter  (^  Nyanga  yokubula),  who  ranks  higher  than 
the  former,  having  passed  through  that  stage,  professes  to 
perform  dark  and  mysterious  functions.  The  practices  of 
both  alike  are  based  more  upon  the  superstition  and  fearful- 
ness  of  the  people  than  upon  skill  in  medicine  (though  some 
have  a  wonderful  knowledge  of  herbs  and  roots)  or  ability  as 
diviners. 

"  Doctors  are  not  entitled  to  fees,  except  a  cure  is  performed, 
or  the  patient  relieved."  ("  Compendium  of  Kaffir  Laws  and 
Customs,"  p.  123,  1858.) 

Doctor,  To.— To  prepare  the  warriors,  by  certain  "  medi- 
cines "  and  incantations,  for  war  ;  the  process  being  supposed 
to  render  the  warrior  invincible  and  invulnerable. 

"  Here  also  the  finest  medicines  are  concocted,  and   the 


AFKICANDEEISMS  147 

King  is  doctored  by  the  war  doctor."  (Wood's  "  Through 
Matabeleland,"  p.  45,  1893.) 

"  He  promises  that  any  warrior,  doctored  by  his  charm, 
is  proof  against  the  British  bullets,  which  on  his  hide  will 
turn  to  water."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign," 
1896,  p.  135,  1897.) 

Doek. — (D.  doek,  a  cloth  ;  cf.  G.  Tuch.)  A  dish-clout ;  a 
handkerchief  worn  on  the  head. 

"  Gaily  dressed  in  startling  cottons,  with  gaudy  douks  or 
bandanas  on  their  woolly  heads."  (King's  "  Campaigning  in 
Africa,"  p.  19,  1855.) 

Doeksteen. — (D.  doek,  a  cloth  ;  steen,  a  stone.)  The  by 
no  means  inappropriate  Dutch  name  for  the  Blue  crocidolite. 

"  We  had  a  little  boy  named  Dookstens  (or  Asbestos) 
travelling  with  us."     (Campbell's  "  Travels,"  p.  272,  1815.) 

"  The  Doeksteen  is  a  kind  of  asbestos  of  a  blue  colour." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  333,  1822.) 

"  The  blue  asbestos  mountains  {Doeksteen  of  the  Hotten- 
tots) just  opposite  Prieska."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6, 
17  May,  1912.) 

Doelpaal. — (D.  doel,  aim,  motive  ;  paal,  a  pole.)  The 
winning  post,  goal. 

Dog. — (Kaf.  in  Ja,  a  dog.)  A  term  of  contempt  applied 
by  the  Kaffirs  to  all  who  may  be  subject  to  them,  but  especially 
to  the  Fingoes. 

"  As  the  former  race  (Kaffirs)  look  upon  the  latter  (Fingoes) 
as  dogs  and  hold  them  in  contempt."  (Wood's  "  Through 
Matabeleland,"  p.  56,  1893.) 

Dog  plum. — The  fleshy  berry  of  Ekebergia  capensis  has 
received  this  name. 

Dogrose.  —  In  Natal  Oncoha  Kraussiana,  Planch.,  a 
small  tree  with  large  white  flowers  which  resemble  those  of 
the  dog-rose,  is  known  by  this  name. 

Dok-doks. — A  game  in  which  a  smaller  stone  must  be 
knocked  off  a  large  flat  one  by  stones  hurled  from  a  given 
mark. 

Dokkies. — A  game  of  marbles  in  which  the  penalty  for 
missing  a  shot  is  to  put  the  closed  fist  upon  the  ground  that 
it  may  be  shot  at  by  the  other  player  or  players. 

DoUand. — (CD.  dolwe,  a  particular  method  of  deep 
trenching.)     Land  deeply  trenched. 

Dollar. — (G.  Thaler,  i.e.  Joachimthaler,  a  coin  made  from 

10  * 


148  AFEICANDEEISMS 

the  silver  of  Joachimsthal  in  Bohemia  at  the  beginning  of 
the  sixteenth  century.)  A  term  often  used  in  South  Africa  for 
one  shilling  and  sixpence.  The  rix-dollar  of  the  old  Dutch 
regime  was  originally  worth  about  four  shiUings  sterling,  but 
when  British  silver  money  was  proclaimed  a  legal  tender  in 
the  Colony,  June,  1825,  the  Cape  paper  rix-dollar  was  valued 
for  purposes  of  exchange  at  one  shilling  and  sixpence  sterling. 
Within  the  memory  of  men  by  no  means  old,  produce  was 
sold  on  the  markets  of  towns  in  the  Cape  Colony  by  Dutch 
currency,  stuivers,  schillings,  and  rix-dollars. 

Oolloss. — (CD.  dol-os ;  the  first  syllable  appears  to  be  a 
corruption  of  dobbel,  a  game  with  dice.  See  the  second  quota- 
tion.) The  metatarsal  and  metacarpal  bones  of  sheep,  goats, 
pigs,  etc.,  which  the  Kaffir  witch  doctors  use  in  pursuing  their 
investigations.     The  Kaffir  name  for  these  bones  is  in  Daivula. 

"A  Kaffir  doctor  gave  a  lecture  to  an  admiring  audience. 
.  ,  .  The  subject  of  the  lecture  was,  apparently,  on  the  merits 
of  two  dol  ossen,  two  shank  bones  of  a  sheep  and  sundry 
paraphernaha  which  lay  spread  out  before  him."  ("  Queens- 
town  Free  Press,"  9  September,  1873.) 

"  Gij  hebt  zeker  gehoord  van  hun  dohbelos  gooijen.  Die 
dohbelosjes,  beentjes  van  dieren  zijn  hunne  dobbelsteenen, 
doch  zij  tellen  geen  oogjes,  maar  geven  aan  hunne  ligging 
eene  beteekenis,  waardoor  zij  zichzelven,  en  anderen  leiden." 
(Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  21,  1890.) 

"  No  reference  to  Kaffir  lore  would  be  complete  without  an 
allusion  to  the  doll-oss  or  fetish  used  by  the  witch  doctors  in 
the  practice  of  divination.  Throwing  the  doll-oss  is  the  Kaffir 
equivalent  to  consulting  the  cards."  (Wilson's  "  Behind  the 
Scenes  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  85,  1901.) 

"  We  found  nothing  but  Kaffir  medicines  and  the  many 
childish  trifles  these  heathen  carry,  and  among  them  was  the 
doll-oss,  or  bones  with  which  they  read  fortunes,  find  lost 
cattle,  and  tell  the  future."  (Blackburn's  "A  Burgher 
Quixote,"  p.  78,  1902.) 

Dollossi. — A  game  played  by  children  with  the  small  sheep 
or  goat  bones  above  mentioned.  It  is  sometimes  called 
Klipsalade,  Moertje-en-kinders,  and  Hand-op-kHp. 

"  Out  of  his  bag  he  took  his  doll-oxen  as  the  bones  are 
called  that  the  children  play  with."  (Hick's  "  The  Cape 
as  I  found  it,"  p.  152,  1900.) 

Dolly. — A  primitive  form  of  stamp  for  crushing  gold-bear- 


AFEICANDERISMS  149 

ing  quartz.  The  instrument  and  the  name  came  from 
Australia,  although  the  latter  is  not  given  by  Morris  ("  Austral 
English  "). 

"  The  dolly  is  a  most  primitive  appliance  for  working  with, 
and  will  soon  be  superseded  by  better  machinery,  for  no  doubt 
a  large  percentage  is  lost  at  present."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  10  June,  1884.) 

Domine. — Occasionally  this  word  is  used  in  Cape  Dutch 
for  clergyman,  minister,  but  most  commonly  he  is  now  spoken 
of  as  the  "  Predikant,"  and  in  direct  address,  "  Mijnheer  ". 

"  Domine  noemt  men  aan  de  Kaap  den  voorlezer,  terwijl 
de  leeraar  der  gemeente  altijd,  met  Eerivaarde  wordt  aange- 
sproken.  De  Kaapstad  maakt  op  dit  spraakgebruik  uitzonder- 
ing  :  daar  heet  de  Voorlezer  Voorlezer,  en  de  leraar,  Predikant, 
en  beide  worden  met  Mijnheer  aangesproken,  terwijl  Domine, 
als  oude  munt,  geheel  buiten  circulatie  geraakt  is."  (Chang- 
uion's  "  Proeve  van  Kaapsche  Taaleigen,"  xi.  1844.) 

"  Sacrament  was  performed  to  the  sick  of  the  ship  Bull 
by  the  domine."  (Sutherland's  "  South  African  Tribes,"  ii. 
p.  62,  1846.) 

"  On  the  seat  sat  the  jolly,  self-complacent  Domine  a  hero 
in  his  own  estimation."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Story  of  My  Captivity," 
p.  82,  1900.) 

Donderkop. — A  term  of  abuse  equivalent  to  "  blockhead  ". 

"What  do  they  whistle  for  .  .  .  tell  me  that?"  .  .  . 
"  They  whistle  for  the  rain,  you  donder-kop."  (Glanville's 
"  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  120,  1897.) 

Donder  padde. — (D.  donder,  thunder ;  pad,  a  toad.)  (1) 
The  Dutch  name  for  the  BuU-podder  (q.v.),  which  all  animals 
seem  to  dread.  (2)  The  expression  is  also  applied  to  a  pas- 
sionate man,  a  bully,  a  boaster. 

Donga. — (Z.  u  Donga,  the  bank  of  a  river,  the  side  of  a 
ravine  ;  Kaf.  the  wall  of  a  house.)  Usually  applied  to  a  deep 
gully  worn  in  the  soil  by  the  action  of  rain — the  application 
being  transferred  from  the  banks  which  enclose  to  the  space 
enclosed. 

"  Nests  were  found  built  on  the  banks  of  streams,  or  dry 
dongas."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p. 
547,  1875-84.) 

"  But  ere  long  the  dongas  which  debouched  into  the  creek 
became  so  deeply  cut  in  the  earth  that,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
repeated  difficulties  we  encountered  in  crossing  them,  we  had 


150  AFEICANDEEISMS 

to  shape  our  course  higher  up  on  the  brow  of  the  hill." 
(Atcherley's  "  Trip  to  Boerland,"  p.  134,  1879.) 

Doodgooi. — (D.  dood,  dead ;  gooien,  to  throw,  fling.)  A 
jocular  name  for  a  dumpling.  It  has  been  taken  over  by  the 
KaflBrs  in  the  form  i  Dodroyi,  the  r  being  guttural. 

Doodmaak. — (D.  dood,  dead  ;  maken,  to  make.)  (1)  To 
kill;  e.g.  Bangmaak  is  nog  niet  doodmaak.  (2)  To  blow  out, 
to  extinguish  (as  a  fire,  candle). 

Dood-vogel. — (D.  dood,  dead  ;  vogel,  a  bird,  a  fowl.  Com- 
pare G.  Todteii-vogel,  Leich-Huhn ;  Eng.  liche-owl,  i.e. 
corpse  owl,  a  screech  owl.)  A  superstitious  name  given  by  the 
Dutch  to  Strix  flajnmea,  the  barn  owl. 

"It  is  known  to  the  Boers  as  the  Dood-vogel,  from  a 
popular  behef  that  if  one  of  these  birds  screeches  on  the  roof  of 
a  house  one  of  the  inmates  is  sure  to  die."  (Haagner  and 
Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  39,  1908.) 

Do  one  a  shot,  To. — To  get  the  advantage  of  another,  to 
outwit.  The  expression  is  sometimes  still  further  elaborated 
into  "  To  do  one  a  shot  in  the  eye  ". 

"  It  is  considered  rather  clever  and  smart  to  do  a  shot 
on  the  guileless  and  unsuspecting  new  chum."  (Martin's 
"  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  268,  1890.) 

Doormekaar. — (CD.  mixed,  confused,  topsy-turvy.)  In 
common  use. 

"  Klop  dan  di  eiers,  geel  en  wit  apart,  roer  eers  di  geel 
goed  deurmakaar  met  di  meel  en  dan  di  wit  van  di  eiers." 
(Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek,  en  Kesepten  Book,"  p.  49,  1898.) 

"  I  shall  then  have  a  day  of  reckoning  with  Jass,  Pen,  and 
Mess,  if  not  before,  for  leaving  us  in  this  door-makar  strait." 
(TurnbuU's  "  Tales  from  Natal,"  p.  121,  1901.) 

Doornboom. — (  D.  doom,  a  thorn  ;  boom,  a  tree.)  Acacia 
horrida.  A  widely  distributed  tree,  covered  with  large  white 
thorns,  growing  in  large  numbers  along  the  banks  of  Karoo 
rivers,  as  well  as  in  the  open  veld.  Though  generally  spoken 
of  as  a  mimosa,  it  is  not  a  true  mimosa. 

"  The  banks  were  skirted  by  a  thicket  of  the  doom-bush  or 
thorn-tree."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  18,  1802.) 

Doom  peer. — (D.  doom,  a  thorn  ;  peer,  a  pear.)  Scolopia 
Zeyheri.     See  Hoenderspoor. 

Doornthee.— (D.  thee,  tea.)  Cliffortia  ilicifolia,  L.  A 
decoction  of  the  leaves  of  this  plant  is  used  by  the  Dutch  in 
the  Uitenhage  District  to  reheve  coughs. 


AFRICANDEKISMS  151 

Doorslagt. — (D.  doorslaan,  to  percolate.)  A  term  ap- 
plied to  a  mudhole  in  a  road,  and  also  to  land  which  has  been 
rendered  boggy  by  continual  rain  or  flooding. 

"I  wonder  how  long  we  shall  be  stuck  here,  the  Bush- 
men declare  that  the  country  ahead  is  one  continuous  door- 
slagt." (Anderson's  "  Notes  of  Travel  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
206,  1875.) 

"  Daarbij  is  een  deel  van  het  terrein,  in  den  zomer,  wan- 
neer  het  eenigszins  aanhoudend  regent,  doorslachtig,  een 
moeras  gelijk."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Trans- 
valers,"  p.  359,  1882.) 

Dop — (D.  dop,  a  shell,  husk.)  Brandy  which  is  distilled 
from  the  skins  of  the  grapes  after  the  juice  has  been  expressed 
for  wine,  is  known  throughout  South  Africa  as  Dop.  The 
skins  of  the  grapes  are  called  dops. 

"  We  had  sufficient  dop  (Dutch  brandy)  to  give  every 
man  a  tot  in  which  to  drink  the  Queen's  health."  (Baden 
Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  347,  1897.) 

"  It  is  a  fair  assumption  that  Dops  are  at  present  respon- 
sible for  an  output  of  from  500,000  to  600,000  gallons  per 
annum."  (Eeport  of  Controller  of  Excise,  "East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  5,  18  May,  1909.) 

Doppers — (Etymology  uncertain.)  A  religious  sect  (Gere- 
formeerde  Kerk  van  Zuid  Afrika)  among  the  Cape  Dutch,  the 
members  of  which  are  distinguished  from  their  compatriots  by 
their  pecuHarities  of  dress  and  custom.  Their  tenets  are 
rigidly  Calvinistic. 

"  Very  great  dissatisfaction  is  prevailing  here  .  .  .  (the 
Doppers  would  not  be  satisfied  with  an  angel  from  heaven)." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  4  May,  1859.) 

"Patriarchal  Boers,  almost  aboriginal  Doppers,  com- 
plained with  rueful  faces."  (Baine's  "  Gold  Regions  of  South- 
East  Africa,"  p.  72,  1877.) 

"  Het  woord  dopper  is  waarschijnlijk  eene  verbastering 
van  domper  en  als  zoodanig,  evenals  in  Holland,  een 
aanduiding  van  bekrompenheid  in  godsdienstige  overtuiging." 
(Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Trans valers,"  p.  382  n., 
1882.) 

"  The  opposing  forces  of  Boers  were  commanded  the  one 
by  Paul  Kruger,  the  Dopper  prince,  and  the  other  by  Com- 
mandant Schoeman  of  Pretoria.  Mr.  Kruger  and  his  Doppers 
were  sticklers  for  the  old-fashioned  belief."  (Moodie's 
"  Battles  in  South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  139,  1888.) 


152  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Dorbank.— A  hard  pan  lying  beneath  the  soil,  which 
renders  it  eminently  suitable  for  the  growth  of  tobacco,  as  is 
seen  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Oudtshoorn. 

Dorp.— (D.  dorp,  a  village ;  cf.  Eng.  thorp.)  A  village, 
hamlet. 

"Maritzburg  ...  an  English  town  rising  out  of  the 
ruins  of  a  Dutch  dorp  or  village."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and 
the  Veld,"  p.  26,  1852.) 

Dorre  vijgen. — (D.  dorren,  to  wither,  fade  ;  vijg,  a  fig.) 
Mesembryanthemum  spinosum.  (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capen- 
sis,"  p.  420,  1823.) 

Dorst-veld  or  °Iand. — (D.  dorst,  thirst.)  The  name  given 
by  the  Boers  to  the  almost  waterless  country  north-west  of 
Shoshong  in  British  Bechuanaland. 

"  The  Nusa  Bushmen  live  in  the  Dorst-veld  which  lies  to 
the  east  of  Great  Namaqualand."  (Noble's  "  The  Cape  and 
its  People,"  p.  269,  1869.) 

"  I  have  had  some  baddish  Journeys  in  the  doorst-land  on 
the  way  to  the  great  lake,  but  this  was,  if  possible,  worse." 
(Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  177,  1889.) 

Down. — A  river  is  said  to  be  "  down  "  when  the  waters, 
increased  by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  higher  up,  rise  in  their 
channel. 

"  The  rivers  in  this  neighbourhood  have  been  frequently 
down  during  the  last  month."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press," 
18  January,  1867.) 

"  The  Fish  Eiver  was  dotvn.  It  generally  was  down  in 
the  sense  of  being  low,  but  colonial  rivers  run  by  contraries, 
when  they  are  down  they  are  up."  (Glanville's  "  Tales  from 
the  Veld,"  p.  88,  1897.) 

Draaibosch. — (D.  draaien,  to  turn,  twist,  wind.)  A 
Kiversdale  name  for  Aster  filifolius,  D.C. 

"  Diplopappus,  the  draai-bosje,  takes  its  place  on  thin 
stony  ridges  or  hill-sides,  and  grows  best  on  a  southern  ex- 
posure." (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  Cape  Colony," 
p.  86,  1896.) 

Draai  jackal. — (D.  draaien,  to  turn,  twist,  wind.)  Vulpes 
chama  is  so  called  by  the  Dutch. 

"  The  name  Draai  [turn)  jackal  refers  to  its  quick  turn- 
ing movements  when  pursued  by  a  dog. "  (Gilchrist's  "  South 
African  Zoology,"  p.  288,  1911.) 

Drabok.— (D.  dravig  ;  Mid.  Eng.  drawk,  a  kind  of  grass 


AFBICANDERISMS  153 

growing  among  corn  as  a  weed.)  Lolmm  temulentum,  known 
in  England  as  "  Darnel  "  or  "  Perennial  rye  grass,"  is  known 
by  this  name  in  South  Africa,  as  are  also  several  other  grasses 
of  the  same  species  L.  perenne,  L.  italicum.  This  latter  is 
also  known  as  "  Australian  drabok  "  (q.v.). 

"  With  the  revival  of  wheat-growing  in  these  parts  we 
hear  again  complaints  about  the  damage  done  by  grasses 
which  are  generally  known  as  drabok."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  3,  7  March,  1907.) 

Drakensberg. — (D.  draak,  a  dragon;  berg,  a  mountain.) 
The  native  name  for  this  mountain  range  is  Kahlamba,  i.e. 
"  tossed  down  in  jagged  peaks ".  It  is  part  of  the  great 
South  African  chain  which  runs  generally  parallel  with  the 
coast  from  the  mouth  of  the  Orange  River  on  the  west  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Limpopo  on  the  east. 

"  The  loneliness  and  desolation  of  this  mountain  region 
so  impressed  the  imaginations  of  the  Dutch  pioneers  that 
they  named  it  the  Drake7isberg,  or  the  habitation  of  dragons." 
(Russell's  "  Natal,"  p.  60, 1891.) 

Draverkies. — (D.  draven,  to  trot.)  The  Dutch  name  for 
several  varieties  of  birds  of  the  sub-family  Cursoriince,  the 
Coursers. 

Dries. — (D.  driesch,  a  derivative  of  drie,  three ;  arising 
from  a  custom  of  allowing  a  third  of  a  field  to  lie  fallow  every 
three  years.)     Land  ploughed  for  the  first  time. 

Drift.— (CD.,  cf.  G.  Trift,  treiben ;  Eng.  drift,  drive.)  A 
passage  through  a  river,  a  ford,  is  so  termed  throughout 
South  Africa. 

"In  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  Zondags-rivier's  drift.'' 
(Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  ii.  p.  20,  1785.) 

"  Where  the  road  crosses  a  river,  what  is  called  a  drift 
is  made  ...  by  clearing  the  bed  of  the  river  of  large  stones, 
and  cutting  a  sloping  roadway  through  the  banks  on  either 
side."     (Flemming's  "  Kaffraria,"  p.  46,  1854.) 

Drift-sand. — Sand  driven,  as  it  is  in  some  localities,  into 
enormous  banks  by  the  wind. 

Drill =visch. — (D.  trillen,  to  tremble,  shiver;  visch,  a 
fish.)  Astrape  capensis,  sometimes  called  the  Electric  fish  ; 
both  names  have  reference  to  the  power  which  this  fish 
possesses  of  giving  an  electric  or  benumbing  shock  when 
touched.     See  Tril  visch. 

"  The  raja   torpedo    too   (called   here    Trill  visch)   was 


154  AFEICANDEKISMS 

sometimes  caught  in  the  harbour,  but  not  brought  to  table." 
(Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  295,  1795.) 

Dripdisa. — The  popular  name  of  Disa  longicornu,  Linn, 
fil.     The  quotation  explains  the  popular  name. 

"  Hab.  Amongst  moss  or  grass  in  clefts  of  steep  rocks 
(krantzes)  on  the  sides  turned  from  the  sun,  where  the  water 
drips  in  early  summer,  on  Table  Mountain."  (Bolus' 
"  Orchids  of  the  Cape  Peninsula,  p.  145,  1888.) 

Droedas  kruiden. — (D.  Jcruid,  herb,  grass.)  Pharnaceum 
lineare,  Thunh.     Used  for  colds. 

Dronk  besje. — (D.  dronken,  drunk  ;  hes,  a  berry.)  The  red, 
pulpy  berries  of  Ghymococca  raceinosa. 

"  The  fruit  of  this  is  called  Dronk  besjes,  and  differs  from 
the  others  in  being  succulent."  (Henslow's  "  South  African 
Flowering  Plants,"  p.  226,  1903.) 

Dronkgras. — (1)  Melica  decumbens,  Thunb.  Thus  named 
because  of  the  intoxicating  or  semi-paralysing  effects  which 
it  produces  in  the  cattle  which  feed  upon  it,  from  which  they 
do  not  recover  unless  speedily  attended  to.  (2)  Equisetum 
ramosissimum  is  also  thus  designated,  and  one  or  two  other 
plants. 

"  Another  curious  sickness  which  attacks  cattle  is  the 
dronk-ziekte.  It  is  caused  by  eating  a  kind  of  grass  called 
dronk-gras.''  (Clairmonte's  "  The  Africander,"  p.  159, 
1896.) 

Dronkziekte.  —  (D.  ziekte,  sickness.)  A  sickness  sup- 
posed to  be  produced  by  eating  Dronk-gras.  It  is  similar  to 
that  produced  by  eating  the  seeds  of  Loliiim  temulatum,  L. 
known  in  the  north  of  England  as  "  drunk  ". 

Droogte. — (D.  droogte,  dryness,  drought.)  An  arid  stretch 
of  country. 

"  He  faced  about  to  the  droogte,  the  land  of  bleached 
bones  where  there  was  often  no  rain  for  a  space  of  five  years 
at  a  stretch."  (Glanville's  "  The  Diamond  Seekers,"  p.  270, 
1903.) 

Drossers  or  Drosters. — (D.  drossen,  to  run  away.)  In  the 
old  slave  days  such  slaves  or  Hottentots  as  were  found 
wandering  about  the  country  without  a  "  Pass  "  (q.v.),  or  un- 
able to  give  a  good  account  of  themselves. 

"  They  are  commonly  called  by  the  colonial  term  of 
drossers  or  gedrost  Hottentotten  (runaways)."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  158,  1824.) 


AFKICANDEKISMS  155 

Drost. — (Cf.  G.  Drost,  a  bailiff.)  A  shortened  form  of  the 
more  common  Landdrost  (q.v.), 

"  Ofi&cers  are  appointed  in  the  interior  parts  of  the  Colony, 
called  drosts  or  sheriffs,  who  arrest  criminals,  but  have  no 
power  of  trying  or  judging  them."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages," 
I.  p.  571,  1798.) 

"  The  Drost  gave  us  a  good  reception."  (Sparrman's 
"  Voyage,"  i.  p.  222,  1785.) 

Drostdy. — (Cf.  G.  Drostei,  the  jurisdiction  of  a  baihff.) 
(1)  The  town  or  district  over  which  the  Landdrost  has  juris- 
diction. (2)  The  office  at  which  the  Landdrost  transacts  his 
business,  or  his  residence. 

"  The  Landdrost  should  have  held  a  meeting  of  the  in- 
habitants to  administer  to  them  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  His 
Majesty  .  .  .  and  settle  some  other  necessary  business,  at  the 
Drosdyr     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  112,  1801.) 

"  She  had  come  from  the  drostdy  or  district-town  of 
Uitenhage."     (Pringle's  "Narrative,"  p.  6,  1840.) 

Dry  diggings. — To  distinguish  from  "  Eiver  diggings  ". 
At  the  latter  the  diamondiferous  material  is  "  washed  "  in  the 
search  for.diamonds  ;  at  the  "  dry  diggings  "  it  is  disintegrated 
by  exposure  to  the  atmosphere  and  sun. 

"  There  are  accounted  four  dry  diggings.  New  Kush 
.  .  .  Old  De  Beers,  Dutoitspan,  and  Bultfontein."  (Boyle's 
"  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  123,  1873.) 

"  The  dry  diggings  are  thirty  miles  to  the  south-east  of 
Pniel,  they  are  so  called  because  the  gems  are  not  found  in 
river-wash,  but  in  dry  tufa,  which  has  apparently  never  been 
in  contact  with  water."  (Lacy's  "  Pictures  of  Travel,"  etc., 
p.  173,  1899.) 

Dry -my -throat  bush. — Scutia  Commersoni,  Brogn.  This 
is  a  Hteral  rendering  of  the  Dutch  name  Droog-mij-keel  bosje. 
The  name  conveys  an  idea  of  the  peculiar  effect  produced 
upon  the  throat  and  tongue  by  the  berries  (droogjes)  of  this 
bush. 

"I  got  under  a  thick  dry-my-throat  bush,  where  I  hid." 
(Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  136,  1897.) 

"  *  Come  all  of  you  down  here,'  and  he  marched  off  to  a 
clump  of  drag-mij-kell  bush  about  a  hundred  yards  off." 
(Glanville's  "Kloof  Yarns,"  "The  Empire,"  8  October, 
1898.) 

Dry-rot. — According  to  Dr.  Prior  this  is  a  corruption  of 


156  AFEICANDEEISMS 

tree-rot.  The  term  is  usually  applied  to  a  disease  of  timber 
occasioned  by  the  fungus  Merulius  lachrymans  —  but  at 
Knysna  it  appears  to  be  used  of  the  dark  stains  in  timber 
occasioned  by  the  entrance  of  moisture. 

"  Those  insects  that  live,  or  whose  larvae  live,  in  decom- 
posed standing  timber,  are  no  less  pernicious  indirectly  than 
those  who  live  in  the  tree  itself,  because,  first,  they  are  much 
more  numerous,  and  secondly,  that  they  occasion  a  rapid  dis- 
integration of  the  fibre,  enable  the  water  to  percolate,  and 
cause  often  that  black  stain  called  drij-rot  in  Knysna  so 
noticeable  ...  in  the  Outeniqua  yellow-wood — Podocarpus 
elofigatus."    ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  iv.  Part  i.  p.  19, 1887.) 

Dry  smoke,  A. — When  without  tobacco  an  inveterate 
smoker  will  sometimes  pull  at  an  empty  pipe — this  is  known 
as  a  "  dry  smoke  ". 

"  In  his  mouth  was  stuck  a  short  pipe,  out  of  which  he 
was  taking,  in  colonial  parlance,  a  dry  smoke — that  is,  it  was 
alike  destitute  of  fire  or  tobacco."  (Gilmore's  "Days  and 
Nights  by  the  Desert,"  p.  205,  1888.) 

Dry  sorting. — The  earliest  and  most  primitive  method  of 
searching  for  diamonds  adopted  at  the  Diamond  Fields.  It 
consisted  in  passing  the  diamondiferous  ground  through  a 
succession  of  hand-sieves,  and  then  passing  the  residuum 
over  a  sorting  table. 

Ds. — The  D-shaped  metal  attachments  to  saddles  by  which 
a  rug  or  coat  is  secured. 

"  Tied  to  the  saddle  Ds  with  strong  strips  of  untanned 
leather  called  reimpys."     (Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  199,  1859.) 

"  Hens  .  .  .  decoyed  by  their  appetites  within  reach  .  .  . 
are  caught  by  the  leg  and  decapitated  and  tied  up  to  the  Ds 
of  the  saddles  of  the  army."  ("  A  Subaltern's  Letters  to  his 
Wife,"  p.  33,  1901.) 

Dubbeltje. — (D.  dubbeltje,  twopence ;  the  old  Cape  Dutch 
dubheltje  was  worth  three-farthings.)  The  Dutch  name  for 
a  penny ;  the  word  is,  however,  sometimes  used  for  money 
generally.  This  word  is  corrupted  by  the  Natal  native  into 
"  Deeblish  ". 

"  There  is  in»!leed  a  large  quantity  of  the  old  English  penny 
pieces  coined  by  Mr.  Boullon  now  in  circulation  under  the 
name  of  doublegees,  or  twopence,  for  which  they  pass  current." 
(Fisher's  "Importance  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  p.  52, 
1816.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  157 

"At  last  he  scarcely  had  dubbeljees  (pence)  sufficient  to 
carry  him  back  to  the  Colony."  (Kay's  "  Kaffrarian  Ke- 
searches,"  p.  283,  1833.) 

"  One  individual  sent  a  note  .  .  .  enclosing  what  he  called 
his  duhheltje  (penny)  which  proved,  when  the  note  was  opened, 
tO'be  a  sovereign."  (Smith's  "  South  Africa  Delineated,"  p. 
161,  1850.) 

Dubbeltje  or  Dubbeltje  doom. — (1)  Emex  australis, 
Steinh.  This  plant  produces  an  angular  bur,  with  short, 
strong  spines  at  each  angle,  which,  when  hard  and  dry,  are 
most  troublesome  to  the  bare  feet  of  Kaffirs  and  also  to 
those  of  small  stock.  (2)  The  name  is  also  applied  to  the 
somewhat  similar  seeds  of  Tribulus  terrestris  and  T.  Zeyheri. 
See  Duiveltje. 

"  Great  complaints  were  made  of  the  seed-vessels  of  the 
rumex  spinosus  {duhelties)  which  grow  very  common  here, 
as  the  sharp  prickles  of  them  cut  the  feet  of  all  the  slaves  and 
others  who  walked  bare-footed."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i. 
p.  148,  1795.) 

"  The  dogs  were  soon  disabled  by  a  prickly  seed  which 
gets  into  their  feet — and  is  called  a  duhheltje.''  ("  Scenes  in 
Albany,"  p.  100.  1827.) 

"  May  I  be  permitted  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  muni- 
cipal authorities  to  the  ever-increasing  spread  of  the  Duhheltje 
doom  weed,  which  is  not  only  a  menace  but  a  positive 
danger  to  children,  who  find  their  playgrounds,  etc.,  infested 
with  them."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7, 13  September, 
1912. 

Dubbeltje  leeuwerk. — (D.  duhhel,  double  ;  leeuwerk,  a  lark, 
cf.  Scotch  laverock.)     Calle7idula  crasserostris. 

"  On  our  way  we  noticed  a  handsome  umber-brown  lark 
— duhhelde  leeuwirk  the  Boers  call  it."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof 
and  Karoo,"  p.  278,  1889.) 

Dug  out. — A  hole  in  the  ground  covered  with  stones  and 
sand,  and  ventilated  by  drain-pipes,  in  which  the  inhabitants 
of  towns  besieged  during  the  late  war,  sought  protection  from 
the  Boer  shells. 

Duiker. — (D.  duiker,  a  diver.)  Cephalophus  grimmi. 
A  buck  so  named  from  the  peculiar  manner  in  which  it  seems 
to  dive  into  the  bush. 

"  Six  small  species  of  antelope  hitherto  unnoticed  in  these 
pages ;  viz.  the  khpspringer,  rheebuck,  rooi-rhebuck  or  nagor, 


158  AFEICANDEEISMS 

ourebi,  steenbuck,  and  duiker^  (Harris'  "  Wild  Sports  of 
South  Africa,"  p.  224,  1839.) 

Duiker. — Graculus  carlo,  Lay.  and  G.  capensis,  Gray. 
These  two  cormorants,  which  abound  in  Table  Bay  and  round 
the  coast  westward,  are  both  so  called.     See  Divers. 

"  1652,  13  September.  The  yacht  returned  from  Bobbin 
Island  bringing  about  an  hundred  black  birds  called  duikers 
(cormorants)  of  a  good  flavour."  (Eiebeeck's  "Journal," 
Hoodie's  "Records,"  p.  13,  1841.) 

"  The  way  in  which  the  duikers  (cormorants  and  shags) 
obtain  their  food  is  not  uninteresting."  (Andersson's  "  Lake 
Ngami,"  p.  16,  1856.) 

Duikers  horen. — (D.  horen,  horn.)  Stapelia  incarnata 
is  known  by  this  name  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Saldanha 
Bay.  (Thunberg's,  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  240,  1823.  =  Garal- 
luma  iricarnata,  N.E.  Br.) 

Duinen  thee. — (D.  duin,  a  sandy  mound,  cf.  Eng.  dune.) 
Helichrysum  imbricatum.  The  leaves  of  this  plant — which 
grows  plentifully  on  the  Cape  Downs,  hence  the  name — are 
used  for  coughs. 

Duineveld. — (D.  duin,  a  sandy  mound,  a  dune.)  An 
extent  of  country  covered  by  low  sandy  hills. 

"  In  the  Riversdale  District  it  is  stated  that  the  disease 
(lamziekte)  only  occurs  in  the  sour  parts  of  the  duineveld." 
I"  S.A.  Agric.  Journal,"  p.  35,  July,  1912.) 

Duin  mol. — Bathyergus  suillus  {maritimus,  of  Sclater). 
See  Cape  mole  and  Sand  mole. 

"  The  giant  among  these  burrowing  mole-like  animals  is 
known  as  the  sand  mole  or  *  zand  mol '.  It  is  also  called  the 
duin  moV     ("  The  State,"  p.  231,  September,  1912.) 

Duin  pauw. — (D.pauw,  a  peacock.)  The  name  sometimes 
given  to  the  great  African  bustard.     See  Pauw. 

"  Eine  andere  Art  Trappe,  der  sog.  duinpouw  (Diinen- 
Pfau)  ist  ein  fast  mannshoher  Vogel,  einer  der  grossten 
existierenden  Vogelarten .  .  .  er  erreicht  oft  ein  Gewicht  bis  zu 
70  Pfund.  Die  Spannweite  seiner  Flilgel  misst  8  bis  10  Fuss." 
(Bachmann's  "  Sud-Afrika,"  p.  98,  1901.) 

Duin  rat. — Gerhillus  afer.     See  Nacht  muis. 

Duivel. — (D.  duivel,  devil.)  Used  of  a  man  who  is  clever 
or  expert  at  something.  One  may  even  hear  the  curious 
expression  :  "  Hij  is  n'duivel  om  te  bid  "  ;  he  is  a  devil  (a  rare 
one)  to  pray. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  159 

Duivel  doom. — The  expanded  capsule  of  Harpagophytum 
procumbens,  which  is  armed  in  every  direction  with  strong, 
hooked  thorns,  and  is^not  unlike  a  huge  spider.  See  Haak- 
doorn. 

Duiveltje. — (D.  duivel,  devil.)  See  Dubbletje  of  which 
this  is  a  corruption. 

"  The  little  nuts  of  Trihulus  terrestris  and  T.  Zeyheri  are 
armed  with  strong,  sharp  spines.  .  .  .  The  fruitlets  of  Emex 
centropodium  are  quite  similar,  both  having  deserved  thereby 
the  Dutch  designation  of  duiveltjes,"  (Dr.  Marloth's  Address, 
"  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  p.  9,  29  August,  1894.) 

Duive  pauw. — (D.  duif,  a  dove,  pigeon  ;  pauw,  a  peacock.) 

Otis  kori  is  so  named  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Saldanha  Bay. 

"This  bustard  is  called  at  Saldanha  Bay  Duive  pauw." 

(Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  632,  1875- 

84.) 

Duizend  poot. — (D.  duizend,  thousand ;  poot,  a  foot.) 
Millipede,  centipede. 

Dung  rollers. — This  name  is  given  to  several  beetles  of  the 
Scarahceidce  Family.  The  nidus  in  which  they  deposit  their 
egg  is  formed  of  dung,  which  they  shape  into  a  round  ball ; 
they  roll  this  with  great  labour  to  a  suitable  locahty  and 
cover  with  loose  soil. 

"  The  supply  of  dung  fuel  was  very  materially  interfered 
with  by  millions  of  black  beetles  called  dung  rollers,  a  kind 
of  ScarabsBus,  which  swarmed  day  after  day  in  every  part  of 
the  plain."  (King's  "Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,"  p.  303, 
1855.) 

Dunnebesjes. — (D.   duin,  a  down ;   hezie,  a  berry.)     An- 
other name  for  the  berries  known   as  Skelpadbesjes    (q.v.). 
"  This  shrub  is  very  common  in  the  Downs."     Pappe. 
Dutchisms — See  Africanderism. 

Dutchman. — The  name  given  by  the  diamond  sorters  to 
pieces  of  quartz,  which  somewhat  resemble  uncut  diamonds. 
Dwa  dwa. — Leucosidea  sericea,  E.  and  Z.  This  plant  is 
used  by  the  natives  as  an  astringent  medicine.  "  The  woody 
branches  are  very  inflammable,  and  eagerly  sought  after  by 
the  Kaffir  women  for  lighting  their  fires."  Mrs.  F.  W. 
Barber. 

"  P.  sericea  is  a  densely  leafy  shrub,  the  Dwa  dwa  of  the 
natives,  who  use  it  as  an  astringent  medicine."  (Harvey's 
"  Genera  of  South  African  Plants,"  p.  95,  1868.) 


160  AFEICANDEKISMS 

Dwa-  or  Twa-grass. — Aristida  Lichtensteinii,  a  valu- 
able grass  indigenous  to  South  Africa, 

"  Many  grasses  indigenous  to  South  Africa  share  in  the 
formation  of  the  rich  pasturage  of  the  Northern  and  Eastern 
regions ;  e.g.,  Dwa-grass  or  Toa-grass  {Aristida  Lichten- 
steinii)." (Marloth's  "  Elementary  Botany  for  South  Africa," 
p.  185,  1897.) 

Dwarf  goose. — Nettopus  auritus.  A  very  small  member 
of  the  Order  Anseres,  it  is  a  handsome  little  bird. 

Dwarstrekken. — (D.  divaars,  across,  athwart ;  trekken,  to 
pull,  draw;  cf.  D.  dwarsdrijven,  to  cross,  thwart,  contradict.) 
To  work  or  pull  contrary.     To  thwart,  cross,  quarrel. 

Earth  star. — The  name  given  in  the  Western  Province 
to  a  variety  of  puff-ball — Geaster. 

"  The  earth  star  is  a  pretty  little  puff-ball,  which  looks 
like  a  star,  and  grows  close  on  the  earth  in  the  spring." 
(Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
173,  1906.) 

East  coast  fever. — See  African  coast  fever. 

"  East  coast  fever  being  a  piroplasma  disease,  led  in- 
vestigators to  believe  that  it  must  be  carried  by  ticks.  All 
evidence  about  its  originating  and  spreading  pointed  to  tick 
infection.  Mr.  Lounsbury,  the  Cape  Entomologist,  was  the 
first  to  prove  that  a  certain  species  of  tick  communicated  the 
disease.  This  tick  is  what  is  now  commonly  called  the  brown 
tick  {Bhipicephalus  appendiculatus) ."  (Dr.  Theiler,  "  Report 
S.A.A.A.S.,"  p.  211,  1904.) 

Eastern  Province  Vlei  Grass. — Eragrostis  lehmanniana, 
Nees.     See  Blauw  zaad  gras. 

Eastern  tree  fern — Cijathea  Dregei,  Kunze.  A  magni- 
ficent South  African  tree  fern  with  a  stem  sometimes  7 
feet  high  surmounted  by  a  crown  of  fronds  a  yard  long  and  a 
foot  wide.    It  is  found  in  Kaffraria  and  Natal. 

Eat  up,  To. — (The  literal  rendering  of  an  idiomatic  use 
of  the  Ka£ar  uku  Dla,  to  eat,  devour.)  (1)  This  is  the  native 
idea  of  a  process  which  the  expression  describes  with  toler- 
able accuracy.  Among  the  Zulus,  the  evil-doer,  his  wives 
and  children,  were  all  massacred,  his  property  confiscated, 
and  his  name  blotted  out;  he  was  said  to  be  "eaten  up". 
Among  the  Cape  Kaffirs  the  man's  property  was  seized  and 
he  was  driven  out  to  wander  as  an  outcast  and  outlaw  from 
his  tribe.     (2)  The  expression  is  also  used  to  describe  the  re- 


AFKICANDEEISMS  161 

suit   to  the  vanquished  of  a  pitched  battle  of  tribe  against 
tribe. 

"To  eat  one  another  up,  this  is  theft."  (Boyce's  "  Notes 
on  South  Africa,"  p.  41,  1838.) 

"  Wheresoever  there  was  blackmail  to  be  levied,  or  an  in- 
dependent clan  to  be  eaten  up  .  .  .  the  discipHned  forces  of 
Chaka  sooner  or  later  appeared."  (Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  14, 
1859.) 

Ebb  and  flow,  The. — That  point  in  the  course  of  a  river 
where  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide  begins  to  make  itself  ap- 
parent. 

Eel -worms. — Anguillulida.  The  plant  disease  known 
as  Vrotpootjes  (q.v.)  is  due  to  the  ravages  of  a  minute  worm 
which  is  known  in  the  Transvaal  as  the  eel-worm,  and  in 
the  Cape  Colony  as  the  root  gall  worm.  There  are  several 
varieties  of  these  worms,  some  of  which  attack  roots,  others 
the  stem  and  leaves  of  cultivated  plants. 

^'Eel-worms  or  Nematodes,  are  very  small  organisms,  too 
small  to  be  observed  with  the  naked  eye,  which  infest  the 
roots  of  a  great  number  of  plants  and  cause  swellings  and 
knots  upon  them."  ("South  African  Gardening  and  Agri- 
culture," p,  384,  September,  1912.) 

Eendjes. — (D.  eend,  a  duck.)  The  name  given  by  the 
Grahamstown  boys  to  the  pods  of  Sutherlandiafrutescens,  B. 
Br.,  which  they  break  off  and  float  in  water.  See  Kanker 
boschje  and  Keurtje. 

Egg-eater. — A  snake  of  the  Dasypeltidce  family — D. 
scabra.  This  snake  is  furnished  with  a  saw-like  row  of  verte- 
bral teeth  in  the  gullet,  by  which  the  shells  of  eggs,  which 
are  almost  its  sole  food,  are  pierced ;  the  contents  swallowed, 
the  shell  is  ejected. 

"  The  Egg-eater  lives  almost  entirely  on  eggs,  which  it 
eats  in  a  curious  fashion."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7, 
1  September,  1911.) 

Eierkokertje. —  (D.  ei,  an  egg  ;  koken,  to  boil,  cook.)  The 
sand-glass  used  to  time  the  cooking  of  an  egg. 

Eier  slang. — (D.  ei,  an  egg ;  slang,  a  snake.)    See  Egg-eater. 

"  I  caught  a  rainbow  trout  (cock  fish)  in  the  Lourens 
Biver  here,  about  13^  inches  in  length,  in  the  stomach  of  which 
was  a  partially  digested  body  of  a  snake,  pronounced  by  those 
who  have  seen  it  to  be  an  egg-eating  snake  {Eier  slang)." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.i4,  18  October,  1912.) 

11 


162  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Ei  in  de  hoed.— (D.  ei,  an  egg  ;  hoed,  a  hat.)  A  school 
game  in  which  hats  are  placed  in  a  row  upon  the  ground,  the 
player  who  is  most  expert  at  pitching  a  stone  or  ball  into  one 
from  a  certain  distance  is  the  winner. 

Eland.— (D.  eland,  an  elk.)  Taurotragus  oryx.  The 
largest  of  the  South  African  antelopes.  It  was  known  to  the 
Hottentots  as  the  Kanna,  with  an  initial  cerebral  click. 

"Elands  from  the  Zambezi  Valley  and  Mozambique 
are  distinguished  by  having  white  transverse  markings,  and 
may  be  considered  as  a  sub-species  {T.  orijx  livingstonii) 
of  the  typical  form."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  131, 
1905.) 

Elandsboontjes. — (D.  boon,  a  bean.)  The  name  given  to 
the  fleshy  roots  of  the  Elephantorhiza  Burchellii,  Benth. 

"  Glabrous  undershrubs,  with  large  fleshy  roots  {Elands- 
boontjes)." (Harvey's  "  Genera  of  South  African  Plants,"  p. 
92,  1868.) 

"  '  Have  you  seen  any  Elandsboontje  ?  '  Hartley  went  on, 
well  knowing  that  the  plant  was  very  rare  in  that  region." 
(Green's  "Eichard  Hartley,  Prospector,"  p.  229,  1905.) 

Eland  veld. — See  Bont  veld  and  quotation. 

Electric  fish. — See  Drill-visch. 

Elephant  fish. — Callorhyncus  antarcticus,  is  so  called  be- 
cause of  the  proboscis-like  process  which  it  bears  on  the  front 
of  the  head.     See  Joseph  and  Eabbit  fish. 

"  Two  boats  were  sent  to  survey  while  others  were  engaged 
fishing  off  Pelican  Point,  but  they  produced  only  a  boat-load 
of  young  ground-sharks,  elephant  fish,  and  white  bass." 
(Owen's  "  Narrative,"  ii.  p.  228,  1833.) 

Elephant  fruit  tree. — The  reference  of  the  quotation  ap- 
pears to  be  to  the  plant  known  as  Elephants'  food  (q.v.). 

"  A  tree  pointed  out  to  me  this  morning,  the  elephant 
fruit  tree.  Elephants  are  said  to  be  very  fond  of  this  tree, 
from  whence  comes  its  name."  (Churchill's  "  Men,  Mines, 
and  Manners,"  p.  147,  1895.) 

Elephant  rock. — A  stratum  comprised  principally  of  dolo- 
mite limestone,  when  exposed  to  the  weather  it  is  worn  into 
irregular  corrugations,  which  are  not  unlike  the  wrinkles  on 
the  hide  of  an  elephant — hence  the  name,  which  is  a  literal 
rendering  of  the  Dutch  "  Olifants  Klip  ". 

"  The  rock  is  known  as  '  Ohfants  Klip '  by  the  Boers,  on 
account  of  the  general  resemblance  of  the  weathered  surface 


AFRICANDEEISMS  163 

of  the  limestone  to  the  hide  of  an  elephant."  ("  Science  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  283,  1905.) 

Elephant's  ear. — In  Queenstown  the  boys  give  this  name 
to  Eriospermum  Bellindi,  Sweet,  a  liliaceous  plant  bearing  a 
single  cordate  ovate  leaf,  resembling  an  ear. 

Elephants'  food. — Portulacaria  Afra,  Jacq.  An  Eastern 
Province  name  for  the  plant  known  more  generally  as  the 
Spek  boom  (q.v.).     It  is  a  valuable  food  plant  for  stock. 

"  The  elephant  vv^as  said  to  live  upon  it,  hence  it  has  like- 
wise been  styled  in  Africa  Elephants'  food."  (Flemming's 
"  Southern  Africa,"  p.  125,  1856.) 

Elephant's  foot. — Testudinaria  elephantipes.  The  popu- 
lar name  of  this  curious  member  of  the  Yam  family.  It  has 
a  hard,  woody  protuberance,  sometimes  of  enormous  size, 
partly  embedded  in  the  earth,  which  bears  some  slight  resem- 
blance to  an  elephant's  foot.     See  Hottentot  bread. 

"  I  there  found  many  curious  plants  among  which  was  one 
called  Elephant's  foot."  (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  72, 
1789.) 

"  That  singular  plant  the  trimus  elephantiopus,  so  called 
from  a  protuberance  thrown  out  from  the  root,  resembhng 
the  foot  of  an  elephant."  (Barrow's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  189, 
1801.) 

Elephant  shrew. — Macroscelides  typicus,  Smith.  The 
name  has  reference  to  the  proboscis-hke  snout,  which  is  not 
unlike  a  diminutive  elephant's  trunk. 

"  The  elephant  shrews  (Macroscelides)  are  met  with 
mostly  among  the  rocky  kopjes,  and  on  the  dry  open  karroo." 
("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  135,  1905.) 

Elephant's  trunk. — Pachypodium  Namaquanum.  A 
singular  plant  found  in  Namaqualand,  having  a  thick,  fleshy 
trunk  some  5  or  6  feet  high,  not  unlike  an  elephant's 
trunk  in  shape. 

"Isaac  .  .  .  noticed  a  plant  of  the  cactus  or  euphorbia 
tribe,  known  by  the  name  of  elephant's  trunk."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  325,  1868.) 

Elephant's  wood. — Bolusanthus  speciosus,  Harms.,  is  so 
called  in  the  Transvaal. 

Elft. — (D.  elft,  a  shad.)  Temnodon  saltator,  Cuv.,  is  so 
called  by  the  fishermen  of  the  Cape.  In  Natal  it  is  known 
as  the  Shad  (q.v.),  and  at  East  London  as  the  Chad. 

"  In  the  Table  Bay  and  Bay  Falzo  is  caught  a  sort  of  fish 

11  * 


164  AFRICANDEEISMS 

the  Dutch  call  Elft.  The  Elft  is  three-quarters  of  a  yard 
long  or  more,  and  is  scaled  much  like  a  herring."  (Kol- 
ben's  "Present  State  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  ii.  p. 
190,  1731.) 

Emerald  cuckoo. — Ghrysococcyx  smaragdineus.  The 
Natal  name  of  this  beautifully  plumaged  bird.  In  the  Cape 
Colony  it  shares  with  G.  Klaasi  and  C.  Cupreus  the  name  of 
"  Golden  cuckoo  "  (q.v.). 

"  The  emerald  cuckoo  resplendent  in  green  and  gold." 
(Eussell's  "  Natal,"  p.  36,  1891.) 

Emmer. — (D.  emmer,  a  pail,  bucket.)  In  the  early  days 
of  the  Colony  the  bucket  was  often  found  to  be  a  convenient 
measure  when  bartering. 

"  I  purchased  eight  emirs  or  measures  of  wheat  from  one 
of  the  Griquas."  (Gordon  Cumming's  "Adventures,"  i.  p. 
161,  1850.) 

Englishman. — Chrysophrys  Anglicus  is  so  named  in 
Natal. 

Enkelde  leeuwerk. — (D.  enkel,  single,  alone ;  leeuwerik, 
a  lark ;  Cf.  Scotch  laverock.)  Anthus  pyrrJionotus  is  so 
named  by  the  Dutch.     See  Koeskoetje. 

"  I  feel  convinced  that  this  {Megalophonus  Pyrrhonothus) 
is  identical  with  Anthus  Leucophrys,  Vieil.,  which  goes 
by  the  name  of  Enkelde  Leeuiverk  among  the  colonists." 
(Layard's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  211,  1867.) 

Ennk  or  IJna. — (Hot.  *  e !  Inter],  of  pain  ;  *  na  !  Interj.  of 
astonishment — each  word  has  an  initial  click,  the  former  the 
dental,  the  latter  the  lateral.)  An  exclamation  of  pain 
common  in  the  Midlands. 

Epiti. — (Z  i  Pwiti,  the  smallest  South  African  antelope.) 
Cephalopus  monticola.     See  Bluebuck  and  Ipiti. 

"  A  turban  made  of  the  skin  of  the  ipiete,  a  species 
of  antelope."  (Martin's  "History  of  South  Africa,"  p.  138, 
1836.) 

"  I  shot  a  few  small  buck  known  as  impeti  .  .  .  not  much 
larger  than  a  hare."  (Atcherley's  "  Trip  to  Boerland,"  p. 
26,  1879.) 

Erf.— (D.  erf,  inheritance ;  cf.  G.  Erhe.)  A  piece  of 
ground  marked  off  in  a  village  or  town  for  garden  or  building 
purposes.  These  erven  may  be  either  water-  or  dry-erven,  as 
they  carry  the  right  to  water  for  irrigation  or  not. 

"  His  industry  put  him  in  possession  of  this  erf,  a  name 


AFRICANDEKISMS  165 

given  to  a  small  lot  of  ground,  not  being  a  complete  farm." 
(Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  262,  1818.) 

Ertjes. — (D.  erwt,  a  pea.)     Peas  generally. 

"  The  mild  sweet-pea  or  eertje  which  grows  on  trees 
7  or  8  feet  high  and  has  such  lovely  colours."  ("  Cape 
Times,"  3  September,  1904.) 

Eschenhout. — (D.  esch,  ash.)  (1)  In  the  Cape  Colony 
Ekebergia  capensis  is  known  by  this  name.  The  South 
African  Ash.  (2)  In  Pondoland  the  name  is  applied  to 
Trichilia  emetica.     See  Cape  mahogany. 

"  A  tree  very  useful  in  making  wagons,  which  the  Dutch 
call  essen  or  ash."     (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  80, 1789.) 

"  Harpephylhim  caffrum,  Bernh.  .  .  .  The  tree  is  called 
by  the  inhabitants  Eschenhout ;  the  edible  fruit  '  Zuur- 
besjes '."     ("  Flora  Capensis,"  vol.  i.  p.  525,  1859-60.) 

"  For  cabinet-making  of  a  high  class,  some  Cape  woods 
might  be  exported  with  advantage.  Hard  pear  .  .  .  Essen- 
hout,  Ked  and  White  els  are  specially  worthy  of  notice." 
(Noble's  "C.G.H.  Official  Handbook,"  p.  146,  1886.) 

Euphonic  concord. — See  Alliteral  concord. 

Evening  primrose. — The  popular  name  of  a  species  of 
CEnothera. 

"  The  best-known  genera  (of  the  Order  Onagrariece)  are 
Epilobium,  popularly  called  the  '  Willow-herb,'  and  CEnothera, 
the  Evening  primrose."  (Wood's  "  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of 
Natal,"  p.  51,  1907.) 

Everlastings. — The  flowers  of  Helichrysum  vestitum, 
which  form  so  important  an  article  of  commerce,  are  thus 
designated.     See  Seven  years  flowers. 

"  While  the  English  name  everlastings  and  the  French 
immortelles,  refer  to  the  imperishable  nature  of  their  beauty, 
we  Germans  are  pleased  to  call  them  paper-flowers  or  straw- 
flowers  to  designate  in  truly  prosaic  terms  the  dryness  which 
prevents  their  fading."  (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p. 
121,  1814.) 

Eve's  needle. — A  plant  of  the  aloe  family,  having  narrow, 
sharply  pointed  leaves,  has  received  this  appellation  in  the 
Midlands. 

Ewa  trewa. — Satyrium  coriifolium,  Sioarz. — The  popu- 
lar name  of  one  of  the  commonest  of  the  orchids  of  the  Cape 
Peninsula,  its  bright  orange  colour  favours  the  suggestion  of 
Dr.  Bolus  ("  Orchids  of  the  Cape  Peninsula,"  p.  125,  1888), 


166  AFEICANDEEISMS 

that  the  former  part  of  the  name  is  a  corruption  of  the  Dutch 
geele  (yellow) ;  "  Geele  trewa,"  according  to  Thunberg  was 
the  name  given  to  an  orchid,  in  his  time,  in  the  Western 
Province.  Or  is  it  a  corruption  of  the  "  Goude  travers  "  of 
the  quotation  ?  I  have  heard  them  called  "  Trevers  "  quite 
recently. 

"  Of  the  terrestrial  Orchideae,  so  very  numerous  and 
beautiful  in  South  Africa,  there  is  .  .  .  one  species  .  .  . 
known  by  the  name  ot  Goude  travers,  formerly  very  plenti- 
ful on  the  Cape  Flats."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p. 
350,  1857.) 

Excuse. — This  word  is  often  used  in  Dutch-speaking  dis- 
tricts with  the  meaning  "  Pardon  me,"  "  Do  not  take  it  amiss  ". 

"  Oh  excuse,  I  asked  if  you  would  have  coffee  and  I 
thought  you  said  '  No  '." — (Watkin's  "  From  Farm  to 
Forum,"  p.  17,  1906.) 

Eye,  of  a  fountain. — (D.  oog,  eye,  is  used  of  that  point  in 
a  spring  at  which  the  water  finds  exit  from  the  earth ; 
fontein,  a  spring.)    A  translation  of  the  Dutch  expression. 

"  The  water  continually  bubbled  up  from  two  or  three 
eyes."  (Alexander's  "  Expedition,"  i.  p.  159,  1838.) 

"  We  flattered  ourselves  that  we  had  found  the  eye  of 
a  spring ;  but  the  next  instant  all  our  hopes  vanished." 
(Andersson's  "Lake  Ngami,"  p.  404, 1856.) 

"  Schoonspruit  heeft  drie  oog  en ;  twee  komen  in  eene 
mooije  vallei  bij  elkander,  waarop  er  eene  menigte  eendvogels, 
waterhoenders  en  wilde  ganzen,  met  nog  eene  soort  van 
vogels,  die  ik  niet  ken,  zwemmen."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig 
Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  64,  1890.) 

F.A.M.P. — These  initials  stand  for  the  old  Frontier 
Armed  and  Mounted  PoHce  corps  which  in  1878  was  changed 
to  the  C.M.K.— Cape  Mounted  Rifles. 

"Nine  more  men  of  the  F.A.M.P.  have  been  tried  at 
Komgha  for  refusal  of  duty  as  C.M.R."  ("  Queenstown 
Free  Press,"  15  November,  1878.) 

Fat-fish. — See  Blue-fish,  for  which  this  is  another  East 
London  name. 

"  When  opened  the  stomach  usually  contains  large  lobes 
of  fat — hence  the  n&mefat-Jish".  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
7  August,  1905.) 

Fatherland. — The  designation  given  to  a  particular  breed 
of  cattle  in  the  early  days. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  167 

"  The  Fatherland  as  the  name  betokens,  is  the  pure 
European  breed,  without  cross  or  admixture.  They  are  a  large 
sized,  small  headed,  light-necked,  and  well-made  breed  noted 
as  furnishing  the  best  milch  cows  in  the  Colony."  ("  Durban 
Observer,"  9  January,  1852.) 

Fat,  Sheep's  tail. — The  fat  obtained  from  the  enormous 
tails  of  the  Cape  sheep  (q.v.)  is  used  for  a  variety  of  purposes, 
culinary  and  otherwise,  in  the  households  and  on  the  farms 
of  South  Africa. 

"  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  pluck  the  bird,  and  Mr.  Immelmann 
undertook  to  dress  it,  and  indeed  he  showed  himself  a  perfect 
master  in  the  art,  stewing  it  in  a  quantum  sufficit  of  water 
and  a  little  sheep's  tail  faV  (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p. 
298,  1785.) 

Fat-tailed  sheep.  —  Another  designation  of  the  Cape 
sheep  (q.v.).  This  was  the  sheep  found  in  possession  of  the 
natives  by  the  European  discoverers  of  South  Africa.  The 
sheep  Calcoen  speaks  of  he  saw  at  Quiloa,  a  little  to  the  north- 
east of  the  Cape,  but  a  rather  liberal  allowance  should  be 
made  for  his  powers  of  imagination. 

"  Daer  syn  oec  scapen  met  grote  staerten  dair  gheen  been 
in  en  is  die  start  is  beter  dan  half  t  scaep."  (There  are  also 
sheep  with  great  tails,  there  is  no  bone  in  them,  the  tail  is 
better  than  half  the  sheep.)     Calcoen,  1502. 

"  But  the  farmers  generally  were  very  slow  to  appreciate 
the  advantages  of  the  wool  over  the  old  hoAvy  fat-tailed  sheep 
of  the  country.  ^]iq  fat-tails  held  their  own  for  many  years." 
("  The  Castle  Line  Guide  to  South  Africa,"  p.  55,  1888.) 

Feathers,  Ostrich. — These  feathers  vary  in  value  according 
to  the  sex  of  the  bird  and  the  part  of  the  body  from  which 
they  are  plucked ;  they  are  also  named  accordingly  : — 

Prime  bloods. — The  first  quality  of  wild  feathers. 

Whites. — The  long,  pure  white  wing  feathers  of  the  male. 

Feminas. — The  corresponding  plumage  of  the  female. 

Byocks. — (Said  to  be  a  corruption  of  a  foreign  word  for 
black  and  white) ;  parti-coloured  feathers  from  the  wing  of 
the  male. 

Spadonas. — First  year's  plucking  from  young  birds. 

Boos. — Stumpy  tail  feathers  of  both  male  and  female. 

Blacks. — Long  feathers  from  the  wing  of  the  male  at  its 
junction  with  the  body. 

Drabs. — Corresponding  growth  from  the  female. 


168  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Floss.—Soit  feathers  from  under  the  wing  coverts  of  both 
sexes. 

Fed  off.—"  The  veld  is  fed  off."  A  phrase  applied  to  veld 
that  has  been  so  closely  cropped  by  stock  that  little  or  nothing 
nourishing  remains. 

Fed  up. — A  slang  phrase  meaning  to  have  had  enough  of 
anything.  ' 

Fenkel  wortel. — (D.  venkel,  fennel ;  wortel,  a  root,  carrot.) 
The  fleshy,  aromatic  roots  of  Carum  Capense,  Sond. 

Fetcani. — (Kaf.  im  Fecane,  marauders,  lawless  tribes.) 
The  Amangwane,  a  tribe  of  Zulus ;  during  the  wars  caused 
by  Chaka  they  fled  southward,  conquering  as  they  advanced, 
ultimately  threatening  the  natives  on  the  colonial  border. 
They  were  defeated  and  dispersed  by  a  Burgher  force  under 
Colonel  Somerset  at  Umtata  in  1828. 

"  Fecane  is  the  root  of  imfecane,  the  Kaffir  word  for  deso- 
lator  or  marauder.  It  must  not  be  mistaken,  therefore,  for 
a  tribal  name,  being  simply  a  descriptive  term,  by  which  the 
Kaffirs  designate  an  unknown  and  foreign  invader.  The 
tribal  name  of  Matuwana's  people  is  Amangwana."  (Apple- 
yard's  "  Kaffir  Grammar,"  p.  42,  1850.) 

"  The  name  they  gave  the  Amangwane  was  that  of  Fet- 
cani the  Kaffir  word  for  '  desolators,'  '  marauders,'  and  they 
described  them  as  fiends  in  human  shape.  It  is  as  Fetcani 
they  are  known  in  colonial  history."  (Ayliff  and  Whiteside's 
"  History  of  the  Abambo  (Fingos),"  p.  16,  1912.) 

Fever  trees. — (1)  This  name  is  appHed  "  up  country"  to 
a  species  of  mimosa  {Acacia  xanthophloea),  because  the  trees 
are  supposed  to  indicate  that  the  locality  in  which  they  grow 
is  unhealthy  for  Europeans,  (2)  The  Australian  "  blue 
gums  "  are  so  designated  but  for  quite  another  reason  :  viz. 
because  of  their  anti-febrile  qualities. 

"  The  fever  trees  are  a  species  of  mimosa,  with  pallid  boles 
and  livid  green  foliage,  and  the  experienced  explorer  always 
avoids  their  neighbourhood."  ("Adventures  in  Mashona- 
land,"  by  Two  Nurses,  p.  99,  1893.) 

"  Millions  of  the  Austrahan  '  blue-gum '  or  fever  tree, 
Eucalyptus  globulus,  Lab  ell.,  ha^ve  been  planted  within  a  few 
miles  of  Johannesburg."  (Wallace's  "Farming  Industries 
of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  24,  1896.) 

Fiddle-fish.— The  fiddle-fish  of  the  Cape  is  Bhinobatus 
annulatus,  belonging  to  the  Raj  ides — the  European  Fiddle- 


AFBICANDEBISMS  169 

fish  is  Squatina  vulgaris,  Bisso,  and  belongs  to  the  Squa- 
lides. 

Field  cornet. — An  official  with  authority  to  inquire  into 
and  report  to  the  magistrate,  any  crime  committed  within 
his  jurisdiction. 

"  They  are  extremely  averse  to  the  Commando  service, 
and  from  their  known  aversion  and  frequent  refusals  to  com- 
ply with  the  requisitions  of  the  Field  cornets,"  etc.  (Boyce's 
"  Notes  on  South  African  Affairs,"  p.  vii..  Introduction,  1838.) 

Field  cornetcy. — The  area  over  which  a  field  cornet  has 
jurisdiction. 

Fields,  The. — Shortened  form  of  "  the  Diamond  Fields  " 
and  at  one  time  in  general  use  throughout  South  Africa. 

"  He  was  squandering  right  and  left  and  certainly  not 
working  very  steadily,  for  he  had  placed  no  stones  in  the  bank 
since  Graham  had  been  on  the  Fields."  (Hobson's  "  At  Home 
in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  182,  1884.) 

Fifty-dollars  bird. — An  onomatopoetic  name  for  a  bird 
in  the  Knysna  District. 

"  The  woods  are  mute  except  for  the  singular  and  dolor- 
ous bird  which  distinctly  and  continuously  breaks  the  dull 
monotony  with  his  loud  cry  of  '  fifty-dollars,'  and  is  hence 
called  the  fifty-dollars  bird."  (Andersson's  "  Okavango 
Eiver,"  p.  339,  1861.) 

Fighting  port,  The. — The  Port  of  East  London  is  so  de- 
signated because  of  the  ready  disposition  of  its  people  to  show 
fight  either  to  defend  or  to  secure  their  rights. 

"With  General  Brabant  and  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  as  its 
representatives  in  the  Cape  House  of  Assembly,  one  feels 
well  disposed  towards  the  fighting  port,  and  wishes  it  a  better 
climate."     (Stuart's  "  Pictures  of  War,"  p.  254,  1901.) 

Fikey. — (D.  vaatje,  a  small  barrel.)  A  small  keg  for 
water,  generally  forming  part  of  the  furniture  of  a  transport 
wagon.  The  word — usually  so  pronounced  in  the  Midland 
Districts — is  a  corruption  of  the  Dutch  name. 

"  One  of  the  three  rose  up  .  .  .  took  a  final  pull  at  the 
water  fikey  and  stretched  himself  on  the  bare  ground." 
(Glanville's  "  The  Fossicker,"  p.  166,  1891.) 

File  snake. — Simocephalus  capensis. — A  non-poisonous 
snake.  The  name  refers  to  its  three-cornered  appearance  due 
to  its  peculiar  backbone  scales. 

Filmy   ferns. — The   various   species  of   Hymenophyllum 


170  AFBICANDEEISMS 

and  Trichomanes  are  thus   designated  on  account  of  their 
fragile  beauty  and  diaphanous  fronds. 

"  From  the  eighty-foot  tree  fern  to  the  tiny  Filmy  ferns, 
which  are  so  small  as  to  be  frequently  mistaken  for  mosses." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  17  February,  1911.) 

Finger- poll. — See  Vinger-poU. 

"  Another  of  our  many  eccentric  looking  plants,  the  finger- 
poll  is  also  used  in  very  dry  seasons  to  feed  cattle."  (Martin's 
"At  Home  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  58,  1890.) 

Fingos. — (Kaf .  awa  Mfengu,  those  who  wander  in  search  of 
service.)  This  word  is  a  corruption  of  the  designation  given  by 
the  Kaffirs  to  certain  tribes  who  at  one  time  occupied  the  country 
to  the  west  and  north-east  of  Durban,  Natal.  During  the 
wars  which  raged  in  Chaka's  time  they  were  "  eaten  up  "  and 
scattered.  The  remnants  of  this  people  fell  in  their  wander- 
ings into  the  hands  of  the  Kaffirs,  by  whom  they  were  treated 
as  slaves,  and  subjected  to  every  oppression  until  Sir  Benja- 
min D'Urban  set  them  free.  Ultimately  they  were  declared 
British  subjects  and  have  remained  loyal  to  the  Crown  ever 
since.  As  a  people  they  call  themselves  Aba-Mbo.  Their 
tribal  names,  which  they  still  retain,  are :  ama-Tetyeni, 
-Hlubi,  -Zizi,  -Bele,  -Shwawa,  -Gobizembe,  -Sekunene, 
-Ntozakwe,  -Eelidwane,  -Radebe,  and  -Dlangamandla. 

"  Fortunately  for  the  missionary  and  those  with  him,  the 
Fingoes  residing  on  the  missionary  station,  displayed  at  this 
crisis  considerable  firmness  and  courage,  expressing  their  de- 
termination not  to  abandon  their  teacher,  and  that  if  he  were 
slain  he  should  die  behind  their  shields."  (Editor,  "  Grahams- 
town  Journal,"  narrative,  p.  109,  1836.) 

"  The  term  Amafengu  is  a  conventional  national  epithet 
first  applied  to  the  Fingoes  by  the  Kaffirs,  but  now  in  general 
use  amongst  themselves.  The  root  from  which  it  is  derived 
iQ.fenguza,  and  signifies  'to  seek  service,'  implying  at  the 
same  time  the  total  destitution  of  the  person  who  uses  it. 
The  word  Amafengu  will  accordingly  mean  '  destitute  people 
in  search  of  service,'  and  correctly  characterizes  their  con- 
dition when  '  they  arrived  amongst  the  Kaffirs  '."  (Apple- 
yard's  "  Kaffir  Grammar,"  p.  41  n.,  1850.) 

"  When  the  fugitives  entered  lower  Kaffirland  they  were 
asked,  '  Who  are  you  ?  What  do  you  want  ?  '  They  replied, 
*  Siyam  Fenguza,'  which  means  '  We  seek  service '.  '  We  are 
destitute.'     The  word  Amainfejigu  therefore  means  'hungry 


AFRICANDERISMS  171 

people  in  search  of  work  '.  This  correctly  describes  their 
condition  when  they  first  arrived  among  the  Ama-Xosa. 
Colonists  use  European  names  instead  of  native  ones,  and 
they  changed  the  word  Amafejigu  to  Fingos,  a  name  by  which 
they  have  ever  since  been  known  to  the  inhabitants  of  Cape 
Colony."  (Ayliff  and  Whiteside's  "  History  of  the  Abambo 
(Fingos),"  pp.  15-16,  1912.) 

Fink. — (D.  finh,  a  finch.)  Various  birds  of  the  Order 
Ploceidae. 

"A  flock  of  long-tailed  mouse  birds,  called /;ifcs  (?)  would 
dash  past  to  settle  in  a  rooi-hout  tree."  (Clairmonte's  "  The 
Africander,"  p.  2,  1896.) 

Fire  lily. — Cyrtanthus  angustifolius,  Ait, 15  so  named  in 
Natal.  The  brilhant  flame  colour  of  its  flowers  is  rendered 
more  conspicuous  by  the  blackness  of  the  hills  after  the 
annual  grass  burning,  hence  the  name. 

"  The  leading  glory  of  the  pastures  at  this  time  is  a  plant 
known  to  the  Dutch  under  the  expressive  and  most  apt  name 
of  the  fire  lily.  The  pastures  are  frequently  literally  ablaze 
with  its  broadly  spread  carpet  of  scarlet."  (Brook's  "  Natal," 
p.  169,  1876.) 

Fiscal. — (D.  fiscaal,  the  chief  officer  of  the  Treasury.) 
The  Procureur-General  under  the  Dutch  East  India  Company 
was  thus  designated.  His  office  was  an  important  and  respon- 
sible one. 

"  Er  setzte  den  ersten  Land-Drost  oder  Richter  ein,  von 
beiden  Kolonien,  Stellenbosch  und  Drachenstein,  ertheilte 
ihm  eben  die  Macht  so  der  independente  Fiscal  hatte." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  236, 1745.) 

"  The  office  of  Fiscal  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  the 
Colony  .  .  .  pubhc  accuser  .  .  .  Solicitor-General,  to  the 
Crown  .  .  .  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  Pohce."  (Barrow's 
"  Travels,"  11.  p.  422,  1804.) 

Fiscal. — Lanius  coUaris.  It  has  been  suggested  that  this 
bird  has  received  its  popular  name  (see  also  Butcher  bird) 
because  it  is  as  much  feared  among  the  smaller  birds  and 
animals,  which  it  ruthlessly  kills  and  impales,  as  the  Fiscal 
of  the  old  Dutch  East  India  Company  was  by  the  earlier 
colonists. 

Arbousset  ("Narrative,"  p.  222,  1846)  gives  this  name  to 
"  Apaloderma  narina  the  Bush  lory  or  Bosch  lory  ". 

"  The  shrikes  supplied  me  with  the  Fiscal  which  was 
common."     ("  Scientific  African,"  p.  87,  1896.) 


172  AFBICANDEEISMS 

"  The  white- throated,  black-headed,  hook-billed  fiscal 
made  soft  notes  in  imitation  of  the  red-speckled  breasted 
wrens,  finishing  up  with  a  harsh  screech  which  completely 
gave  him  away."  (Glanville's  "  Kloof  Yarns,"  "Empire," 
30  July,  1898.) 

Fishing  frog. — Lophius  upsicephalus.  See  Paddy,  Angler, 
and  Devil-fish. 

Fish  moth. — Lepisma  saccharina.  This  destructive  insect 
abounds  in  Natal  and  elsewhere  in  South  Africa.  In  Delagoa 
Bay  it  is  known  as  the  "  Fish-tail  moth ".  Its  scales  are 
a  well-known  microscopic  object.     See  Silver  moth. 

"It  is  one  of  nature's  beneficent  compensations  that  the 
fish  moth  is  devoid  of  wings."  (Mann's  "  Natal,"  p.  171, 
1859.) 

"Some  people  call  them  fish-tail  moths — why  'moths' 
it  would  be  difficult  to  discover,  but  I  believe  they  belong  to 
the  order  Thysariura  or  bristle-tails."  (Eose  Monteiro's 
"  Delagoa  Bay,  its  Natives  and  Natural  History,"  p.  129, 
1891.) 

Five-fingers. — (1)  Sargus  cervinus,  a  silvery  fish  slightly 
shorter  than  the  "  Moon-fish,"  but  of  the  same  family.  This 
name  refers  to  several  well-defined  stripes  running  across  the 
body.  See  Wilde  paard  and  Zebra  fish.  (2)  In  Natal  the 
name  is  given  to  Chorinemus  sancti-petri,  C.  and  V. 

"Sargus  cervinus  .  .  .  also  called  '  wilde  paard,'  'striped 
dasje,'  and  'five-fingers'."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  26 
June,  1906.) 

Flamboyant. — (F.fiamber,  to  blaze  ;  flamboyant,  flaming.) 
Poinciana  regia.  The  brilliant  scarlet  and  orange-coloured 
flowers  of  this  tree,  which  is  a  native  of  Madagascar,  render 
the  name  very  appropriate.  It  is  planted  largely  in  Durban, 
Natal,  and  during  the  flowering  season  is  quite  a  feature  of 
the  place. 

"  The  Flamboyant  not  in  flower  now,  but  when  in  flower 
lives  up  to  its  name  we  are  told."  (Mark  Twain's  "  More 
Tramps  Abroad,"  p.  445,  1897.) 

Flame. — The  popular  name  of  Antholyza  Merianella, 
Linn.  These  plants  are  closely  allied  to  Gladiolus  and  are 
not  unlike  it. 

Flat -crown. — Albizzia  fastigiata,  Oliv.  An  indigenous 
Natal  tree  so  named  because  of  its  very  flat  top,  looking  as 
though  it  had  been  recently  and  carefully  trimmed.     The 


AFEICANDEKISMS  173 

wood  is  valuable,  being  used  chiefly  for  constructing  the  naves 
of  wheels. 

"  The  umbrella-like  Flat-crown  common  in  the  Berea- 
bush  near  D'Urban."  (Chapman's  ''Travels,"  ii.  p.  451, 
1868.) 

"  The  Flat-crowns  (should  be  '  flat-roofs ') ,  half  a  dozen 
naked  branches,  slant  upward  like  artificial  supports  and 
fling  a  roof  of  delicate  foliage  out  in  a  horizontal  platform  as 
flat  as  a  floor,  and  you  look  up  through  this  thin  floor,  as 
through  a  green  cobweb  or  veil."  (Mark  Twain's  "  More 
Tramps  Abroad,"  p.  444,  1897.) 

Flats. — A  term  applied  to  the  extensive  plains  of  the 
upper  African  plateau. 

"Those  large  elevated  plains  here  called  flats  which  ex- 
tend to  an  almost  unknown  distance  towards  the  tropics." 
(Nicholson's  "  The  Cape  and  its  Colonists,"  p.  75,  1848.) 

Flauw. — (D.  flauw,  faint,  weak.)  Used  of  men  and 
animals  when  exhausted  by  vigorous  or  long-sustained 
effort. 

"One  of  our  oxen  fell  down  from  exhaustion,  being  what 
the  Dutch  cdl\  flauw,  idAn.i.'"  (Backhouse's  "Narrative,"  p. 
513,  1844.) 

Floating  reef. — The  diggers  at  the  Diamond  Fields  gave 
this  appellation  to  the  peculiar  shaped  masses  of  rock  which 
contain  no  diamonds,  but  which  are  found — sometimes  two 
or  three  acres  in  extent — in  the  mine  itself. 

"  The  bulk  of  this  inside  shale  (termed  floating  reef  by 
the  miners)  has  been  removed."  (  Noble's  "  Official  Hand- 
book," p.  203,  1886.) 

Floors. — The  areas  on  which  the  "  Blue  ground  "  (q.v.)  or 
diamondiferous  rock  is  deposited,  that  it  may  be  disintegrated 
by  the  action  of  the  sun  and  atmosphere. 

"  Excavating,  hauling,  and  depositing  on  the  Company's 
floors  134,701  loads  of  blue  ground."  (Noble's  "  Official  Hand- 
book," p.  203,  1886.) 

Floor,  The. — (D.  vloer,  floor ;  cf.  G.  der  Flur,  the  floor ; 
die  Flur,  field,  level  ground.)  This  word  is  frequently  used 
in  the  Midlands  as  if  it  were  synonymous  with  "  ground," 
being  applied  to  the  ground  outside  a  house  as  well  as  to  the 
layer  of  stone  or  boards  inside. 

Flop,  The. — Urobrachya  axillaris  is  so-called  in  Natal. 
The   spring  plumage  of  the  male  bird  is  very  brilliant,  the 


174  AFEICANDEEISMS 

general  colour  being  a  velvety  black,  with  scarlet  and  orange 
epaulets ;  the  female  is  insignificant  in  appearance. 

"  The  boys  call  it  flop,  no  doubt  from  the  way  in  which 
it  suddenly  stops  in  its  flight  and  alights  on  the  grass." 
(Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  69,  1899.) 

Flous,  To. — (G.  Flause,  pretence,  deceit.)  To  deceive, 
cheat ;  one  of  a  pair  of  horses  that  shirks  his  proper  share  of 
the  pulling,  and  thus  throws  extra  work  upon  his  fellow,  is 
said  to  "flous". 

Flowering  grasses. — An  exquisitely  graceful  member  of 
the  Iris  family  (Dierama  pendula),  with  pretty  pink  and 
lavender  flowers,  is  known  by  this  name  in  Natal. 

"  Before  the  buds  open  out  the  spikes  of  grey,  scaly  bracts 
look  exactly  like  the  fructifications  of  a  grass,  and  when  the 
gay  corollas  open  out  from  these,  it  is  as  if  some  pendulous 
wood-grass  like  the  Melica,  had  suddenly  burst  into  bright 
flowers  at  the  end  of  its  spikes.  These  elegant  plants  on 
this  account  are  not  inaptly  termed  flowering  grasses,  by  the 
colonists  not  versed  in  the  mysteries  of  botanical  lore." 
(Brook's  "  Natal,"  p.  170,  1876.) 

Flower  spider. — Several  varities  of  hunting  spiders  which 
are  adapted  in  colour  to  the  flowers  among  which  they  have 
their  haunts. 

"  The  Floiver  spider  also  assumes  deceptive  colours  as  it 
hides  beneath  the  petals  of  a  flower,  ready  to  spring  forth 
upon  its  prey."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  I,  ii.  p.  40, 
1879.) 

Fluitje. — (D.  fluit,  a  flute.)  The  Dutch  name  for  a  mouth 
organ. 

Fluit jesriet. — (D.  fluit,  a  flute ;  riet,  a  reed.)  Phragmites 
communis  (?)  The  reeds  used  by  the  natives  of  Bechuana- 
land,  etc.,  to  make  the  flutes  or  whistles  used  at  the  Eeed 
dances  (q.v.). 

"  Er  zijn  ook  nog  zeekoeijen  ;  doch  daar  de  meeste  pannen 
digt  begroeid  zijn  met  fliiitjesriet,  is  het  bijna  onmogelijk  ze 
in  hand  te  krijgen."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zout- 
pansberg,"  p.  131,  1890.) 

Fluks. — (D.  fluksch,  brisk,  quick,  ready.)  As  used  in  Cape 
Dutch  this  word  means  clever,  lively,  e.g.  "  'nfluksche  man," 
a  good  sort  of  fellow. 

Flutter. — A  speculation  on  a  small  scale  in  gold  or  other 
scrip. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  175 

"  The  opportunities  of  the  share  market  were  open  to  the 
humblest  operator.  Men  and  women,  youths  and  maidens, 
all  could  have  3>  flutter.''  (Kobinson's  "A  Life  Time  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  366,  1900.) 

Fly,  The. — Glossina  morsitans.  The  native  name  of  this 
insect  is  the  Tse  Tse  (q.v.).  Its  bite  is  fatal  to  horses,  oxen, 
and  indeed  to  most  domestic  animals,  including  even  the 
donkey  and  goat,  animals  v^^hich  at  one  time  vi^ere  thought  to 
enjoy  immunity  from  the  fatal  effects  of  its  bite,  w^hich  are 
due  to  the  incidental  communication  of  Trypanosoma  Brucei,  a 
blood  parasite.  The  body  of  "  the  fly  "  is  of  a  "  dull,  greyish 
colour,  with  bars  of  a  pink  tinge  across  the  body  ".  It  is  not 
much  larger  than  the  common  house-fly. 

"  They  had  all  lost  their  oxen  by  the  fly,  and  are  now 
scattered  all  over  the  country."  (Baine's  "  South- West 
Africa,"  p.  (424),  1864.) 

"  Keeping  a  sharp  look-out  upon  our  own  and  each  others' 
horses  to  see  that  no  fly  settled  on  them."  (Baine's 
"  Gold  Kegions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  57,  1877.) 

Fly -catcher. — A  member  of  the  Order  Asclepidacece  is 
thus  appropriately  designated,  for  it  is  no  uncommon  thing 
to  see  nearly  every  blossom  of  this  plant  holding  prisoner  a 
moth  which  has  been  caught  by  its  feet  between  the  edges  of 
two  stamens. 

Fly-catcher  bush. — Staavia  glutinosa  and  Roridula  sp. 
are  both  so  called. 

Fly  country,  or  The  fly. — Localities  infested  by  the  Tse 
Tse.     See  Tse  Tse  country. 

"  At  night  as  the  moon  rose  we  started  to  get  through  the 
fly,  but  on  entering  it  our  wagon  stuck  against  a  large  tree." 
(Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  163,  1868.) 

"  The  favourite  spot  for  hunters,  who  usually  left  their 
impedimenta  there,  before  going  down  into  what  is  called  the 
Fly  country  (referring  to  the  Tsetse  fly)  to  look  for  big 
game."     (Kerr's  "  Far  Interior,"  i.  p.  84,  1886.) 

Fly-stuck. — Animals  that  have  been  bitten  by  the  Tse 
Tse  are  said  to  have  been  fly-stuck  or  stuck. 

"  If  it  is  uncertain  whether  the  horse  has  been  bitten  or 
not  the  truth  can  be  ascertained  by  pouring  a  few  buckets  of 
water  over  him,  when,  if  he  has  been  stuck  (as  the  hunters 
call  it)  his  coat  will  all  stand  on  end."  (Selous'  "  Wander- 
ings," p.  131,  1895.) 


176  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  We  thought  that  all  our  oxen  and  the  two  oxen  we  had 
left  at  the  wagon  were  fly-stuck."     (Ibid.,  p.  349.) 

Foei-toch. — (D.  foei,  for  shame !  toch,  why,  to  be  sure.) 
A  common  interjection  all  through  South  Africa,  employed 
to  convey  sympathy,  surprise,  affection,  compassion,  etc. 

"  I  am,  etc.,  Foei-toch."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6, 
27  November,  1911.) 

"  The  rheumatism— /oei  .'  it  can  pinch  !  "  ("  The  State," 
p.  84,  July,  1912.) 

Fontein.— (D.  fontein,  a  fountain,  spring.)  Used  through- 
out South  Africa  for  a  spring. 

"In  dry  countries  any  circumstance  relating  to  water  is 
of  sufficient  importance  to  distinguish  that  place.  Thus  it  is 
that  the  Dutch  word  fontein  is  made  such  liberal  use  of  in 
every  part  of  the  Colony."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  259, 
1822.) 

Footsack. — See  Voetsak. 

"  A  violent  barking  of  dogs  was  going  on  at  some  Httle 
distance,  and  cries  oifoot-sek  with  the  slashing  of  a  whip  and 
the  yelping  of  a  defeated  cur."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine," 
III.  p.  332,  1871.) 

Forage. — This  term  is  applied  to  oat-hay  all  through 
South  Africa ;  green  oats,  barley,  etc.,  are  termed  "  Green 
forage  ". 

"  Two  crops  of  forage  are  generally  grown  in  the  year." 
(Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  131,  1859.) 
Fore-clap. — See  After-clap. 
Fore-looper. — See  Voor-looper. 

"  Some  society  would  probably  be  established  for  provid- 
ing a  dress  for  the  f or e-louper  and  some  species  of  comfortable 
leggings  for  the  wagon-oxen."  (Ward's  "  Five  Years  in 
Kaffirland,"  i.  p.  135,  1848.) 

Fore-loop,  To. — (D.  voorlooper,  fore-runner.)  The  Dutch 
word  anghcized.  (1)  To  go  before.  (2)  To  lead  a  span  of 
oxen  when  trekking,  by  means  of  a  short  riem  attached  to  the 
horns  of  the  front  pair. 

"  It  is  the  duty  of  the  Fingoe  to  hold  a  line  which  is  made 
fast  to  the  heads  of  the  leading  oxen,  and  then  to  guide  them 
on  the  road  they  should  go,  this  duty  is  called  fore-looping." 
(Drayson's  "  Tales  of  the  Outspan,"  p.  19,  1862.) 

Forest  Vaal-bosch. — (D.  vaal,  sallow,  tawny.)  Brachy- 
laena  discolor,  D.  C,  has  received  this  name  in  the  Transvaal. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  177 

Fore-touw. — (D.  touw,  a  rope,  string.)  The  riem  by 
which  the  fore-looper  leads  the  oxen. 

"  The  leader  has  made  up  his  fore-touw,  which  is  a  long, 
spare  rheim,  attached  round  the  horns  of  each  of  the  front  or 
fore  oxen,  by  which  he  leads  the  team."  (Cumming's  "  Ad- 
ventures," I.  p.  30,  1850.) 

Forfarin. — The  name  given  to  a  fish  at  Kalk  Bay. 

Fossick,  To. — (Probably  from  an  English  dialect,  but 
introduced  into  South  Africa  from  AustraHa.)  To  dig  or  seek 
for  gold  in  the  earth  deposited  between  the  strata  of  gold- 
bearing  rocks. 

"  The  slightest  difference  was  enough  to  urge  them  to 
seek,  fossick,  or  prospect  for  diamonds,  that  is  to  say,  scratch 
or  dig  up  the  surface,  sieve  and  sort  it,  and  sink  small  trial 
shafts,  when,  if  diamonds  or  good  indications  were  not  dis- 
covered at  a  moderate  depth,  the  place  was  abandoned,  and 
the  prospector  tried  or  fossicked  elsewhere."  (Matthew's 
"Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  142,  1887.) 

"  I've  dug  dundi  fossicked  in  every  likely  place,  and  unlikely 
one  too."  (Mitford's  "  Renshaw  Fanning's  Quest,"  p.  7, 
1894.) 

Fossicker. — One  who  fossicks. 

steady  old  fossicker s  often  get  more 
Than  the  first  who  opens  ground. 

(Roger's  "New  Rush,"  ii.  p.  32,  1864.) 

Fountain. — This  word,  influenced  by  the  Dutch  Fontein 
(q.v.)  is  often  used  of  a  spring  of  water  ;  farmers  speak  of 
opening  up  a  "  fountain  ". 

"He  offered  to  bring  the  water  of  two  neighbouring 
fountains  to  water  his  land,  but  all  his  arguments  made  no 
impression  on  the  lazy  boor."  (Campbell's  "  Travels,"  p.  120, 
1815.) 

Foutje  or  Fooitje. — (J),  fooi,  a  tip,  fee.)     A  tip,  gratuity. 

Fox. — Ganis  mesomelas  is  sometimes  called  the  Fox.  See 
Silver  jackal  and  Vos. 

"  No  one  has  discovered  an  effective  means  of  dealing  with 
the  wily/oa;.  He  is  quite  too  knowing  to  fall  into  any  trap 
that  may  be  laid  for  him,  and  as  to  poisoning  this  pest,  he  is 
generally  more  than  a  match  for  the  astute,  long-suffering 
farmer."    ("  Queenstown  Weekly  Review,"  31  August,  1912.) 

Fransch  madam. — This  curious  appellation  is  given  to  the 
fish  Pagrus  holuhi. 

12 


178  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Free  State  coal. — A  euphemism  for  the  dried  Mist  (q.v.) 
which  is  largely  used  for  fuel  on  up-country  homesteads. 

"  Busied  himself  collecting  Free  State  coal,  as  the  dried 
cow-dung  is  euphoniously  called."  (R.  Jameson's  "Rough 
Notes  of  a  Trip  to  the  Transvaal  Gold-fields,"  p.  1,  1886.) 

French. — The  name  by  which  Cognac  is  generally  spoken 
of  in  South  Africa;  it  is  the  shortened  form  of  "French 
brandy  ". 

"  Every  Africander  knows  real  Cognac  as  French  in 
contradistinction  to  Boer  brandy."  (Bryden's  "Kloof  and 
Karoo,"  p.  84,  1889.) 

Freying. — (D.  vrijen,  to  woo,  court.)  A  colonial  corrup- 
tion of  the  Dutch  word. 

"  They  are  very  great  at  making  love  or  freying  as  they 
call  it,  and  have  their  recognized  forms  for  the  operation." 
(Mackinnon's  "South  African  Traits,"  p.  118,  1887.) 

Frikadels  or  Frikadeletjes. — (F.  fricandeau,  thin  slices  of 
veal  stewed  or  fried  and  served  with  sauce.)  Balls  of  minced 
meat  and  vegetables  either  fried  or  baked. 

"  '  Babooti '  and  frikadel  and  '  potato-pie'  are  great  im- 
provements upon  the  minced  meats  of  England."  ("  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  224,  1870.) 

Fris. — (D.frisch,  healthy,  well.)  This  is  the  usual  form 
of  the  word  in  Cape  Dutch,  it  is  equivalent  to  the  English 
well,  hearty. 

"  It  was  too  much  to  expect  that  my  whole  forenoon  should 
be  consumed  in  answering  such  questions  as  this :  If  I  was 
not  afraid  to  travel  alone  :  If  the  Governor  was  versch  (pro- 
nounced fresh)  or  in  good  health."  (Alexander's  "Expedi- 
tion," I.  p.  65,  1838.) 

Froetangs. — The  fruits  of  several  small  plants — Bomulea 
minutiflora,  Klatt,  etc. 

"  Trichonema.  Perianth-tube  short  with  a  funnel-shaped, 
spreading,  regular  limb.  Stigmas  linear,  two-parted.  Fruits 
eaten  by  children;  Frutang."  (Edwards  and  Marloth's 
"  Elementary  Botany,"  p.  176,  1897.) 

"  In  the  grass  before  sun-set  he  crawled  about  searching 
for  fritongs,  or  small  roots  dear  to  the  '  grey-wing '  and  the 
'  red  '."     ("  Argus  Christmas  Annual,"  p.  13,  1904.) 

Frog  spittle. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  the  green 
scum  found  on  the  water  of  stagnant  pools.  It  consists 
principally  of  minute  algae. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  179 

Fugitives'  Drift. — A  ford  of  the  Buffalo  River,  Natal,  five 
miles  'rom  Isandhlwana,  the  scene  of  the  disaster  to  the 
British  troops  in  Zululand  in  1879.  The  few  fugitives  from 
that  disaster  sought  to  escape  across  this  drift,  which  has 
since  been  known  by  this  name. 

*'  Near  the  river  are  a  few  trees,  opposite  a  slope  covered 
with  grass,  leading  to  what  is  now  known  as  Fugitives'  Drift. 
At  the  bottom  of  this  Melville  and  Coghil  fell,  and  there  he 
buried  under  a  stone  monument  cut  and  put  up  to  their 
memory  by  their  comrades."  (Montague's  "Campaigning 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  89,  1880.) 

Full  of. — In  frequent  use  in  various  parts  of  South  Africa 
in  the  sense  of  "covered  with":  e.g.  "  The  child  is  full  of 
mud  "  means  "  The  child  is  covered  with  mud  ".  It  is  an 
imitation  of  the  Dutch  idiom ;  cf.  Ger.  Die  Stiefeln  sind 
voll  Sclimutz — the  boots  are  covered  with  mud. 

Funa  join. — (Kaf.  uku  Funa,  to  seek  after.)  The  native's 
method  of  intimating  to  the  labour  agent  his  desire  to  obtain 
work  at  the  gold  mines.  Such  natives  are  now  commonly 
spoken  of  on  the  Border  and  in  the  Native  Territories  as 
Funa  joiiis. 

"  Needless  to  say  the  local  Funa  joins  were  in  attendance 
.  .  .  what  a  centre  this  is  for  Funa  joins,  for  during  the 
past  week  quite  twenty  .  .  .  have  had  accommodation." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  10,  29  June,  1912.) 

Funk  sticks. — A  slang  phrase  apphed  to  those  who,  in 
times  of  danger,  are  overcome  of  fright  or  fear  :  a  coward. 

"  A  nervous  man  is  forty  times  worse  than  a  frightened 
woman,  as  is  the  case  here,  he  has  any  number  of  drink- 
fuddled  funk-stichs  to  echo  his  alarm."  (Baden  Powell's 
"  Matabeleland  Campaign— 1896,"  p.  438,  1897.) 

Furrow,  or  Water=furrow. — The  narrow  open  channel  by 
which  water  for  purposes  of  irrigation  is  brought  ("led  out") 
from  rivers  or  springs  into  "lands  "  (q.v.)  or  gardens  is  known 
by  this  name  throughout  South  Africa,  while  the  leadings 
from  the  main  "furrow"  are  termed  "sluits". 

"  A  shallow  ditch  is  dug  called  o.  furrow  into  which  the 
water  is  turned.  Other  furrows  branch  from  the  principal 
one,  which  can  be  opened  or  closed  by  a  shovelful  of  earth." 
(Lowndes'  "  Every-day  Life  in  South  Africa,"  p.  86,  1900.) 

Fur=seal,  Cape. — Otaria  pusilla.     See  Sea-lion,  Cape. 

"  Three  young  examples  of  the  Cape  sea-lion  or  fur-seal 
12  * 


180  AFEICANDEBISMS 

(Otariapusilla)r     ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  7  Sep- 
tember, 1911.) 

Qa.— (Hot.  "%a,  inter]',  des  Abscheues  (bei  Kauch  und 
Gestank)".  Kronlein's  "  Wortschatz  der  Khoi-Khoin  ".)  An 
interjection  common  throughout  South  Africa  expressive  of 
disgust ;  the  G  is  guttural. 

Gage  or  Qasie.— (F.  gager,  to  hire,  to  pay.)  In  Cape 
Dutch  this  word  is  applied  to  wages  paid  for  a  small  service. 
Galjeon. — (Sp.  galeon,  Lat.  galea,  a  galley.)  Dipterodon 
capensis.  The  name  probably  refers  to  the  shape  of  this  fish, 
which  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  three-deckers  of  the  Armada. 
"  The  galjeon  also  can  readily  be  supposed  to  have  derived 
its  name  from  its  resemblance  in  shape  to  the  high  built  three- 
decker  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  century  called  by  the 
Spanish  galeon  (Latin  galea),  and  by  the  Dutch  galjeon  or 
galleon."  (Gilchrist's  "Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p.  221, 
"  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  1900.) 

Qal-Iamziekte. — (D.  gal,  gall,  bile,  spleen ;  lam,  lame, 
paralysed  ;  ziekte,  sickness.)  A  disease  which  has  recently 
caused  great  loss  to  the  farmers  of  Bechuanaland  and  the 
neighbouring  districts  of  the  Transvaal  and  Orange  Free  State. 
It  differs  somewhat  from  typical  Lamziekte  (q.v.)  in  that  there 
would  appear  to  be  a  touch  of  Anthrax  (splenic  fever)  as  well : 
but  the  experts  have  not  been  able  as  yet  to  trace  it  to  its 
source. 

"  In  discussing  gal-lamziekte  many  farmers  have  expressed 
the  opinion  that  the  disease  is  caused  by  some  poisonous 
plant."  ("  Agric.  Journ.  of  the  Union  of  South  Africa,"  p.  58, 
January,  1912.) 

Gall  sickness. — The  South  African  designation  of  almost 
every  form  of  derangement  of  the  liver  in  cattle,  sheep  and 
goats. 

"  The  number  of  deaths  in  Cape  Colony  from  gall-sickness 
as  the  term  is  commonly  understood,  amounts  to  over  a 
quarter  of  a  million  cattle,  sheep  and  goats  annually." 
(Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  288, 
1896.) 

Gal  ziekte. — See  Gall  sickness. 

Gal-ziekte  bosch. — The  name  sometimes  given  in  Bechu- 
analand to  Ghenopodium  anthelminticum,  Linn. ;  it  is  so  called 
because  it  is  supposed  to  be  a  remedy  for  Gall  sickness. 

"  A  strong  smelling  weed,  often  sent  to  us  under  the  name 


AFEICANDEEISMS  181 

galziehte  bosch,  and  considered  by  many  farmers  to  be  a  cure 
for  galziekte."     ("  S.A.  Agric.  Journ."  p.  177,  August,  1912.) 

Gamka  River. — (Hot.  "%am,  subst.  der  Lowe;  ^ama^a, 
adj.  Idwe7ireich,"  Kronlein.)  One  of  the  principal  tributaries 
of  the  Gouritz  (q.v.). 

Qanna  bosch. — See  Kannabosch. 

"  Di  ganna  as  hos  groei  op  byna  elke  plaas  in  Fraserburg, 
Sutherland,  Williston,  Carnarvon,  Victoria  West,  Beaufort 
West,  Hope  Town,  Graaff  Keinet  en  andere  distrikte.  Dis 
diselfde  plant  wat  di  boers  brand  om  as  van  te  kry,  waarmee 
hulle  boerseep  kook,  en  wat  hulle  loog  noem."  (Dijkman's 
•'  Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepte  Boek,"  p.  172,  1898.) 

Gansegaar. — (G.  ganz  und  gar,  quite,  totally.)  Even, 
indeed. 

Garden  Colony,  The. — This  designation  has  been  given  to 
Natal  on  account  of  the  variety  and  beauty  of  its  flora. 

"  The  Garden  Colony  deserves  its  name,  so  universal  in 
Durban  are  its  lawns  of  smooth  turf,  and  its  banks  of  blossom 
and  foliage."  (Devereaux's  "  Side  Lights  on  South  Africa," 
p.  158,  1899.) 

Garenboom. — (D.  garen,  yarn,  thread ;  boom,  a  tree.) 
The  name  given  in  the  Riversdale  district  to  Agave  americana. 

Garenklip. — (D.  garen,  yarn,  thread ;  klip,  a  rock.)  An 
appropriate  name  applied  to  asbestos. 

Garfish. — The  Natal  name  of  a  fish — Belone  acus  (?) — 
similar  in  appearance  to  the  fish  so  named  in  Kent. 

"  It  may  be  as  well  to  say  that  the  proper  name  of  this 
fish  is  '  Belone  '.  It  belongs  to  the  pike  family  and  is  some- 
times called  *  garpike '.  It  differs  from  the  '  hair-tail,'  in 
having  a  forked  instead  of  a  thin  whip-tail,  and  in  the  fact  that 
the  '  hair-tail '  has  one  fin  extending  along  the  whole  back, 
while  the  garfish  has  only  one  short  dorsal  fin  near  the  tail." 
("Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  783,  1906.) 

Gariep. — (Hot.  *  Garib,  with  an  initial  cerebral  click.) 
Nu  Gariep,  the  Hottentot  name  of  the  Orange  Kiver,  signifying 
the  Great  Kiver.     See  Vaal,  The. 

"It  has  been  supposed  that  Ethiopia  is  the  great  cradle 
of  locusts,  but  those  which  infest  the  Colony  are  probably  bred 
in  the  deserts  of  the  interior,  beyond  the  Gariep  or  Great 
Orange  Eiver."  (Eevd.  T.  Smith's  "  Sketches  of  South 
Africa,"  "  Wesleyan  Methodist  Magazine,"  p.  1223,  1848.) 

Garoupe. — A  species  of  rock-cod — Epinephelus  gigas — 


182  AFBICANDEKISMS 

is  so  named  at  Delagoa  Bay.     See  Koning  Klip-visch  and 
Eock  cod. 

"  These  fish  are  known  as  .  .  .  Garoupe  at  Delagoa  Bay." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  1  December,  1908.) 

Qarrick. — The  fish  known  in  the  Cape  Colony  as  the  Leer- 
visch  (q.v.).  Lichia  amia,  is  known  in  Natal  and  at  Port  St. 
John  as  the  GarricJc. 

"  Manage  to  get  one  garrick  weighing  5  lbs."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  3  April,  1906.) 

Garter  snake. — Aspidelaps  luhricus  and  Homorelaps  lac- 
teus  are  known  as  the  larger  and  smaller  garter  snakes  re- 
spectively. They  are  conspicuously  marked  by  alternate  rings 
of  black  and  red. 

"  The  Garter  snakes  and  the  Vipers  are  the  only  snakes 
of  South  Africa  which  permit  themselves  generally  to  be 
closely  approached  without  evincing  much  concern."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  10  June,  1910.) 

Gates,  St.  John's. — The  bold  rocky  headlands  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  St.  John  or  Umzimvubu  Kiver. 

"  The  river  runs  towards  the  sea  through  two  high  hills 
called  the  Gates  of  St.  Johns:'  (Ex  C.M.K.'s,  "  With  the 
Cape  Mounted  Kifles,"  p.  197,  1881.) 

"Inside  of  the  Gates  the  river  partakes  more  of  the 
character  of  a  lake  or  lagoon  than  a  stream."  (Henkel's 
"  The  Native  or  Transkeian  Territories,"  p.  36,  1903.) 

GatriJ. — (D.  gaan,  to  go ;  rijden,  to  ride,  drive.)  This 
word  is  the  Cape  Dutch  equivalent  of  the  English  "  Shank's 
mare,"  to  go  on  foot. 

Qebroken  veld. — (D.  gehroken,  broken.)  Veld  in  which 
there  is  a  mixture  of  sour  and  sweet  grass,  or  of  grass  and 
Karoo  herbage. 

"  Het  Transvaal-gebied  wordt  verder  onderscheiden  in  : 
Hoogveld,  Boschveld  en  Gehroken  veld."  ("  De  Worstelstrijd 
der  Transvalers,"  p.  332,  1882.) 

"  Half  and  half  (gehroken)  veldt,  occupying  an  intermedi- 
ate position  in  the  way  of  quality."  (Wallace's  "  Farming 
Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  81,  1896.) 

Geelbek. — (D.  geel,  yellow  ;  hek,  a  beak,  bill.)  Anas 
flavirostris.  This  duck  is  widely  distributed  in  South 
Africa ;  its  bill  is  a  bright  yellow  (with  the  tip  and  centre  of 
the  upper  mandible  black),  hence  the  name. 

"  The  Geelbec  is  our  commonest  duck,  being  abundant  all 


AFEICANDERISMS  183 

over  the  Colony  and  South  Africa  generally."     (Layard  and 
Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  755,  1875-84.) 

"  This  is  a  light-brown  duck,  and  is  easily  identified  by 
the  bright  yellow  bill  from  which  it  takes  its  Boer  name — 
geelbec"     (Bryden's  "  Gun  and  Camera,"  p.  404,  1893.) 

Qeelbek. — (1)  OtoUthus  equidens,  Cuv.  A  large,  rather 
coarse  fish  common  round  the  Cape.  See  Cape  salmon.  (2) 
The  term  is  also  applied  abusively  to  a  coloured  person. 

"  The  name  Cape  Salmon  ...  is  now  appropriated  almost 
exclusively  by  the  Geelbek,  a  fish  which,  seen  fresh  from  its 
native  element,  certainly  does  call  to  mind  the  brilliance  and 
majestic  proportions  of  its  European  namesake."  (Gilchrist's 
"  History  of  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p.  216,  "  Trans.  S.A. 
Phil.  Soc,"  1900.) 

Geelbek  wouw. — (D.  ivouio,  a  kite.)  Milvus  aegyptius. 
See  Kuikendief. 

Qeelbloemetjes — (D.  geel,  yellow ;  hloem,  a  flower.) 
Sutera  atropurpurea,  Hiern,  and  S.  hrunnea.  See  Cape 
saffron. 

"  The  flowers  of  L.  crocea  are  called  Cape  saffron  (Geele 
bloemetjes)."  (Edwards  and  Marloth's  "  Elementary  Botany 
for  South  Africa,"  p.  162,  1897.) 

Geelbloemetjes  Thee. — The  leaves  of  Leyssera  gnapha- 
loides,  L.  are  infused  and  used  under  this  name  for  coughs 
and  colds. 

GeeUdikkop. — (D.  geel,  yellow;  diJc,  thick,  fat;  Jcop, 
head.)  A  disease  affecting  sheep  and  goats,  prevalent  chiefly 
in  the  Karoo  districts. 

"  There  is  another  complaint  which  is  very  deadly  among 
sheep,  called  Gheel  dikop.  It  commences  with  large  swellings 
about  the  head  and  the  animal  generally  dies  at  last  of  suffo- 
cation."   (Macnab's  "  On  Veldt  and  Farm,"  p.  231,  1897.) 

Geele  patrijs.  —  (D.  patrijs,  a  partridge.)  Pterocles 
variegatus.  Described  by  Burchell  as  a  Bechuanaland  bird. 
(II.  p.  345.) 

"  The  Variegated  sandgrouse  (Pterocles  variegatus),  called 
the  Geele  patrijs  (yellow  partridge)  by  the  Boers."  (Haag- 
ner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  123, 
1908.) 

Geele  pisang. — (D.  geel,  yellow  ;  pisang,  a  banana.)  Stre- 
litzia  regina.     (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  216,  1823.) 

Geelgat. — (D.  geel,  yellow ;  gat,  opening,  posterior.) 
Pycnonotus  capensis.     See  Kuifkop. 


184  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  Mr.  Atmore  writes  that  '  the  eggs  are  white,  and  usu- 
ally deposited  in  the  nest  of  the  Geelgat  (Pycnonotus  capen- 
sis) '."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  160, 
1875-84.) 

Qeelhout. — (D.  geel,  yellow  ;  hout,  wood.)  (1)  In  the 
Transvaal  this  name  is  given  to  Podocarpus  elongata.  (2) 
In  the  Cape  Province  it  is  usually  applied  to  P.  Thunhergii, 
Hook.  (3)  But  at  Sterkstroom  the  name  has  been  given  to 
Leucosidea  sericea. 

Qeel  meerkat. — (D.  geel,  yellow.)  Cynictis  penicillata. 
See  Kooi  meerkat  and  Meerkat. 

Geel -lip  slang. — (D.  geel,  yellow;  slang,  a  snake.)  Lam- 
prophis  fuscus — found  in  the  Western  Province  of  Cape 
Colony. 

Qeelpens. — (D.pens,  paunch.)  An  abusive  epithet  applied 
to  persons  of  mixed  European  and  Hottentot  blood. 

Geel  sijsje. — (D.  sijsje,  a  linnet ;  cf.  Ger.  Zeisig,  a  green 
finch.)    Serinus  sulphur atus. 

"  The  large  Yellow  seedeater  (Serinus  sulphur  atus),  the 
Geel  seisje  of  the  Boers,  and  '  Bully  '  of  the  colonial  boys." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life," 
p.  84,  1908.) 

Geel  slang. — (D.  slang,  a  snake.)  Naia  flava.  The 
Cape  cobra,  found  all  over  South  Africa. 

"  Several  times  while  out  hunting  we  saw  a  large  yellow 
snake,  that  was  rapid  in  its  movements,  disappearing  into  a 
katteah  or  meercat's  hole,  before  we  could  get  near  enough 
to  dispatch  it  .  .  .  they  called  it  a  Jill  slange,  or  yellow- 
snake."  (Farini's  "  Through  the  Kalahari  Desert,"  p.  451, 
1886.) 

Geel  staart. — (D.  staart,  a  tail.)  See  Albacore  and  Yel- 
low-tail. 

"  The  yellow-tail,  known  also  as  the  albicore,  geelstaart, 
etc.,  is  probably  the  amberjack  of  American  waters."  ("  Na- 
tal Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  767,  1906.) 

Geelvoorlijf.— (D.  voor,  before ;  lijf,  the  body,  belly ; 
voorljf,  the  fore  part  of  the  body.)  A  supposed  variety  of 
lion.     See  Zwart-voorlijf. 

"  A  prevaihng  opinion  among  the  Boers  that  there  are 
two  distinct  varieties  of  lion,  which  they  distinguish  by  the 
respective  names  of  '  Schwart-f ore-life  '  and  Ghiel-f ore-life." 
(Cumming's  "Adventures,"  i.  p.  195,  1850.) 


AFKICANDEKISMS  186 

Geel  zee  slang. — (D.  geel,  yellow;  zee,  sea;  slang,  a 
snake.)  Hydrus  platurus.  See  Black  sea  snake.  These 
snakes  are  exceedingly  poisonous. 

Qeilziekte. — (D.  geheel,  iull;  ziehte,  sickness,  disease.) 
A  disease  affecting  sheep  principally,  the  first  stomach  being 
distended  by  gas. 

"  We  understand  that  a  great  many  sheep  are  dying  from 
'  geel-ziekte  '  owing  to  the  luxuriance  of  the  grass. "  ("  Queens- 
town  Free  Press,"  16  January,  1861.) 

"  Several  opinions  are  entertained  with  respect  to  the 
nature  and  cause  of  Geilziekte,  but  the  one  most  generally 
accepted  is  that  it  is  due  to  the  direct  action  of  a  chemical 
poison  which  is  produced  in  certain  succulent  plants  by  the 
action  of  the  scorching  heat  of  the  sun."  ("  Science  in 
Africa,"  p.  358,  1905.) 

Qeitje. — (Hot.  geip,  a  Hzard  ;  the  word  has  an  initial 
click.)  Phyllodactylus  porphyreus.  A  small  lizard  errone- 
ously credited  by  the  natives  with  being  exceedingly  poisonous. 
It  has  viscous  lobes  on  the  digits  by  which  it  is  enabled  to 
walk  up  very  smooth  surfaces  without  difficulty.  The  present 
form  of  the  name  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  Hottentot 
name  due  to  a  striving  after  meaning.  (Cf.  D.  geit,  a 
goat.) 

"  Aloven  Smidt  .  .  .  had  caught  a  dreadfully  venomous 
lizard,  called  t'geitje."  (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  331, 
1785.) 

(N.B. — The  initial  t  of  the  word  represents  the  Hottentot 
click.) 

"  One  species  of  lizard  called  the  5'6i;2J;e  .  .  .  is  considered 
very  venomous."     (Pringle's  "Narrative,"  p.  53,  1840.) 

"  Scant  mercy  is  extended  to  the  harmless  gaetye, 
because  of  their  imaginary  venomous  character."  (Noble's 
"  South  Africa,"  p.  80,  1877.) 

Qeld. — (D.  geld,  money,  cash.)  This  word  often  takes 
the  place  in  ordinary  South  African  conversation  of  the  word 
"  money  ". 

"  Return  to  the  time  of  '  Blue-backs,'  which,  without 
the  Englishman's  '  geld,'  they  knew  they  must  do  in  a  year 
or  two  at  the  farthest."  ("At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p. 
501,  1884.) 

"You  must  get  more  gelt  man.  It's  easy."  (Green's 
"  Richard  Hartley,  Prospector,"  p.  125,  1905.) 


186  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Qeluk  ! . — (D.  geluJc,  happiness,  prosperity  ;  cf.  G.  Gluck.) 
As  employed  in  South  Africa  it  is  the  equivalent  of  "  I  wish 
you  prosperity,  success  "  ;  also  a  birthday  congratulation. 

Gem  of  the  Desert  or  Karoo. — The  somewhat  flattering 
designation  given  to  the  garden  town  of  Graaff  Keinet,  situate 
in  the  Karoo. 

"  Vineyards,  gardens,  orchards  .  .  .  these  give  the  town 
a  very  pleasant  appearance,  and  its  marked  contrast  with  the 
surrounding  arid  Karoo  plains,  obtained  for  it  long  ago  the 
appropriate  title  of  the  'Gem  of  the  Desert'."  (Noble's 
"Official  Handbook,"  p.  103,  1886.) 

Qemsbok. — (D.  ^ews,  the  chamois.)  Oryx  gazella.  The 
only  animal  of  the  antelope  family  that  will  dare  to  battle 
with  the  lion.  Burchell  objects  to  the  colonial  name  because 
it  belongs  properly  to  the  chamois  of  the  Alps. 

"  A  herd  of  antelopes  of  the  species  known  among  the 
boors  by  the  misapplied  name  of  Gemshok,  was  observed  at 
a  distance."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  23,  1824.) 

Genesblaren. — (D.  genezen,  to  cure,  heal  ;  hlad,  a  leaf.) 
Solanum  giganteum,  Jacq.,  and  other  members  of  the  same 
order. 

"  The  leaves  of  this  Solanum  are  smooth  on  the  upper 
surface  and  woolly  on  the  lower.  The  application  of  the 
latter  to  foul  ulcers  cleanses  them,  and  a  cure  is  afterwards 
effected  by  applying  the  upper  surface.  Hence  the  Dutch 
name  geenesblaren."  (Pappe's  "  Florae  Capensis  Medicae 
Prodromus,"  p.  30,  1860.) 

George  lily. — Vallota  purpurea,  Herb.  So  named  be- 
cause it  is  chiefly  found  near  the  town  of  George  on  the  Post 
Berg.     See  Knysna  lily,  another  name  for  the  same  flower, 

Gezondheid. — (D.  gezondheid,  health.)  Used  as  an  equi- 
valent of  "  I  wish  you  good  health  ". 

"  Pulled  '  a  young  man's  companion '  from  a  sort  of 
satchel  which  hung  at  his  side,  and  the  rising  sun  was  greeted 
by  a  gezondheid  from  several  lips  as  we  quaffed  the  mormng 
soupie."     ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  ii.  p.  30,  1875.) 

"  Well,  here's  success  to  the  Tapinyani  concession !  San- 
teit !  and  another  thousand  a  year  to  us  all."  (Bryden's 
"  Tales  of  South  Africa,"  p.  183,  1896.) 

Ghab — (Hot.  "*qhoub,  frischer,  noch  nasser  mist". 
Kronlein  under  carub — the  q  and  c  represent  initial  cHcks,  the 
former  palatal,  the  latter  dental.)     Stapelia  pilifera  (as  well 


AFRICANDEKISMS  187 

as  others  of  these  Carrion-flowers  as  they  are  called),  is  known 
by  this  name  in  the  Karoo. 

"  Here  we  find  stunted  Mesembryanthemums,  numerous 
kinds  of  Euphorbias,  the  peculiar  Ghap  (Stapelia)  in  at 
least  a  half  dozen  varieties."  ("Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  I, 
I.  p.  24,  1878.) 

Ghoen. — (Hot.  "  *  gon,vevh,  etwas  auf  die  erde  legen  oder 
werfen  ".  Kronlein.  The  word  has  an  initial  cerebral  click.) 
The  stone  with  which  hop-scotch  is  played ;  the  marble 
with  which  a  boy  shoots. 

Ghokum. — (Hot.*  gaukuin.)  The  fruit  of  Mesemhryan- 
themum  edule.  See  Hottentot  fig.  The  name  is  given  to 
other  species  also. 

"  The  leaves  of  gJiokum  or  '  Hottentot  fig '  bruised  and 
strained  are  excellent  as  a  gargle."  (Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a  Cape 
Housekeeper,"  p.  283,  1902.) 

Giant  protea. — Protea  cynaroides,  found  on  Table  Moun- 
tain, not  often  flowering. 

Gift  blaar. — (D.  gift,  poison  ;  hlad,  a  leaf.)  Dichapetalum 
cymosum.  A  plant  found  in  the  Transvaal  which  causes  the 
death  of  a  large  number  of  cattle.     See  Mak  gauw. 

"  The  following  report  on  analysis  and  physiological  tests 
of  Chailletia  or  Gift-blaar  {Dichapetalum  cymosum,  here  also 
called  Chailletia  cymosa)  .  .  .  has  been  received  from  the 
Director  of  the  Imperial  Institute,"  p.  626.  ("  Transvaal 
Agric.  Journal,"  July,  1910.) 

Giftbol.  —  (D.  gift,  poison ;  hoi,  bulb,  bulbous  root.) 
Buphane  disticha.  Used  by  the  Bushmen  in  making  poison 
for  their  arrows. 

"  Plants  of  Amaryllis  toxicana  were  in  many  places  very 
abundant.  ...  This  plant  is  well  known  to  the  Bushmen'on 
account  of  the  virulent  poison  contained  in  its  bulb.  It  is 
also  known  to  the  colonists  and  Hottentots  by  the  name  of 
Gift-bol  (poison  bulb)."    (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  539, 1822.) 

Gift  boom. — (D.  gift,  poison ;  boom,  a  tree.)  Acokanthera 
venenata.  {Oestrum  venenatum,  Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis," 
p.  193,  1823.) 

"With  its  attractive  flowers,  foliage  and  berries,  it  is 
perhaps  the  most  dangerous  poison  our  forests  contain." 
(Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  270,  1907.) 

Gilletjes. — (F,  gile,  a  clown.)  Nods  and  winks.  Hij 
verkoop  gilletjes.     He  is  up  to  all  sorts  of  tricks. 


188  AFEICANDEBISMS 

Gillies  or  QiHiminkies. — These  names  are  applied  in  the 
Eastern  Province  to  one  or  two  varieties  of  small,  fresh-water 
fish. 

"  Anglers  returning  home  somewhat  crestfallen  at  having 
caught  no  fish — not  even  a  gilleyminkie."  ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  3  August,  1907.) 

"  These  anglers  must  often  catch  some  of  the  carp  in- 
digenous to  our  fresh-water  streams,  generally  known  as 
gillies."     ("East   London   Dispatch,"    3   December,  1907.) 

Qim. — The  name  given  up  country  to  the  particles  of 
gold  collected  by  the  natives,  enclosed  in  quills,  and  used  by 
them  for  purposes  of  barter. 

"  I  was  impressed  as  early  as  1853  with  a  floating  idea 
that  the  greater  part  of  what  is  now  the  Chartered  Company's 
Territory  was  more  or  less  auriferous,  and  indeed  obtained 
from  the  natives  several  vultures'  quills  full  of  gim,  more  or 
less  rounded  grains  of  gold.  Evidently  the  produce  of  what 
I  believe  the  Cornish  miners  call  streaming."  (Nicholson's 
"  Fifty  Years  in  South  Africa,"  p.  208,  1898.) 

Ginger=bread  tree. — The  name  was  given  originally  to 
the  famous  Doum  palm — Hyphaene  thebaica,  but  has  been 
transferred  to  the  South  African  species,  and  Hyphaene 
crinita,  Gdrtn.  is  thus  designated  up  country  because  the 
rind  of  the  fruit,  like  that  of  the  former,  has  the  flavour  of 
gingerbread. 

"  They  are  miniature  cocoa-nuts.  .  .  .  The  rind  is 
esteemed  very  good  eating,  resembling  somewhat  in  flavour 
ginger-nuts,  hence  it  is  known  as  the  ginger-bread  tree." 
(Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.73,  1868.) 

Giraffe. — (Ar.  zardfa,  a  camelopard.)  Camelopardalis 
giraffa.  This  beautiful  animal  has  entirely  disappeared  from 
South  Africa,  and  is  only  to  be  obtained  by  the  big  game 
hunters  who  find  their  way  to  the  wooded  plains  of  Central 
Africa. 

"  The  presence  of  the  giraffe  ...  is  always  a  certain  in- 
dication of  water  being  within  a  distance  of  seven  or  eight 
miles."     (Livingstone's  "  Travels,"  iii.  p.  56,  1857.) 

Glas  oogie. — (D.  oog,  an  eye.)  Zosterops  capensis  has  a 
variety  of  names  among  the  Dutch.  See  Karre-oogie,  Witte- 
oogie,  and  Kersoogie. 

Glass  eye. — Gamaroptera  olivacea.  The  name  by  which 
this  bird  is  known  in  Natal.     See  Bush-goat. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  189 

"  It  is  sometimes  called  the  Glass  eye  from  the  ring  of 
buff  feathers  round  its  eye."  (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p. 
28,  1899.) 

QIass  eye. — Another  East  London  name  for  the  fish 
known  also  as  the  Bully  (q.v.). 

"  Bully,  Glass  eye  (East  London)."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  14  August,  1905.) 

QIass  nose. — Engraulis  vitricostris.  The  Natalians  have 
thus  designated  this  fish. 

Gli. — (Hot.  ?).  Olia  gummifera.  From  the  roots  of  this 
plant  the  Hottentots  prepare  an  intoxicating  drink. 

Qlobefish. — Diodon  hystrix.  The  name  given  to  this  fish 
at  East  London.     See  Zee  vark. 

Gloxinia. — The  flowers  of  Streptocarpus  rexii  are  some- 
times so  called  in  the  Eastern  Province.     See  Twin  sisters. 

Glutton  bird. — The  sailors'  name  for  Ossifraga  gigantea. 
See  Leopard  bird. 

Gnaarboom. — (The  first  part  of  this  word  appears  to  be 
of  Hottentot  origin,  having  an  initial  click  ;  the  Kaffir  name 
for  this  tree  is  um  Hlonhlo.)  Euphorbia  tetragona.  See 
Naboom. 

To  whom  two  nests  I  should  have  shewn 
In  gnaarboom's  green  to  you  unknown. 

("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  ii.  p.  12,  1875.) 

"  De  plaats  ontleent  haren  naam  aan  een  grooten  'Ngha- 
boom  die  er  staat,  een  fraaije  boom  van  de  Cactus  soort,  zoo 
als  ik  meen,  zeer  hoog.  Er  staan  regt  velen  bij  het  opper- 
hoofd  Matlata  en  op  verscheidene  andere  plaatsen."  (Hof- 
mejrr's  "  Twintig  Jarenin  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  88,  1890.) 

Gnap. — The  boys  in  Grahamstown  collect  the  latex  from 
Euphorbia  polygona,  Haiv.,  chew  it  and  thus  obtain  a  crude 
rubber,  which  they  call  "gnap"  or  "nap" — boiled  up  and 
mixed  with  resin  and  fat  it  makes  a  bird  lime.  In  Queens- 
town,  where  the  name  is  sometimes  corrupted  into  "map," 
the  latex  of  Euphorbia  pulvinata,  Marloth  (the  Pincushion 
cactus,  q.v.),  is  used  for  the  same  purpose,  but  is  prepared 
by  rubbing  in  the  hands  and  not  by  chewing. 

Gnu. — (Kaf.  in  Nqu.)  Connochaetes  gnu.  This  animal 
is  more  frequently  spoken  of  as  the  Wildebeest  (q.v.),  and  is 
now  only  found  on  a  few  farms,  where  it  is  carefully  preserved, 
in  the  Orange  River  Colony. 

"  Game  of  all  sorts  were  in  the  greatest  abundance ;  but 


190  AFEICANDEKISMS 

the  chief  object  was  the  gnoo,  or  wild  beast,  as  it  is  called  by 
the  Dutch."    (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  259,  1801.) 

Goat's  foot. — A  Bechuanaland  name  for  a  species  of 
Bauhinia  the  reference  being  to  the  shape  of  the  leaves. 

Qoedkoop. — (D.  goedkoop,  cheap.)  Cheap,  cheaply ;  cf. 
Chaucer's  "  good  chep  "  in  "  Troylus  and  Creseyde  "  (ii.  641) : — 

She  thoughte,  as  good  chep  may  I  dwallen  here. 

Goga  or  gogatje. — (Hot.  x^X^^'  collect.  "  fiir  alle  kleine 
kriechende  und  schleichende  Thierchen,  Spuk  ".  Kronlein  • 
to  which  the  Dutch  diminutive  termination  has  been  affixed.) 
A  term  applied  to  an  insect  of  any  sort  throughout  South 
Africa.     The  g  in  each  case  is  guttural. 

"  This  country  ought  to  be  called  Gogoland ;  it  simply 
swarms  with  insects."  (Du  Plessis'  "  A  Thousand  Miles  in 
the  Heart  of  Africa,"  p.  54,  1905.) 

"  We  have  heard  South  Africa  described  as  a  land  of 
goggas,  and  though  in  certain  portions  of  the  tropics  a  greater 
number  of  insects  may  be  found,  our  country  does  undoubtedly 
contain  a  very  considerable  quantity."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  5,  8  January,  1909.) 

"Another  old,  well-grown  tree  of  the  same  species  and  it 
likewise  is  infested  with  those  abominable  gogotjes  which 
have  already  done  considerable  damage  to  it."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  27  November,  1911.) 

Golden  cuckoo. — Chrysococcyx  Klaasi,  C.  cupreus,  and  C. 
smaragdineus,  are  each  known  by  this  name.     See  Didric. 

"  The  Green-a7id-gold  cuckoo  was  found  in  abundance." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  502,  1822.) 

"I  shot  one  specimen  of  the  Golden  cuckoo  and  a  number 
of  the  Bronze  cuckoo."  (Leyland's  "Adventures  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  7,  1866.) 

Golden  mole. — Chrysochloris  aurea.  This  animal  is  like 
the  ordinary  mole  in  its  habits,  but  quite  unlike  it  structur- 
ally. 

"  The  golden  mole  is  tailless,  whereas  the  blesmol,  mole 
rat  and  sand  mole  have  short  tails.  In  the  golden  mole  the 
fur  has  a  metallic  sheen."  ("  The  State,"  p.  229,  September, 
1912.) 

Golden  rain.— The  King  William's  Town  name  for  the 
Cape  honeysuckle  (q.v.),  Tecomara  capensis. 

Gold  stripes. — Sargus  cervinus.     This  is  its  East  London 


AFRICANDEKISMS  191 

name ;  in  Natal  it  is  known  as  the  Karanteen  (q.v.)-     See 
also  Wilde  paard  and  Zebra. 

Qom  bosch. — (D.  gom,  gum.)  Sutherlandia  frutescens,  B. 
Br.  is  so  named  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Grahamstown.  I 
am  disposed  to  regard  the  first  part  of  this  name  as  a  corrup- 
tion of  the  Hottentot  *num.  See  Num  bosch.  This  is  re- 
garded as  a  valuable  stock  feeding  plant  in  the  Karoo,  but  in 
the  grass-veld  the  stock  seldom  eat  it. 

Qom  pauw. — (D.  gom,  gum ;  pauw,  a  peacock.)  Otis 
kori.     The  large,  crested  pauw. 

"Here  a  gumpauiv,  or  bustard,  which  subsists  partly  on 
gum,  was  shot."  (Alexander's  "Expedition,"  ii.  p.  199, 
1838.) 

"  The  Bustards  (Otidae)  are  represented  by  no  less  than 
twelve  species,  ranging  from  the  large  Gom  pauw  (Otis  Jcori), 
the  male  of  which  sometimes  weighs  as  much  as  40  lbs.  to  the 
smaller  Knorhaan  (Otis  afro)  about  the  same  size  as  a  par- 
tridge."    ("  Science  in  Africa,"  p.  143,  1905.) 

Gona. — This  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  Kanna  (q.v.). 
I  have  heard  the  bush  referred  to  spoken  of  by  the  same  in- 
dividual by  both  names  almost  in  the  same  breath.  The  g  is 
guttural. 

"The  'gona  or  soap-bush'  from  the  ash  of  which  .  .  . 
the  ley  for  soap-boiling  is  made."  (Chapman's  "Travels,"  i. 
p.  375,  1868.) 

Qoniv  or  Gonoph. — (Heb.  132,  gannav,  a  thief.  Exodus 
XXII.  1.)  A  Jewish  word  at  one  time  in  common  use  on  the 
Diamond  Fields  for  an  I.D.B.  (q.v.).  As  used  in  Holland  it 
means  a  rascal,  and  in  this  sense  it  is  applied  by  Dickens  in 
"  Bleak  House,"  ch,  xix.  (gonoph).  The  "  Slang  Dictionary, 
1873,"  gives  the  word  "  Gonnof  "  which,  it  says,  is  very  old, 
and  refers  to  the  song  of  the  insurgents  during  Kett's  rebel- 
lion in  Norfolk  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI,  in  support  of  the 
statement : — 

The  country  gnoffes,  Hob,  Dick,  and  Hick, 
With  olubbes  and  clouted  shoon, 
Shall  fill  up  Dussyn  dale 
With  slaughter'd  bodies  soone. 

It  refers  the  two  words  "  Gonnof  "  and  "  Gnof  "  to  the 
Hebrew  gandv,  a  thief.  Gnof  is  used  by  Chaucer  for  a  churl. 
(Milleres  "  Tale,"  3187-3189  A) :— 


192  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Whylom  ther  was  dwellinge  at  Oxenford 
A  rich  gnof  that  gestes  heeld  to  bord, 
And  of  hia  craft  he  was  a  Carpenter. 

In  his  note  on  this  word  Skeat  ("  The  Complete  Works  of 
Geoffrey  Chaucer,"  1894)  also  connects  it  with  the  same 
Hebrew  word. 

But  the  word  "  gnof  "  and  the  word  "  gonoph,"  used  by 
Dickens  of  Jo  ("  Bleak  House,"  xix.),  appear  to  be  two  quite 
different  words.  The  "  Oxford  Dictionary,"  as  suggestive  of  the 
origin  of  the  word  "gnof,"  refers  to  the  E.  Frisian  words 
knufe,  lump,  and  gnuffig,  thick,  rough,  coarse,  ill-mannered  ; 
while  the  word  "  Gonoph  "  is  the  form  which  the  Hebrew 
word  gannav  has  assumed  in  Yiddish  and  in  thieves'  slang. 
It  appears  to  have  been  brought  to  England  from  the  con- 
tinent about  a  century  ago,  as  it  was  brought  to  the  South 
African  Diamond  Fields  about  forty  years  ago,  by  German 
Jews.  It  has  been  suggested  the  word  "  gun  "  in  the  expres- 
sion "son  of  a  gun"  is  a  contraction  of  "gonoph" — this, 
however,  is  doubtful. 

"  Thieves  are  prigs,  cracksmen,  mouchers,  gonophs,  go- 
alongs."     (Sala's  "  Looking  at  Life,"  p.  37,  n.d.) 

"'Whoa  you  gonof,^  cried  Simon  to  the  pony  as  the 
animal  threw  up  his  head."  (Cohen's  "  Eeminiscences  of 
Kimberley,"  p.  294,  1911.) 

Qonivah. — (Heb.  H155,  genavah,  a  theft,  the  thing  stolen  ; 
Exodus  XXII.  3.)  A  slang  name,  in  use  among  the  I.D.B. 
fraternity  on  the  Diamond  Fields,  for  a  diamond  known  to 
have  been  stolen  or  come  by  illicitly. 

"  The  imperence  to  fancy  that  a  respectable  man  Hke  him 
would  buy  a  goniva."  (Matthews'  "  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  189, 
1887.) 

"  Say,  stranger,  have  you  struck  the  original  I.D.B. 
cemetery,  or  how  is  it  that  you  find  such  a  thundering  heap 
of  gonivas  in  your  ground!"  ("I.D.B.,"  by  W.  T.  E.,  p. 
234,  1887.) 

"  If  youVe  got  the  gonivahs  why  don't  you  plant  'em  some- 
where safe,  and  run  'em  down  when  you  get  a  chance,  Hke 
the  others  do?"  (Griffith's  "  Knaves  of  Diamonds,"  p.  65, 
1899.) 

Gonya. — (Kaf.  um  Konya,  an  insect  which  makes  an  un- 
canny noise  at  night.)  An  insect  of  the  Pneumora  species 
(P.  scutellaris) ;    to  hear  the  sound  which  this  insect  makes 


AFRICANDEKISMS  193 

at  night  is  regarded  by  the  Kaffirs  as  a  bad  omen.  See 
Bias  op. 

"  The  '  last  voices  of  night '  that  I  heard  as  sleep  breathed 
over  me  was  the  Ghonya  shrieking  in  the  woods  afar  off  like 
a  wounded  ghost."  (Noble's  "  The  Cape  and  its  People,"  p. 
367,  1869.) 

"  The  male  is  familiar  to  residents  in  the  Eastern  Districts 
by  the  Kaffir  name  of  ghonya  as  well  as  by  the  very  loud  and 
prolonged  noise  which  he  makes  at  night."  ("  Trans.  S.A. 
Phil.  Soc,"  p.  xxii,  viii.  Part  i.,  1893.) 

"  The  Ghonya  from  the  darkness  cried  again  as  if  the 
sorrows  of  the  world  were  in  the  cry."  (Glanville's  "  Tales 
from  the  Veld,"  p.  129,  1897.) 

Qood-for,  A.— (1)  The  South  African  form  of  "I.O.U." 
(2)  Promissory  notes  issued  by  the  Transvaal  Government 
previous  to  the  annexation  by  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  were 
also  known  as  "  Good-fors  ". 

"  Behalve  de  gouvernementsnoten  werden  er  door  hande- 
laars,  private  personen  en  zelfs  door  Kerkbesturen  goedvoors 
('  goed  '  voor  drie  pence  of  zes  pence  enz.)  ...  in  circulatie 
gebracht."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p. 
438  n.,  1882.) 

"  The  Pretoria  tradesmen  would  no  longer  accept  goodfors 
of  even  a  few  shillings'  value."  (Fitzpatrick's  "  The  Outspan," 
p.  77,  1897.) 

" '  Now  I'll  just  take  your  Good-for  for  that  thousand 
pounds,  Mr.  Lipinski,  and  then  we'll  say  good  night.' " 
(Griffith's  "  Knaves  of  Diamonds,"  p.  51,  1899. 

Good  karroo. — Adenachaena parvifolia  is  so  termed. 

"  A.  parvifolia  (Good  karroo)  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
plants,  as  pasture,  for  Merino  sheep."  (Harvey's  "  Genera  of 
South  African  Plants,"  p.  184,  1868.) 

"  Chrysocoma  tenuifolia,  Berg.  .  .  .  keeps  green  in 
winter,  and  is  often  browsed,  but  less  so  than  the  Goed- 
karroos."     ("  S.  A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  177,  August,  1912.) 

Goose,  Spur-winged. — Plectropterus  gamhensis.  Each 
wing  is  armed  with  a  sharp  spur. 

"  The  Spur-winged  goose  {Plectropterus  gamhensis). 
Known  to  the  Boers  as  the  Wilde  macaauw  (wild  muscovy)." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life," 
p.  149,  1908.) 

Gorah.-3:A  Hottentot  musical  instrument  made  of  a  bent 

13 


194  AFEICANDEEISMS 

reed,  along  which  is  stretched  a  length  of  prepared  sinew, 
with  a  small  piece  of  split  quill  at  the  end  of  it.  Inserting 
the  piece  of  quill  in  his  mouth,  by  strong  breathing  the  per- 
former produces  a  few  soft  notes. 

"  This  instrument  is  called  a  t'goera,  a  name  which  seems 
to  be  applicable  enough  to  it,  as  tolerably  well  corresponding 
with  the  sound  of  the  instrument."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage," 
I.  p.  229,  1785.) 

"  A  single  performer,  quite  absorbed  in  the  musical  tones 
of  his  goorah."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  167,  1868.) 

Qoratjes. — (Hot.  "  x^'^^'  verb,  nach  Wasser  graben,"  Kron- 
lein.)  Holes  made  in  the  sand  of  river  beds  for  the  water  to 
percolate  into. 

"Dry  sand  rivers  in  which  you  have  to  dig  gorratjes  (little 
holes  in  the  sand)  to  find  water."  (Du  Toit's  "  Rhodesia,"  p. 
42,  1897.) 

Qora  water. — Water  which  has  been  obtained  by  the 
above  process.  This  method  of  obtaining  water  must  have 
been  known  to  the  Hottentots  before  the  advent  of  Europeans, 
and  for  that  reason  the  word  "gora"  should  seem  to  be  of 
Hottentot  origin,  and  the  etymology  suggested  by  Backhouse 
to  be  due  to  a  striving  after  meaning.  The  expression  is  in 
common  use  in  the  Midland  Districts  of  the  Cape  Colony  to- 
day.    See  Crow  water. 

"  Near  this  place  water  for  the  horses  and  for  making 
coffee  was  obtained  from  a  hole  dug  in  the  soil.  This  is 
termed  gra'  water,  graven  or  digged  water."  (Backhouse's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  580,  1844.) 

Qoshen. — One  of  the  two  independent  states  set  up  by 
the  Boers,  of  which  Stellaland  was  the  other ;  they  were 
both  aboHshed  and  the  country  declared  to  be  British  territory 
by  Sir  C.  Warren  in  1884. 

"  Two  httle  Boer  republics,  Goshen  and  Stellaland,  were 
actually  formed  on  the  territory  of  the  chiefs  under  British 
protec^tion."     ("  Times'  History  of  the  War,"  i.  p.  78,  1900.) 

Goudboom. — (D.  goud,  gold  ;  boom,  a  tree.)  Protea  cono- 
carpa  (Thunberg's  "Flora  Capensis,"  p.  126,  1823)  =  Lewcos- 
permum  conocarpum,  R.  Br. 

Qoudsbloem.— (D.  goud,  gold  ;  bloem,  a  flower.)  (1)  Cry- 
ptostemma  calendulaceum,  B.  Br.  The  marigold  is  known  in 
Holland  by  this  name,  but  in  South  Africa  it  has  been  trans- 
ferred to  this  flower,  which  is  not  unlike  a  dandehon,  except 


AFRICANDEKISMS  195 

that  it  has  a  dark  centre.  (2)  Various  species  of  Gazania  are 
also  known  by  this  name.  I  have  seen  Namaqualand,  after 
rains,  in  some  parts  absolutely  carpeted  with  them  for  miles. 

"  The  term  Goudsbloem,  like  too  many  of  the  colonial 
names,  is  applied  gratuitously  to  various  plants  fancied  to 
have  a  resemblance  to  the  Mary  gold.  Different  species  of 
Arctotis  have  generally  been  pointed  out  to  me  and  some- 
times a  kind  of  Cotula."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  229  n,, 
1822.) 

"  In  September  the  ground  is  literally  carpeted  with  end- 
less varieties  of  gazenias — local  name  Gousbloom."  (Hilda's 
"  Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  190,  1902.) 

Qouna  vijg. — (D.  vijg,  a  fig.)  Mesembryanthemum  edule, 
L.  is  so  called  in  the  Riversdale  District.     See  Hottentot  fig. 

Gouph. — (Hot.  "  c  houb,  subst.  das  Fett  um  den  Magen," 
Kronlein.)  The  upper  drainage  area  of  the  Gamka  River, 
which  is  exceedingly  fertile  after  rain. 

"  Through  the  Gouph  or  hollow  of  the  Karoo."  (Wallace's 
"  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  75,  1896.) 

Qouritz. — For  the  first  part  of  its  course  this  river  is 
known  as  the  Gamka,  it  has  its  rise  in  the  Nieuwveld  Moun- 
tains. 

Qo-way  bird. — The  onomatopoetic  name  of  Schizorhis 
concolor,  the  grey  plaintain  eater.     See  Groote  muisvogel. 

"  I  continue  my  walk  along  the  kopje  top  succeeding  in 
obtaining  specimens  of  the  Go-way  bird."  (Tangye's  "In 
New  South  Africa,"  p.  401,  1896.) 

"  Along  the  Crocodile  River  ,  .  .  they  are  fairly  common, 
uttering  their  harsh  cry  of  '  guay,  guay !'  in  the  evening." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life," 
p.  109,  1908.) 

Qraaf  stok. — (D.  graven,  to  dig ;  stok,  a  stick.  Bushman 
name,  *  Kibi.)  A  digging  stick  ;  it  was  used  by  the  Bushmen, 
one  end  pointed,  the  other  weighted  with  a  neatly  rounded, 
beautifully  perforated  stone.  Numbers  of  these  stones  are 
still  found  in  various  localities. 

"  The  other  carried  what  my  Hottentots  called  a  graaf 
stok  (a  digging  stick)  to  which  there  was  affixed  a  heavy  stone, 
to  increase  its  force  in  pecking  up  bulbous  roots."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  29,  1824.) 

Granaat  apple. — (Sp.  granada,  Lat.  granatum,  full  of 
seeds.)     See  Pomegranate. 

13  * 


196  AFKICANDEEISMS 

Grapes,  wild.— The  fruit  of  Vitis  capensis.  It  grows  in 
large  clusters  not  unlike  black  grapes,  and  has  a  pleasant 
flavour  resembling  that  of  the  English  black  currant,  for 
which  it  makes  a  by  no  means  bad  substitute. 

Grapple  plant  or  thorn. — Burchell  thus  designates  Har- 
pagophytum  procumhens,  better  known  perhaps  as  the  Haak- 
doorn  (q.v.).  The  large  seed-vessels  of  this  plant  are  covered 
with  sharp,  strong,  hooked  thorns ;  when  the  ripened  seed  is 
to  be  liberated  the  capsule  splits  up  the  middle,  the  two  sides 
then  open  out  very  widely  and  form  a  tough  and  effective 
grapple  ready  to  hook  on  to  anything  that  touches  it  in  pass- 
ing, and  so  is  the  seed  distributed.  In  the  quotation  from 
Prof.  MacOwan  one  means  by  which  the  distribution  of  this 
curious  plant  is  secured  is  described.     See  Haakdoorn. 

"The  beautiful  Uncaria  procumhens  (or  Grapple-plant) 
was  not  less  abundant."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  536, 
1822.) 

"  The  Grapple-plant  capsule  is  a  thin  oval  affair  of  singu- 
lar toughness  and  elasticity,  with  four  or  five  curving  mar- 
ginal arms,  reaching  out  and  up.  They  are  furnished  with 
several  formidable  hooks  at  the  tip,  and  some  others  lower 
down,  but  all  recurved,  pointing  downwards,  and  very  sharp. 
The  capsule  lies  flat  on  its  side,  kept  from  turning  over  by 
two  cunning  studs  or  projections  which  dig  into  the  soil.  The 
hooked  arms  then  stand  up  in  the  air  curving  over  inwardly. 
At  a  glance  one  can  see  the  meaning  of  the  contrivance.  It 
is  just  a  trap  with  an  obvious  intent.  A  spring-buck  leaping 
and  curvetting  in  the  gladness  of  its  heart  sets  its  foot  down 
upon  the  capsule.  The  curved  arms,  elastic  as  whale-bone, 
give  a  little,  and  the  hoof  comes  down  upon  the  tough  seed- 
vessel.  The  hooks  catch  on  all  round  the  buck's  hock,  and 
every  kick  and  scuffle  drives  them  further  into  the  flesh. 
The  luckless  beast  is  fairly  shod  with  this  grapple  and  many 
a  weary  mile  must  he  limp  along  in  torture  before  he  has 
trodden  the  thing  into  pieces  and  poached  the  seeds  into  the 
ground.  And  this  is  the  way,  at  cost  of  much  weariful  agony 
to  the  antelopes,  that  the  Grapple-plant  ensures  its  seasonal 
life  from  year  to  year.  One  way  and  another  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  cruelty  in  the  Dark  Continent."  (Prof.  MacOwan, 
"  C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  406,  1898.) 

Grass  bird. — The  Natal  name  for  one  or  two  small  birds 
of  the  Warbler  family. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  197 

Qrass  fires. — Along  the  coast  it  is  generally  regarded  as 
necessary  to  burn  the  grass  ojBf  annually,  thus  removing  the 
old  growth  before  the  young  grass  appears.      See  Veld  fires. 

"  The  rotten  wood  is  burnt  off  by  grass  fires,  although 
burning  the  veld  is  not,  as  a  rule,  there  regularly  practised." 
(Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p. 
35,  1896.) 

Qrass  klip-fish. — Clinus  graminis. 

' '  A  species  less  frequently  met  with  is  the  '  Grass  klip- 
fish  '  (C  graminis)."  ("  South  African  Journal  of  Science," 
VII.  p.  221,  1911.) 

Qraveel  wortel. — (D.  graveel,  gravel ;  wortel,  a  root.) 
Berkheya  atractyloides.  "  A  tincture  prepared  from  the 
bruised  roots  is  diuretic,  and  of  great  service  in  gravel."  (L. 
Pappe,  M.D.) 

Graveyard. — A  portion  of  the  Dutoitspan  Diamond  Mine 
was  so  named  by  the  diggers  in  the  early  days,  because  so 
much  money  and  labour  was  buried  in  it  by  the  over-san- 
guine. 

Greasy  slip. — Veins  of  crystallized  carbonate  of  lime  which 
traverse  the  "  blue-ground  "  in  all  directions,  and  are  of  vary- 
ing thickness  up  to  two  or  three  inches,  are  so  called  at  the 
diamond  fields,  because  being  covered  with  a  whitish  sub- 
stance, very  soapy  to  the  touch,  they  were  a  source  of  real 
danger.     See  quotation. 

"  When  a  wall  or  block  of  blue-ground  is  dressed  down 
and  left  standing  with  such  a  vein — or  greasy  slip  as  it  is 
termed — in  it,  it  becomes  highly  dangerous,  as  all  above  that 
vein  (at  times  an  immense  mass)  is  liable  to  come  down  with- 
out a  moment's  warning."  (Matthew's  "  Incwadi  Yami,"  p. 
149, 1887.) 

Great  bee. — A  large  hairy  bee,  of  which  the  natives  have 
a  great  dread,  declaring  it  to  be  so  poisonous  that  its  sting  is 
always  fatal ;  but  the  natives  say  this  of  animals  and  insects 
that  are  more  innocent  than  this  bee.     See  Groot  bij. 

"  Some  time  ago  there  was  a  deal  of  correspondence  in 
this  (*  Uitenhage  ')  paper  on  the  identity  or  character  of  the 
Great  bee  found  by  seekers  of  wild  honey,  and  referred  to 
by  General  Bisset  in  '  Sport  and  War  '."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  21  November,  1879.) 

Great  elephant. — Chaka  was  so  named  on  account  of  his 
immense  size.     See  Hyaena  man. 


198  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"He  (Chaka)  was  also  styled  the  '  Great  elephant,'  as 
one  who,  with  the  weight  of  his  ponderous  body,  could  crush 
his  victims  beneath  his  feet."  (Hoodie's  "History  of  the 
Battles  in  Southern  Africa,"  i.  p.  393,  1888.) 

Great  locust  bird. — See  Locust  bird. 

"  It  (Giconia  alba — the  white  stork)  consumes  large 
quantities  of  locusts,  and  so  earns  for  itself  the  title  of  Great 
locust-bird."     (Woodward's  "  Birds  of  Natal,"  p.  200,  1899.) 

Great  River. — The  Orange  Kiver  was  often  thus  designated 
by  early  travellers.     See  Garieb. 

"  The  Gheissequas,  a  Hottentot  nation  situate  more  to 
the  east  on  the  borders  of  the  Great  River."  (Le  Vaillant's 
"  New  Travels,"  ii.  p.  181,  1796.) 

"  At  7  a.m.,  after  an  address  by  Mr.  Anderson  and  prayer, 
we  took  our  leave  of  Bern  and  his  people,  and  quitted  the 
Great  River."     (Campbell's  "  Travels,"  p.  161,  1815.) 

Great  snipe. — Gallinago  major,  a  regular  migrant  to 
Natal. 

"  Great  snipe.  .  .  .  This  bird  is  widely  scattered  through- 
out Natal."     (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  188,  1899.) 

Great  Trek. — The  memorable  exodus  of  Boer  families 
from  the  Cape  Colony  to  the  little  known  regions  beyond  the 
Orange  Eiver,  which  began  in  the  year  1833.  A  variety  of 
causes  led  to  this  voluntary  expatriation  of  so  many  brave 
men  with  their  wives  and  families,  dissatisfaction  with  the 
British  Government  being  the  primary  cause.  It  is  generally 
known  as  the  Great  Trek. 

Greenback. — The  East  London  name  of  the  fish  known 
elsewhere  on  the  Cape  Coast  as  the  "  Skipper  "  or  "  Skip- 
jack" (q.v.). 

"  The  fish  was  a  Saury  pike,  known  here  as  a  Green- 
back, and  in  some  places  as  the  '  Skipper  '  or  '  Skipjack  ' 
from  its  habit  of  jumping  out  of  the  water."  ("  East  Lon- 
don Dispatch,"  p.  4,  26  September,  1912.) 

Green  beans. — Green  bean  pods  cut  and  cooked — "  French 
beans  ". 

Green  cuckoo. — Chrysococcyx  smaragdineus.  See  Golden 
and  Emerald  cuckoo. 

"  Here  we  saw  that  beautiful  bird  the  green  cuckoo,  one 
of  the  few  feathered  inhabitants  of  these  lonely  woods." 
(Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  156,  1818.) 

Green  hides. — Hides  salted  and  exported  undried. 


AFBICANDEKISMS  199 

"  The  following  abstract  .  .  .  will  indicate  in  a  forcible 
manner  the  rising  importance  of  the  frontier  trade.  .  .  . 
Ivory,  £1800  7s.  6d. ;  Green  hides,  £18,145  4s.  Od. ;  Dry, 
£11,886  Os.  Od."    (Steedman's  ' '  Wanderings,"  i.  p.  297, 1835.) 

Green  mealies. — Mealies  or  Indian  corn  gathered  and 
cooked  while  still  green  and  tender  ;  they  make  an  agreeable 
dish. 

"  What  we  considered  a  great  delicacy,  and  in  fact,  what 
is  considered  so  by  every  colonist  and  nigger,  were  the  cobs 
of  the  mealie  (stalk) ,  that  is  the  bunch  of  grain  whilst  it  is 
green  and  consequently  soft,  boiled,  eaten  with  butter  they 
are  delicious."  (Browning's  "  Fighting  and  Farming  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  208,  1888.) 

Qreen  swallow. — Merops  persicus  is  so  styled  in  Natal. 

"  It  is  popularly  known  as  the  Green  swallow,  perhaps 
from  its  swallow-like  flight."  (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds," 
p.  90,  1899.) 

Grenadier's  Cap. — See  Cockscomb. 

*'  The  '  Cockscomb  '  craggy  mountain,  or  as  it  is  sometimes 
called  the  Grenadier's  Cap,  rises  ...  to  an  altitude  of 
5400  feet."     (Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  117,  1856.) 

Grenadilla. — (Lat.  granatum,  a  pomegranate.)  The  fruit 
of  a  species  of  passion  flower  —  Passijiora  quadrangu- 
laris,  L. 

"  Passionsblume,  die unserm  Gartner  Grenadilla  nennen." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  441,  1745.) 

Greywing. — Francolinus  africanus.     See  Berg  patrijs. 

Grieksch. — In  Cape  Dutch  the  phrase  Hij  praat  grieksch 
means  :  He  is  unintelligible  to  me. 

Grijs  appel. — Parinarum  mohola,  Oliv.  is  so  called  in  the 
Transvaal. 

Grijsbok. — (D.  grijs,  grey,  hoary.)     Baphicerus  melanotis. 

"  Great  numbers  of  a  small  antelope  called  gryshok  were 
driven  out  before  the  beaters."  (Clairemonte's  "  The  Afri- 
cander," p.  30,  1896.) 

Grijse  Muishond. — Herpestes  caffer.  See  Kommetje-gat 
Kat. 

Grinnet. — See  Sijsje. 

Griquas. — A  people  sprung  from  intercourse  between 
Europeans  and  Hottentots  ;  their  language  like  that  of  the 
Bastaards  is  Dutch.  The  difference  between  the  Bastaard 
and  the  Griqua  seems  to  be  that  in  the  former  the  white 


200  AFEICANDEEISMS 

predominates,  while  in  the  Griqua  the  Hottentot  is  the  more 
pronounced. 

"  The  Griqua  is  less  of  the  mongrel  than  the  Bastaard  ; 
his  features  are  better  defined,  his  bearing  is  more  manly, 
his  hair  more  crisp,  and  his  complexion  more  dark."  (Ar- 
bousset's  "  Narrative,"  p.  19,  1846.) 

"  The  word  Griqua  seems  to  be  an  abbreviation  of  Cheri- 
griquois,  the  name  of  a  tribe  living  to  the  south  of  the  Little 
Namaquas."     {Ibid.,  p.  21.) 

Grizzly. — The  screen  employed  on  the  Kand  gold  mines 
to  separate  the  fine  material  from  the  coarse,  the  former  being 
sent  at  once  to  the  mill,  the  latter  being  retained  for  further 
treatment. 

"  The  ore  as  it  comes  from  the  mine  is  mechanically  tipped 
over  a  grizzly  or  inclined  screen,  composed  of  parallel  bars  at 
short  distances  apart."    ("  Eeport  S.A.A.A.S.,"  p.  240,  1903.) 

Qroen  boontjes. — (D.  groen,  green;  boon,  bean.)  See 
Green  beans. 

"Neem  groen  boontjes,  hotoX  di  puntjiis  en  draadjiis  af.," 
etc.  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  29, 
1898.) 

Qrondwet. — (D.  Grondwet,  fundamental  law,  the  constitu- 
tion.)    The  Dutch  term  for  the  Constitution  of  the  Republic. 

"  In  1856  the  Grondwet,  or  Constitution  of  the  Republic, 
was  proposed  and  adopted  at  Potchefstroom."  (Bryden's 
"  Victorian  Era  in  South  Africa,"  p.  24,  1897.) 

Qroot  bij. — (D.  groot,  great ;  bij,  a  bee.)  (1)  Acherontia 
atropos.  The  death's  head  moth  is  so  called  because  it  is 
often  found  in  the  hives  and  nests  of  bees.  The  natives  have 
the  idea  that  it  stings  and  that  its  sting  is  certain  death. 
(2)  The  name  is  also  given  to  a  large  hairy  bee  of  which  the 
natives  are  equally  afraid.     See  Great  bee. 

"  Unter  den  Schmetterlingen  ist  Sphinx  atropos  von  den 
Eingebornen  als  die  grosse  biene,  deren  Stich  lebensgefahrlich 
sei,  unnothigerweise  sehr  gefiirchtet."  (Kranz's  '*Siid- 
Afrika,"  p.  170,  1880.) 

Qroote  muisvogel. — See  Go-way  bird.  This  bird  is  not 
unhke  an  overgrown  Muisvogel  (q.v.). 

Qroote  visch-vanger. — (D.  visch,  fish  ;  vangen,  to  catch.) 
Ceryle  maxima.  (1)  The  great  kingfisher.  (2)  The  fishing 
eagle. 

"  Hear   our  jackhals-vogel  and  groote  visch-vanger  voci- 


AFEICANDEEISMS  201 

ferously  vaunting."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  4  De- 
cember, 1908.) 

Qroot  prat. — (D.  groot,  great ;  prater,  a  talker,  chatterbox.) 
A  braggart,  swaggerer.  (Cf.  Groot  Prat  en  Broek  Scheur  is 
Broers. ) 

Ground  nuts. — See  Monkey  nuts. 

"  The  cultivation  of  the  '  pea-nut,'  known  at  the  Cape  as 
the  ground-nut,  has  attained  extensive  dimensions  in  the 
United  States  of  America."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine," 
III.  p.  188,  1871.) 

Ground  pig. — See  Cane  rat. 

"  Cane  rats  otherwise  known  as  Ground  pigs  {Thryonomys 
swinderenianus."  (Fitzsimon's  "  Snakes  of  South  Africa," 
p.  60, 1912.) 

Grunter. — This  name  is  given  to  both  Trigla  peronii  and 
T.  capensis,  the  Grauwe  and  Roode  knorhaan ;  in  each  case 
the  appellation  has  reference  to  the  noise  which  the  fish  makes 
when  taken  out  of  the  water. 

Guana  or  Igfuana. — Varanus  niloticus  and  V.  alhigularis 
are  both  known  by  this  name  ;  the  former,  the  larger  of  the 
two,  haunts  the  banks  of  rivers  and  eats  the  eggs  of  croco- 
diles.    See  Legavaan. 

Guano. — (Sp.  gua7io  or  huano,  from  Peruvian  huanu, 
dung.)  Sea-bird  excrement,  which  is  found  in  immense  ac- 
cumulations on  the  islands  where  these  birds  nest.  It  is  a 
useful  manure  and  a  considerable  trade  is  done  in  the  article 
by  the  Cape  Government. 

"  In  my  description  of  the  West  Coast  of  Africa  .  .  .  allu- 
sion has  been  frequently  made  to  guano  and  to  the  trade  in 
that  article  carried  on  some  years  ago  on  so  large  a  scale,  and 
even  yet  not  quite  extinct."  (Andersson's  "  Okovango  Eiver," 
p.  340,  1861.) 

Guarri. — (Kaf.  um  Gwali.)  Euclea  undulata,  the  bark 
of  which  the  natives  use  as  a  purgative.  This  is  the  real 
Guarri,  but  the  name  is  applied  to  other  members  of  the 
same  family. 

"  The  ground  is  covered  with  shrubs  about  4  feet  high, 
called  by  the  natives  Guerrie,  a  species  of  Royena."  (Pater- 
son's  "  Narrative,"  p.  43,  1789.) 

"  Various  kinds  of  sweet  grass  and  small  shrubs,  varied 
with  very  good  large  bushes  and  trees,  as  .  .  .  quarri,  etc." 
(Du  Toit's  "  Rhodesia,"  p.  32,  1897.) 


202  AFKICANDEKISMS 

Guam  honey. — A  very  pale  honey  in  much  esteem  in  the 
Kiversdale  District,  obtained  by  the  bees  from  Boyena  sp. 

Guani  tea. — This  is  made  by  the  Hottentots  from  the 
leaves  of  Euclea  lanceolata,  Mey. 

Gubu. — (Kaf.  i  Guhu,  any  hollow,  sounding  thing,  a 
drum.)  The  onomatopoetic  name  of  a  Zulu  musical  instru- 
ment, vs^hich  consists  of  a  calabash  attached  as  a  sounding- 
board  to  a  bow,  the  string  of  which  is  struck  with  a  stick,  the 
result  being  a  monotonous,  meaningless  sound  that  is  neither 
musical  nor  attractive  to  the  European  ear. 

"  Their  chief  instrument,  called  a  guhu,  which  is  some- 
thing like  a  one-string  banjo,  with  an  empty  gourd  for  a 
drum."     (Clairmonte's  "The  Africander,"  p.  189,  1906.) 

Guinea  grass. — Panicum  maximum,  Jacq.  It  occurs  in 
Rhodesia  and  the  lower  bushveld  of  the  Transvaal. 

Gulugulu. — (Z.  um  Gulugulu,  a  wild  fruit.)  Strychnos 
Gerrardi,  N.  E.  Brown.  Sometimes  called  also  the  Kaffir 
orange  (q.v.). 

"  The  pulp  surrounding  the  seeds  of  our  native  tree  S. 
Gerrardi,  popularly  known  as  Guluguht,  is  eaten  by  natives 
and  children."  (Wood's  "  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal," 
p.  86,  1907.) 

Gum  trees.— The  general  South  African  name  for  the 
different  varieties  of  eucalyptus. 

Gun^^u. — (Kaf.  um  Gqungu,  a  basket  made  of  rushes  for 
tobacco.)  The  term  is  applied  to  the  roughly  made  baskets 
in  which  Pondo  tobacco  is  put  up  for  the  market. 

"Pondo  tobacco  in  Gungus  and  grain  bags."  (Advts. 
"  East  London  Dispatch,"  27  August,  1906.) 

Gungunhlovu. — (Kaf.  Umkungunhlovu,  Dingaan's  Great 
Place  ;  from  isi  Kungu,  a  surrounded  place  ;  and  in  Hlovu, 
the  Elephant.)  The  kraal  and  residence  of  the  Zulu  chief 
Dingaan,  built  by  him  to  commemorate  his  murder  of  Chaka, 
his  brother,  who  was  known  as  in  Hlovu,  the  Elephant ;  a 
name  subsequently  assumed  by  Dingaan. 

"  During  my  stay  here  the  whole  regiment  .  .  .  were  often 
assembled  without  the  fence,  to  practise  their  songs  and 
dances  preparatory  to  exhibiting  in  their  turn  before  Dingaan 
at  his  residence  Unhung inglove."  (Gardiner's  "Narrative," 
p.  28,  1836.) 

"  Umgungundhlovu,  the  place  of  the  great  elephant,  a 
name  naturally  transferred  in  after  years  by  the  natives  to 


AFKICANDERISMS  203 

Maritzburg,  the  UmgungundJilovu  or  seat  of  government  of 
the  white  man."     (Eussell's  "Natal,"  p.  121,  1891.) 

Gunpowder  weed. — Silene  gallica,  so  called  on  account  of 
the  smallness  and  blackness  of  its  seeds. 

"  Silene  gallica.  .  .  .  This  is  the  Gunpowder-weed  of  the 
colonists ;  its  black  seeds  resembling  powder."  ("  Flora 
Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  127, 1859-60.) 

"  Several  species  of  Campion,  also  the  so-called  Gun- 
powder-weed {S.  gallica)."  (Edwards  and  Marloth's  "Ele- 
mentary Botany  for  South  Africa,"  p.  139,  1897.) 

Qunubi. — (Kaf.  ama  Gqunube,  a  wild  fruit  not  unlike  a 
raspberry.)     A  river  in  the  Eastern  Province. 

"  Survivors  of  tribes  broken  by  Tshaka  hid  in  the  kloofs 
of  the  Goonoobie,  or  Brambleberry  River."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  6,  26  July,  1912.) 

Gurnard. — Trigla  peronii.  The  fish  known  by  this  name 
in  South  Africa  is  nearly  allied  to  the  English  Grey  gurnard 
{Trigla  gurnardus). 

Gus-ooi. — (Hot.  "  *  nos,  subst.  eine  unfruchtbare  Zeige 
oder  Schafmutter  (holl. :  overlooperooi),"  Kronlein  ;  D.  ooi, 
a  ewe.)     A  barren  ewe. 

Gwenya. — (Kaf.  in  Gwenye,  the  wild  plum.)  Dohne 
("  Zulu-Kaffir  Diet.")  makes  um  Gwenya  the  wild  olive  tree, 
which  among  the  Kaffirs  is  called  um  Nquma,  while  Davis 
("  Kaffir  Diet.")  makes  um  Gwenye  the  wild  plum  tree,  a  name 
given  to  Odina  caffra. 

"  The  parrots  chattering  over  their  gwenyas."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  22  July,  1910.) 

Haak. — (D.  haaJc,  a  hook.)  See  Stock-fish.  The  refer- 
ence is  to  the  hooked  under-jaw  of  the  fish  to  which  the  name 
was  originally  applied. 

Haakdoorn. — (D.  haak,  a  hook  ;  doom,  a  thorn.)  Bur- 
chell  gives  this  name  to  Acacia  detinens,  the  Wacht-en-bitje 
(q.v.).  It  seems  now  to  be  more  frequently  applied,  however, 
to  Harpagophyllum  procumbens.     See  Grapple  plant. 

"  On  the  way  I  halted  a  few  moments  to  gather  a  beautiful 
parasitic  plant  growing  on  the  branches  of  a  Haakdoorn  and 
now  in  full  flower."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  320,  1822.) 

Haak-en-steek. — (D.  haak,  a  hook  ;  steek,  a  prick,  sting.) 
Acacia  spirocarpoides,  Engl.  A  variety  of  acacia  having  both 
straight  and  hooked  thorns,  sometimes  called  the  Whitethorn. 

"  Men  verdeelt  de  doornen  der  acacia's  in  drie  soorten  : 
haak-doorns,  steek-doorns,   en  haak-en-steek-doorns,  en  deze 


204  AFEICANDEEISMS 

benamingen,  zoowel  als  van  de  wacht-een-beetje,  duiden  ge- 
noegzaam  hun  karakter  aan."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd 
der  Transvaalers,"  p.  341,  1882.) 

"  Nor  shall  I  tell  you  of  the  haak-en-steek  dooms,  that  tear 
your  garments  and  lacerate  your  skin,  especially  when  you 
are  in  eager  pursuit  of  game,  and  unmindful  of  your  path- 
way." (Du  Plessis'  "A  Thousand  Miles  in  the  Heart  of 
Africa,"  p.  139, 1905.) 

Haakplek. — (D.  haak,  a  hook  ;  plek,  a  place,  spot.)  An 
obstruction,  difficulty. 

"  It  may  be  as  well  to  mention  that  the  Transvaalers 
managed  to  teach  the  Hollanders  a  couple  of  Dutch  words. 
*  Vuurhoutjes  '  and  Haakplek  have  found  great  favour  and  are 
likely  to  be  taken  over."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  18 
May,  1884.) 

Haanepoot. — (D.  haan,  a  cock  ;  poot,  a  foot.)  The  Dutch 
name  of  a  firm  delicious  grape — the  Muscat  of  Alexandria — 
which  is  grown  largely  in  various  parts  of  South  Africa.  By 
some  the  name  is  said  to  have  reference  to  the  shape  of  the 
leaf,  by  others  to  the  shape  of  the  bunches  ;  the  former 
seems  the  more  probable.     See  Honey-pot. 

"  A  large  white  Persian  grape  called  here  the  Haenapod, 
or  cock's  foot."    (Barrow's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  65,  1801.) 

"  Of  grapes  the  haanepoot  .  .  .  are  considered  the  best  for 
the  British  market."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the 
Cape  Colony,"  p.  202,  1896.) 

Haarde-staart. — The  name  given  to  a  fish  at  Struis  Bay 
(Gilchrist). 

Haarkant. — (CD.  Jiaar,  right  hand  ;  D.  kant,  side,  edge.) 
The  right  side.     See  Hot  en  haar. 

"  De  ossen  schrikten  en  sprongen  uit  bet  pad  en  de  wagen 
kwam  aan  den  haarkant  (de  regterzijde)  in  eene  tamelijk  diepe 
sloot."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  44, 
1890.) 

Haarkauwsel. — (D.  haar,  hair ;  kauwsel,  that  which  is 
chewed.)  The  ball  of  hair  sometimes  found  in  the  stomach 
of  ruminating  animals. 

Haar-scheerder. — (D.  haar,  hair  ;  scheerder,  a  barber.) 
Solipuga,  an  exclusively  African  genus  of  Arachnida.  See 
Eooiman  and  Jaag-spinnekop. 

"They  are  known  locally  by  the  name  of  .  .  .  Haar- 
scheerder  (hair-cutters),  and  there  is  a  current  belief  that  they 


AFEICANDERISMS  205 

cut  off  the  hair  of  a  sleeping  person  at  night."  ("  Science  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  178,  1905.) 

Haas-oor. — (D.  haas,  hare  ;  oor,  an  ear.)  The  Namaqua- 
land  name  for  a  variety  of  Stapelia. 

Hadadah. — The  onomatopoetic  name  given  by  the  colonists 
to  the  large  brown  ibis,  Geronticus  hagedash,  Vieil. 

"  There  is  also  in  these  countries  a  large  ibis  of  a  brown 
lustre  commonly  called  by  onomatopy  addada."  (Arbousset's 
"Narrative,"  p.  190,  1846.) 

"Flocks  of  ha-di-da  grub  silently  and  unconcernedly  in 
close  proximity  to  the  camp."  ("  The  African  Monthly,"  p. 
445,  October,  1907._) 

Hadji. — (Ar.  Hajj,  a  pilgrim  to  Mecca.)  The  title  given 
to  those  among  the  Malays  of  South  Africa  who  have  made 
the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca. 

Uagel. — (D.  hagel,  hail,  shot.)  In  South  Africa  this  word 
is  used  in  both  senses — hail  and  shot,  but  when  used  in  the 
latter  sense  the  size  of  the  shot  is  often  indicated  by  the 
name  of  the  bird  or  animal  for  which  it  is  to  be  used,  e.g. 
kwartel-  (quail),  patrijs-  (partridge),  bok-  (buck)  hagel. 

Hairbell. — See  Harebell. 

"  The  shelter  of  an  untidy  bunch  of  what  looked  like 
coarse  '  grass '  which  bore  aloft  the  graceful,  swinging,  pink 
hairbells  (note  the  spelling  because  we  have  no  hare-bells)." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  18  October,  1912.) 

Hair  serpent. — This  would  appear  to  be  the  name  given 
by  the  early  colonists  to  the  Cape  cobra. 

Hair-tail. — Trichiurus  haumela.  The  Natal  designation 
of  this  fish  whose  habitat  is  tropical  seas. 

"  What  His  Excellency  caught  is  .  .  .  the  hair-tail  .  .  . 
which  is  comparatively  common  on  the  coasts  of  India  and 
Malabar."     ("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  766,  1906.) 

Half  mense. — (D.  half,  half  ;  mensch,  man,  human  being.) 
Adenium  Namaquanum.     See  Elephant's  trunk. 

"  The  ravines  and  slopes  were  here  dotted  with  the  extra- 
ordinary column-like  succulent  Pachypodium  Namaquanum, 
known  to  the  Hottentots  as  Half -mense.  .  .  .  Peculiar  to  the 
country,  and  only  found  on  a  few  of  the  mountains  of  the 
most  inaccessible  parts,  it  attains  a  height  of  from  6  to  8  feet, 
its  fleshy,  branchless  trunk  being  covered  with  sharp  thorns 
and  surmounted  by  a  crown  of  green  leaves  about  8  inches 
in  diameter.  .  .  .  The  trunk  is  often  almost  the  girth  of  a 


206  AFEICANDEEISMS 

man  at  its  thickest  point,  and  the  effect  of  these  solitary  erect 
figures  against  a  background  of  rocks  is  such  as  to  render  their 
name  of  half -men  very  appropriate."  ("  The  State,"  p.  487, 
November,  1911.) 

"  Our  north-western  divisions  ...  so  drear,  and  so  empty 
of  life  that  the  inhabitants  are  given  to  speak  of  a  certain 
branchless,  mopheaded,  succulent  plant  growing  there  as  'w 
halve-mens,  that  is  its  shape  is  half-man  like  as  seen  against  the 
skyline  !  "  {"  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  17  May,  1912.) 

Hamba  kahle. — (Zulu  and  Kaf.  tiku  Hamba,  to  go ; 
Zulu  kahle,  Kaf.  Jcuhle,  softly,  carefully.)  The  Zulu  farewell, 
"go  in  peace,"  "a  pleasant  journey,"  is  contracted  from 
Hamba  ka-huhle. 

"  '  Send  us  the  news  sharp '  was  the  cry  as  we  let  go ; 
'  Good-bye  and  good  luck  '  and  *  Hamba  kahle '  as  we  got 
further  out."  (Mather's  "  Golden  South  Africa,"  p.  37, 
1888.) 

Hamels. — (A.S.  hamelian,  Eng.  hamble,  to  mutilate, 
maim  ;  D.  hamel,  a  castrated  ram,  a  wether.)  The  common 
designation  of  a  wether  throughout  South  Africa. 

"Those  who  know  that  part  of  the  country,  know  what 
an  excellent  field  it  is  for  a  sheep  chase ;  and  how  a  dozen  of 
startled  hamels,  just  separated  from  a  large  flock,  would  be 
likely  to  try  a  driver's  legs,  and  lungs  too,  in  crossing  it." 
(Dugmore's  "  Eeminiscences,"  pp.  13-14,  1871.) 

Hammer-kop. — (D.  kop,  a  head.)  Scopus  umbretta.  A 
bird  of  a  dull  brown  colour.  It  builds  an  immense  nest,  and 
after  the  fashion  of  the  jackdaw  and  magpie  it  will  carry 
away  any  bright  object  that  it  can  pick  up,  and  will  decorate 
the  exterior  of  its  nest  with  it.  It  haunts  the  valleys  and 
streams  in  search  of  frogs  and  shell-fish  which  are  its  chief 
food.  The  name  refers  to  the  curious,  hammer-like  appear- 
ance of  its  head. 

"  While  we  dressed  upon  a  flat  ledge  of  rock  a  hammer-kop 
(hammer-head)  came  down  to  the  water,  but  swerved  off  on 
seeing  us."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  7,  1889.) 

Handling. — (D.  handelen,  to  trade,  deal.)  A  corruption 
of  the  Dutch  word  meaning  to  trade,  barter. 

"  Thus  when  handling  once  begins,  it  often  goes  on 
briskly."     (Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  6,  1850.) 

Hands. — Bundles  of  newly  gathered  tobacco  leaves  are  so 
styled. 


AFRICANDEKISMS  207 

"  These  hands  are  then  laid  in  large  heaps  on  the  floor, 
and  well  covered  with  blankets  for  sweating."  (Clairmonte's 
"  The  Africander,"  p.  10,  1896.) 

Hang — (G.  Hang,  a  declivity,  slope.)  A  steep  slope  on  a 
mountain. 

Hangberger. — A  Cape  Peninsula  name  for  the  Hottentot 
fish  (q.v.),  sometimes  corrupted  to  Hamburger.  Fleming 
ascribes  the  name  to  the  fact  of  the  fish  "  being  chiefly  taken 
in  deep  water,  near  a  place  called  Hangberg  (overhanging 
rock)  "  ;  others  derive  the  name  from  the  fish's  habit  of  fre- 
quenting rocky  ledges. 

"  The  best  fish  for  boiling.  Stokvisch,  geelbek,  .  .  .  ham- 
hurger,  seventy-four."   (Hewit's  "  Cape  Cookery,"  p.  18, 1907.) 

Hangklip  or  Hanglip. — (D.  hangen,  to  hang  ;  klip,  a  rock.) 
A  rocky  promontory,  1448  feet  high,  forming  the  termination 
of  the  Hottentot's  Holland  Mountains,  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  entrance  to  False  Bay.  There  are  other  mountains  so 
named  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  e.g.  Queenstown. 

"  Finding  a  small  stream  of  excellent  water  at  this  place, 
we  agreed  to  stay  all  night ;  and  next  morning  we  continued 
our  journey  round  the  Hanglip  or  Cape  False."  (Paterson's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  8,  1789.) 

Hanskoentjes. — (D.  handschoen,  a  glove,  gauntlet.)  The 
honeysuckle  is  so  named  by  the  Dutch. 

Harders. — Mugil  capensis.  This  fish  belongs  to  the 
same  family  as  the  English  "  Grey  mullet  ".  It  is  caught  in 
large  numbers  round  the  Cape  Peninsula. 

"  1652,  22-24  August.  Having  yesterday  gone  out  fishing 
we  again  caught  and  salted  400  large  steenbrass  and  about 
2000  harders."     (Hoodie's  "Records,"  p.  13,  1838.) 

"  There  is  likewise  about  the  Cape  a  sort  of  Herrings,  the 
Cape-Europeans  call  Harters."  (Kolben's  "Present  State 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  ii.  p.  193,  1731.) 

Hard  lines,  luck,  cheek,  etc. — This  adjective  is  used  to 
qualify  a  variety  of  nouns  besides  those  specified,  the  general 
idea  being  that  the  thing  specified  is  diflicult  or  hard  to  endure. 

Hardloop. — (D.  hardloopen,  to  run  fast.)  Make  haste  1 
Hurry  ! 

"  As  (the  gemsbok)  are  already  at  a  considerable  distance, 
the  word  is  at  once  given  to  hart-loop  (to  run  or  gallop)." 
(Drayson's  "  Tales  of  the  Outspan,"  p.  115,  1862.) 

Hard  Pear. — (1)  In  Natal  this  name  is  given  to  Pleura- 


208  AFRICANDEKISMS 

stylia  capensis.  (2)  In  the  Cape  Colony  it  is  applied  to 
Strychnos  Henningsii. 

Harebell  or  Hairbell. — Dierama  pendula,  plentiful  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Queenstown. 

Hare's  foot  fern. — Aspidium  capense,  Willd. 

"  This  is  familiarly  known  as  the  Hare's  foot  fern  from 
the  strong  resemblance  borne  by  its  shaggy  rhizomes  to  a 
hare's  foot."     (Sim's  "  Kaffrarian  Ferns,"  p.  47,  1891.) 

Harpuisbosje. — (D.  harpuis,  resin,  pitch ;  bos,  bush.) 
Euryops  multifidus,  D.C.  E.  tenuissimus,  and  in  the  Queens- 
town  District,  E.fiorinhundus,  11. E.Br.  At  the  time  of  flower- 
ing there  exudes  from  these  plants  a  matter  resembling  pitch 
or  resin,  which  is  highly  esteemed  for  its  medicinal  qualities. 
Sometimes  it  is  called  the  Resin  pimple  bush,  and  some- 
times by  metathesis,  Rapuis  bosje  (q.v.). 

"  A  shrub  which  grows  from  2  feet  to  3^  feet  high, 
called  by  the  colonists  harpuis  bosjes,  the  resin  tree,  and 
held  in  great  esteem  by  them."  (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels," 
II.  p.  176,  1814.) 

"  We  again  were  in  danger  of  being  burnt ;  a  sea  of  flame 
raging  on  one  side  of  the  road  and  consuming  the  resinous 
arpuse  bushes  with  a  roaring  noise,  audible  a  long  way  off." 
(Methuen's  "  Life  in  the  Wilderness,"  p.  120,  1848.) 

"  To  illustrate  the  influence  of  Dutch  nautical  terms  on 
Afrikaans  he  related  how  he  contrived  a  few  days  back  to  make 
his  Malay  servant  understand  that  he  was  required  to  obtain 
some  resin  from  the  shop.  The  Dutch  word  was  '  hars,'  but 
this  was  not  intelligible  to  the  boy.  The  English  word 
having  slipped  his  memory,  he  bethought  himself  that  in  Van 
Riebeek's  day  resin  would  be  in  demand  on  the  wooden  ships. 
The  nautical  synonym  was  '  harpuis '.  Thinking  it  probable 
that  if  this  word  had  been  introduced,  the  aspirate  would  in 
time  have  been  dropped,  he  turned  to  his  servant  and  asked 
him  to  get  some  '  arpuis  '.  Rapuis  was  the  immediate  intelli- 
gent response.  The  nautical  word  had  been  taken  over,  the 
'  h '  dropped  and  the  '  r  '  added."  ("  Cape  Times'  Report  of  a 
Lecture  on  Afrikaans,"  by  Mr.  C.  J.  Van  Rijn,  p.  11,  11 
March,  1912.) 

Harris  buck. — Hippotragus  niger.  So  called  after  Major 
ComwalHs  Harris  who  first  obtained  this  antelope  in  the 
Magaliesberg  near  Pretoria.  See  Sable  antelope  and  Z wart- 
wit  pens. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  209 

Harslag. — (The  word  harslet  or  Tiaslet  was  in  common  use 
in  Kent  fifty  years  ago  for  the  lungs,  liver,  and  heart  of  a  pig  : 
this  word  is  from  the  Old  French  hastalet,  roasted  meat, 
diminutive  oi  haste,  a  spit,  a  piece  of  roasted  meat ;  Lat.  hasta, 
a  spear.  The  Dutch  harst,  a  sirloin,  a  piece  to  roast,  seems 
to  be  from  the  Old  German  herstan,  to  roast.  It  seems  likely 
that  the  first  syllable  of  the  word  harslag  embodies  a  confu- 
sion of  the  two  words.  Old  French  haste  and  old  German 
herstan.)    The  heart,  lungs,  and  liver  of  a  slaughtered  animal. 

Hartebeest,  Red. — (D.  hert,  a  deer,  hart ;  heest,  animal.) 
Buhalis  Caama.  Caama  (Hot.  kamab,  with  initial  lateral 
click)  is  the  English  form  of  the  name  by  which  the  animal 
was  known  to  the  Hottentots. 

"  On  the  road  we  had  seen  large  herds  of  the  wild  asses 
called  quaggas,  and  of  hart-beests.''  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage," 
II.  p.  12,  1785.) 

Hartebeest,  Lichtenstein's. — Buhalis  Lichtensteini. 

Hartebeest  huisje  or  hut. — (D.  C.  J.  Van  Rijn  suggests 
that  the  former  part  of  this  word  is  a  corruption  of  hard 
hiezen,  the  reference  being  to  the  materials  of  which  these 
huts  were  often  made ;  huis,  a  house.)  A  frail  structure  of 
'*  wattle  and  daub,"  so  called,  apparently,  because  a  similar 
primitive  structure  was  often  erected  by  the  earlier  hunters. 
Backhouse's  suggestion  (see  below)  seems  to  be  quite  wide 
of  the  mark. 

"A  hartebeest  house,  being  a  roof  put  upon  a  wall  about 
2  feet  in  height."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  256,  1818.) 

"  The  hartebeest  houses  are  so  called  from  an  imaginary 
similarity  in  their  figure  to  the  outline  of  the  species  of 
buffalo,  called  in  South  Africa  the  hartebeest."  (Backhouse's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  357, 1844.) 

"A  colony  of  Hottentot  women  had  seized  possession  of 
our  hartebeests  hut." 

"N.B. — The  hartebeests  hut  is  a  colonial  name  for  an 
outhouse  or  stable."  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds," 
p.  242,  1873.) 

"  By  the  kindly  exertion  of  a  friend  who  was  known  here, 
we  together  got  a  hartebeest  huisje  for  the  night."  (Du  Toit's 
"  Rhodesia,"  p.  190,  1897.) 

Harvest  mackerel. — The  name  given  at  Port  St.  John  to 
the  large  shoals  of  small  fish  often  seen  on  the  east  coast ; 
they  are  probably  a  species  of  herring. 

14 


210  AFKICANDEKISMS 

"  We  have  been  notified  of  such  shoals  occurring  near  St. 
John's  .  .  .  they  are  there  called  'herring'  or  harvest 
mackerel."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  19  August,  1905.) 

Hasepad  Kies. — (D.  haas,  hare  ;  pad,  path  ;  kiezen,  to 
choose.)  The  colonial  form  of  Het  hazenpad  kiezen,  to  run 
away,  to  take  to  one's  heels. 

Heartwater. — A  disease  affecting  sheep,  goats,  and  cattle, 
the  infection  being  communicated  by  the  "  bont  tick," 
Amhlyomma  hehrceum,  Koch,  after  feeding  on  an  affected 
animal. 

"  The  characteristic  lesion  is  an  effusion  of  a  clear,  buff- 
coloured  sero-albuminous  fluid  into  the  thoracic  cavity  and 
pericardial  sac,  v?hich  coagulates  into  a  firm  jelly  on  exposure 
to  the  atmosphere.  Hence  its  popular  name  heartwater ^ 
("  Science  m  South  Africa,"  p.  346,  1905.) 

Heemraad. — (D.  heemraad,  a  dike-rieve.)  In  the  earlier 
days  of  the  Colony  the  Heemraad  M^as  a  sort  of  rural  court 
or  district  council  appointed  to  act  with  the  Landdrost  in 
adjudicating  with  reference  to  certain  minor  offences,  etc. 

"  The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ...  is  divided  into  four  districts 
over  each  of  which  is  placed  a  civil  magistrate  called  a  Land- 
drost, who  with  his  Heemraden,  or  a  council  of  country 
burghers,  is  vested  with  power  to  regulate  the  pofice  of  his 
district,  superintend  the  affairs  of  government,  adjust  litiga- 
tions, and  determine  petty  causes.  Their  decisions,  however, 
are  subject  to  an  appeal  to  the  Court  of  Justice  in  Cape  Town." 
(Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  12,  1801.) 

Hengsel. — (D.  hengsel,  a  hinge,  handle.)  The  small  and 
cunningly  twisted  loop  by  which  a  whip  is  hung  to  the  handle. 

Herald  Snake. — Leptodira  hotamboeia — a  common  and 
widely  distributed  snake. 

Herberg. — (D.  herberg,  a  tavern,  public-house.)  In  Cape 
Dutch  this  word  means  lodging,  shelter.  The  connexion 
between  this  word  and  the  English  words  Jiarbour  and  har- 
binger is  of  interest  as  illustrating  the  different  forms  and 
meanings  which  words  etymologically  the  same  may  assume 
in  cognate  languages. 

Herd. — (D.  herder,  shepherd,  herdsman.)  This  word  is 
used  throughout  South  Africa  for  "herdsman,"  whether  it 
be  sheep,  goats,  cattle,  horses  or  ostriches  that  he  guards.  In 
Scotland  and  the  northern  Enghsh  counties  a  shepherd  is 
still  designated  a  herd,  but  elsewhere  in  England  the  word  is 


AFRICANDEEISMS  211 

generally  used  as  part  of  a  compound  :  goat-herd,  swine-herd, 
cow-herd,  shepherd. 

"  The  sleeping  children  undisturbed  by  the  loose  musket- 
firing  from  the  terrified  inhabitants  or  the  startled  herds." 
(Ward's  "  Five  Years  in  Kaffirland,"  i.  p.  vii,  1848.) 

Herring. — The  fish  so  named  in  Natal  belongs  to  the 
genus  Caranx.     See  also  Harvest  mackerel. 

"  The  Natal  herring  is  therefore  really  a '  horse  mackerel ' ". 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  20  June,  1906.) 

Hes. — (D.  Hes,  a  Hessian.)  A  clumsy,  stupid  fellow. 
For  historical  reasons  the  word  Hessian  as  applied  in  America 
conveys  no  very  complimentary  meaning ;  it  is  used  there  to 
designate  a  politician  whose  services  are  at  the  disposal  of 
those  who  are  willing  to  pay  the  most  for  them.  But  how 
the  word  has  acquired  the  meaning  which  it  bears  among  the 
Dutch  of  South  Africa  is  not  so  apparent.     Cf.  Swaap. 

Heuveltje. — (D.  heuveltje,  a  hillock.)  (1)  A  hillock.  (2) 
The  small  hillocks  in  cultivated  lands,  which,  for  some  un- 
explained reason,  produce  a  stronger  growth  and  an  earlier 
crop  than  the  rest  of  the  land. 

"  The  incidence  of  the  heuveltje  in  the  cultivated  lands,  is 
an  accepted  phenomenon  which  offers  food  for  reflection.  .  .  . 
These  heuveltjes  never  need  manuring,  and  their  originating 
cause  is  not  as  yet  explained."  ("C.G.H.  Agric.  Journal," 
XXIII.  347,  1903.) 

Hiccough  nut. — The  fruit  of  Gomhretum  bracteosum,  Engl, 
.and  Diels.,  has  received  this  name  in  Natal ;  it  is  a  coast- 
growing  plant. 

"  The  exquisite  heads  of  scarlet  flowers  of  the  Hiccup-nut 
{Poivrea  prasteosa)  surrounding  its  rich  velvety  brown  and 
green  flower  buds."    (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  447, 1861.) 

Highveld. — (D.  hoogveld.)  The  inner  plateau  of  the  sub- 
continent, from  6000  to  6000  feet  above  sea-level  is  so 
styled.     See  Hoogveld. 

"  For  perhaps  a  week  the  towering  bulwarks  of  the  High- 
veld were  visible  as  we  toiled  along."  (Fitzpatrick's  "  Jock 
of  the  Bushveld,"  p.  223,  1907.) 

Hill  redwing. — Francolinus  Levaillanti.      See  Kedwing. 

Hindoos. — A  term  applied  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  Colony 
as  a  British  possession  to  such  Europeans  as  came  from 
India  to  the  Cape  either  to  recruit  their  health  or  to  take  up 
their  residence.     In  those  days  not  a  few  availed  themselves 

14* 


212  AFEICANDERISMS 

of  the  opportunity,  which  a  residence  at  the  Cape  afforded, 
of  recruiting  from  the  trying  effects  of  the  climate  of 
India. 

"  '  The  Hindoos  in  Cape  Town  ! '  '  The  Hindoos  '  ...  ex- 
claimed we.  '  Yes,  Sir,  the  Hindoos,  but  as  you  seem  surprised 
at  finding  any  of  the  followers  of  Brahma  in  Africa,  I  must 
explain  to  you  that  the  Hindoos  is  a  soubriquet  applied  by 
the  local  residents  to  all  visitors  from  India — whether  they 
be  Koelies  from  Calcutta,  Mulls  from  Madras,  or  Ducks  from 
Bombay.' "  ("  C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette,"  p.  43, 15  September, 
1830.) 

Hinge- bird. — Syncobrotus  bicolor.  The  note  of  this  bird 
is  very  similar  in  sound  to  the  harsh  creaking  of  a  rusty  hinge, 
hence  the  name. 

'•  It  is  a  cheerful  bird  and  quite  enlivens  the  bush  with  its 
peculiar  song,  which  sounds  not  unlike  the  creaking  of  a 
rusty  hinge,  from  which  we  sometimes  call  it  the  Hinge-bird." 
(Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  433,  1875- 
1884.) 

Hippopotamus. — (Greek,  hippos,  a  horse ;  potamos,  a  river.) 
Hippopotamus  amphibius,  L.  At  one  time  abundant  in  the 
rivers  of  South  Africa  this  animal  is  now  to  be  found  in  one 
or  two  rivers  of  Zululand  only ;  it  is  still  fairly  common  in  the 
Zambezi.     See  Sea-cow. 

"  I  left  Nahela  on  13  August,  and  when  proceeding 
along  the  shore  at  midday,  a  hippopotamus  struck  the  canoe 
with  her  forehead."  (Livingstone's  "  Missionary  Travels  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  497,  1857.) 

Hippopotamus  mole. — See  Sand  mole.  Cape  mole,  and 
Duin  mol. 

"It  is  also  called  the  'duin  mol'  and  the  hippopotamus 
mole"    ("  The  State,"  p.  231,  September,  1912.) 

Hlonipa. — (Kaf.  in  Tloni,  shyness,  bashfulness,  shame  ; 
uhu  Hlona,  to  be  afraid  of  reverentially.)  This  word  is  used 
to  describe  a  custom  among  the  Kaffirs  applying  exclusively 
to  females,  according  to  which  if  a  mother-in-law  meets  her 
son-in-law  she  may  not  speak  to  him  ;  a  woman  may  not 
mention  the  name  of  her  husband  nor  of  her  father-in-law  ; 
the  women  of  a  tribe  may  not  mention  the  name  of  a  dead 
chief,  nor  may  they  use  any  word  in  which  these  names  occur. 
This  curious  custom  has  had  a  powerful  effect  upon  the  lan- 
guage itself,  as  will  be  readily  understood.     The  word  hlonipa 


AFKICANDEEISMS  213 

means  that  they  are  too  bashful  or  polite  to  use  such  names 
in  common  everyday  speech. 

Hock. — (D.  hok,  a  pen,  kennel.)  A  small  enclosure  for 
fowls  or  small  animals. 

Hoek. — (D.  hoek,  an  angle,  corner.)  A  narrow  glen  or 
corner  formed  by  the  junction  of  hills  or  mountains,  the  en- 
trance to  it  being  also  the  exit :  e.g.  Fransche  Hoek. 

"  In  visiting  Franche  Hoek  I  did  not  as  before  regard 
without  interest  that  race  of  French  refugees  formerly  per- 
secuted by  their  unjust  country."  (Le  Vaillant's  "New 
Travels,"  i.  p.  33,  1796.) 

Hoeka. — (Hot.  "  huga,  adv.  von  Alters  her,  von  jeher," 
Kronlein.)  This  word  is  occasionally  heard  among  the 
coloured  farm  servants,  meaning  "  of  old  ". 

Hoenderspoor. — (D.  hoen,  a  hen  ;  spoor,  a  spur.)  Scolopia 
Zeyheri.  The  name  refers  to  the  shape  of  the  thorns.  See 
Doom  Peer  (Sup). 

Hoepelbeen. — (D.  hoep,  a  hoop  ;  been,  a  leg.)  Cape  Dutch 
for  bandy-legged. 

Holderstebolder. — (D.  holderdebolder,  topsy-turvy.)  Head 
over  heels,  topsy-turvy. 

Hole  in  the  Wall. — A  curious  natural  phenomenon  on  the 
coast  of  Pondoland.     See  quotations. 

"  Two  ponderous  black  rocks  arose  from  the  water's  edge 
upwards  of  80  feet  above  its  surface,  exhibiting  through 
one  of  them  the  phenomenon  of  a  natural  archway  called  by 
us  The  Hole  in  the  Wall."  (Owen's  "Narrative,"  i.  p. 
280,  1833.) 

"  Some  fine  scenery  is  met  with  on  the  coast-Hne,  notably 
Hole  in  the  Wall,  one  of  the  lions  worth  seeing  in  the 
Transkeian  Territories."  (Henkel's  "  The  Native  or  Trans- 
keian  Territories,"  p.  14,  1893.) 

Home. — This  word  is  employed  by  English  colonists 
throughout  South  Africa  when  speaking  of  England,  often 
even  when  they  are  African  born  and  their  parents  too. 

Hondeklip  Bay. — (D.  Jiond,  a  dog  ;  klip,  a  rock.)  A  small 
bay  on  the  Western  coast,  named  from  an  isolated  and  con- 
spicuous rock,  which  in  its  outline  somewhat  resembles  a 
crouching  dog. 

Honey -bird  or  Guide. — Several  birds  of  the  family  Indi- 
catoridce  have  been  thus  designated  from  their  habit  of  guid- 
ing men  and  animals  to  the  nests  of  bees.     They  flutter  about 


214  AFRICANDEEISMS 

the  traveller  and  make  a  peculiar  noise  to  attract  attention. 
A  portion  of  the  honey  is  invariably  left  for  the  little 
guide. 

"  There  is  reason  to  suppose  that  the  moroc  of  Abyssinia 
and  the  bee-cuckoo,  which  I  have  described  above,  are  one  and 
the  same  bird."     (Sparmann's  "Voyage,"  ii.  p.  193,  1785.) 

"  Up  comes  a  honey -bird  ...  *  chet,  chet,  chet,  chee,' 
he  said,  which  is  his  way  of  saying  as  how  he's  found  a  honey- 
tree,  and  wanted  some  one  to  go  shares  with  him."  (Glan- 
ville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  52,  1897.) 

"  An  interesting  family  are  the  Honey  guides  {Indicator  idm), 
several  species  of  which  are  widely  spread  throughout  South 
Africa  .  .  .  they  are  undoubtedly  like  cuckoos,  parasitic  in 
their  breeding  habits  and  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  nests  of 
other  birds."     ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  141,  1905.) 

Honey-eaters  or  suckers. — Birds  of  the  family  Nectari- 
niidcB.  These  exquisite  little  creatures  with  their  bright 
metallic  colours  flashing  in  the  sun  are  exceedingly  attractive. 
They  live  on  nectar,  pollen,  and  insects.     See  Sun  birds. 

"  Larks,  doves,  and  Jwney-eaters  flock  in  countless  numbers 
round."     (Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  397,  1856.) 

"  Honey-suckers  or  Sun-birds  that  flit  like  living  gems  from 
flower  to  flower."     (Russell's  "  Natal,"  p.  36, 1891.) 

Honey-pot. — This  is  a  rather  amusing  example  of  "  striv- 
ing after  meaning  ".  The  Dutch  name  of  this  richly  flavoured 
grape,  the  muscat  of  Alexandria,  is  Haanepoot  (q.v.).  This 
name  has  been  corrupted  by  English  colonists  into  "  Honey- 
pot,"  approaching  the  Dutch  name  in  sound,  but  having  refer- 
ence to  the  lusciousness  of  the  fruit  rather  than  to  the  shape 
of  the  leaf. 

"  He  led  us  into  the  vineyard  where  we  found  abundance 
of  the  most  delicious  flavoured  grapes,  one  sort,  called  the 
honey-pot,  especially  so,  and  of  immense  size."  (King's 
"  Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,"  p.  190,  1855.) 

"  The  muscatel  and  sweet-water  grapes,  and  a  fine,  fleshy, 
well-flavoured  variety  called  hanna-poot,  or  more  commonly 
honey-pot,  are  all  specially  good."  (Lucas'  "  Camp  Life 
and  Sport,"  p.  36,  1878.) 

Honing  boschje. — (D.  honing,  honey.)  Syndesmanthus 
and  several  others  of  the  Ericacece  are  so  named  in  the 
Riversdale  District. 

Honing  koek. — (D.  honing,  honey  ;  koek,  a  cake.)    Honey 


AFBICANDERISMS  215 

cake  or  Gingerbread  ;  the  pollen  of  flowers  collected  by  bees 
and  known  as  bee-bread. 

Honingthee. — (D.  honing,  honey  ;  thee,  tea. )  Gyclopea 
genistoides  Vent.  An  infusion  of  the  leaves  of  this  plant  has 
a  sweet,  astringent  taste,  and  is  useful  in  colds  and  coughs. 

Honingwijzer. — (D.  wijzen,  to  show,  point  out.)  See 
Honey-bird. 

"  This  bird  which,  on  account  of  the  singular  property  it 
is  endued  with,  is  called  by  the  colonists  honing -wijzer,  or 
honey-guide."     (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  ii.  p.  190,  1785.) 

Hoof  and  tongue  sickness. — Foot  and  mouth  disease.  See 
Klauw  ziekte. 

"  We  have  had  a  great  deal  of  hoof  and  tongue  sickness 
amongst  our  cattle  lately."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  22 
January,  1867.) 

Hoog-pister. — (D.  hoog,  high;  pis,  urine.)  The  name 
given  to  a  large  beetle,  Manticora,  because  it  ejects  to  a  con- 
siderable height  (and  whether  purposely  or  accidentally,  often 
enough  into  the  eyes  of  its  would-be  captor)  an  exceed- 
ingly acrid  fluid. 

Hoog  veld. — See  also  under  Bosch  veld  and  High  veld. 

"  Door  het  Hoogeveld  wordt  verstaan  het  eigenlijke  plateau 
van  Drakensberg,  dat  zich  tot  aan  Magaliesberg  en  Lijden- 
burg,  en  Westelijk,  langs  Vaal-rivier  uitstrekt."  ("  De  Wor- 
stelstrijd   der  Transvalers,"  p.  332,  1882.) 

Hoorn  Pof  Adder. — Bitis  caudalis,  so  named  because  of  the 
horn-like  scales  on  the  head.     It  is  also  called  the  Hornsman. 

Hooter. — The  steam  whistle  employed  at  factories. 

"  The  hooter  from  the  tobacco  factory."  ("  The  State," 
p.  287,  September,  1911.) 

Horensmannetje. — (D.  horens,  horn  ;  mannetje,  mannikin.) 
Bitis  cornuta.  The  so-called  horned  snake ;  these  horns  are 
two  curiously  modified  and  greatly  enlarged  scales,  which 
stand  erect  immediately  over  the  eyes  and  are  shed  in  the 
process  of  desquamation. 

"  Die  Schlange  Cerastes,  oder  die  gehdrnte,  findet  sich  auf 
dem  Vorgebiirge,  wenn  dem  P.  Tachard  zu  glauben."  ("  Voy. 
de  Siam,"  p.  111.)     (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  353,  1745.) 

"  In  the  early  morning  I  found  and  captured  a  cerastes  or 
horned  snake  sixteen  or  eighteen  inches  long.  .  .  ,  The 
colonial  name  is  Horenmanijee."  (Baines'  "Explorations," 
p.  374,  1864.) 

Horensmanooi. — (D.  ooi,  a  ewe.)     A  horned  ewe. 


216  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Horologieberg. — (D.  Jwrloge,  a  watch ;  berg,  a  mountain.) 
A  mountain  near  Worcester  in  the  Western  Province,  by 
the  shadow  of  which  upon  certain  natural  objects  the  early 
colonists  in  the  locality  were  able  to  tell  approximately  the 
time  of  day.  Horloge  has  become  Horlosi  and  even  Orlosi  in 
South  Africa,  and  means  a  watch  or  clock. 

Horse  fish. — See  Paarde-visch. 

Horse-shoe  geranium. — Pelargonium  zonale  var.  steno- 
petalum  is  so  called  because  of  the  marking  of  its  leaves. 

"  A  large  shrub  with  juicy,  green  stems  and  thick  leaves, 
usually,  but  not  invariably,  marked  with  a  dark  semicircle, 
whence  its  name  horse-shoe  geranium."  {"  Flora  Capensis," 
Vol.  I.  p.  299,  1859-60.) 

Horse- sickness. — Oedema  mycosis.  A  deadly  epizootic 
disease  which  has  been  known  in  the  Cape  Colony  since  1719. 
It  seems  from  the  researches  of  Dr.  Edington,  Director  of  the 
Government  Bacteriological  Institute  (Eeport,  1895),  to  be 
due  to  the  presence  in  the  blood  of  the  vegetative  spores  of  a 
micro-organism  of  a  fungoid  character.  In  one  of  the  serious 
outbreaks  of  this  dreaded  disease,  no  less  than  70,000  horses 
and  mules,  worth  £525,000,  died  in  the  Cape  Colony  alone. 

"  As  the  season  for  Paarde-ziekte,  or  horse  distemper,  was 
expected  to  begin,  generally  about  the  beginning  of  February, 
a  party  of  people  set  out  this  day  for  the  Colony,  taking  with 
them  a  great  number  of  horses."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i. 
p.  509,  1822.) 

"The  establishment  of  Mr.  Cloete  on  the  Breede  Kiver  is 
very  extensive.  .  .  .  The  horse-sickness  is,  unfortunately,  not 
unknown  even  here,  but  at  times  commits  dreadful  ravages 
among  the  herds  of  horses  which  are  obliged  to  remain  at 
pasturage  during  the  periods  of  its  visitation."  (Nicholson's 
"  The  Cape  and  its  Colonists,"  p.  137,  1848.) 

Horse  whim. — A  large  wooden  wheel,  used  in  the  early 
days  of  the  diamond  fields,  for  hauling  the  buckets,  which 
contained  the  diamondiferous  soil,  up  from  the  mine. 

Hot  en  haar. — (D.  hot,  hotom,  to  the  left ;  Jiaar,  haarom, 
to  the  right.  Cf.  G.  Hott  und  har,  on  all  sides,  and  the 
Piatt  Deutsch  phrase,  "He  weet  nich  hutt!  noch  hah!") 
These  words  are  equivalent  to  the  "off"  and  "near"  of 
English  drivers,  and  are  employed  :  (1)  To  describe  the  posi- 
tion of  the  oxen  in  a  span  or  team.  (2)  To  direct  the  oxen 
which  way  to  turn  :  hot,  to  the  left ;  haar,  to  the  right.     In 


AFKICANDEEISMS  217 

the  expression,  Hij  het  hot  en  haar,  "  he  has  it  rough,"  "he 
has  plenty  to  contend  with,"  sometimes  heard,  the  idea  seems 
to  be  that  the  person  spoken  of  is  getting  buffeted  from  all 
sides. 

"  Each  ox  will  pay  attention,  and  go  to  the  right  or  to  the 
left,  merely  upon  hearing  its  own  name  pronounced  with  a 
hote  or  a  haar  added  to  it."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p. 
127,  1785.) 

"  These  two  words  har  and  hot,  to  which  the  dictionary 
gave  no  clue,  puzzled  me  not  a  little,  and  the  only  explanation 
I  can  offer  is  contained  in  the  names  of  two  towns  on  the 
opposite  sides  of  the  Seine,  Harfleur  and  Honfleur,  so  I  leave 
the  matter  to  better  linguists  than  myself."  (Barter's  "  The 
Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  pp.  61-62,  1852.) 

"Literally  I  did  not  know  my  right  hand  from  my  left 
when  h^t  stood  for  one  and  haar  for  the  other,  sounds  intel- 
ligent enough  to  the  most  stupid  bullock  that  ever  bore  the 
yoke."     ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  194,  1870.) 

"  Men  kan  kwalijk  een  '  voor-os  '  '  achter '  spannen,  of 
een  dier  dat  Jwt  (aan  den  linkerkant),  trekt,  haar  (aan  den 
rechterkant)."  ("  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  104, 
1882.) 

Hotnot.- — A  common  Dutch  pronunciation  of  Hottentot. 

Hotom. — A  porridge  made  of  meal  and  water. 

Hottentot. — This  name  is  generally  supposed  to  be  onoma- 
topoetic  (cf.  Barbarian),  imitating,  as  nearly  as  possible,  the 
clicking  sounds  made  by  these  people  in  their  speech  ;  but  it  is 
referred  by  Dr.  Th.  Hahn,  in  his  work  "  Tsui-goab,  the 
Supreme  Being  of  the  Khoi-Khoin,"  to  the  old  German  or 
Frisian  Hiittentiit,  the  gibberish  used  by  the  astrologers  and 
quack  doctors.  The  people  call  themselves  "  Khoi-Khoin,"  or 
men  of  men. 

'  ■  "  The  Europeans  call  those  people  Hottentots,  perhaps 
because  they  have  always  that  word  in  their  mouth  when 
they  meet  strangers."  ("  A  Voyage  to  Siam  performed  by 
Six  Jesuits,"  p.  68,  1688.) 

"Die  Hottentotten  gefiel  die  Freygebigkeit  und  das  an- 
nehmliches  Wesen  dieses  Admiral's  dermassen  wohl,  das  sie 
gar  bald  einen  Vergleich  mit  ihm  schlossen."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  12,  1745.) 

"  The  more  general  name  of  Hottentot  has  been  given 
probably  from  their  language,  which  is  harsh,  broken,  full  of 


218  AFRICANDEEISMS 

monosyllables.  .  .  .  It  is  as  if  one  heard  nothing  from  them 
but  hot  and  tot."     (Arbousset's  "  Narrative,"  p.  242,  1846.) 

Hottentot. — Gantharus  blochii.  A  small  fish  of  excellent 
quality  abundant  in  Table  and  False  Bays.  The  name  refers 
to  its  colour  and  stunted  shape.  See  Hangberger  and  Mud- 
fish. In  Natal  the  name  is  given  to  Gantharus  natalensis. 
See  Rock  fish. 

"The  Hottentot  fish,  which  is  like  a  sea-bream,  is  daily 
brought  to  market  in  great  plenty."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages," 
I.  p.  560,  1798.) 

"  Abundance  of  excellent  fish  are  to  be  procured  here,  such 
as  the  delicious  Roman  fish,  Hottentot.''  (Alexander's  "Ex- 
pedition," I.  p.  88,  1838.) 

Hottentot  bean  tree. — Scotia  speciosa.  An  old  colonial 
name  for  this  tree.     See  Boerboon. 

"The  Hottentot's  bean  tree. — The  clusters  of  scarlet 
flowers,  intermingled  with  the  small  and  elegant  green  foliage, 
give  it  a  remarkable  pre-eminence  over  the  tall  trees  of  the 
ravines."     (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Researches,"  p.  106,  1833.) 

Hottentot  bonnets. — Disperis  capensis  was  known  by  this 
name,  now  it  is  more  generally  known  as  Moeder  kapje  (q.v.). 
"  Disperis  capensis  ...  is  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Hottentot  bonnet,  on  account  of  the  peculiar  shape  of  its 
purple  and  green  flowers."  (Bunbury's  "  Cape  of  Good  Hope," 
p.  88,  1848.) 

Hottentot  bread. — Testitudinaria  Elephantipes.  The 
plant  more  generally  known  as  Elephant's  foot  (q.v.). 

"  Testitudinaria  Elephantipes,  Hottentot's  bread,  found  on 
the  Karroo  about  Uitenhage."  (Backhouse's  "Narrative," 
p.  326,  1844.) 

Hottentot  cherry. — The  leathery  berry  of  Maurocenia 
capensis.     See  also  Aasvogel  besjes  and  Kaffir  cherry. 

"  M.  capensis  .  .  .  Engl,  name  Hottentot  cherry." 
C*  Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  465,  1859-60.) 

"  The  Kaffir  apple,  Hottentot  cherry  .  .  .  wilde  pruimen, 
and  many  another  shrub."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karroo," 
p.  130,  1889.) 

Hottentot  fig. — Mesembryanthemum  edule.  A  trailing 
evergreen,  with  succulent,  three-cornered  leaves  and  pretty 
flowers.  The  fruit  is  full  of  small  seeds  and  has  a  not  un- 
pleasant flavour.  The  word  "fig"  refers  to  its  shape  and 
small  seeds.     See  Ghokum  and  Gouna  vijg. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  219 

"  Dicke  dreyeckigte  und  safftigte  Blatter  von  gewissen 
Feigen,  die  man  Hottentottische  Feigen  nennt."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  141,  1745.) 

"  The  Mesemhryanthemum  edule  grew  here  in  abundance 
and  was  called  Hottentot  figs  {Hottentot  vijgen)."  (Thun- 
berg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  163,  1795.) 

Hottentot  god. — There  are  several  of  the  Mantidce  thus 
designated  in  South  Africa,  one  or  other  of  which  the  Hot- 
tentots were  said  to  worship.  Kolben  professes  to  have  seen 
them  pray  to  this  insect,  but  his  imagination  is  sometimes 
the  source  of  his  facts.  Sparrman,  in  denying  that  they 
worshipped  the  insect,  says  that  there  is  a  variety  of  mantis 
which  they  think  it  a  crime  to  injure. 

"  Die  Hottentotten  beten  auch  als  eine  giitige  Gottheit  an, 
ein  Ungeziefer,  welches  sich,  dem  Sagen  nach,  bloss  in 
ihrem  Lande  findet." 

"  Ich  habe  gar  oft  dergleichen  gesehen  :  Es  hat  einen 
grunen  Riicken  mit  weissen  und  rothen  Flecken."  (Kolben's 
"Beschreibung,"  p.  98,  1745.) 

"  There  is  a  genus  of  insects  (the  mantis)  called  by  the 
colonists  the  Hottentofs  god ;  but  so  far  are  they  from  wor- 
shipping these  insects  that  they  have  more  than  once  catched 
some  of  them,  and  given  them  to  me  to  stick  needles  through 
them  by  way  of  preserving  them."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage," 
I.  p.  211,  1785.) 

Hottentot's  Holland. — The  Hottentot's  Holland  Valley, 
now  called  Somerset  West,  together  with  other  territory,  was 
purchased  from  the  Hottentots  for  a  mere  trifle  in  1672  by 
the  Dutch. 

"Der  Name  Hottentottisch-Holland  kommt  nicht  daher 
als  ob  diese  Gegend  der  Provinz  Holland  ahnlich  sahe  :  sie 
ist  grosser  von  ganz  anderer  Gestalt,  und  gebiigrig.  Man  hat 
ihr  den  Namen  gegeben,  weil  sie  bey  der  ersten  Untersuchung 
sehr  bequem  schien  die  Heerden  der  Compagnie  zu  ernahren." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  214,  1745.) 

Hottentot's  Kauw  goed. — (D.  kauwen,  to  chew  ;  kauw, 
a  quid  ;  goed,  stuff,  goods.)  Mesejnhryanthemum  tortuosum, 
L.,  is  so  called  in  the  Karoo. 

"The  plant  which  goes  under  the  broad  designation  of 
Hottentot's  Kauiogoed,  grows  in  the  Karoo."  ("Trans.  S.A. 
Phil.  Society,"  p.  48,  ix.,  1898.) 

Hottentot's   Kooigoed. —  (D.    kooi,    a  bed,    couch  ;  goed, 


220  AFEICANDERISMS 

stuff.)    A  soft  woolly  substance  obtained   from   the   shrub 
Eriocephalus  umhellatus.     See  Kapok. 

"  Boegoe,  anys,  hottentoi's  kooigoed,  katte  kruie  van  alles'n 
weinig  op  water  getrek  en  enige  male  per  dag  te  drink." 
(Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  121,  1898.) 

Hottentot's  tea. — Helichrysum  serpyllifolium,  Less. 
Largely  used  by  the   coloured  people   and   infused   as   tea. 

Hot  winds. — Northerly  winds  heated  by  their  passage 
over  the  hot  plains  of  the  interior,  sometimes  make  the  heat 
of  the  summer  almost  unendurable. 

"  At  certain  seasons,  however,  northerly  breezes  prevail ; 
these  are  termed  by  the  colonists  '  hot  winds '.  On  these 
occasions  the  wind  feels  as  if  it  were  blowing  off  a  furnace  in 
a  glass  foundry,  being  heated  in  its  passage  over  the  burning 
sands  of  the  great  Kalahari  desert."  (Gordon  Cumming's 
"  Adventures,"  i.  p.  60,  1850.) 

Hours. — Distances  by  road  in  South  Africa  are  measured 
by  the  time  it  takes  a  man  on  horseback  to  cover  them  at  the 
ordinary  rate  of  travelling,  say  about  six  miles  an  hour.  The 
reply  to  a  question  as  to  distance  generally  being,  "  Oh,  so 
many  hours  ". 

"  The  uur  or  one  hoiir  on  the  road  is  reckoned  as  much  as 
a  man  can  ride  on  a  round  trot."  (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i. 
p.  81,  1785). 

"  A  Dutch  mile  which  they  in  general  call  an  hour  is  about 
three  miles  and  a  half  English."  (Stavorinus'  "Voyages,"  i. 
p.  58  n.,  1798.) 

House  snakes. — Boodon  infernalis,  B.  guttatus,  and  B. 
lineatus.  These  snakes  are  distinguished  as  the  black,  the 
spotted  and  the  brown  house  snakes  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
King  William's  Town.  They  are  non-poisonous.  Another 
species,  B.  mentalis,  is  found  in  Damaraland. 

"  These  house  snakes  are  more  serviceable  to  man  than 
cats,  for  they  can  follow  rats  and  mice  into  their  hiding- 
places."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7, 1  September,  1911.) 
Hout  Bay. — (D.  hout,  wood.)  Too  often  spoken  and 
written  "  Hout's  Bay,"  as  though  it  had  been  named  after  a 
person.  The  Bay  was  at  one  time  well  wooded  all  round  its 
shores,  and  it  is  this  fact  that  is  commemorated  in  the  name. 
It  is  on  record  that  Riebeeck  "  found  there  the  finest  forests 
in  the  world,  containing  as  lofty,  thick,  and  straight  trees  as  can 
be  desired  ".     (Hoodie's  "  Records,"  p.  34,  1838.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  221 

"  Der  Holz-Bay  (Hout  Bay)  ist  nicht  weniger  schlimm. 
Dieser  Bay  hat  den  Namen  von  einem  grossen  Wald  der  sie 
umfasset."     (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  204,  1745.) 

"  1653,  11  July.  Proceed  with  the  sloop  behind  Table 
Mountain  to  examine  and  sound  the  bay  there  called  by  us 
in  consequence  of  its  forests,  Hout  Bay."  (Leibbrandt's 
Precis,  "  Van  Kiebeeck's  Journal,"  Part  i.  p.  76,  1897.) 

Houtkapper. — (D.  hout,  wood  ;  happen,  to  chop,  cut,  fell.) 
(1)  A  bird  of  the  GapitonidcB  family — Lyhius  torquatus  is  so 
called.  (2)  The  name  is  also  given  to  a  species  of  termite — 
Hodotermes  havilandi,  which  is  destructive  to  growing  crops. 

"A  noisy  little  barbet  which  the  Hottentots  called  Hout- 
kapper (wood-cutter)  from  the  noise  it  makes  with  its  beak 
against  the  branches  of  trees  in  search  of  insects."  (Bur- 
chell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  318,  1822.) 

"  The  trouble  here  is  not  the  small  white  ant,  but  the  large 
brown  black  head,  locally  known  as  Houtkapper  or  wood- 
chopper."     ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Journal,"  p.  471,  1904.) 

Houtpaard. — (D.  hout,  wood  ;  paard,  a  horse.)  A  wooden 
block  6  or  7  feet  in  length,  with  a  peg  driven  in  at  one 
end,  used  by  the  Hottentots  to  assist  them  in  crossing  flooded 
streams  and  rivers. 

"  Being  loaded  each  with  three  or  four  bundles  they  would 
not  perhaps  have  found  it  practicable  to  cross  the  stream  with- 
out the  assistance  of  what  the  Klaarwater  Hottentots  termed 
a  Houte-paard  (wooden-horse)."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p. 
415,  1822.) 

Hump. — Generally  applied  to  the  protuberance  on  the 
back  of  an  ox,  between  the  shoulders,  a  favourite  piece  with 
South  African  housewives  for  salting. 

"  One  day  I  dined  on  beef-steak,  on  lion,  and  hump  '  de 
rhinoceros  '  done  in  the  ashes.  .  .  .  Ehinoceros  hump  was  a 
frequent  and  favourite  dish  of  mine."  (Anderson's  "  Okavango 
Kiver,"  p.  130,  1861.) 

Hunger-belt. — A  thong  of  hide  (according  to  Kronlein  the 
Namaqua  words  for  hunger  and  for  riem  are  from  the  same 
root,  *a,  to  hunger),  worn  as  a  belt  by  the  Namaqua  Hottentots 
which  in  times  of  scarcity  is  gradually  tightened  to  deaden 
the  gnawings  of  hunger.  Lichtenstein,  literally  translating 
the  German  name  for  a  similar  contrivance,  which,  he  says, 
is  used  by  the  people  of  the  lower  classes  in  that  country, 
calls  it  the  "  girdle  of  emptiness  "  {Schmachtriemen ;  compare 


222  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Den  Schmachtriemen  umschnallen,  to  starve  ;  schmachten,  to 
languish,  pine,  especially  for  want  of  food). 

"  He  had  rather  buckle  the  girdle  of  emptiness  round  him 
than  submit  to  such  exertions  as  going  to  the  chace,  or  catch- 
ing insects."     (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  46,  1814.) 

"  Dying  of  hunger  and  my  girdle  of  famine — the  leather 
strap  worn  round  the  waist  is  called  by  the  savages  a  lambele 
strap  or  *  hunger-girdle ' — tightened  to  the  last  hole.  I  felt 
strangely  tempted  to  devour  my  Christmas  dinner  uncooked." 
(Harris'  "  Wild  Sports,"  p.  293,  1839.) 

"  Food  he  had  none,  for  every  man  carried  a  signal  of  dis- 
tress round  his  belly."  (Baines'  "  Explorations,"  p.  8,  1864.) 
(On  p.  467  Baines  gives  an  illustration  of  a  "Makalaka  with 
the  first  reef  in  his  hunger-belt  ".) 

Huspot. — (F.  hochepot ;  Eng.  hodge-podge;  D.  hutspot.) 
The  South  African  name  for  a  kind  of  ragout  of  meat  and 
vegetables. 

"Haricot  (Cape  name,  huspot)."  (Hilda's  "  Where  is  it? 
of  Recipes,"  p.  91,  1901.) 

Huurkamer.  —  (D.  huur,  rent,  hire,  lease ;  hamer,  a 
chamber.)  Rooms  built  for  hire.  In  most  South  African 
inland  towns  rooms  are  to  be  found  built  for  the  use  of  the 
owners  or  visitors  at  Nachtmaal  time,  when  there  is  a  large 
influx  of  farmers  from  the  surrounding  district  with  their 
v^ves  and  families.  At  other  times  they  are  nearly  always 
empty,  but  they  are  still  termed  huur-kamers. 

Hyaena  man. — See  Great  elephant. 

"  Another  of  his  (Chaka's)  designations  has  been  the 
'  Hyaena  man,'  as  being  descriptive  of  the  revolting  scowl  and 
dark  treachery  of  that  ferocious  beast."  (Hoodie's  "  Battles 
in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  392,  1888.) 

Ice-plant. — Mesemhryanthemum  crystallinum,  R.,  is  so 
called  because  it  has  the  appearance  of  being  covered  with 
ice-sparkles,  and  is  always  cool  to  the  touch.  See  Slaai 
bosch. 

"  The  vegetation  is  confined  chiefly  to  some  sorts  of  the 
Mesemhryanthemum  crystallinum,  or  ice-plant,  as  it  is  gener- 
ally called."     (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  44,  1812.) 

I.D.B. — These  initials  stand  in  South  Africa  for  "  Illicit 
Diamond  Buying,"  a  crime  severely  punished.  Previous 
to  the  estabhshment  of  the  Compound  System  (q.v.)  at 
the  Diamond  Fields,  the  native  labourers  in  the  mines  would 


AFEICANDERISMS  223 

frequently  steal  the  stones  and  dispose  of  them  to  unscrupu- 
lous persons  for  a  sum  considerably  less  than  their  market 
value ;  to  such  an  extent  was  this  illicit  trade  carried  on  that 
it  was  estimated  that  from  one-fifth  to  one-furth  of  the 
diamonds  found  in  the  mines  failed  to  reach  their  lawful 
owners.  This  condition  of  things  brought  about  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Compound  System  and  the  passing  of  most 
stringent  laws,  making  it  a  crime  to  be  in  possession  of  an 
uncut  diamond  without  a  licence. 

"  '  The  fellow  had  money  there  with  which  he  turned 
I.D.B:  'What's  that?'  said  Carr.  'Illicit  Diamond 
Buyer,'  said  Cobus.  '  I  forgot  that  the  expression  had  been 
coined  since  you  left,  and  an  I.D.B.  renders  himself  amenable 
to  the  law.'  "  ("  At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  520,  1884.) 
"  They  have  given  an  unenviable  reputation  to  three  letters 
of  the  alphabet — I.D.B.,  which  mean  'Illicit  Diamond 
Buyers,'  and  refer  to  some  of  the  most  cunning  and  unscru- 
pulous rascals  in  creation."  (Glanville's  "  The  Fossicker," 
p.  290,  1891.) 

I.D.B.  Act. — The  common  name  of  the  Diamond  Trade 
Act,  which  came  into  force  on  1  September,  1882.  It  was 
framed  to  suppress,  if  possible,  the  nefarious  traffic  above 
described. 

Idle  Dick  or  Lazy  Jack. — Sphencecicus  natalensis.  The 
common  names  of  this  bird  in  Natal. 

"  If  flushed  more  than  once,  it  betakes  itself  to  a  clump  of 
grass  or  bush,  and  will  suffer  itself  to  be  taken  with  the  hand 
rather  than  rise  again ;  for  this  reason  it  has  acquired  the 
name  of  Idle  Dick  or  Lazy  Jack."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's 
"Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  281,  1875-1884.) 

Ifafa  Lily. — The  name  given  in  the  Transkeian  territories 
to  Cyrtanthus  lutescens,  Herb. 
Iguana. — See  Guana. 

"  Hence  the  Iguana,  a  small  kind  of  crocodile,  proceeds  on 
shore  at  night  and  takes  chickens  from  the  hen-roosts  and 
eggs  from  the  fowl-house."  (Bisset's  "  Sport  and  War  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  179,  1875.) 

"  In  South  Africa  this  reptile — the  Nile  Monitor — is  often 
miscalled  an  iguana.''  (Bryden's  "  Animals  of  Africa,"  p.  174, 
1900.) 

Ihashe. — This  word,  in  use  among  the  Kaffirs,  is  the  re- 
sult of  their  efforts  to  reproduce  the  English  word  "horse". 


224  AFRICANDEEISMS 

Ijzer-magauw. — Dutch  name  for  Manis  temmincki,  a 
nocturnal  animal  which  feeds  on  ants  and  termites  ;  it  breaks 
into  their  nests  with  its  powerful  claws  and  catches  the  occu- 
pants on  its  sticky  tongue.     See  Pangolin. 

Ijzerpaard. — (D.  ijzer,  iron ;  paard,  a  horse.)  (1)  The 
railway  engine.     (2)  Sometimes  applied  to  a  bicycle. 

Ijzer  vark. — (D,  varken,  a  pig.)  Histrix  cristatus,  L .  The 
Dutch  name  for  this  animal. 

"  The  hystrix  cristata  of  Linnaeus,  called  by  the  colonists 
here  yzter-varken  (or  iron  hog),  is  the  same  animal  as  the  Ger- 
mans carry  about  for  a  show  in  our  country  by  the  name  of 
porcupine."     (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  151,  1785.) 

Ijzer  vogeltje. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird,  fowl.)  Alseonax  adusta. 
The  Dutch  name  of  a  small  bird  of  the  Muscicapidse  family. 
The  name  refers  to  the  iron  colour  of  the  bird. 

Imfe. — (Kaf.  im  Fe.)  Holchus  saccharatus.  A  sweet 
cane  grown  and  chewed  by  the  natives ;  it  is  of  little  good 
for  any  other  purpose. 

"  A  species  of  sugar  cane,  called  i7nfe,  is  grown  in  great 
abundance ;  of  this  the  natives  are  remarkably  fond."  (Kay's 
"Researches  in  Caffraria,"  p.  123,  1883.) 

Impala. — ^pycerosmelampus,  aometimescsMed  the  pallah. 
"  We  sat  like  statues  as  the  impala  walked  out  from  its 
stall  between  Teddy's  knees."     (Fitzpatrick's  "  Jock  of  the 
Bushveld,"  p.  302,  1907.) 

Impi. — (Kaf.  im  Pi,  an  army,  an  enemy.)  An  army  or 
regiment,  an  enemy. 

"Hanta  .  .  .  heads,  by  right  of  o£fice,  the  impi  yakwom- 
kulu,  or  regiment  of  the  great  place."  (Holden's  "  Past  and 
Future  of  the  Kaffir  Races,"  p.  155,  1866.) 

Inbooking. — (D.  hoeken,  to  enter,  to  book.)  The  anglicized 
form  of  the  word  used  by  the  Dutch  in  the  Transvaal  for  a 
system  of  apprenticing  natives  that  was  open  to  great  abuse. 
See  Black  ivory. 

"  Under  the  specious  name  of  inbooking  (a  form  of  appren- 
ticeship) they  were  actually  made  slaves  for  an  indefinite 
number  of  years."  ("  At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  P-  255, 
1884.) 

"  He  must  have  been  one  of  those  inboeked  children  that 
never  grow  out  of  their  apprenticeship."     {Ibid.,  p.  522.) 

Indaba. — (Kaf.  in  Daba,  news,  information.)  A  native 
council  meeting  for  the  discussion  of  business  of  importance 


AFRICANDEEISMS  225 

to  the  tribe.  It  seems  as  if  the  word  were  likely  to- pass  into 
South  African  slang. 

"  Es  wiirde  sehr  freuen,  wenn  ich  zu  ihm  kommen  und 
die  indaha  (Neuigkeit)  von  Sekukuni  erzahlen  wolle." 
(Wangemann's  "  Ein  Reise-Jahr  in  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  522, 
1868.) 

"  The  general  conduct  of  his  daily  life,  his  work,  his  hunts, 
.  .  his  indabas,  differ  little  from  the  vogue  and  usage  of  the 
past."  (Robinson's  "  A  Life  Time  in  South  Africa,"  p.  313, 
1900.) 

"  At  this  stage  the  indaha  was  adjourned  for  half  an  hour." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  1  July,  1907.) 

Indian  flame  plant. — Poinsettia  pulcherima  has  been  thus 
designated,  the  reference  being  to  the  bright  red  bracts  be- 
neath the  inflorescences. 

"If  the  curious  draw  them  apart  he  will  find  between 
floral  organs  pretty  much  the  same  as  occur  upon  the  Poin- 
settia or  Indian  flame  plant,  and  the  melkbosch."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  18  October,  1912.) 

Indian  pride  or  Pride  of  India. — The  handsome  Lager- 
stroemia  indica  is  so  named  in  Natal. 

"  This  little  lonely  tenement  is  marked  out  by  an  oblong 
heap  of  stones,  with  a  dwarf  bush  of  Indian  pride  at  either 
extremity."  (Methuen's  "  Life  in  the  Wilderness,"  p.  284, 
1848.) 

Indian  shot. — Canna  indica.  The  popular  South  African 
designation  of  this  plant ;  it  refers  to  the  striking  resemblance 
which  the  seeds  bear  to  swan-shot. 

Induna. — (Kaf .  in  Duna,  councillor,  one  of  rank.)  A  man 
in  authority ;  one  who  is  next  in  rank  to  the  chief.  The 
word  is  more  frequently  used  by  the  Zulus  than  among  the 
Kaffirs  of  the  Cape  Colony. 

"  While  Uys  and  his  people  were  occupying  Dingaan's 
attention,  the  English  settlers  proceeded  with  their  natives 
against  the  kraals  of  Sotobo  and  another  in-duna  situate 
between  Mooi  River  and  the  Tugela."  (Shooter's  "  Kaffirs 
of  Natal,"  p.  322,  1857.) 

Ins^elegd. — (D.  inleggen,  to  pickle,  preserve ;  cf .  G. 
einlegen,  to  salt,  pickle.)  Pickled,  preserved ;  the  Cape 
Dutch  name  also  for  pickled  fish,  the  adjective  being  used 
as  a  noun  in  the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony. 

"  Geelbek,  commonly  called  Cape  Salmon,  .   .  .  makes 

16 


226  AFKICANDEEISMS 

good  fish  pie, '  smoorfish,'  engelegte,  or  pickled  fish."  (Hilda's 
"  Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  65,  1902.) 

Ingubu. — (Kaf.  in  Gubo,  a  garment,  skin,  blanket.)  A 
dress  or  garment  of  any  kind  is  offered  for  sale  to  the  Natal 
natives  under  this  name. 

"  Cast-off  articles  of  European  attire  known  to  the  natives 
as  Ingouboos."     (Eussell's  "  Old  Durban,"  p.  187,  1899.) 

Inja. — (Kaf.  in  Ja,  a  dog.)  (1)  A  dog.  (2)  The  term  is 
applied  also  to  subordinates.  (3)  It  is  further  used  as  a  term 
of  opprobrium  or  contempt,  as  by  Kaffirs  to  Fingoes.  As 
employed,  hov^ever,  by  a  chief  of  any  of  his  indunas  or  people 
it  is  regarded  as  a  compliment,  indicating  loyalty  and  fidelity. 

"  On  these  occasions  the  inja  (dog),  although  of  the  most 
wretched  description,  appears  to  render  exceptional  service." 
(Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Researches,"  p.  134,  1833.) 

"  The  word  incha  (dog)  has  two  meanings  diametrically 
opposed  to  one  another  in  the  metaphorical  language  of  these 
tribes.  To  call  a  man  a '  dog  '  would  be  the  most  unpardon- 
able insult,  but  a  chief  will  say  of  one  of  his  subordinates, 
'  That  man  is  my  dog,'  and  the  appellation  will  be  received 
with  a  smile  of  assent  by  the  person  on  whom  it  is  bestowed." 
(Casalis'  "  Basutos,"  p.  177,  1861.) 

Ink -berry. — The  small  black  berries  of  Cestrum  umbel- 
latum,  the  juice  of  which  was  sometimes  used  by  the  early 
colonists  as  a  substitute  for  ink — hence  the  name. 

"  Its  scientific  name  is  Cestrum  umbellatum  and  the 
children  often  call  it  ink-berry ."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  6,  10  November,  1911.) 

Ink <•  fish. — An  East  London  name  for  the  cuttle-fish 
{sepia)  ;  it  has  reference  to  the  inky  fluid  which  the  animal 
ejects  when  irritated  or  disturbed. 

"  The  ink-fish  or  squid  is  caught  out  at  sea  in  the  trawl 
nets."      ("East  London  Dispatch,"  21  November,  1905.) 

Inkosi. — (Kaf.  in  Kosi,  a  term  denoting  respect,  a  chief, 
king.)  (1)  The  bestower  of  a  benefit ;  a  chief  or  commander. 
(2)  Shortened  to  "  inkos  "  this  word  is  often  used  in  the 
common  parlance  of  the  Border  districts  as  an  acknowledg- 
ment of  some  benefit.  A  Kaffir  will  express  his  sense  of 
indebtedness  for  a  favour  by  saluting  the  person  bestowing 
it  as  an  "Inkosi"  or  benefactor.  The  word  has,  however, 
in  the  form  enkosi  come  to  be  regarded,  and  is  often  used  by 
colonists,  as  being  the  equivalent  of  the  English  "  Thank  you  ". 


AFEICANDEKISMS  227 

"  Calling  the  King  Kousi,  which  is  not  his  name,  but  his 
title,  Kousi  signifying  king,  or  principal  chief  in  their  lan- 
guage." (Thompson's  "  Travels  and  Adventures,"  p.  118, 
1827.) 

"A  law  has  been  laid  down  by  the  great  Inhos,  the  Su- 
preme Chief,  who  lives  at  Government  House."  (Statham's 
"Blacks,  Boers,  and  British,"  p.  145,  1881.) 

Inkosikazi. — (Kaf.  in  Kosi,  a  chief ;  kazi,  denoting 
female.)  (1)  A  wife  of  a  king  or  chief.  (2)  Often  used  by 
the  natives  when  addressing  a  white  woman  as  equivalent  to 
mistress  or  lady  ;  and  also  of  their  own  wives  whether  of 
the  blood  or  not. 

"  He  (the  washing  Kaffir)  acquits  himself  at  his  task 
better  than  the  Inkosigas  (white  mistress)  who  bungles  hers 
so  sadly."  (Roche's  "  On  Trek  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  246, 
1878.) 

Inkruipers. — (D.  inkruipeji,  to  creep  in  between.)  Men 
who  had  secured  farms  in  the  way  described  under  Inkruip 
plaats  (q.v.)  were  so  designated. 

Inkruip  plaats. — (D.  inkniipen,  to  creep  in  between  ; 
plaats,  a  place ;  CD.  a  farm.)  In  early  days  in  the  Orange 
Free  State  and  the  Transvaal  when  an  applicant  for  a  Re- 
quest farm  (q.v.)  could  find  no  suitable  vacant  site,  he  would 
sometimes  squat  between  two  such  farms  the  owners  of  which 
had  included  (not  an  uncommon  occurrence)  within  their 
boundaries  much  more  than  the  stipulated  3000  morgen,  and 
at  the  survey  would  claim  the  excess  land  from  each  or  both 
to  make  up  his  required  area.  Such  a  farm  was  known  as 
an  Inkruip  plaats. 

"But  there  were  many  seekers  after  spare  land,  and 
among  them  one  Floores  Tromp,  who  under  the  impression 
that  the  owners  of  Boschhoek  and  Waterval  claimed  more 
land  than  they  were  entitled  to,  squatted  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Incandu  River,  near  the  Drift,  and  put  in  an  application 
for  any  spare  land  which  might  be  held  by  the  original 
grantees.  When  the  surveyor,  Mr.  Bell,  came  along  a  couple 
of  years  later,  he  cut  off  nearly  3000  acres  from  the  adjoining 
farms,  and  Tromp  obtained  the  inkruips  plaats."  ("  Bloem- 
fontein  Post.") 

Insangu. — (Kaf.  i  Sangu,  the  leaves  or  seeds  of  the  wild 
hemp.)  The  Kaffir  name  for  Cannabis  sativa,  the  dagga 
(q.v.)  of  the  Hottentots. 

15  * 


228  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"  The  smoking  of  insangu  or  '  dacca '  as  it  is  variously 
called  is  a  widely  distributed  habit  throughout  South  Africa," 
(Schulz  and  Hammar's  "New  Africa,"  p.  201,  1897.) 

Inspan. — (D.  inspannen,  to  put  to,  as  horses  to  a  carriage.) 
To  yoke  oxen  or  to  harness  draught  animals  to  a  vehicle. 

"  I  determined  as  a  rule  to  inspan  as  early  as  possible  in 
the  morning,  lest  the  people  should  annoy  me  with  impor- 
tunities."    (Baine's  "  Explorations,"  p.  48,  1864.) 

Interior,  The. — The  countries  nearer  the  equator  than 
those  referred  to  in  the  expression  up  country. 

Intombi. — (Kaf.  in  Tombi,  a  maiden.)  A  girl  or  young 
unmarried  woman. 

Intonga. — (Kaf.  in  Tonga,  an  article  or  weapon  for  defence, 
a  stick.)  The  Kaffir  name  of  the  fighting  stick  which  the 
natives  generally  carry. 

"The  only  weapon  carried  by  anyone  of  them  was  the 
itonga  or  fencing-stick."  (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Kesearches,"  p. 
269,  1833.) 

Inyoka. — (Kaf.  i  Nyoka,  that  which  glides  away,  a  snake.) 
A  snake. 

"  I  described  the  noise  to  Jack  in  the  morning,  and  he  at 
once  said  it  was  made  by  a  nhoca  snake  as  thick  as  his  arm." 
(Kose  Monteiro's  "  Delagoa  Bay,  Its  Natives  and  Natural 
History,"  p.  114,  1891.) 

"  One  of  the  Amatongas  .  .  ,  gave  a  most  unearthly  howl, 
and  a  bound  which  I  never  saw  equalled,  dropping  all  his 
assegaies,  whipping  off  his  moutcha  in  a  twinkling,  saying 
that  an  inyoka  snake  had  bitten  him."  (Baldwin's  "African 
Hunting,"  p.  112,  1894.) 

Ipimpi. — (Kaf.  i  Pimpi,  the  snake  which  flattens  its  neck.) 
The  native  name  for  the  Kinghals  (q.v.),  a  snake  resembling 
the  cobra  de  capello  in  its  manner  of  flattening  and  inflating 
the  neck. 

"InteUigence  reached  me  of  the  pitiable  situation  of  a 
native  female  .  .  .  who  had  been  bitten  by  an  impimpi  or 
cobra  de  capello."  (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Besearches,"  p.  198, 
1833.) 

Ipiti  or  Piti. — (Kaf.  and  Z.  i  Puti,  the  small  blue  buck.) 
Cephalophus  monticola,  the  smallest  of  the  South  African 
antelopes,  known  iu  the  Cape  Colony  as  the  small  Bluebuck, 
and  in  Natal  by  this  name.     See  Epiti. 

"  The  presence  in  Swazieland  of   the  delicately  formed 


AFKICANDEKISMS  229 

little  Natal  bluebuck,  more  generally  known  as  the  piti,  was 
not  suspected  until  recently."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p. 
4,  18  November,  1908.) 

"  The  beautiful  little  ipiti,  no  bigger  than  a  toy  terrier, 
and  quite  as  sprightly  and  alert."  (Green's  "  Eichard  Hartley, 
Prospector,"  p.  244,  1905.) 

Iron-wood. — Olea  laurifolia,  Lank.  The  wood  known  to 
the  natives  as  "  Umsimbiti  "  (q.v.),  largely  used  in  making 
the  framework  of  wagons.  It  is  known  in  the  Cape  as 
Black  iron- wood. 

"The  hardest  and  toughest  of  the  Natal  woods  is  that 
known  under  the  native  name  '  Umzimbiti '  {iron-wood)." 
(Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  157,  1859.) 

"  Olea  laurifolia  (Black  iron-wood) .  This  tree  reaches  the 
stature  of  a  medium-sized  or  large  timber  tree,  but  the  wood 
is  excessively  hard  and  not  durable  in  the  ground."  ("  Science 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  391,  1905.) 

Iron -wood  tree. — In  the  Transvaal  Copaifera  mopane, 
Kirk,  is  known  by  this  name.     See  Turpentine  tree. 

Isandhlwana. — (Kaf.  dim.  of  i  Sandla,  the  hand.)  The 
name  of  the  mountain  in  Zululand  close  by  the  scene  of  the 
disaster  to  the  British  troops  under  General  Thesiger  (Lord 
Chelmsford)  on  22  January,  1879.     See  Superintendent. 

Isicoco. — (Z.  isi  Coco,  the  head-ring.)  The  Zulu  name  for 
the  head-ring  of  the  Zulu  and  Matabele  warriors.  See  Kinged, 
To  be. 

"All  their  heads  were  shaven,  sufficient  hair  only  being 
left  to  attach  the  isiqoko,  which  is  composed  of  sinews 
attached  to  the  hair  and  blackened  with  grease."  (Harris' 
"Wild  Sports,"  p.  120,  1839.) 

Ivy -leaved  geranium. — Two  species  of  Pelargonium  are 
thus  designated  :  P.  peltatum,  Ait.,  and  P.  lateripes — two 
species  doubtfully  distinct. 

Izibongi. — (Kaf.  uku  Bonga,  to  praise,  extol.)  The  Zulu 
izihongi,  Kaf.  imhongi,  are  officials  whose  duty  it  is  publicly 
to  proclaim  the  various  titles  and  praises  of  their  respective 
chiefs. 

"  Mr.  Shepstone,  with  Cetewayo  and  some  of  his  followers, 
retired  to  a  hut  to  consult  on  different  subjects ;  while  this 
was  going  on  inside  an  amusing  scene  was  taking  place  out- 
side between  two  izihongi  (jesters  or  praisers),  each  yelling 
out   the   string  of   praises   of    their  respective    chiefs — Mr. 


230  AFKICANDERISMS 

Shepstone  and  Cetewayo — and  trying  to  outdo  each  other." 
(Hoodie's  "  Battles  in  South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  474,  1888.) 

Jaagspinnekop. — (D.  jagen,  to  hunt ;  spinnekop,  a  spider.) 
An  arachnid  of  the  Order  SoUfugce  ;  it  hunts  its  prey  with 
considerable  swiftness.     See  Eooiman  and  Haar-scheerder. 

"  There  are  worms  to  cut  off  your  young  vegetables  .  ,  . 
horrible  \ookmg  jaagspinnekojypen  (ymnimg  spiders)  to  startle 
you."     (Du  Plessis'  "  In  the  Heart  of  Africa,"  p.  55,  1905.) 

*'  They  are  variously  known  locally  by  the  name  of 
Eomans,  jagd-spinnehoppen  (hunting  spiders)  or  haar-scheer- 
ders  (hair  cutters),  and  there  is  a  current  behef  that  they  cut 
off  the  hair  of  a  sleeping  person  at  night."  ("  Science  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  178,  1905.) 

Jaarhonderd. — (G.  jahrhundert,  a  century,  an  age.)  In 
South  Africa  this  word  is  employed  by  the  Dutch  with  the 
meaning  of  a  long  time,  an  indefinite  period. 

Jackal. — (Turk,  tchakal ;  Pers.  chagal.)  Ganis  meso- 
melas.  This  animal  commits  great  depredations  among  the 
small  stock  of  the  colonial  farmer,  and  is  the  cause  of  con- 
siderable loss.  It  is  as  cunning  as  it  is  destructive,  and  is 
trapped  or  poisoned  with  difficulty.  See  Silver  jackal  and 
Rooi  jakhals. 

Jackal. — A  piece  of  Hottentot  attire  depending  in  front 
from  the  thong  or  belt  generally  worn  round  the  waist,  just 
as  the  Staart-riem  (q.v.)  does  behind.  It  is  so  called  because 
it  is  generally  made  from  the  skin  of  the  jackal. 

"  This  covering  consists  of  a  bag  or  flap  made  of  skin.  .  .  . 
They  call  this  purse  by  the  Dutch  name  of  Jackall."  (Sparr- 
man's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  185,  1785.) 

"  It  was  not  possible  for  the  motion  of  the  limbs  to  be 
less  impeded  by  clothing,  as  he  wore  nothing  more  than  his 
jackal"     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  64,  1824.) 

Jackal  buzzard. — Buteo  jakal.  So  called  because  its 
cry  strikingly  resembles  that  of  the  common  jackal.  See 
Jackal  vogel. 

"  A  neighbour  of  ours  (Mr.  Joseph  Wilmot)  saw  one  of 
these  birds  (Jackal  buzzard)  doing  battle  with  a  large  snake. 
After  watching  this  singular  affray  for  some  time  he  went  to 
the  spot  to  see  what  snake  the  bird  was  fighting  with  and 
found  a  large  '  ringtals  '  (!)  quite  'hors  de  combat'."  (La- 
yard's  "Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  27,  1875-84.) 

"  The  Jackal   Buzzard   (buteo  jakal)   is  fairly  common 


AFBICANDERISMS  231 

throughout  South  Africa."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches 
of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  58,  1908.) 

Jackal's  besjes. — (D,  bezie,  a  berry.)  The  fruit  of  Sider- 
oxylon  inerme,  L. 

Jackal's  kost. — (D.  host,  victuals,  food.)  Hydnora  Afri- 
cana.  An  offensively  smelling  plant,  parasitic  on  the  roots 
of  EupJiorbia. 

"  Further  along  the  coast  at  the  foot  of  Sugar-loaf  Hill  is 
found  the  curious  Hydnora  Africana  or  Jackal's  kost  growing 
parasitically  on  the  roots  of  the  Euphorbia  caputmedusce." 
(Noble's  "  The  Cape  and  its  People,"  p.  259,  1869.) 

"  Not  a  few  solved  the  problem  as  some  higher  beings 
have  done  since,  by  making  others  work  for  them — the  mistle- 
toe and  loranthus,  the  dodder  and  Jakhal's  kos  (Hydnora) 
are  examples  of  this  class,  and,  be  it  noted,  they  bear  the 
marks  of  their  laziness  on  their  own  degenerate  bodies." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  8,  29  March,  1912.) 

Jackal  vogel. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird,  fowl.)  See  Jackal  buz- 
zard. 

"  Sometime  after  a  Jackal  vogel' s  nest  came  to  view, 
built  on  the  top  of  a  large  tree,  which  grew  out  of  the  face  of 
a  perpendicular  and  lofty  '  kranz  '  or  precipice."  (Fleming's 
"  Southern  Africa,"  p.  380,  1856.) 

Jackass  penguin. — See  Penguin.  So  named  from  the 
strange  noise  which  it  makes,  very  much  like  the  braying  of 
a  donkey. 

"  This  species  is  known  to  seafaring  men  as  the  Jackass 
penguin ;  and  its  most  favourite  resorts  are  the  Ichaboe, 
Mercury,  Hollanisbird,  and  Possession  Islands."  (Andersson's 
"  Birds  of  Damaraland,"  p.  348,  1872.) 

Jack  hanger. — Lanius  collaris.  This  designation  has 
reference  to  the  bird's  habit  of  hanging  his  captures  on  thorns 
until  they  are  to  his  taste.     See  Butcher  bird  and  Fiscal. 

"  The  butcher  bird,  called  by  the  colonists  Jack  hanger, 
likes  to  eat  his  game  high  .  .  .  small  birds,  beetles,  locusts, 
etc.,  impaled  on  the  long  stiff  thorns,  form  his  well-stocked 
larder."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p. 
252,  1890.) 

Jacky  hangman. — Natal  name  for  the  above  bird. 

"  The  boys  call  it  Johnny  Hangman  from  the  extra- 
ordinary habit  it  has  ...  of  impaling  its  prey  after  killing  it, 
on  the  thorns."     (Woodward's  "  Birds  of  Natal,"  p.  40,  1899.) 


232  AFBICANDEKISMS 

Jag. — (D.jagen,  to  hunt,  chase.)     To  hunt,  pursue,  give 

chase. 

"  I  directed  Cobus  to  ride  round  and  jag  them  up  to 
me."  (Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  119, 
1850.) 

"  These  being  very  wild  I  y ached  them  on  the  Boer  prin- 
ciple."    {Ibid.  II.  p.  373.) 

Jagziekte. — (D.jagen,  to  hunt ;  ziekte,  sickness.)  Chronic 
catarrhal  pneumonia  in  sheep  is  thus  designated,  the  panting 
of  the  animal  making  it  look  as  if  it  had  been  hunted. 

"In  the  later  stages  the  poor  beast  stands  with  its  ribs 
fixed  and  flanks  heaving,  panting  for  breath,  hence  the 
Dutch  name  jagziekte  or  droning  sickness."  ("  C.G.H. 
Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  526,  1905.) 

Jakob  Evertsen. — Sebastes  capensis,  Cuv.  A  highly  prized 
fish,  named,  it  is  said,  after  a  ship's  captain  of  the  early  days, 
who  had  a  very  red  face  and  projecting  eyes,  the  fish  bearing 
a  likeness  to  him  in  these  particulars.  The  Japan  and  Am- 
boyna  fishes  of  the  same  name — see  first  two  quotations — 
must  belong  to  other  species.  Kolben  quotes  Francisci's  ac- 
count of  the  origin  of  the  name,  and  then  adds  :  "  Der  neue 
Name  allenthalbenaus  gebreitet  wurde.  Die  Einwohner  des 
Vorgebiirges,  welchen  den  Evertsen  gar  wohl  kannten,  hielten 
ihn  fiir  gar  wol  ausgesonnen,  und  also  wurde  es  garbald  in 
verschiedenen  Indianischen  Compagnien  eingefiihrt,  woselbst 
man  die  rothen  Brassen  nimmer  anders  heisset,  als  Jacob 
Evertsen."  ("  Beschreibung,"  p.  369,  1745.)  See  Karl 
grootoog. 

"  Three  of  them  came  on  board  ...  to  sell  us  fish  .  .  . 
amongst  others  red  steenbrassem,  salammets,  and  Jacobs 
Ewertzen."  (Kaempfer's  "  History  of  Japan,  1690-2,"  Eeprint, 
i-P-12.) 

"  There  is  likewise,  it  is  said,  a  large  fish  near  the  pier- 
head at  Amboyna,  to  which  the  name  of  Jakob  Evertsen  has 
been  given,  and  they  pretend  that  it  takes  away  one  man 
every  year."     (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  ii.  p.  352,  1798.) 

"  Abundance  of  excellent  fish  are  to  be  procured  here  such 
as  the  deHcious  Koman  fish,  Hottentot,  Jacob  fever." 
(Alexander's  "  Expedition,"  i.  p.  88,  1873.) 

"  Called  Jacob  Evertsen,  after  a  Dutch  captain  remarkable 
for  a  red  face  and  large,  projecting  eyes."  (Pappe's  "  Edible 
Fishes  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  p.  10,  1866.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  233 

Jakob  Zwart. — (D.  zwart,  black.)  The  Jeffrey's  Bay 
name  of  the  Rooi  stompneus  (q.v.). 

Jamboes. — (Mai.  "jambu,  a  common  name  for  several 
fruit  trees  of  different  genera  "  (Crawford).  "  The  Sanskrit 
name  Jambu  is,  in  the  Malay  language,  applied  with  distin- 
guishing adjectives  to  all  the  species  "  (Eugenia).  (Yule  and 
Burnell's  "Anglo-Indian  Glossary".)     See  the  Rose-apple. 

Janblom. — A  huge  frog  is  so  named  by  the  Dutch. 

"  The  shriek  of  the  loorie,  the  metallic  croaking  of  the 
Jan  Mom  frog."    ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  9,  17  September,  1912.) 

Jan  Frederik. — Cossypha  caffra.  Onomatopoetic  name 
of  the  Cape  red-breast. 

"  The  male  sings  very  pleasantly,  and  his  notes  have  been 
likened  to  the  following  differently  intoned  syllables,  Jan 
Fredric-dric-dric-fredric,  whence  its  colonial  name  of  Jan 
Fredric."    (Andersson's  "  Birds  of  Damaraland,"  p.  119,  1872.) 

"  You  may  see  and  hear  the  lively,  inquisitive  Jan  Frederic 
thrush,  with  his  pleasing  song  and  his  curious  note — Jaii 
Fredric-dric-dric-fredric."  (Bryden's  "  Tales  of  South  Africa," 
p.  109,  1896.) 

Jan  groentje. — The  name  given  to  the  exquisite  little 
Sugar-birds  (q.v.)  which  "  like  emeralds  feathered  in  flame  " 
hover  over  the  flowers  of  garden  and  bush. 

"  There  is  a  reason  .  .  .  and  a  very  cogent  one,  for  Jan 
groentje  to  wear  a  fine  coat."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p. 
4,  2  April,  1909.) 

Janklass  or  Jakklaas. — A  corruption  of  the  Dutch  jakhals, 
jackal. 

Jan  tadental. — See  Tarantall. 

Jantjitrap-zoetjes. — (D.  trappen,  to  tread ;  zoetjes,  gently, 
softly.)  An  appropriate  name  for  the  slow-moving  chameleon, 
"  Johnny  go-lightly  ".     See  Verkleurmannetje. 

Japanese  Quince. — The  name  given  in  South  Africa  to 
Cydonia  Japonica,  which  with  its  brilliant  flowers  makes  a 
fine  show  in  the  garden  in  winter. 

Jawoord. — {Q.  jawort,  consent.)     Acquiescence,  consent. 

Jekkert. — (D.  jekher,  a  coat.)     A  coat,  jacket. 

Jersey  lily. — Nerine  Sarniensii,  Herb.,  sometimes  called 
the  Guernsey  lily — a  beautiful  Amaryllid  native  on  Table 
Mountain. 

Jerusalem  oak. — Chenopodium  Botrys,  L.  An  alien  plant 
naturalized  and  known  by  this  name  in  the  Transvaal. 


234  AFEICANDEBISMS 

Jerusalem  pony. — A  euphemism  for  Cimex  lectularius — 
bed-bug. 

Jeukbol. — (D.  jeuJcen,  to  itch  ;  bol,  a  bulb.)  Idothea 
ciliaris,  Kth.     The  bulb  is  dried  and  used  as  an  emetic. 

Jig-a-jig. — Under  this  name  Queenstown  boys  eat  the 
bulb  of  a  small  liliaceous  plant — Dipcadi  hyacinthoides,  Baker. 
See  Curly  curly. 

Jigger. — Sarcopsylla  penetrans.  The  West  Indian  chigoe 
was  introduced  into  Africa  via  the  Guinea  Coast  some  years 
ago ;  it  seems  to  have  made  its  way  right  across  the  Continent, 
and  to  be  traveUing  southward.  Stanley  gives  an  interesting 
account  of  its  African  journeyings  in  the  Introduction  to 
Decle's  "Three  Years  in  Savage  Africa  "  (xxi,  1898),  The 
female  burrows  under  the  skin  of  the  feet,  often  under  the 
toe-nail,  and  becoming  considerably  distended  with  eggs 
occasions  great  pain,  and,  if  not  properly  attended  to,  may 
occasion  the  loss  of  the  toe  or  foot. 

"  They  told  me  that  now  I  had  returned  the  locusts  and 
the  jigger  would  flee  away,  and  their  land  would  be  at  rest." 
(Scott  Elliot's  "  Naturalist  in  Mid  Africa,"  p.  258,  1896.) 

"  We  hear  that  the  jigger,  an  insect  the  size  of  a  pin's 
head,  is  invading  South  Africa,  and  is  now  as  far  as  Beira." 
(Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  448, 
1897.) 

Jimmy. — A  recently  arrived  emigrant  is  thus  designated 
in  Natal. 

"  A  raw  emigrant  and  what  Natalians  call  a  Jimmy." 
(Aylward's  "  The  Transvaal  of  To-day,"  p.  216,  1878.) 

Job's  tears. — (1)  The  hard  involucres  of  Coix  lachryma 
have  received  this  poetic  designation.  (2)  Cyanotis  (Trade- 
scantia)  also  blossoms  for  a  day  and  then  perishes,  or  "  dis- 
solves in  tears,"  whence  it  is  known  as  "  Job's  tears ". 
(Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
183,  1906.) 

John  Brown. — Gymnocrotaphus  curvideus.     See  Tambrijn. 

John  dory. — Zeus  capensis,  a  near  relative  of  the  Euro- 
pean fish  of  the  same  name — Zeusfaber. 

Jointed  cactus. — Opuntia  pusilla,  a  dangerous  weed  ;  it 
is  a  near  relative  of  the  prickly  pear,  and  threatens  to  become 
a  great  pest. 

Jonas  klip.— (D.  klip,  rock.)  Dolomite  is  so  called  in 
Bechuanaland. 


AFEICANDEBISMS  235 

"  It  is  stated  where  Jonas  klip  (dolomite)  is  present  the 
disease  (lamziekte)  will  occur."  ("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.," 
p.  39,  July,  1912.) 

Jong. — (D.  jong,  young,  a  young  one.)  In  the  Cape 
Colony  this  word  was  originally  applied  to  young  male  slaves ; 
but  now  throughout  South  Africa  it  is  applied  to  young  men 
indiscriminately,  and  often  by  girls  to  girls.  See  Klong  and 
Ou'  Jong. 

"  Tied  his  jong,  or  young  bushman  slave,  to  the  wheel 
of  his  wagon,  where  he  was  severely  flogged."  (Arbousset's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  253,  1846.) 

"These  slaves  were  called  yungs  or 'boys,'  and  to  this 
day  the  Bastaards,  when  asked  what  they  are,  will  say, 
'  Ek  es  ein  yung '  (I  am  a  yung  or  boy)."  (Farini's  "  Through 
the  Kalahari  Desert,"  p.  279  n.,  1886.) 

"  Presently  a  couple  of  jo7igs  came  along  with  dainty 
cigarettes  in  their  mouths."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p. 
3,  13  February,  1912.) 

Joseph  or  Josvisch. — Callorhyncus  antarticus.  How  the 
fish  came  by  its  trivial  name  is  not  clear.  Dr.  Gilchrist 
("  History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish  ")  suggests  that 
"  it  may  be  a  corruption  of  *  Jood's  visch  '  or  '  Jews'  fish  '  ". 
The  fishermen  of  the  Cape  suggest  that  the  name  is  derived 
from  the  brilliant  and  varied  colours  of  the  living  fish.  See 
Kabbit  fish  and  Elephant  fish. 

"  Among  the  various  sorts  of  fish  that  appeared  on  the 
tables  at  the  Cape  were  the  GhimcBra  callorhyncus  (Dodskop 
or  Joseph),  the  flesh  of  which  is  white  and  well  tasted ;  and 
the  Baja  miraletus  (or  Kock)."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p. 
295,  1795.) 

Juffer  or  Juffrouw. — (D.  juffer ;  cf.  G.  Jungfer,  Jung- 
frau,  maiden,  miss.)  This  word  is  commonly  used  in  Cape 
Dutch  when  speaking  of  or  addressing  a  married  woman ; 
the  etymological  significance  of  the  first  syllable  has  so  far 
disappeared  that  a  maiden  is  spoken  of  or  addressed  as  jonge- 
juffrouw.     Juffer  is  equivalent  to  the  English  "  mistress  ". 

Jummers. — (D.  immer,  always,  evermore.)  Again  and 
again,  repeatedly. 

Jump,  To.— (1)  A  process  by  which  a  "  Claim  "  (q.v.)  on  the 
Diamond  Fields,  if  not  worked  for  a  certain  period,  might  be 
legally  appropriated  by  the  first  person  who  desires  to  have 
it.     (2)  The  word  has  now,  as  a  slang  term, 'a  much  more  ex- 


236  AFBICANDEKISMS 

tended  application,  and  refers  to  the  wrongful  appropriation 
of  another  person's  property. 

"  Five  thousand  bricks  v^eve  jumped  the  other  night  from 
.  .  .'s  brickyard  at  Klipdrift."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press," 
18  August,  1871.) 

"  He  told  me  he  hd.di  jumped  the  claim  six  weeks  ago,  and 
had  no  cause  to  curse  his  luck.  I  don't  know  that  I  have  ex- 
plained this  teim  jumping.  When  a  digger  vacated  his  claim 
for  eight  consecutive  days,  not  putting  pick  in  it  nor  sorting 
stuff,  it  became  '  jumpable '  by  the  old  committee  rules,  and 
the  first  man  who  noticed  its  idleness  might  take  it  over." 
(Boyle's  "To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  165,  1873.) 

"  But  ivory  is  not  now  so  difficult  to  procure,  and  land  so 
much  more  scarce  and  less  ea,si\y  jumped."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof 
and  Karoo,"  p.  234,  1889.) 

Junipers. — Those  who  entered  into  the  occupation  of 
vacated  claims  under  the  above  regulation. 

Jumping  seeds  or  eggs. — The  seed  capsules  of  Excoecaria 
reticulata  are  sometimes  found  inhabited  by  the  larvae  of  a 
small  moth — probably  Carpocapsa  saltitans.  These  capsules, 
when  fallen  from  the  tree,  may  sometimes  be  observed  to  jump 
to  a  considerable  height,  the  result  of  the  vigorous  movements 
of  the  insect  inside.  Similar  jumping  seeds  have  been  observed 
both  in  Natal  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town. 

'•  These  are  the  only  jumping  seeds  of  which  I  had  heard 
until  I  met  with  those  of  Natal."  (Wesley,  "  Naturalist,"  iii. 
p.  22,  1889.) 

"Having  seen  an  account  in  '  Science  Gossip '  for  August 
of  a  jumping  seed  found  at  Beaufort  West,  I  thought  a  note 
on  the  so-called  jumping  '  eggs  '  found  round  Cape  Tovm 
might  be  of  sufficient  interest  for  insertion  in  the  '  Scientific 
African  '."     ("  Scientific  African,"  p.  28,  December,  1894.) 

Kaaiman. — The  word  appears  to  be  of  American  origin, 
and  outside  of  South  Africa  it  is  applied  generally  to  the  large 
saurians  of  America,  and  occasionally  to  those  of  the  Eastern 
hemisphere ;  but  among  the  Dutch  of  South  Africa  it  is  ap- 
plied, not  as  one  would  expect  to  a  crocodile,  but  to  a  small 
lizard,  though  Backhouse  seems  to  use  it  of  the  Legavaan  (q.v.). 

"  We  saw  a  young  Kaimon  swimming  in  the  river ;  it  was 
of  a  species  that  attains  to  four  feet  in  length,  and  which 
climbs  in  the  bushes  by  the  river  side  and  catches  birds,  etc." 
(Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  237,  1844.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  237 

Kaaiman  bloemen. — (D.  hloevi,  a  flower.)  The  sweet- 
scented  flower  Nymphcea  stellata,  Willd.,  the  blue  one. 
Eiversdale  name. 

Kaalblad. — (D.  A;aaZ,  bald,  bare;  cf.  Eng.  callow;  hlad, 
leaf.)  The  variety  of  the  prickly  pear  (Opuntia),  the 
leaves  of  which  are  almost  bare  of  thorns.  Whether  this  is 
really  a  variety  or  only  a  "  sport "  is  not  quite  clear ;  it  appears 
to  revert  very  quickly  to  the  prickly  type.  The  combination 
of  "  epitaphs  "  in  the  second  quotation  is  particularly  fine. 

"  The  kaalblad  is  not  only  safe  but  the  birds  evince  a 
decided  liking  for  its  leaves  and  frait."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  4  September,  1877.) 

"  Select  a  farm  that  has  on  it  especially  plenty  of  spec 
boom,  and  carl  prickly  pear ."  (Douglas*  "  Ostrich  Farming," 
p.  66,  1881.) 

"  The  Kaal-hlad  is  a  *  sport '  of  the  '  prickly  pear,'  but 
the  seeds  yield  for  the  most  part  the  original  prickly  pear." 
("Handbook  of  the  South  African  Exhibition,"  p.  290,  1885.) 

"One  kind — 'the  kahl-hlad  ov  '  bald-leaf '  has  no  thorns." 
(Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  57,  1890.) 

Kaalgare. — (D.  kahel,  cable ;  garen,  thread,  yarn  ;  kabel- 
garen,  rope-yarn.)  The  tarred  rope-yarn  used  to  bind  the 
reeds  when  thatching. 

Kaalkop. — (D.  kaal,  bare,  bald  ;  kop,  a  head.)  (1)  A  bald 
head.     (2)  By  hunters  it  is  applied  to  a  tuskless  elephant. 

"  The  bush  was  very  good,  a  moderate  breeze  of  wind 
which  I  kept  always  below,  but  I  had  great  difficulty  in  get- 
ting the  bull  out  from  the  company  of  the  carl-kop  (naked 
head)."     (Baldwin's  "African  Hunting,"  p.  301,  1894.) 

Kaal  laagte. — (D.  kaal,  bare,  bald  ;  laagte,  a  valley.)  A 
valley  or  hollow  bare  of  vegetation. 

Kaal  perske. — (D.  kaal,  bare,  bald;  perzik  ;  G.  Pfirsch ; 
F.peche,  a  peach;  from  the  Lat.  persicum,  the  fruit  of  the 
persicus  oipersica  arbor,  peach  tree.)  The  Cape  Dutch  name 
for  the  nectarine. 

Kaam-besjes. — {Hot.*  kamab,  the-  hartebeest ;  bezie,  a 
berry.)  Pappea  capensis,  E.  and  Z.,  also  called  Wilde  pruimen 
(q.v.).  The  fruit  resembles  a  plum,  has  a  pleasant  taste,  and 
makes  a  refreshing  beverage  and  good  vinegar.  See  also 
Kaffir  plum. 

"  Sapindus  Pappea  (Sond.).  .  .  .  The  fruit  called  '  wilde 
preume,   oliepitten,  wilde   amandel,    t'kaambesje,'   is   edible, 


238  AFRICANDEEISMS 

and  a  bland  oil  is  expressed  from  the  seeds."  ("  Flora  Capen- 
sis,"  Vol.  I.  p.  241,  1859-60.) 

Kaapenaar. — A  resident  of  Cape  Town  or  of  the  Cape 
Peninsula. 

"The  Gapenaars  have  always  attempted  to  justify  the 
holding  of  human  flesh  in  bondage  by  appeals  to  Scripture." 
("C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette,"  iv.  p.  180,  November,   1834.) 

"  He  was  a  Kaapenaar,  came  to  the  country  in  1868  in  the 
humble  capacity  of  cook  and  valet  to  the  chief."  (Dower's 
"  Early  Annals  of  Kokstad,"  p.  99,  1902.) 

Kaapenaar. — The  Port  Elizabeth  name  for  the  fish  Dentex 
argyrozona,  known  at  Cape  Town  as  the  silver  fish. 

Kaaps. — (D.  kaap,  a  cape.)  Used  by  the  Cape  Dutch  of 
anything  South  African. 

Kaapsche  nooitje. — (D.  kaap,  a  cape  ;  CD.  nooi,  a  young 
woman.)  The  River sdale  and  Knysna  name  for  the  Pompel- 
moosje  (q.v.). 

Kaapsche  wolf  slang. — (D.  slang,  a  snake.)  Lycophidium 
capense. 

Kaarshout. — (D.  kaars,  a  candle  ;  hout,  word.)  Accord- 
ing to  Sim  ("  Forest  Flora  ")  this  is  another  name  for  Gardenia 
Bothmannia.  See  Aapsekost.  But  the  name  is  universally 
applied  to  Pterocelastris  variabilis,  Sond.,  which  is  very 
resinous. 

Kabaai. — ("  This  word  seems  to  be  one  of  those  which 
the  Portuguese  received  in  older  times  from  the  Arabic  (kaha, 
a  vesture).  By  them  it  was  introduced  into  India,  thence  to 
the  Malay  countries,  and  is  in  common  use  in  Java.  ...  It 
has  become  familiar  in  Dutch  from  its  use  in  Java." — Yule 
and  Burnell.)  The  word  came  to  the  Cape  in  the  old  Dutch 
East  India  Company's  days  and  is  applied  to  a  sort  of  dress- 
ing-gown or  pyjamas. 

"  There  was  here  an  Ambassador  who  had  brought  Hidal- 
can  a  very  rich  Cabaya  .  .  .  which  he  would  not  accept  of, 
for  that  thereby  he  would  not  acknowledge  himself  subject  to 
the  Turk."  (Cogan's  "  Voyages  and  Adventures  of  Ferdinand 
Mendez,"  done  into  Enghsh  by  H.  E.  Gent,  pp.  10-11, 1653.) 

"He  takes  his  solitary  cup  of  coffee  or  sopie  or  both,  and 
smokes  his  pipe,  then  lounges  about  the  house  in  his  slaap- 
mutz  and  nagt-cabaay,  his  night-cap  and  gown."  (Barrow's 
"Travels,"!,  p.  104,  1801.) 

Kabeijauw (D.   kabeljauw,   a   cod,   codfish.)     Sdcena 


AFKICANDEEISMS  239 

aquila  is  known  by  this  name  in  the  Cape  Colony ;  in  Natal, 
however,  it  is  known  as  the  Cape  salmon  (q.v.). 

"A  pleasant  river  called  Cableows  Kiver,  from  a  fish  which 
goes  by  that  name,  and  which  is  a  species  of  cod,  being  found 
near  its  mouth."    (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  80, 1789.) 

"  We  got  a  great  prize  in  a  stranded  cabaljao,  fifty  pounds 
weight,  like  a  huge  salmon."  (Alexander's  "  Expedition,"  ii. 
p.  83,  1838.) 

"  The  Natal  '  Cape  salmon '  .  .  ,  proves  to  be  our  well- 
known  and  very  common  Kabeljaauw,  called  for  briefness 
'  cob  '  or  '  kob  '  (Scmna  aquila).  This  fish  is  very  widely 
distributed,  and  is  not  rare  on  the  British  coast,  where  it  is 
known  as  '  meagre  '."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  26  June, 
1906.) 

Kaboe  mealies. — (Kaf .  i  Qubu,  a  heap  of  Kaffir  corn  before 
it  is  winnowed ;  anything  done  stealthily  or  in  haste.) 
Mealies  stripped  from  the  cob  and  boiled  without  removing 
the  skin. 

"  They  gave  me  something  to  eat,  just  what  they  had  ready 
— kaboe  mealies  (boiled  maize)."  (Kestell's  "  Through  Shot 
and  Flame,"  p.  14,  1903.) 

Kaduks. — (F.  caduc,  decrepit,  decayed ;  Lat.  caducus, 
frail,  perishable.)     Weak,  decrepit,  to  live  poorly. 

Kaffir. — (Ar.  Kafir,  an  infidel,  an  unbeliever  in  Islam.) 
The  Arabs  applied  this  word  to  the  negroes  of  the  interior ; 
from  them  it  was  adopted  by  the  early  Portuguese  navigators, 
our  countrymen  in  turn  taking  it  over  from  them,  and  sub- 
sequently applying  it  specially  to  the  Bantu  tribes  of  South 
East  Africa.  This  term,  like  the  term  Hottentot,  is  entirely 
unknown  in  the  language  of  the  people  to  whom  it  is  thus 
specifically  applied,  and  I  have  known  it  to  be  vigorously  re- 
pudiated by  them  as  a  national  designation. 

Eaw  or  Eed  Kaffir,  the  latter  sometimes  shortened  to 
Reds,  are  designations  applied  to  these  peoples  in  their  un- 
civilized condition ;  the  epithet  "  red  "  having  reference  to  the 
red  clay  or  ochre  with  which  they  smear  themselves.  A 
School  Kaffir  is  one  who  has  been  brought  under  the  influence 
of  the  Christian  missionary,  or  has  been  taught  at  one  of  the 
schools  established  for  that  purpose. 

"He  learnt  that  the  whole  people  of  the  island  of  S. 
Lorenzo  .  .  .  were  black  Cafres  with  curly  hair  like  those  of 
Mozambique."     ("  Barros,"  ii.  i.  1,  1652.) 


240  AFRICANDEKISMS 

"  Nunmehro  sind  wir  bey  dem  Lande  von  Natal  angelangt, 
welches  die  Kaffern  oder  Gaffern  bewohnem."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  74,  1745.) 

"  Fear  made  them  imagine  that  they  saw  Gaffres  every- 
where."    (Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  282,  1796.) 

"  Last  night  seven  of  the  School  Kaffirs  with  their  families 
decamped."    (Godlonton's  "  Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  p.  508, 1852.) 

"  The  Beds  have  been  largely  influenced."  (Cook's  "  Mis- 
sion Tour,"  p.  93,  1893.) 

"The  Bed  Kaffir  is  in  truth  a  savage."  (Ballantyne's 
"  Six  Months  at  the  Cape,"  p.  44,  1879.) 

Kaffir  almanac. — A  species  of  Hcemanthus  is  so  called  in 
Natal,  because  the  Zulus  sow  their  mealies  when  this  plant  is 
in  flower. 

Kaffir-boom. — (D.  hoom,  a  tree.)  Erythrina  caffra.  A 
winter-flowering  species  of  leguminous  "  coral  tree  ".  "  The 
scarlet  blossomed  ornament  of  the  mid-winter  landscape." 
See  Kaffrarian  pea. 

"I  frequently  noticed  the  Erythrina  caffra,  or  corallo- 
dendron  (called  by  the  colonists  Cafferboom)."  (Pringle's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  36,  1840.) 

"  The  Kaffir-booms,  with  their  magnificent  scarlet  flowers, 
look  gorgeous  when  growing,  as  they  habitually  do,  among 
the  boulders."  (Balfour's  "  Twelve  Hundred  Miles  in  a 
Waggon,"  p.  170,  1895.) 

Kaffir- bread  tree. — Encephalartos  altensteinii,  a  species 
of  Gycadacem.  The  name  is  applied  to  other  members  of  the 
same  family,  because  it  is  said,  in  times  of  scarcity,  the  Kaffirs 
ate  the  nutty  flavoured  seeds. 

"  Two  plants  of  the  palm  tribe  were  frequently  met  with, 
one  the  Zamia  cycadis  or  Kaffir  s  bread-tree,  growing  on  the 
plains."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  189,  1801.) 

"  Our  local  Cycads,  known  to  science  by  the 'generic  name 
Encephalartos,  are  commonly  called  Kaffir-bread,  '  bread  fruit 
tree,'  '  bread-palm  '  or  simply  '  palm '.  A  few  of  the  more 
knowing  call  them  zamias,  the  name  of  an  allied  genus  not 
found  in  South  Africa."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  24 
December,  1908.) 

Kaffir  chestnut — The  fruit  of  Brabejum  stellatifolium  is 
sometimes  so  called.     See  Wild  almond. 

Kaffir  chief. — GoUopasser  procne ;  this  bird  is  known  also 
as  the  Long-tailed  finch  (q.v.),  and  in  Natal  as  the  Sakabula. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  241 

Kaffir  circus. — A  slang  name  for  the  market  on  the  Stock 
Exchange,  where  transactions  in  South  African  land,  mining, 
and  other  stocks  are  carried  on. 

Kaffir  corn. — Andropogon  sorghum,  Brot.  Next  to  the 
mealie,  this  is  the  most  important  native-grown  grain,  and  is 
largely  employed  in  the  concoction  of  Kaffir  beer. 

"  Several  of  the  English  settlers  had  at  different  times 
planted  considerable  quantities  of  Kafir-corn."  (Kay's  "  Caff- 
rarian  Researches,"  p.  144,  1833.) 

"  Utshuala,  a  fermented  liquor  made  from  the  grain  of  the 
amabale,  or  Kaffir-corn."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  217,  1852.) 

Kaffir  or  Hottentot  cherry. — Maurocenia  capensis.  The 
name  given  to  the  fruit  of  this  shrub.  See  Aasvogels  besjes 
and  Hottentot  cherry. 

"  The  Kaffir  apple,  Hottentot  cherry  (Aasvogels  besjes  or 
vulture's  berries,  as  the  Boers  call  it)  .  .  .  blossomed  on 
every  side."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  330,  1889.) 

Kaffir  crane. — See  Mahem.  The  name  is  sometimes 
given  to  Bugeranus  carunculatus  also.     See  Wattled  crane. 

Kaffir  doctor. — See  Doctor. 

Kaffir  doom. —  In  the  Riversdale  District  this  name  is 
given  to  several  species  of  Lycium. 

Kaffir  druiven. — (D.  druif,  a  grape.)  Pollichia  campestris, 
Ait.     A  Sterkstroom  name. 

Kaffir  fink. — Calliopasser  procne.     See  Kaffir  chief. 

Kaffir  gods. — I  have  not  been  able  to  identify  these  flowers. 

"  It  graphically  pictured  the  tawny  Kaffir  gods  rising  on 
slender  stems,  with  soft,  rich  petals  flaming  in  the  long  grass." 
("Cape  Times,"  Weekly  Ed.,  11  March,  1903.) 

And  where  will  you  find  such  beauty 

At  the  close  of  a  hunter's  day 
As  in  a  klump  of  Kaffir  gods 

Where  wandering  sun-beams  stray  ? 

Kaffir  jack. — An  Eastern  Province  name  for  the  Common 
hornbill.     See  Toucan. 

"  The  nasal  whistle  of  the  common  hornbill  or  Kaffir  jack 
is  almost  certain  to  come  from  various  quarters."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  4  August,  1906.) 

Kaffirland. — The  territory  formerly  occupied  by  the  Kaffirs, 
with  a  sea-board  of  250  miles  eastward  from  the  Great  Fish 
Eiver. 

16 


242  AFKICANDEEISMS 

"  The  elephants  in  this  colony  are  now  become  more  wary, 
withdrawing  ...  far  up  the  country  on  the  north  side  of 
Visch-river  and  into  Cafferlafid."  (Sparrman's  "Voyage," 
I.  p.  335,  1785.) 

"  Kajffirland,  a  country  of  mountain,  of  forest,  and  of 
kloof."     (Godlonton's  "  Case  of  the  Colonists,"  p.  71,  1845.) 

Kaffir  orange. — The  Natal  name  for  the  fruit  of  Strychnos 
spinosa,  Lam.  The  shell  is  hard,  the  seeds  poisonous,  but 
the  pulp  surrounding  the  seeds  is  thought  by  some  to  be 
pleasant.  See  also  Clapper,  Gulugulu,  Wooden  and  Wild 
orange. 

"  The  Kaffir  orange  of  the  sea-coast  bush  is  a  strychnos, 
and  has  strychnine  in  its  seeds."  (Mann's  "  Natal,"  p.  159, 
1859.) 

*'  A  kind  of  strychnia,  called  the  Kaffir  orange  .  .  .  the 
seeds  had  better  be  rejected."  (Baines'  "  Gold  Kegions  of 
South  East  Africa,"  p.  9,  1877.) 

Kaffir  piano. — A  native  musical  instrument — the  marimba. 
It  is  made  of  flat  bars  of  hard  wood  fastened  across  a  frame, 
beneath  which  a  number  of  calabash  shells  are  fixed.  The 
bars  of  wood  when  struck  emit  sounds  that  are  not  at  all 
unmusical.  The  instrument  is  sometimes  called  the  "  Cala- 
bash piano  ". 

"  The  song  had  a  rapidly  played  accompaniment  on  the 
Kaffir  piano"     (Monteiro's  "  Delagoa  Bay,"  p.  253,  1891.) 

"  They  manufacture  excellent  earthen  pots  for  cooking 
food.  With  an  instrument  called  a  calabash  piano  they  make 
a  rude  kind  of  music."  (Whiteside's  "New  Geography  of 
South  Africa,"  p.  73,  1890.) 

Kaffir  plum. — The  fruit  of  Odina  caffra.  This  is  a  hand- 
some tree  growing  in  the  kloofs  and  forests ;  the  fruit  is  not 
unlike  an  acorn  in  shape  and  size,  the  colour  is  a  bright  red, 
the  flavour  sub-acid,  and  the  stone  large.  Backhouse  gives 
this  name  to  the  Kaam  besje  (q.v.). 

"  I  visited  a  steep  wood  ...  to  see  the  tree  known  in  the 
colony  by  the  name  of  pruim  or  Gaffer-plum,  Pappea  capensis." 
(Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  205,  1844.) 

"  Seein'  him  about  reminded  me  of  the  Kaffir  plums." 
(Glanville's  "Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  18,  1897.) 

Kaffirs. — The  slang  name  on  the  London  Stock  Exchange 

of  the  various  South  African  land,  mining,  and  other  stocks. 

"  There  has  been  a  substantial  rise  in  Kaffirs  during  the 


AFKICANDEEISMS  243 

last  few  days."  ("  The  Empire,"  p.  25,  12  December, 
1897.) 

Kaffir  slangen  wortel. — (D.  slang,  a  snake ;  wortel,  a 
root.)  Polygala  serpentaria,  E.  and  Z.  The  roots  of  this 
plant  are  regarded  by  the  natives  as  a  certain  cure  for  snake- 
bite, 

"According  to  Ecklon  and  Zeyher,  confirmed  by  Dr. 
Pappe,  the  root  is  a  Caffir  remedy  for  the  bite  of  serpents, 
whence  the  specific  name,  and  the  colonial  Kaffir  schlagen  (!) 
wortel"     ("Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  93,  1859-60.) 

Kaffir  sorrel. — Pelargonium  scutatum,  Sweet.  The  astrin- 
gent sap  of  the  leaves  is  used  to  relieve  sore  throat. 

Kaffir  tea. — Helichrysum  nudifolium,  Less.,  is  so  designated 
in  Kaffraria  ;  but  in  Natal  the  name  is  given  to  another  plant, 
Athrixia  capensis. 

"  An  indigenous  herb  both  nutritive  and  refreshing,  which 
is  known  to  us  as  Kaffir  tea  (Athrixia phylicifolia)."  (Kussell's 
"Old  Durban,"  p.  96,  1899.) 

Kaffirtjes. — The  Kiversdale  name  for  Wurmhea  capensis, 
Thun.     The  flowers  are  nearly  black. 

Kaffir  truck. — The  beads,  cotton  blankets,  brass  wire,  arm 
and  finger  rings,  and  other  articles  in  demand  among  the 
natives,  are  known  collectively  as  Kaffir  truck. 

"  This  portion  of  South  Africa  is  dependent  entirely  on 
the  P.M.  Berg  traders  for  .  .  .  Gaffire  truck."  (Mason's 
"  Life  with  the  Zulus,"  p.  133,  1855.) 

"  Glass,  beads,  knives,  scissors,  needles,  thread,  small 
looking-glasses — such  are  the  chief  staples  of  Kaffir  truck." 
(Eobinson's  "A  Life  Time  in  South  Africa,"  p.  279,  1900.) 

Kaffir  water-melon. — Citrullus  vulgai-is,  var.  This  plant 
is  a  native  of  the  Eastern  coastal  districts.  See  Bitter  melon 
and  Tsama  water  melon.  The  Kaffirs  call  the  melon  um 
Xoxozi. 

Kaffraria. — This  name  seems  to  have  been  applied  at  one 
time  to  the  whole  of  the  territory  from  the  Great  Fish  Eiver  to 
Delagoa  Bay,  including,  that  is.  Natal  and  Zululand.  Subse- 
quently the  country  from  the  Great  Fish  Kiver  to  the  Kiver 
Umtata  was  thus  designated.  Now,  however,  it  is  generally 
employed  of  the  territory  that  was  embraced  by  British 
Kaffraria,  lying  between  the  Keiskama  and  the  Kei  Kivers. 
The  whole  of  this  country — including  British  Kaffraria  and 
the  Transkeian  Territories — is  splendidly  watered  and  is  one 

16* 


244  AFRICANDEEISMS 

of  the  most  fertile  regions  of  South  Africa.  Its  rivers  are 
numerous,  a  few  of  them  fairly  large,  but  none  of  them  of 
much  use  for  navigation.  Its  forests,  along  the  Amatolas, 
contain  magnificent  trees,  supplying  good  timber  ;  while  all 
along  its  coast,  the  land  and  the  climate  are  both  alike  favour- 
able to  the  cultivation  of  almost  any  kind  of  fruit,  field,  or 
garden  produce. 

"  Caffraria,  a  country  of  Africa  of  large  extent.  It  lies 
from  the  kingdom  of  Angola  in  the  north  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  is  bounded  east,  west,  and  south  with  the 
ocean  ;  the  south-eastern  part  is  fruitful  and  well  peopled  ; 
the  rest  barren,  mountainous,  and  little  peopled.  The  in- 
habitants are  so  barbarous  that  they  are  called  by  this  name 
from  their  rude  way  of  living,  which  signifies  the  lawless 
people  ;  they  were  all  heretofore  man-eaters,  and  many  of 
them  continue  such  to  this  day.  They  call  themselves  Hot- 
tentots. Mr.  Herbert,  an  Englishman,  who  was  in  these 
parts,  will  scarcely  allow  them  to  be  perfect  men  ;  and  saith 
they  sell  man's  flesh  in  the  shambles."  ("  Geographical  Dic- 
tionary, very  necessary  for  the  right  understanding  of  all 
modern  histories."  By  Edmund  Bohun,  Esq.,  London. 
Printed  for  Charles  Brome  at  the  Gua,  at  the  West  End  of 
St.  Pauls,  1691.) 

"  The  term  Kaffraria  has  sometimes  been  applied  to 
the  whole  territory  lying  between  the  Great  Fish  River  and 
Delagoa  Bay.  .  .  .  But  from  this  point  (the  Umtata)  to  the 
Great  Fish  River  is  properly  designated  Kaffraria."  (Smith's 
"  Sketches,"  "  Wesleyan  Methodist  Magazine,"  p.  56,  1849.) 

Kaffrarian  pea. — The  seed  of  the  Kaffir  boom  (q.v.).  I 
have  never  known  the  Kaffirs  to  use  the  seed  of  this  tree  as 
an  article  of  food  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Friend  in  the  follow- 
ing quotation ;  they  make  ornaments  of  them  by  stringing 
them  together  like  beads.  The  tree  is  known  to  the  Kaffirs 
as  um  Sintsi. 

"  Another  writer  speaking  of  the  Erythrina  or  Coral  trees 
says  that  they  have  been  named  from  the  vivid  scarlet  colour 
{epvdpo<i)  of  their  splendid  blossoms.  The  seeds  of  one 
kind  are  called  Caffrarian  peas  by  Barrow,  probably  because 
those  people  used  to  eat  them  as  such."  (Friend's  "  Flowers 
and  Flower  Lore,"  p.  524,  1886.)  [What  Barrow  really  says 
is  :  "  But  one  of  the  largest  and  most  showy  trees,  and  at 
this  time  in  the  height  of  its  bloom,  was  the  Kaffirs'  bean  tree 


AFRICANDEKISMS  246 

— the  Erythrina    corallodendron."      ("  Travels,"   i.   p.   188, 

1801.)] 

Kains. — (D.  kaan,  animal  fat  rendered  down.)  The 
browned  pieces  of  skin  remaining  after  the  internal  fat  of  an 
animal  has  been  melted  out ;  these  are  eaten  cold  with  a  little 
salt  and  are  highly  esteemed.  In  my  young  days  the  same 
thing  was  known  in  East  Kent  by  the  name  of  browsels  or 
brownsels. 

Kajaten  hout. — Strychnos  Atherstonei.      See  Cape  teak. 

Kakelaar. — (D.  kakelen,  to  chatter.)  Irrisor  viridis.  This 
bird  has  a  loud  and  harsh  voice — hence  the  name.  See 
Monkey  bird. 

"  Its  voice  is  harsh  and  resounding,  and  has  acquired  for 
it  the  name  of  Kackela  among  the  Dutch,  which  signifies  the 
*  Chatterer  '."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa," 
p.  137,  1875-84.) 

Kalander. — See  Calander. 

"  Kalanders  uit  Koren  te  hou.  Sit  enige  stukke  wilde 
dagga  tusschen  di  koren  in  di  sakke."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook, 
Koek  en  Kesepten  Boek,"  p.  98,  1898.) 

Kaibas. — The  Cape  Dutch  form  of  the  word  "  calabash  ". 

Kalbasdop. — A  jocular  term  for  the  head. 

Kalbassies. — A  designation  sometimes  given  to  the  mumps. 
See  Pampoentjes. 

Kalk  gras. — (D.  kalk,  lime,  chalk.)  Fingerhuthia  afri- 
cana,  Lehm.,  a  Bechuanaland  name  for  this  grass. 

Kalkoen. — (Shortened  form  of  Kalikoenschen  haan  or  hen, 
a  turkey-cock  or  hen  ;  this  is  derived  from  the  name  Calicut, 
the  city  whence  the  bird  was  supposed  to  have  been  brought.) 
A  turkey. 

Kalkoeneier. — (D.  ei,  an  egg.)  A  person  with  a  freckled 
face  is  jocularly  so  called,  the  reference  being  to  the  spotted 
appearance. 

Kalkoensfift. — (D.  kalkoen,  a  turkey  ;  gift,  poison.)  Phy- 
salis  minima,  L. 

Kalkoentje. — Macronyx  capensis  and  in  Natal  M.  croceus 
are  known  by  this  name  ;  the  former  is  also  called  the  Cut- 
throat lark  (q.v.).  They  have  a  gamey  scent  sufficiently  strong 
to  mislead  dogs. 

"  This  handsome  pipit,  which  is  called  the  '  Cut-throat 
lark  '  by  the  English  colonists,  Kalkoentje  by  the  Dutch,  is 
common  throughout  all  the  open  country  of  the  Colony." 


246  AFEICANDERISMS 

(Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  530,  1875- 
84.) 

Kalkoentje. — The  western  province  name  of  Gladiolus 
alatus.  In  Namaqualand  Gladiolus  alatus,  Linn.  var.  ^. 
namaquensis,  Ker.,  is  so  styled.  But  in  the  Riversdale 
District  the  name  is  given  to  Tritoma  crosata,  Ker. 

"  Kalkoentjes  and  patrijsjes  are  good  names  for  some 
flowers,  if  one  understands  Dutch."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants 
and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  107,  1906.) 

Kalk-visch. — Lepidopus  argyreus.     See  Scabbard  fish. 

Kalmus. —  (Lat.  calamus ;  Gk.  Kd\a/jLo<i,  a  cane  or 
reed.)  The  Cape  Dutch  have  given  this  name  to  Alepidea 
amatybica,  one  of  the  Umbelliferce.  The  root  is  finely 
powdered  and  administered  in  small  doses  for  stomachic 
pains.     It  is  known  to  the  Kaffirs  as  i  Qivile. 

"  De  kastoor-olieboom  {Bicinus  communis),  de  aloe,  stra- 
monium (Datura  stramonis),  kalmus  en  andere  planten  groeien 
in  het  wild,  terwijl  de  inboorlingen  van  kruiden  en  wortelen 
gebruik  maken,  die  in  de  pharmacopeia  kwalijk  bij  name  be- 
kend  zijn."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers," 
p.  342,  1882.) 

Kalotjes. — (D.  kalot,  a  skull  cap  ;  F.  calotte.)  (1)  A 
small  cap.  (2)  Ixias — the  popular  name  of  these  pretty  wild 
flowers. 

"  Kalossies  from  pale  yellow  to  bright  orange,  with  black 
centre,  or  whole  flowers  metallic  blue."  (Hilda's  "  Diary  of 
a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  241,  1902.) 

Kalver  bosje. — (D.  kalf,  calf ;  bos,  bush,  shrub.)  Pelar- 
gonium sidoides,  D.C.  This  species  which  is  not  described 
in  the  Flora  capensis  has  reddish  coloured  roots  possessing  an 
agreeable  scent. 

Kalver-kop. — (D.  kalf,  calf ;  kop,  head.)  The  Berg  River 
name  of  a  fish. 

Kama. — (Hot.  *  ameb,  with  initial  lateral  click.  The 
Namaqua  name  of  a  Buchu  bush  used  in  the  preparation 
of  skins.)  The  name  given  to  a  karoo  plant  (Order  Ficoidece), 
the  fleshy,  juicy  leaves  of  which  are  used  in  the  preparation  of 
skins  for  karosses,  voorslag,  and  other  uses. 

"  I  told  the  man  to  take  off  the  skins  (ostrich)  and  prepare 
them.  .  .  .  He  first  pressed  them  into  kama  (a  soft,  salt,  juicy 
bush)  for  about  a  week,  then  he  brayed  the  skins  and  finally 
put  them  into  mimosa  bark.  ...  I  can  assure  you  it  made 


AFKICANDEEISMS  247 

good  shoe  leather,  especially  the  leg  parts."     ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  4,  8  October,  1912.) 

Kamassiwood. — Gonioma  Kamassi,  Mey. 

"  The  Knysna  export  under  the  name  of  Boxwood  was  all, 
or  mostly,  Kamassiwood,  without  any  Boxwood."  (Sim's 
"  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  323,  1907.) 

Kambaroo. — Several  species  of  Fockea,  which  are  eaten  raw 
by  the  natives  and  made  into  preserve  by  the  farmers'  wives, 
are  so  called. 

" '  Have  you  seen  a  Cape  Kamaroo  ? '  asked  the  doctor, '  that 
enormous  plant  of  milky  tubers,  of  which  locally,  by  the  way, 
we  make  an  alluring  komfyt  ? '  .  .  .  The  Kew  Gardens 
Kamaroo  weighs  over  141  lb."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p. 
10,  27  July,  1912.) 

Kameel. — (D.  kameel,  a  camel.)  The  Cape  Dutch  name 
of  the  Cafnelopardalis  giraffa. 

"  De  giraffe,  kameel  geheeten,  wordt  aangetroffen  in  het 
Bosch  veld,  tusschen  de  Olifante-rivier  en  den  Limpopo." 
(Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  344, 
1882.) 

"  Kather  suddenly  we  came  upon  a  klompje  of  giraffe,  and 
as  ...  we  wanted  meat,  I  rammed  the  spurs  in  and  galloped 
headlong  for  the  kameels."  (Bryden's  "Tales  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  70,  1896.) 

Kameel  doom. — (D.  (Zoom,  thorn,  brier.)  Acacia  giraffcB, 
Burch.  One  of  the  largest  of  the  Acacias  is  so  named  by  the 
Dutch. 

"  A  large  solitary  tree  of  Kameel-doorn  (camel  thorn,  or 
tree  upon  which  the  Camelopardalis  generally  browses) ,  the 
first  I  had  seen  of  the  species,  was  standing  there."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  453,  1822.) 

Kamferfoeli. — (D.  kamperfoeli,  the  honeysuckle;  this  is  a 
corruption  of  the  Latin  caprifolium.  The  Cape  form  of  the 
word  seems  to  have  been  influenced  by  the  well-known 
kamferboom,  camphor  tree.)     The  woodbine  or  honeysuckle. 

Kamma. — (Hot.  *  garni  (lateral  click),  water.)  The  word 
often  occurs  in  aboriginal  place  names  ;  e.g.  Kraggakamma, 
Sapkamma,  Tsitsikamma,  etc. 

Kammetjes. — (D.  kam,  a  comb.)  Freesia  refracta,  Klatt, 
is  so  called  in  the  Eiversdale  District,  the  reference  being  to 
the  comb-iike  arrangement  of  the  flowers. 

Kammassie-hout. — (D.  hout,  wood.)     Gelastrus  ellipticus. 


248  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"An  erect,  greyish  shrub,  called  Kammassie-hout  by  the 
colonists."     ("Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  459,  1859-60.) 

Kanalje. — (F.  cannaille,  rabble,  mob;  L.  canis,  a  dog.) 
As  used  in  Cape  Dutch  this  word  means  a  rogue,  a  rascal. 

Kanaribijter. — (D.  kanarievogel,  a  canary  bird  ;  hijteji,  to 
bite.)     Another  name  for  the  Butcher  bird  (q.v.), 

"  The  loud  and  clear  whistle  of  the  canari-byter  (canary 
biter),  a  species  of  Lanius  is  heard  from  afar."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  18,  1822.) 

Kaneel. — (F.  cannelle,  cinnamon  ;  dim.  of  canne,  Lat. 
canna,  a  cane,  reed.  Cf.  Wycliffe,  N.T.,  Apoc.  xviii.  13, 
canel,  cinnamon.)     The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  cinnamon. 

Kaneelbloem. — (F.  cannelle,  cinnamon  ;  D.  6^oem,  a  flower.) 
Ixia  cinnamomea  (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  57, 
1823)  =  Hesperantha  cinnamonea,  Ker. 

Kaneeltjes. — A  wild  flower  is  so  called  because  of  its  cinna- 
mon-like scent. 

Kanker-blaren. — (D.  hanker,  cOuTicei ;  hlad{^\.  bladeren),a, 
leaf.)  Banunculus  pinnatus,  Poir.  The  Dutch  use  the  fresh 
juice  of  this  plant  for  ulcers,  etc. — hence  the  name. 

"  One  of  them  {B.  pinnatus)  called  Kanker-hlaren  is  a 
colonial  remedy  for  cancerous  sores."  ("  Flora  Capensis," 
Vol.  I.  p.  6,  1859-60.) 

Ranker  boschje. — Sutherlandia  frutescens,  B.  Br.  is  so 
named  in  the  Riversdale  District.     See  also  Keurtjes. 

"  Di  Kanker-bossi  is  ni  alleen  ver  kanker  goed  ni,  mar  oek 
ver  gewone  maag  kwale."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en 
Resepten  Boek,"  p.  124,  1898.) 

Kanna. — (Hot.  *  kan  *  ga  (with  cerebral  click  before  each 
word),  adj.  half-yellow,  half-grey,  the  eland.)  Taurotragus 
oryx.  The  Dutch  form  of  the  Hottentot  name  of  this  animal. 
See  Eland. 

"  The  eland,  called  kanna  by  the  Hottentots,  is  a  hand- 
some animal  of  a  stouter  make  than  the  other  antelopes,  yet 
still  possessing  much  elegance,  to  which  its  straight,  spiral 
horns,  pointing  backwards,  and  their  legs  in  a  great  measure 
contribute."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  312,  1822.) 

Kanna.  —  Meseinbryanthenmm  emarcidum  (Thunberg's 
"Flora  Capensis,"  p.  415,  1823),  a  Karoo  plant  =  Mesem- 
bryanthemum  anatomicum,  Haivorth. 

Kannabosch. — Salsola  aphylla  and  S.foetida,  Del.  Prob- 
ably so  named  from  being  the  chief  food  of  the  kanna  or  eland, 


AFKICANDEEISMS  249 

The  ashes  of  this  bush  are  used  to  make  lye  for  soap  boiling. 
The  name  is  applied  to  several  other  plants  also. 

"A  species  of  Mezembryanthemum,  which  is  called  Ghanna 
by  the  natives,  and  is  exceedingly  esteemed  among  them." 
(Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  23,  1789.) 

"  The  plant  alluded  to  was  a  species  of  salsolaor  salt- wort. 
It  is  known  to  the  country  people  by  the  Hottentot  name  of 
Canna,  and  is  that  plant  from  the  ashes  of  which  almost  all 
the  soap  that  is  made  in  the  colony  is  made."  (Barrow's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  91,  1801.) 

"  The  Kanna-hosch  (written  Ganna  by  the  Dutch)  may 
probably  have  been  considered  as  the  favourite  food  of  the 
kanna  (eland)."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  267,  1822.) 

Kannaland. — The  part  of  the  colony  lying  between  the 
httle  Zwaart  Berg  Kange  and  Touws  Kiver,  probably  so  called 
as  being  the  habitat  formerly  of  the  kanna  or  eland. 

"  This  is  called  the  Ghanna  Land ;  and  derives  its  name 
from  a  species  of  Mezembryanthemum,  which  is  called  Channa 
by  the  natives,  and  is  exceedingly  esteemed  among  them." 
(Paterson's  "Narrative,"  p.  23,  1789.) 

"  The  word  Kannaland,  the  name  of  a  part  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  may  ...  be  supposed  to  intend  a  country  abounding 
either  in  the  eland  or  in  this  shrub."  (The  kannabosch.) 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  267,  1822.) 

Kannidood. — (D.  han-niet-dood,  cannot  die.)  The  popular 
designation  of  several  varieties  of  aloe,  especially  A .  variegata ; 
it  refers  to  the  striking  way  in  which  these  plants  will  exist 
and  flourish  for  a  long  time  apparently  without  sustenance. 

"  Here  we  find  .  .  .  several  kinds  of  '  air  plants,'  Ganne 
doets  or  aloes,  and  the  '  Zoute  bosche '."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil. 
Soc,"  I.  Part  I.  p.  24,  1878.) 

"  Another  excellent  example  of  the  efficiency  of  these 
protective  arrangements  is  supplied  by  the  so-called  Kan-niet 
dood  plants.  .  .  .  Suspended  in  the  air,  they  economize  the 
water  and  food  materials  originally  contained  in  their  leaves 
and  stem  so  well  that  they  are  able  not  only  to  live  a  year  or 
more,  but  also  to  produce  flowers."  (Edmonds  and  Marloth's 
"  Elementary  Botany  for  South  Africa,"  p.  125,  1897.) 

"  Di  blare  van'n  kan-ni-dood  warm  maak,  en'n  gat  daarin 
snyen  di  vinger  daarin  steek."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en 
Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  118,  1898.) 

Kanot  grass. — (Z.  u  Gonoti,  a  thin  stick  which  bends 


250  AFEICANDEEISMS 

easily;  rattan;  Kaf.  in  Gonoti,  rattan,  a  reed.)     Flagellaria 
guineensis  Schumach. 

"  The  bush  on  the  coast  is  rendered  impenetrable  by  a 
dense  undergrowth  of  shrubs  and  climbers  ...  or  pliant 
monkey-ropes  and  kanot  grass."  (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii. 
p.  446,  1868.) 

"  The  materials  consisted  of  wattles  and  the  konotie  tree- 
runner  from  the  bush  for  tying."  (Eussell's  "  Old  Durban," 
p.  90,  1899.) 

Kantoor. — (D.  kantoor,  a  counting-house,  office ;  F.  comp- 
toir.)     A  magistrate's  or  other  office. 

Kaparngs. — The  wooden  sandals  worn  by  the  Malays. 
"  The  old  coloured  woman  walking  carefully  in  kaproens.'' 
("  The  State,"  p.  596,  December,  1911.) 

Kapater. — (Mansvelt  recognizes  this  word  as  being  related 
to  D.  kapoen,  a  capon,  and  kappen,  to  cut ;  but  this  can 
scarcely  be  all  that  is  to  be  said  upon  the  etymology  of  this 
curious  word.)     A  castrated  goat. 

"  She  kindly  invited  us  to  supper,  for  which  she  had  the 
head  of  a  large  kirpater  bok."  (Shaw's  "  Memorials,"  p.  126, 
1841.) 

"  One  of  the  biggest  goats — a  great  blue  '  kapater  '  with 
long  beard,  massive  horns."  (Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the 
Veld,"  p.  228,  1897.) 

Kapitein  visch. — (D.  kapitein,  captain ;  visch,  fish.)  Clinus 
anguillaris. 

Kapje. — (D.  kap,  a  cap,  hood.)  A  useful  article  of  female 
attire  largely  worn  in  the  country  ;  it  is  made  to  shade  the 
face  and  to  protect  the  back  of  the  neck  at  the  same  time. 
It  cannot  be  said  to  enhance  in  any  way  the  appearance  of 
the  wearer. 

"  Upon  their  heads  is  tossed  the  kapje  (cappy),  a  hideous 
calico  funnel  of  which  the  coal-skuttle  bonnet  of  our  grand- 
mothers was  the  refined  and  graceful  model."  (Boyle's 
"  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  327,  1873.) 

Kapok. — (Mai.  kapuk,  the  cotton  tree,  Eriodendron  an- 
fractuosuvi ;  Kapas,  cotton.)  (1)  Cotton-wool  is  spoken  of 
among  the  Dutch  as  kapok,  as  is  also  the  woolly  material 
which  encloses  the  seed  of  a  Karoo  bush — Eriocephalus  um- 
hellatus.  (2)  The  word  is  also  used  of  snow.  See  Hotten- 
totskooigoed. 

"  Capok  is  the  denomination  given  to  the  cotton  which 


AFEICANDEEISMS  251 

incloses  the  seed  in  the  capsule  of  the  silk-cotton-tree  (jbom- 
bax  pentandrum),  and  is  not  used  for  spinning  but  for  making 
mattrasses,  bolsters  and  pillows.  The  other  cotton  is  the 
produce  of  a  perennial  shrub  (gossypium  herbaceum).  Its 
seed  vessels  contain  a  very  fine  cotton,  called  capas,  which 
is  woven  into  an  infinite  number  of  cotton  and  calico  pieces." 
(Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  i.  p.  74  n.,  1798.) 

"  Thans  kan  het  hier  koud  worden.  Tot  mijne  verbaz- 
ing  hoorde  ik,  dat  op  twee  plaatsen  reeds  kapok  gevallen 
was."  (Hofmejrr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  206, 
1890.) 

*'  On  the  evening  of  this  my  first  Sunday  among  the 
Griquas,  it  began  to  snow.  .  .  .  The  storm  lives  in  the 
memories  of  the  older  Griquas  as  De  groote  kapok,  and  the 
season  of  it  was  a  time  to  date  from :  De  jaar  van  de  groote 
kapok."     (Dower's  "  Annals  of  Kokstad,"  p.  25,  1902.) 

Kapok- haantje. — (D.  haan,  a  cock.)  A  Bantam  cock. 
Then  by  metaphor  a  diminutive  but  pugnacious  man.  A 
Bantam  hen  is  also  known  as  the  Kapok-hennetje. 

Kapok  vogeltje. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird.)  Mgithalus  minutus. 
This  is  the  smallest  of  the  Cape  birds ;  it  owes  its  popular 
name  to  the  fact  that  it  builds  its  pretty  and  ingenious  nest 
of  wool  or  wild-cotton  {kapok),  which  is  woven  so  closely  as 
to  resemble  white  felt.  The  entrance  to  the  nest  can  be 
closed  by  the  inmates  against  snakes  and  other  intruders. 
Adding  to  the  ingeniousness  of  the  contrivance,  a  small  out- 
side compartment  is  made  just  under  the  entrance,  perhaps, 
as  the  natives  declare,  for  the  use  of  the  male  bird,  but  per- 
haps also  to  mislead  egg-seeking  snakes. 

"  The  capok-vogel  (cotton -bird)  so  called  on  account  of  its 
curious  bottle-shaped  nest,  built  of  the  cotton-Hke  down  of 
certain  plants."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  214,  1822.) 

"  Kapok-vogel,  the  ingenious  constructor  of  a  wonderful 
nest,  a  good  illustration  of  which  appeared  in  '  Good  Words  ' 
for  August  last."     ("  Scientific  African,"  p.  76,  1896.) 

Karanteen. — Sargus  cervimis.  The  Natal  name  of  this 
fish.     See  Gold  stripes. 

"  The  fish  pictured  to-day  is  a  Karantine.  It  is  a  local 
species,  and  so  far  as  I  know  has  not  been  classified." 
("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  334,  1905.) 

Karba. — (Pers.  qarabah,  a  large  flagon.)  A  wicker-covered 
bottle,  a  demi-john.     Cf.  Eng.  carboy  with  the  same  origin. 


252  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Kardoesi. — (D.  kardoes,  a  cartridge ;  F.  cartouche ;  L. 
charta).     A  paper  bag,  the  paper  cornet  used  by  grocers. 

Karl  grootoog. — (D.  groot,  great ;  oog,  an  eye.)  The 
Struis  Bay  name  for  Sebastes  capensis.     See  Jakob  Evertsen. 

Karmasten. — (F.  gamaches  ;  G.  Gamaschen ;  Eng.  ga- 
mashes,  gaiters,  or  leggings.)     Gaiters,  leggings. 

Karoo. — (Hot.  *  huru  (dental  click),  to  be  dry,  sparsely 
covered,  hard.)  This  is  the  term  apphed  to  a  large  extent  of 
country  in  South  Africa.  It  is  divided  into  the  Great  and  the 
Little  Karoos,  the  average  elevation  of  the  former  being  about 
3000  feet  above  the  sea  level.  The  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile 
when  vi'ater  is  procurable,  indeed  in  the  spring,  after  rains, 
it  is  a  veritable  flow^er  garden.  The  vegetation  consists  of 
jQeshy,  succulent-leaved  herbs  and  shrubs,  and  deeply  rooted 
bulbous  plants,  which  afford  splendid  pasturage  for  sheep 
and  goats. 

"  In  certain  districts,  where  the  land  is,  as  it  is  called, 
carrow,  or  dry  and  parched,  the  Hottentots,  as  well  as  the 
Colonists,  are  '  shepherds  '."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  197, 
1785.) 

"  Next  day  we  proceeded  through  what  the  Dutch  call 
Karo,  which  is  a  very  extensive  plain,  interspersed  with  small 
succulent  and  fruitescent  plants."  (Paterson's  "  Narrative," 
p.  44,  1789.) 

"  Naked,  arid  plains  of  clay,  known  to  the  natives  and 
also  to  the  colonists  by  the  name  of  Karoo."  (Barrow's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  11,  1801.) 

"  The  country  west  of  De  Aar  ...  is  genuine  sweet  Karoo 
forming  excellent  pasture  for  sheep,  goats,  and  ostriches." 
(Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  16, 
1896.) 

Karoo  bush. — The  various  succulent  leaved  shrubs  re- 
ferred to  above  are  spoken  of  generally  as  "  Karoo  bush  ". 

"  The  herbage  consisting  principally  of  Karoo  bush,  thinly 
scattered  over  a  stony  ground."  (Nicholson's  "  Cape  and  its 
Colonists,"  p.  48,  1848.) 

Karoo  lark. — Almmon  nivosa  is  so  called. 

Karoo  veld. — (1)  The  herbage  peculiar  to  the  Karoo. 
(2)  The  area  covered  by  Karoo  herbage. 

"  The  carrow-veld  taken  in  its  most  extensive  signification 
is  horribly  parched  up  and  arid."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage," 
I.  p.  246,  1785.) 


AFEICANDEKISMS  253 

Karos. — (Hot,  khoh,  skin,  hide  ;  Jchoros,  dim.  form.)  A 
skin  blanket.  This  was  practically  the  only  article  of  clothing 
which  the  native  in  his  raw  condition  wore.  Originally  the 
karosses  were  made  exclusively  of  skins,  but  in  recent  years, 
owing  to  the  disappearance  of  the  larger  animals  and  the  in- 
troduction of  cotton  blankets,  these  have  almost  entirely 
superseded  the  real  karos.  The  article  itself  was  common  to 
both  the  Hottentots  and  Kaffirs — "  beyderseits  in  krossen 
gehen  "  (Kolben) — but  the  Kaffirs  have  their  own  name  for 
it — um  Nweba. 

"  Kros — ein  Mantel  von  Schaafs  Fellen,  dergleichen  die 
Hottentotten  tragen."    (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  28, 1745.) 

"  The  Hottentots  do  not  burden  themselves  with  a  great 
many  changes  of  their  cloaks  or  krosses  (as  they  call  them  in 
broken  Dutch").      (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  87,  1785.) 

"  In  cold  weather  (Lobengula)  wraps  himself  well  up  in  a 
large  skin  Jcaross."  (Wood's  "  Through  Matabeleland,"  p. 
54,  1893.) 

Karper. — (D.  harper,  a  carp — Cyprinus  carpio,  L.)  Spiro- 
branchus  capensis  is  known  by  this  name  among  the  Dutch. 

Karreeor  Kiri. — (Hot.  *karib  (cerebral  click),  honey-beer.) 
A  drink  prepared  by  the  coloured  people  from  honey  or  prickly 
pear  syrup,  to  which  a  small  quantity  of  the  dried  and  powdered 
root  of  a  certain  plant  (concerning  which  they  are  very  secre- 
tive, but  which  appears  to  be  Mesemhryanthemum  stella- 
tum,  Mill)  is  added,  and  the  whole  fermented.  See  Moer- 
wortel. 

"  They  have  long  been  acquainted  with  a  particular  plant, 
which  grows  in  some  of  the  most  arid  situations  of  the  interior 
of  the  colony,  and  is  only  known  to  a  few  of  them  ;  this  plant 
as  well  as  the  drink  which  is  made  by  its  means,  is  called 
karree."  (Hoodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  229, 
1835.) 

"  Out  of  the  honey,  young  bees  and  bee  bread  which  we 
acquired  our  men  brewed  a  really  good  wine,  which  they 
termed  kirrey.  It  was  quite  as  strong  as  porter,  and  only 
took  a  few  hours  to  make  ;  the  only  addition  besides  water, 
being  a  whitish  powder.  The  powder  increases  itself  with 
each  brew,  hke  the  vinegar-plant.  It  adds  a  splendid  flavour 
to  ordinary  sugar- water,  and  as  yeast  for  bread  making  simply 
cannot  be  equalled."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  20 
December,  1911.) 


254  AFKICANDEEISMS 

Karree  boom. — (D.  boom,  a  tree.)  BMis  viminalis,  Vahl. 
The  well-known  Graaff  Eeinet  tobacco  pipes  are  made  of  this 
wood,  which  is  of  a  dark  red  colour. 

Karree-  or  Kiri-moer. — (D.  moer,  lees,  dregs.)  The  dried 
and  powdered  sediment  of  the  fermented  liquor  "karree". 
It  is  used  as  a  barm  or  leaven  by  many  Karoo  housewives 
for  making  bread,  and  is  in  great  request. 

"  The  people  .  .  .  were  .  .  .  drinking  honey-beer  made 
with  honey  and  water,  mixed  in  a  bambus,  and  fermented  by 
means  of  a  root  called  mor,  but  which  I  only  saw  when 
ground."     (Alexander's  "  Expedition,"  i.  p.  155,  1838.) 

"  A  little  barme  or  moer  obtained  from  the  Kuruman 
people."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  273,  1868.) 

Karre  oogie. — (Hot.  *  uri  (cerebral  cHck),  white  ;  oog,  an 
eye.)    Zosterops  capensis.     See  Witte  oogie. 

Karwats. — (D.  karbats,  a  scourge  of  leather ;  Pol.  karbacz ; 
Turkish  kyrbatsj,  a  whip  of  rhinoceros  hide.)  A  whip  made 
of  one  piece  of  hide  throughout. 

Kasartn  or  Kasern. — (D.  kazerne,  barracks  ;  Span,  caserne ; 
Lat.  quaterna,  a  chamber  to  hold  four  or  a  quaternion.)  (1) 
The  small  quarters  erected  between  the  ramparts  and  houses 
of  a  fortified  town,  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  billeting  the 
soldiers  on  the  inhabitants.  (2)  Banracks.  (3)  The  name 
was  also  given  to  a  row  of  huts  occupied  by  the  slaves  or 
servants. 

Kastrol. — (F.  casserole,  a  saucepan  ;  casse,  a  crucible ; 
O.H.G.  kezi,  a  stove.)  A  common  name  for  a  saucepan  or 
stewpan. 

Katdoorn. — (D.  kat,  a  cat  ;  doom,  a  thorn.)  (1)  Aspara- 
gus retrofractus.  The  Wild  asparagus  is  so  called  because  its 
thorns  are  hooked  like  the  claws  of  a  cat.  (2)  The  name  is 
also  given  to  one  or  two  other  plants  for  a  similar  reason, 
e.g.  Acacia  cajfra,  W .,  Zizyphus  mucronata,  Brogn.,  Scutia 
indica,  etc. 

"  Scutia  commersoni  ...  a  shrub,  4  to  5  feet  high, 
Katdorn  ;  branches  sub-angulate."  ("  Flora  Capensis,"  Vol. 
I.  p.  478,  1859-60.) 

"  The  forest  generally  consists  of  various  kinds  of  mimosas, 
acacia,  and  other  thorny  trees,  such  as  the  '  wagt-een-beetje,' 
kat  doom,  etc."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  24,  1868.) 

Katel.— (Hind,  khdt,  a  light  bedstead  ;  Tamil  and  Mai. 
kattil ;  in  this  form  it  was  adopted  by  the  Portuguese.     The 


AFEICANDEEISMS  255 

word  was  introduced  into  South  Africa  in  the  old  Dutch 
East  India  Company's  days,  where,  with  a  slightly  different 
meaning,  it  has  found  a  permanent  home.)  A  stout,  wooden 
frame  with  raw  hide  thongs  interwoven  ;  this  is  swung  under 
the  tilt  of  the  buck-wagon,  and,  when  travelHng,  makes  a  by 
no  means  uncomfortable  substitute  for  a  bed.  The  name  is 
sometimes  given  to  a  bed  that  has  no  tester,  and  so  reverts 
to  its  original  meaning — a  light  bedstead, 

"Indian  bedsteads  or  Ca^ZeZs."  (Van  Twist's  "  General! 
Beschrijvinge  van  Indien,"  p.  64,  1648.) 

"  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  avail  myself  of  the  Cadel  or 
bed  swung  in  the  wagon."  (Baines'  "  Explorations,"  p.  22, 
1864.) 

"  A  sort  of  framework  made  of  leather  (called  a  cartel)  on 
which  were  placed  mattresses  and  pillows."  (Pritchard'a 
"  Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei,"  p.  66,  1880.) 

Katjepiring. — (Mai.  kacha-piriiig ,  Gardenia  florida.)  In 
South  Africa  the  name  has  been  transferred  to  Gardenia 
Thunbergia.  The  striving  after  meaning  has  resulted  in  the 
assimilation  of  the  first  part  of  this  Malay  word  to  the  name 
Katje  (Katie)  all  over  South  Africa. 

"  Koezschehyring  eine  Stande  die  man  aus  Madagascar 
gebracht  hat,  an  welchen  Ort  er  diesen  Namen  traget,  und  weil 
ihn  die  Europaer  beybehalten,  so  flihre  ich  ihn  ebenfalls  an 
ohne  einige  Veranderung."  (Kolben's  "Beschreibung,"  p. 
444,  1745.) 

"  Wild  Gatjepiring  is  a  hard  and  strong  kind  of  wood,  and 
on  this  account  used  for  clubs."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  ii. 
p.  Ill,  1796.) 

"  Vying  in  sweetness  with  the  wild  Katjepeering  and  the 
overpowering  'asparagus'."  (Noble's  "The  Cape  and  its 
People,"  p.  373,  1869.) 

Katje  thee. — In  the  Eiversdale  District  Gladiolus  angustus, 
Linn.,  is  known  by  this  name. 

Katlachter. — (D.  kat,  a  cat ;  lachen,  to  laugh.)  Erythro- 
pygia  Gorijphceus,  Lay.  The  name  refers  to  the  unmusical 
noise  which  this  bird  makes.     See  Slang  verklikker. 

"  The  Bosch-creeper  or  Katlachter  was  repeatedly  noticed 
among  the  bushes  which  fringe  the  Orange  Kiver."  ("  Scien- 
tific African,"  p.  76,  March,  1896,) 

Katstaart.  —  (D,  kat,  a  cat ;  staart,  a  tail.)  Various 
species  of  Lachenalia — especially  the  pale  ones— are  known  by 


256  AFEICANDEKISMS 

this   name  in    the   South-Western    Districts  of    the    Cape 
Province. 

Katte  kruiden. — (D.  hat,  a  cat ;  hruid,  herb,  grass  ;  Katte- 
kruid,  Nepeta  Gataria,  catmint.)  In  South  Africa  this  desig- 
nation has  been  transferred  to  Ballota  Africana,  Benth.,  not 
because  cats  are  supposed  to  be  partial  to  it,  but  because  it  is 
covered  with  soft  hairs.  Decoctions  of  its  leaves  are  used 
for  coughs,  colds,  and  asthma. 

"  Boegoe,  anys,  hottentotskooigoed,  katte  kruie  van  alles 
'n  weinig  of  water  getrek  en  enige  male  per  dag  te  drink." 
(Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  121,  1898.) 

Katunker  or  Katonkel. — (M.  ketung,  the  name  of  a  fish 
given  by  Crawford.  Suggested  as  the  possible  origin  of  the 
Cape  word.)     Thynnus  pelamys,  one  of  the  Scomheridce. 

"  Many  of  the  Cape  fish  are  endowed  with  the  quaintest 
Dutch  names.  Here  are  a  few  of  them  :  Kabeljouw,  baard- 
mannatje,  poempelmoesje,  katunka,  elftvisch,  stinkvisch, 
poeskop,  dageraad,  and  others."  (Bryden's  "  Gun  and  Camera 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  449,  1893.) 

Kauwgoed. —  (D.  kamven,  to  chew ;  goed,  goods,  things.) 
The  Dutch  name  for  Mesembryanthemum  tortuosum,  L. 

Keesjesblaren  or  Kissiblaar. — (D.  keesjeskruid,  the  mallow  ; 
blad,  a  leaf.  Cf.  G.  Kdse-pappel,  Eng.  "  cheeses,"  the  fruit 
of  the  mallow.)  (1)  Malva  rotundifolia,  L.  A  poultice  of 
the  leaves  of  this  plant  is  used  for  sore  throat,  sore  eyes,  boils, 
etc.  The  emollient  quality  of  the  mallow  is  suggested  by  its 
English  name — mallow  ;  Lat.  malva ;  G.  fiaXaxv  from  ^laX- 
ao-o-o),  I  soften.  (2)  In  the  neighbourhood  of  East  London  this 
name  is  applied  to  an  acanthaceous  plant — a  favourite  food  of 
the  bush-buck,  Isoglossa  sp. 

"  The  plant  known  as  kissie-hlad."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 9  June,  1911.) 

"  Graaff  Reinet.  A  farmer  of  this  district  reports  losing 
seventeen  ostriches  and  a  horse  through  feeding  them  with 
mallows  {kiesie  bladereny  ("  Queenstown  Representative," 
p.  8,  30  August,  1912.) 

Keever  beetle. — (D.  kever,  a  cock-chafer.)  Heteronychus 
arator. 

"  Heteronychus  arator,  the  Keever-beetle,  is  very  injurious  to 
the  roots  of  growing  grain.  It  is  widely  distributed  and  is 
one  of  the  most  destructive  insects  in  South  Africa."  (Gil- 
christ's •'  South  African  Zoology,"  p.  138,  1911.) 


AFRICANDEKISMS  257 

Kehla. — (Zulu,  i  Kehla,  a  young  man  who  has  taken  the 
head-ring.)    A  "  ringed  "  or  married  man.    See  Ringed,  To  be. 

"  The  excited  savages  fell  back  yielding  place  to  a  couple 
of  tall  amakehla,  or  head-ringed  men,  grim  and  ferocious  of 
aspect  in  their  war  dresses,  with  their  great  shields  and  broad- 
bladed  spears,  who  advanced  to  the  fore."  (Mitford's  "  The 
Gun  Runner,"  p.  182, 1893.) 

Kei  apple. — See  Apple. 

Kei  lily. — Gyrtanthus  sanguineus  is  known  by  this  name 
in  some  parts  of  the  Transkei. 

Kelkie  wijn. — (D.  kelk,  a  cup,  glass ;  wijn,  wine.)  The 
onomatopoetic  name  of  the  Namaqua  partridge  (q.v.),  by 
which  it  is  known  in  the  Karoo. 

"  Wegen  ihres  Rufes  beim  Fliegen  heissen  die  hubschen 
Thierchen  (Namaqua  =  Rebhuhn)  auch  kelchie  wyn,  doch 
horte  ich  viel  deutlicher  die  englischen  worte  '  pretty  war ' 
heraus."     (Bachmann's  "  Siid-Africa,"  p.  69,  1910.) 

Kerel. — (D.  kerel,  lad,  fellow  ;  cf.  Eng.  churl.)  In  familiar 
conversation  this  word  had  the  meaning  of  "  fellow  " ;  e.g. 
"een  slim  kerel,"  a  smart  or  sharp  fellow. 

"  Well  sonny  he  went ;  and  bymeby  back  came  the  same 
cart — the  same  identical  cart — with  another  kerel."  (Glan- 
ville's  "Kloof  Yarns,"  "The  Empire,"  p.  7,  15  October, 
1898.) 

Kerfstok. — (D.  kerf,  a  notch;  cf.  Ger.  kerben,  to  notch; 
Eng.  carve ;  D.  stok,  a  stick.)  The  sticks  upon  which  the 
Bushmen  "  herds  "  nicked  the  losses  in  the  stock  entrusted  to 
their  care.  Have  we  not  here  a  hint  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
"  tallies  "  of  the  English  Exchequer  ? 

"  On  the  return  of  their  masters  they  would  with  the  help 
of  their  kerf -stok  (or  nickstick)  account  for  the  loss  of  every 
ewe,  wether,  or  lamb  which  had  died  or  been  lost,  with  a  dis- 
tinctness and  fidelity  truly  surprising."  (Cloete's  "Five 
Lectures  on  the  Emigration  of  the  Dutch  Farmers,"  p.  36, 
1856.) 

Kerkdorp. — (D.  kerk,  a  church ;  cZorp,  a  village,  hamlet.) 
A  small  village,  consisting  of  a  church  and  a  few  small  cottages, 
which  are  only  used  by  those  who  have  built  them,  at  service 
time. 

"Door  een  kerkdorp  verstaat  men  in  Zuid-Afrika  een 
plaats,  waar  een  kerk  gebouwd  is  en  eenige  huizen,  die  slechts 
bij  '  kerkgelegenheid  '  in  gebruik  zijn,  doch  zonder  winkels  of 

17 


258  AFEICANDEEISMS 

gouvernementskantoor.  Zulk  een  dorp  is  Amersfoort." 
("  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  360  n.,  1882.) 

Kermes. — (D.  kerkmis  or  kermis  ;  Ger.  Kirchmesse,  wake, 
fair,  the  old  English  "  church-ale  ".)  This  word  is  no  longer 
known  among  the  South  African  Dutch  in  the  sense  which  it 
bears  in  Holland,  and  among  the  French-speaking  Belgians, 
who  still  remember  so  much  of  their  Flemish  origin  as  to  re- 
tain their  kirmess  or  kirnies ;  but  it  still  lingers  in  South 
Africa  in  one  or  two  expressions  with  which  parents  will  deny 
children  a  pleasure  they  ask  for:  e.g.  T  is  nijederdag  Kermis 
ni, — It  is  not  a  holiday  every  day.  One's  luck  does  not 
always  hold. 

Kersbosje. — (D.  kaars,  a  candle ;  hos,  a  bush.)  Sarcocaulon 
Burmanni.  The  candle-bush,  so  called  from  the  readiness 
and  steadiness  with  which  it  burns  even  when  green. 

"  The  Kerzhosch,  or  candle-bush,  a  stunted  thorny  plant, 
if  lighted  at  one  end  in  the  green  state  will  burn  steadily  just 
hke  a  wax  candle."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich 
Farm,"  p.  60,  1890.) 

Kersehout. — (D.  kers,  a  cherry  ;  Jiout,  wood.)  Pterocela- 
strus  variabilis.  This  name  must  not  be  confounded  with 
Kaarshout  (q.v.). 

Kersopsteektijd. — (D.  kaars,  a  candle  ;  opsteken,  to  light, 
kindle  ;  tijd,  time.)  (1)  The  gloaming.  (2)  The  Malay 
Khalifa  (q.v.). 

Kettle,  To  cook  the. — A  colloquiahsm  common  in  South 
Africa,  for  making  the  water  in  the  kettle  to  boil. 

"  As  soon  as  we  got  to  the  top  we  outspanned,  and  .  .  . 
made  a  fire,  and  began  cooking  the  kettle."  (Hick's  "  The 
Cape  as  I  Found  It,"  p.  71,  1900.) 

Keurboom. — Virgilia  capensis,  Lam.  A  tree  growing 
along  river  courses  or  in  damp  places,  bearing  a  light  purple 
flower. 

Keurtje. — SutJierlandia  frutescens,  R.  Br.  See  Kanker 
boschje. 

Keurtjeboom. — The  Eiversdale  District  name  for  Psoralea 
pinnata,  L. 

Khakibush. — A  species  of  Aplopappus.  The  name  has 
reference  to  the  dull  fawn  colour  which  the  withered  leaves 
assume.  (See  "  C.G.H.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  76,  7  January, 
1907.)  The  name  is  also  applied  to  Alternanthera  Achyrantha, 
B.  Br.,  a  troublesome  weed  now  spread  widely  throughout 
South  Africa,   the   seeds  having  been  introduced  from   the 


AFRICANDEEISMS  259 

Argentine  Republic  with  imported  fodder.  The  name  was 
given  to  this  plant  because  it  made  its  appearance  in  military 
camps  during  the  late  war  in  places  where  it  was  previously 
unknown. 

Khalifa. — (Ar.  Khalifa,  the  title  assumed  by  the  successors 
of  Mahomet ;  a  "Vicegerent.)  The  designation  in  South 
Africa  of  a  Malay  religious  festival.     See  Kersopsteektijd. 

"  Town  Hall,  Kimberley.  Khalifa  representation  in  aid  of 
the  fund  for  the  relief  of  the  sick  and  wounded  in  the  Trans- 
vaal War."     ("  Diamond  Fields  Advertiser,"  31  May,  1900.) 

Khoi-Khoin. — (Hot.  khoii,  a  man;  khoin,  the  men.) 
Men  of  men.  The  title  by  which  the  Hottentots  were  wont 
to  speak  of  themselves  ;  it  is  still  retained  by  the  Namaquas 
as  their  national  name.  The  name  Hottentot  was  originally 
accepted  by  these  people  under  the  impression  that  it  was  a 
Dutch  word. 

"  The  name  which  they  bear  among  themselves  in  every 
part  of  the  country  is  Quai-quae."  (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i. 
p.  151,  1801.) 

"  Der  Verfasser  .  .  .  wurde  1850  nach  Slid-Afrika  ausge- 
sandt  und  von  1851  hat  er  bis  kurzem  unter  den  Khoi-khoin 
(Namaqua-Hottentotten)  besonders  auf  der  Station  Bersaba 
gearbeitet."  (Kronlein's  "  Wortschatz  der  Khoi-Khoin,"  iii. 
1889.) 

Kiewits. — (G.  Kibitz,  peewit.)  Stephanihyx  coronatus. 
An  onomatopoetic  name  for  this  noisy  plover. 

"  Flocks  of  keuioitts  screamed  out  a  disagreeable  sound, 
resembhng  that  of  the  name  they  bear."  (Sparrman's 
"  Voyage,"  i.  p.  153,  1785.) 

Kikvorsch  vanger. — (D.  kikvorsch,  a  frog ;  vangen,  to 
catch.)  Circus  ranivorus,  Daud.  A  variety  of  falcon  which 
feeds  chiefly  on  frogs  and  small  water  birds. 

Kimmelsaad. — (G.  Kilmmel,  cummin,  caraway  seed  ;  L. 
cuminum ;  D.  saad,  seed.)     Caraway  seeds. 

"  Kimmel  saad  brandew}^! — I  lb.,  kimviel  saad,  three 
bottels  brandewyn,"  etc.  (Dijkman's  '*  Kook,  Koek  en 
Resepten  Boek,"  p.  83,  1898.) 

Kina  bosje. — (D.  kina,  from  Peruvian  cinchona  bark.)  A 
variety  of  protea  is  so  called  because  of  the  bitter  quinine-like 
taste  of  its  leaves.     See  Pinang  bosje. 

Kinderbesje. — (D.  A;wt?,  a  child  ;  Z)me,  a  berry.)  Halleria 
elliptica,  the  black  berries  of  which  are  eaten  by  children. 

17  * 


260  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Kinderbewijs. — (D.  kind,  a  child  ;  bewijs,  title,  deed.)  A 
bond  passed  by  the  surviving  spouse  of  two  persons  married 
in  community  of  property,  to  secure  the  property  of  the 
children  accruing  from  the  deceased  parent. 

King. — Abbreviated  form  of  King  William's  Town  in 
general  use.  This  town,  named  after  William  IV,  is  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  Amatolas,  on  the  Buffalo  Kiver,  and  was 
the  chief  town  of  British  Kaffraria. 

"  Nach  der  Sitte  der  Englander,  Alles  abzukiirzen  wie 
sie  z.  B.  anstatt  *  King  Williamstown  '  nur  '  King  '  sagen." 
(Kranz's  "  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  190,  1880.) 

"  A  grog  wagon  (i.e.  a  wagon  vnth  liquor  on  board  that 
had  come  from  King,  and  which  very  often  followed  the 
troops)  had  arrived  that  day."  (Browning's  "  Fighting  and 
Farming  in  South  Africa,"  p.  119,  1880.) 

King  bream. — The  Natal  name  of  a  fish. 

"  The  species  mostly  in  evidence  are  salmon,  king  bream." 
("Natal  Pictorial  Mercury,"  p.  138,  28  November,  1906.) 

King -fish. — A  fish  of  the  genus  Caranx  is  so  called  in 
Natal. 

"  A  king- fish  is  illustrated,  the  particular  specimen 
weighing  28  lb."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  26  July,  1906.) 

King  I<lipvisch. — See  Koning  klip-visch. 

"  For  a  hot  climate,  many  of  the  fish  in  the  Cape  waters 
furnish  excellent  eating,  the  Koman,  Kingklipvisch  .  .  .  being 
among  the  choicest,"  (Bry den's  "  Gun  and  Camera  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  449,  1893.) 

King  of  six. — A  King  Williamstown  name  for  the  Rooi- 
bekje  (q.v.).  The  reference  is  to  the  number  of  females  by 
which  the  male  is  generally  accompanied  during  the  breeding 
season. 

King  of  the  red  bills. — Vidua  principalis  is  thus  designated 
in  Natal ;  its  pretty  wax-Hke  red  bill  makes  a  marked  contrast 
with  the  black  and  white  of  its  plumage. 

King  vulture. — See  Koning  aasvogel  and  Zwart  aasvogel. 

"  Because  the  others  will  not  venture  near  a  carcase  when 
a  black  vulture  is  feeding,  it  is  often  called  the  King  vulture." 
("  Agric.  Journ.  S.A.  Union,"  p.  367,  April,  1911.) 

Kinkel  bosches. — Tetragonia  fruticosa  and  other  species  ; 
the  seeds  when  mature  rattle  in  the  fruit,  "  hence  the  Dutch 
name  "  (Sim). 

Kinkhost. — (D.    kinkJwest,   whooping-cough.      Pegge   in 


AFKICANDEEISMS  261 

the  Supplement  to  Grose's  "  Provincial  Glossary,"  gives  "  kinh- 
haust,  a  violent  cold  with  a  cough,"  as  a  Lancashire  term ; 
it  occurs  also  in  Scotland.)     The  whooping-cough. 

Kip-kippies. — A  wild  fuchsia-Hke  flower  is  so  called  in 
Namaqualand  ;  it  bears  a  very  inflated,  red  and  green  seed- 
pod. 

Kippersol. — ("  The  word  is  Portuguese,  quita-sol,  '  bar 
sun  '." — Yule  and  Burnell's  "  Anglo-Indian  Glossary  ".  At  one 
time  the  word  was  in  frequent  use  in  India  in  the  form 
kitty-sol,  which  was  the  name  given  to  the  bamboo  and  paper 
umbrellas  imported  from  China.  It  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  the  other  popular  South  African  names  of  this  tree  have 
reference  to  the  shade  which  it  affords  :  Noois  boom,  Parasol 
tree.)  The  name  has  been  given  in  South  Africa  to  a  tree — 
Cussonia  Thyrsifiora — which  grows  something  like  an  um- 
brella in  shape  ;  its  roots  contain  a  large  quantity  of  moisture, 
and  in  times  of  drought  are  in  great  request,  being  dug  out 
by  the  Bushmen  and  Hottentots  and  chewed  as  a  means  of 
quenching  thirst. 

"Above  his  head  was  borne  two  kippe-soles,  or  sun 
skreens,  made  of  paper."     ("  Van  Twist,"  p.  51,  1648.) 

"  Upon  the  summit  of  a  precipice  a  kippersol  tree  grew, 
whose  palm-like  leaves  were  clearly  cut  out  against  the  night 
sky."  (Olive  Schreiner's  "Dream  Life  and  Keal  Life,"  p. 
26,  1893.) 

Kiri. — This  word,  which  is  in  constant  use  throughout 
South  Africa,  seems  to  be  of  Hottentot  origin  and  to  have 
been  apphed  to  a  stick  of  hard  and  tough  wood,  used  some- 
times in  digging  and  sometimes  in  self-defence.  The  "  knob- 
kiri "  is  a  stick  with  a  large  knob  at  one  end  of  it ;  at  close 
quarters  it  is  quite  a  formidable  weapon,  but  both  Hotten- 
tots and  Kaffirs  can  often  throw  it  a  good  distance  with  much 
skill  and  accuracy.  The  "  Knob-kiri  "  is  called  by  the  Kaffirs 
i  Gqeba. 

"  Der  Kirri  ist  entwann  drey  Fuss  lang  und  eines  Daumes 
dick.  .  .  .  Der  kirri  hat  zwey  stumpfe  Enden,  und  dienst  die 
Pfeile,  Hassagayen,  Eackums,  und  was  der  Feind  sonsten, 
herwirfft,  zu  pariren."  (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  86, 
1745.) 

"  He — Gaika — had  in  his  hand  an  iron  Kiri,  and  his  cheeks 
and  lips  were  painted  red."  (Smith's  "  Sketches  of  South 
Africa,"  "  Wesleyan  Methodist  Magazine,"  p.  410,  1849.) 


262  AFRICANDEEISMS 

"  The  skulls  were  frightfully  broken,  exhibiting  marks  of 
the  knob-kerries  and  stones  with  which  they  had  been 
fractured."     (Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  340,  1856.) 

Kiriehout. — Bhus  Icevigata.     See  Bosch  taaibosch. 

Kitchen  Dutch  or  Kaffir. — The  mixture  of  English  and 
Dutch  or  Enghsh  and  Kaffir  words  frequently  employed  when 
speaking  to  servants  by  those  who  understand  neither  Dutch 
nor  Kaffir  perfectly.  It  is  interesting  to  find  that  this  epithet 
"  kitchen  "  was  applied  to  bad  Latin  as  far  back  as  three 
hundred  years  ago.  Minsheu,  "  Guide  to  the  Tongues,"  1617, 
has — "  Kitchin  latine  ,  .  .  L.  Barbaries,  oratio  male  latina  ". 

"  By  this  time  they  could  both  speak  Sesuto  and  '  Low  '  or 
Kitchen  Dutch  (as  it  is  called  in  those  parts)  well."  (Barkly's 
"  Among  Boers  and  Basutos,"  p.  109,  1893.) 

Kivitje. — Dim.  of  Kiewits  (q.v.).  The  word  is  generally 
used  in  this  form  in  the  Karoo  districts,  where  the  bird  is 
also  known  as  the  Mannevogel  (q.v.). 

"  Clouds  of  long-legged,  white-winged  Kee-vekies,  the  pest 
of  the  hunter,  circled  overhead."  (Glanville's  "  The  Fos- 
sicker,"  p.  142,  1891.) 

"  Here  and  there  ,  .  .  the  plover  of  the  country  would 
scream  out  of  its  plangent  keviche."  (Stuart's  "  Pictures  of 
the  War,"  p.  315,  1901.) 

Klaar. — (D.  Klaar,  clear,  ready.)  This  word  is  in  every- 
day use  in  the  Midland  Districts  of  the  Colony,  both  among 
English  and  Dutch,  in  both  its  meanings — clear  and  ready. 

Then  the  bachelor  rises  and  shaking  off  sleep, 
Hastens  down  to  his  kraals  to  look  after  his  sheep ; 

Whilst  I  as  a  guest,  no  enjoyment  to  mar, 
Lie  slumbering  on  till  the  coffee  is  hlaar  (ready). 

(Hudson's  "Features  of  South  African  Frontier  Life,"  p. 
208,  1852.) 

"  It  is  anticipated  that  in  six  months'  time  the  long-talked- 
of  bridge  will  be  un  fait  acco7?ipli,  or  to  suit  the  times  should 
one  say  it  will  be  klaar?  Shades  of  old  Kurveyors,  what 
wouldn't  you  have  given  for  that  bridge."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  8,  2  July,  1912.) 

Klaas  vaak. — (D.  Klaas,  shortened  form  of  Nicolas  ;  vaak, 
sleepiness.)     The  "  dustman  "  familiar  to  Enghsh  children. 

Klapklapertje. — Megalophonus  Apiatus,  Vieil.  An  ono- 
matopoetic  name  which  has  reference  to  the  curious  sound 
made  by  this  bird's  wings  when  rising. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  263 

"  This  beautiful  lark  .  .  .  is  well  known  from  its  singular 
habit  of  rising  15  or  30  feet  into  the  air,  perpendicularly, 
making  a  sharp  cracking  noise  with  its  wings  as  it  rises 
uttering  a  long  shrill  '  phew  '  and  then  falling  as  abruptly  to 
the  earth."    (Layard's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  216, 1867.) 

Klapmuts. — (D.  klapmuts,  a  riding-cap  ;  cf.  Scotch  mutch, 
a  woman's  cap  or  bonnet.) 

Their  toys  and  mutches  were  sae  clean, 

They  glancit  in  our  ladies'  e'en. — (Allen  Rambay.) 

(1)  "A  quaint,  though  not  unbecoming  cap  often  seen  in 
Gerard  Dow's  pictures,  and  still  worn  here  and  there  by  old- 
fashioned  ladies  of  Dutch  descent."  (De  Vere's  "  American- 
isms ".)  (2)  The  name  of  a  village  in  the  Western  Province 
near  to  which  is  a  peculiar  dome-shaped  mountain,  which  is 
supposed  to  bear  some  resemblance  to  this  old-fashioned 
article  of  female  attire. 

"  1657,  22  October  ...  in  the  afternoon  passed  the  kloof 
between  the  Diamandt  and  the  Paarl  Bergh,  and  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Clapmus  Bergh,  partly  good  soil,  but  generally 
bare  and  sandy."  (Van  Eiebeeck's  "  Journal,"  Hoodie's 
"Kecords,"  p.  112,  1841.) 

"  At  half-past  six  we  came  to  Albertyn's  farm,  lying  at 
the  foot  of  a  mountain,  called  de  Klapmuts,  where  we  passed 
the  night."      (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  ii.  p.  71,  1798.) 

Klappers. — See  Clappers. 

"It  is  also  called  klappers  from  the  character  of  the  some- 
what horny  pods,  in  which  the  seeds  rattle  about."  ("  S.A. 
Jour,  of  Science,"  vii.  p.  269,  1911.) 

Klapper  taart. — (Mai.  kUapa,  hlapa,  coco-nut ;  D.  taart, 
a  tart.)     A  tart,  the  contents  of  which  are  chiefly  coco-nut. 

Klappertje. — (D.  klapper  en,  to  chatter.)  Gisticola  terres- 
tris  and  C.  textris  are  both  known  by  this  name. 

"  The  Klappertje  as  it  is  called  by  the  Dutch  colonists,  is 
not  uncommon  at  Nel's  Poort."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds 
of  South  Africa,"  p.  236,  1875-84.) 

Klauw  ziekte. — (D.  klauw,  a  claw,  paw  ;  ziekte,  sickness.) 
Foot  and  mouth  disease  affecting  horned  cattle  and  some 
other  animals.     See  Hoof  and  tongue  sickness. 

"  A  disease  called  the  klow  sickness,  which  rages  among 
the  horned  cattle  in  the  summer,  and  numbers  of  cattle  die." 
(Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  96,  1789.) 


264  AFRICANDEEISMS 

"  Many  sheep  perished  this  season  from  the  klauw  ziekte 
or  foot-rot."     (Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  305,  1844.) 

Klaver. — (D.  klaver,  clover.)  Clover,  but  in  some  of 
the  south-western  districts  this  name  is  also  applied  to  Lu- 
cerne— Medicago  sativa. 

Klein  baas. — (D.  klein,  little,  small.)  The  designation 
given  by  farm  labourers  to  the  eldest  son  of  the  farmer,  and 
also  to  a  sub-manager. 

"  The  next  morning  I  went  for  a  walk  with  Smith,  who 
was  the  Klein-baas  of  the  farm.  Klein-baas  is  the  term  used 
for  the  sub-manager,  and  '  baas  '  is  the  manager  or  proprietor." 
(Clairmonte's  "  The  Africander,"  p.  15,  1896.) 

Klein  sijsje. — (D.  klein,  little,  small  ;  sijsje,  a  linnet.) 
Serinus  flaviventris  and  S.  marshalli. 

"  The  Kleine  seisjes  .  .  .  make  handsome  cage  birds  in 
their  greenish-yellow  and  bright  golden  colours."  (Haagner 
and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  84, 1908.) 

Klein  sperwel. — (D.  klein,  small ;  sperwer,  a  sparrow- 
hawk.)     Malierax  gabar. 

"  Der  siidafrikanische  Gabar  ist  bedeutend  grosser  als 
jener  von  West-  und  Nordostafrika."  (Holub  und  Pelzeln's 
"  Ornithologie  von  Siidafrika,"  p.  34,  1882.) 

Kleintjes. — (D.  klein,  little,  small.)  Little  ones,  often  ap- 
plied to  children. 

"  While  the  partners  ate  and  drank  heartily,  the  clynies 
were  busy  in  their  way."  ("  South  Africa  a  Century  ago," 
p.  138,  1901.) 

Klimop. — (D.  klimop,  ivy  ;  klimmen,  to  climb  ;  op,  up, 
upon.)  (1)  The  South  African  name  for  the  creeping  plant 
Gynanchum  capense,  Thunb.,  which  has  been  proved  to  be 
poisonous  to  sheep  and  cattle.  (2)  The  name  is  also  given 
to  the  Wild  clematis. 

"  Clematis  .  .  .  One  species  is  wild  in  England,  and  many 
are  cultivated  in  gardens.     The  colonial  name  for  the  Cape 

species  is  Klimop."     ("  Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  2,  1859- 
60.) 

"  Cattle  and  sheep  when  tied  up  at  the  Klimop  .  .  .  showed, 
fifteen  or  thirty  hours  afterwards,  the  first  symptoms  of 
'  krimp-ziekte  '."  ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  399,  October, 
1904.) 

"  Klimop  or  '  Traveller's  joy  '."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and 
their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  214,  1906.) 


AFBICANDEBISMS  266 

Klinkers. — (1)  A  brick  that  has  been  partially  vitrified  in 
the  kiln  used  for  paving  courtyards.'  (2)  The  term  is  also 
applied  (as  in  the  quotation)  to  a  specially  hard  sort  of  biscuit. 

"  On  some  of  the  wagons  we  found  klinkers,  jam,  milk, 
sardines,  salmon,  cases  of  corned  beef,  and  other  such  pro- 
visions in  great  variety."  (De  Wet's  "  Three  Years  War," 
p.  48,  1903.) 

Klip. — (D.  klip,  a  rock,  reef.)  (1)  In  Cape  Dutch  this 
word  is  used  of  rock  in  general,  and  also  of  a  pebble.  (2)  It 
is  also  used  in  the  slang  of  the  Diamond  Fields  for  a  diamond. 

"  Stooping  to  set  large  klips  (stones)  behind  the  wheel,  to 
prevent  the  wagon  from  slipping  back,"  (Barter's  "  The 
Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  50,  1852.) 

"  Then  Senior  went  on  to  tell  them  about  the  Kaffirs  he 
had  seen  flogged  to  death  for  stealing  a  klip  (as  the  Dutch  and 
many  of  the  Kaffirs  call  a  diamond)."  (Couper's  "  Mixed 
Humanity,"  p.  48.) 

"  The  natives  had  not  yet  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the 
value  of  diamonds  or  klips  as  they  were  then  termed." 
(Matthews'  "  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  186,  1887.) 

Klip  bloem. — (D.  klip,  a  rock  ;  hloem,  a  flower.)  Some  of 
the  CrassulacecB  are  so  named  by  the  Dutch, 

Klip  dagga. — See  Dagga. 

Klip  das. — See  Dassie,  which  is  the  diminutive  of  Das. 

"  The  rock -rabbit  or  hyrax,  known  all  over  South  Africa 
by  its  Boer  name  Dassie  (which  is  a  diminutive  of  Klip  das, 
literally,  rock-badger),  an  absurd  title,  is  a  most  amusing  and 
interesting  little  beast,"  (Bryden's  "  Animals  of  Africa,"  p. 
57,  1900.) 

Klip  els. — (D.  els,  alder.)     Plectronia  mundii. 

Klipesse. — (D.  esch,  an  ash  tree.)  (1)  Rhus  Thunbergii, 
which  is  found  in  rocky  situations  in  the  western  province — 
Stellenbosch,  Worcester,  and  Clanwilliam  Districts.  See 
Khphout.  (2)  Plectronia  Mundtiana  is  also  known  by  this 
name. 

"  Khphout  or  Klipesse  of  the  colonists."  ("  Flora  Capen- 
sis,"  Vol.  I.  p.  521,  1859-60.) 

Klip  fish. — Clinus  superciliosus,  a  fish  with  a  great  variety 
of  brilliant  colouring ;  it  belongs  to  the  BlenniidcB  family, 
which  has  many  representatives  in  the  waters  of  the  Southern 
Hemisphere.  This  name  is  also  applied  to  the  Clinidce 
generally. 


266  AFEICANDEBISMS 

Klip  gift. — (D.  gift,  poison.)  The  name  given  to  a  sub- 
stance scraped  from  the  surface  of  the  rock  in  caverns  and 
employed  by  the  bushmen,  M^ith  other  poisons,  to  envenom 
the  tips  of  their  frail  but  effective  arrows. 

"  The  upper  part  of  the  cavern  was  covered  with  a  thick 
coating  of  dark,  pitchy  matter,  which  I  at  first  took  to  be  merely 
the  effect  of  smoke,  but  was  subsequently  told  that  it  was 
Klip-gift  or  rock-poison,  with  which  the  Bushman  always  en- 
venoms the  points  of  his  darts."  (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Ke- 
searches,"  p.  101,  1833.) 

Klip  haas. — (D.  haas,  a  hare.)  Lepus  crassicaudatus. 
This  animal  is  also  known  as  the  Roode  haas  and  Rooi  stert. 

Kliphout. — (D.  7iow^,  wood.)  Bhus  Thunbergii.  See  Klip- 
esse. 

"  There  are  numbers  of  Cape  plants  which  yield  tannin, 
and  some  of  them,  such  as  kreuppelboom,  wagenboom, 
kliphout..  .  are  unequalled  for  tanning  purposes."  ("Castle 
Line  Guide  to  South  Africa,"  p.  62,  1888.) 

Klip  kous. — A  large  Haliotis  which  is  found  on  the  rocks 
when  the  tide  is  very  low  ;  it  is  exceedingly  tough  and  re- 
quires a  deal  of  stewing,  but  when  properly  prepared  is  very 
good.     See  Paarlmoer. 

"  The  Klip-kousen  are  sometimes  called  by  the  virtuosi, 
Nabel-snails.  These  are  frequently  found  at  the  Cape." 
(Kolben's  "  Present  State  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  ii.  p. 
209,  1731.) 

"  A  sort  of  snail  or  cockle.  Klip  kous  {Haliotis,  Linn.),  from 
half  a  foot  to  a  foot  and  a  half  diameter,  is  usually  stewed." 
(Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  26,  1785.) 

"  The  people  eat  sea-ears,  which  are  called  Klipkausen." 
(Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  18,  1796.) 

Klip  kraal — A  Kraal  (q.v.)  with  walls  of  packed  stones. 

Klipneuker. — (D.  klip,  rock ;  CD.  neuken,  to  hit.)  A 
species  of  Hzard.     See  Klipsalamander. 

Klipplaats. — (D.  klip,  rock ;  plaats,  place.)  A  stony 
ledge  ;  a  rocky  locality,  e.g.  Klipplaats  on  the  Midland  Rail- 
way. 

"  These  ledges  or  Klipplaats  .  .  .  are  to  be  seen  in  all  the 
Natal  rivers."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  60, 
1852.) 

Klipsalade. — See  Dolossi. 

Klipsalamander. — (D.    klip,   rock ;    Lat.   salamandra,   a 


AFEICANBEBISMS  267 

reptile  resembling  a  lizard,  Salamandra  terrestris,  Brongn.) 
The  name  is  given  to  several  varieties  of  rock-loving  lizards. 

"'A  dassie  could  not  live  here,'  said  a  Boer,  'only  a  Jclip- 
salamander.'  "    (Alexander's  "  Expedition,"  i.  pp.  142-3, 1838.) 

"  A  sp'^cies  of  lizard  with  a  long  name,  klip-salamander, 
whose  sole  occupation  is  to  lie  all  day  on  a  rock  in  the  blaz- 
ing sun — though  not  asleep,  for  its  eyes  are  always  open." 
("  The  State,"  p.  251,  September,  1911.) 

Klipspringer. — (D.  klip,  rock;  springer,  leaper.)  Oreo- 
tragus  saltator.  This  pretty  little  animal  is,  in  habit,  a  miniature 
chamois  of  extraordinary  activity,  and  is  found  only  on  almost 
inaccessible  mountain  heights.     See  African  chamois. 

"  The  Klipspringer,  is  as  a  rule,  little  known  to  Europeans." 
(Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karroo,"  p.  70, 1889.) 

Klip,  To. — To  place  a  stone  behind  a  wheel  to  prevent  the 
vehicle  running  backwards. 

"  Crawling  into  the  wagon,  the  wheels  of  which  were 
klipped  to  keep  us  from  running  down  the  hill."  (Koche's 
"  On  Trek  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  91,  1878.) 

Klip  uyntjes. — (D.  ui,  an  onion.)  The  Namaqualand  name 
of  a  bulbous  plant,  Bahiana  sp.,  with  a  pretty  blue  flower 
and  hard,  sharp-pointed  leaves,  found  growing  among  rocks. 

Klip  zuiger. — (D.  zuigen,  to  suck.)  Chorisochismus 
dentex.  This  fish  is  so  called  from  its  habit  of  adhering  to 
rocks.     See  Sucker-fish. 

Klip  zweet. — (D.  zweet,  sweat,  perspiration.)  See 
Dassiespis. 

Klis  or  Klits  grass. — (D.  klissen,  to  be  entangled.)  Set- 
aria  verticillata,  Beauv.,  a  grass  very  common  in  some  parts 
of  the  country,  the  seeding  part  of  which,  furnished  with 
numerous  minute  hooks,  knots  and  tangles  in  the  most 
curious  fashion.  It  is  a  source  of  much  trouble  and  annoy- 
ance to  farmers  and  gardeners. 

"  Klitsgras  may  be  disregarded  and  weduwenaars  don't 
excite  much  remark.  But  there  is  a  weed  the  seed  of  which 
gets  into  your  clothes  first  and  into  your  flesh  afterwards, 
and  unless  promptly  removed,  causes  excessive  irritation  and 
discomfort."  (Du  Plessis'  "  A  Thousand  Miles  in  the  Heart 
of  Africa,"  p.  139,  1905.) 

"  The  fruits  of  such  plants  as  the  burr-weed  and  klis  grass 
are  a  source  of  trouble  and  loss."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  5,  23  July,  1909.) 


268  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Klokjes.— (D.  klok,  a  bell ;  G.  Glocke  ;  Eng.  clock.)  In 
Holland  a  klokje  is  a  bell-shaped  flower,  but  in  South  Africa 
the  name  has  been  applied  to  Erodiummoschatum,  W.,  for  the 
reason  set  forth  in  the  quotations. 

"  This  morning  in  throwing  out  some  water  I  observed 
some  seeds  of  the  pest-grass  .  .  .  begin  to  writhe  about  in 
the  ground,  some  jumping  and  alighting  on  one  end  (the  seed 
end),  which  was  propelled  into  the  earth  like  a  corkscrew.  In 
this  manner,  I  suppose,  it  is  provided  by  nature  that  when 
the  first  rain  falls,  these  seeds,  lying  on  the  baked  earth,  in 
inactivity,  spring  into  life  and  plant  themselves,  while  the 
spiral  writhing  of  the  shaft  end  or  beard  propels  the  seed 
underground."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  163,  1868.) 

"  Each  carpel  has  a  hard  point  at  the  base,  like  an  awl ; 
the  style  curls  round  in  a  close  spiral,  like  a  corkscrew  ;  and 
its  top  is  flattened  out  like  the  feathered  arrows  of  a  weather- 
cock. When  it  falls  upon  broken  ground  or  among  grass,  the 
seed  end,  being  heavier,  strikes  the  ground  first,  pegs  itself 
in  slightly,  and  the  weathercock  end  projects  to  catch  every 
puff  of  air.  Kound  it  goes  and  round  again,  till  the  seed  is 
cleverly  screwed  into  the  ground.  Most  Cape  children  know 
the  pecuUarities  of  this  plant,  and  loosen  the  half-ripe  carpels 
for  the  pleasure  of  watching  the  springy  style  tear  itself  loose, 
and  begin  to  take  its  corkscrew  turns,  carrying  round  the 
feathered  top  hke  the  hands  of  a  clock,  as  they  think,  and 
which  has  suggested  the  name  Klokjes  for  the  plant."  (Prof. 
MacOwan,  "  C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  152,  1897.) 

Klompje. — (D,  klomp,  a  clump.)  A  cluster  of  trees, 
shrubs,  animals,  or  men  is  termed  in  the  Midland  Districts  a 
"  klompje  ". 

"  Even  at  close  quarters  of  a  mile  we  were  able  to  disperse 
small  klompjies  of  Kaffirs  and  cattle."  (King's  "  Campaigning 
in  Kaffirland,"  p.  215,  1855.) 

"  Snyman  also  saw  nothing  except  one  klompjie  of 
kameels."      (Baines'  "  Explorations,"  p.  241, 1864.) 

Klong. — (CD.  klein-jong,  a  servant  boy  ;  klong  is  a  con- 
traction of  this  designation.)  The  word  is  in  common  use 
in  various  parts  of  South  Africa,  and  is  applied  to  coloured 
males  without  reference  to  age,  much  as  the  word  "  boy  "  is 
among  the  English  colonists  ;  indeed  so  far  has  the  original 
sense  disappeared  that  the  expression  "  ou'  klong  "  (lit.  "  old 
small  youngster  ")'is  by  no  means  uncommon. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  269 

Kloof. — (D.  kloof,  a  cleft,  gap,  chasm.)  A  wooded  gorge, 
a  ravine  running  up  between  two  hills,  or  up  the  side  of  a 
mountain.  Compare  the  U.S.  word  "clove,"  a  mountain 
cleft,  a  ravine. 

"  Of  these  passages  or  kloofs,  as  they  are  called  by  the 
colonists,  there  are  but  three  that  are  ever  used  by  wheel- 
carriages."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  63,  1801.) 

"  This  pass  is  defended  by  a  block-house  and  is  called  the 
Kloof,  a  word  of  frequent  occurrence  in  this  colony,  and  signi- 
fying a  pass  either  over  or  between  mountains,  and  often  a 
deep  ravine  down  the  side  of  a  mountain."  (Burchell's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  15,1822.) 

"  There  was  not  a  kloof  or  a  '  drift '  .  .  .  where  they 
might  not  be  cut  off."  (Bird's  "  Annals  of  Natal,"  ii.  p.  4, 
1888.) 

Klopje. — (D.  klop,  a  knock.)  A  hit  or  blow  ;  the  noise 
which  a  bullet  makes  when  it  finds  its  billet  in  the  body  of  an 
animal  is  also  spoken  of  as  the  klop  of  the  bullet.     See  Clap. 

"  When  I  get  home  I  cannot  help  giving  the  Hottentot 
another  klopje,  when  I  am  fined  £10."  (Bryden's  "  Victorian 
Era  in  South  Africa,"  p.  7,  1897.) 

Kloppertje. — Cisticola  terrestries,  one  of  the  grass  warblers. 
See  Ting-ting. 

Kluitje. — (D.  kliiit,  a  jest.)  In  Cape  Dutch  the  word  is 
applied  to  an  obvious  untruth. 

Kluitjes. — (D.  kluit,  a  lump,  clod.)  The  South  African 
name  for  small  dumplings. 

"  Brood  kluitjes  (bread  dumplings) ."  (Hilda's  "  Where  is 
it  ?  of  Kecipes,"  p.  15,  1904.) 

Knecht. — (D.  knecht,  a  man-servant.  Etymologically  this 
is  the  same  word  as  the  English  "  knight".)  An  overseer,  a 
head  servant. 

"  The  trader  then  instructs  his  knecht  or  head  servant  to 
make  a  parade  of  the  goods,"  (Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adven- 
tures," I.  p.  5,  1850.) 

Knee -haltered. — A  riem  attached  to  the  horse's  bridle,  or 
passed  round  his  neck,  is  fastened  round  the  leg  just  below 
the  knee,  in  such  a  way  that  while  the  horse  can  feed  with 
ease  it  can  only  move  at  a  slow  pace. 

"  Having  knee-haltered  my  horse  to  prevent  his  straying, 
I  proceeded  to  dine  upon  a  guinea-fowl,  which  I  had  killed." 
(Harris's  "  Wild  Sports  of  South  Africa,"  p.  68,  1839.) 


270  AFRICANDEEISMS 

Knie-diep-voor=dag. — A  curious  phrase  meaning  an  hour 
or  two  before  sunrise. 

Knikkertjes. — (D.  knikker,  a  marble.)  The  beans  of 
Ccesalpinia  honducella,  a  native  of  South  America.  They  are 
often  washed  up  on  the  coast. 

Knob= billed  duck. — Sarcidiornis  melanonota. 

"  The  Knob-billed  duck  is  nowhere  common,  and  does  not 
appear  to  be  known  south  of  the  Orange  Eiver."  (Distant's 
"A  Naturalist  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  123,  1892.) 

Knob= nosed  Kaffirs  or  Knobnoses. — The  people  so  called 
are  a  branch  of  the  Baraputses ;  the  name  has  reference  to 
the  peculiar  manner  in  which  they  tattoo  their  noses,  the 
flesh  being  raised  in  small  knobs  lengthwise  down  the  nose 
like  a  string  of  beads.  The  name  was  originally  given  by  the 
Trek  Boers,  Knop-neus. 

"A  friendly  tribe  of  natives,  whom,  from  a'peculiarity  in 
the  nasal  prominence,  they  dignified  with  the  appellation  of 
Knob-nosed  Kaffirs."  (Harris's  "  Wild  Sports  of  South  Africa," 
p.  350,  1839.) 

"  The  degraded  Magwamba  ('  demons '  or  '  devils ')  called 
Knobnoses  by  the  Transvaal  Boers."  (Keane's  "The  Boer 
States,"  p.  99,  1900.) 

Knob=thorn  or  -wood. — Xanthoxylon  capense,  Hars.  One 
of  the  well-known  indigenous  trees  of  South  Africa,  the  trunk 
of  which  is  covered  with  a  profusion  of  bluntly  pointed  pro- 
tuberances, which  give  it  a  very  curious  appearance.  See 
Paarde  praam. 

"  For  instance  between  the  Shashe  and  Dopperpan  we 
passed  through  a  calcareous  strip  of  country,  with  various 
kinds  of  sweet  grass  and  small  shrubs,  varied  with  a  very 
good  large  bush  and  trees,  as  knoppies-doorn."  (Du  Toit's 
"  Ehodesia,"  p.  32,  1897.) 

Knock  up,  To. — To  be  winded  or  exhausted. 

"  The  long  run  added  to  the  steep  hill  on  the  other  side 
took  so  much  out  of  the  horses,  that  mine  knocked  up." 
(Bisset's  "  Sport  and  War  in  South  Africa,"  p.  5,  1875.) 

Knoopdarm. — (D.  knoop,  a  knot,  tie ;  darm,  gut,  intestine.) 
A  disease  affecting  sheep ;  it  is  a  twist  or  stoppage  in  the 
intestines. 

"I  notice  on  p.  619  of  your  issue,  of  27  December, 
some  cures  for  Knoopdarm  in  sheep."  ("  The  Farmer's 
Weekly,"  p.  760,  17  January,  1912.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  271 

Knopjies  doom. — (D.  hnop,  head,  knob  ;  doom,  a  thorn.) 
Acacia  nigrescens  pallens,  Benth. 

Knorhaan  or  Korhaan. — (D.  knorren,  to  scold  ;  haan,  a 
cock.)  These  birds,  of  which  there  are  several  varieties,  are 
bustards  :  Otis  afra,  is  knov^n  as  the  "  common  "  ;  0.  scolo- 
pacea,  as  the  "  vaal  "  ;  and  O.  coerulescens,  as  the  "  blaauw" 
korhaan.  The  first  of  these  is  exceedingly  noisy  when  dis- 
turbed, and  well  deserves  the  name  of  "  Scolding-cock  "  ;  its 
raucous  cry  has  been  fairly  described  as  resembling  a  "  shrill- 
voiced  woman's  nagging  heard  afar,  so  that  the  words  are 
not  intelligible  ", 

"  Besides  the  two  species  of  bustards  known  in  the  Colony 
by  the  name  of  Korhaans,  at  this  place  was  a  third  .  .  .  called 
here  the  wilde-pauw."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  139,  1801.) 

Knorhaan. — The  two  fish  Trigla  peronii  and  T.  capensis 
are  both  thus  designated  because  of  the  peculiar  noise  which 
they  make  when  taken  out  of  the  water.     See  Grunter. 

"  The  Gurnard  or  Knorhaan  {Trigla  peronii)  not  unlike 
its  European  representative  (T.  gurnardus)."  (Gilchrist's 
"  History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p.  215,  1900.) 

Knysna  lily. — A  beautiful  species  of  Vallota  now  being 
cultivated  both  in  the  Colony  and  in  Europe.    See  George  lily. 

"  Nysna  lily  (Gyrtanthus  obliquus) ."  (Burchell's  "  Travels," 
II.  Index,  1824.) 

Kobeljauw  or  Kabeljauw. — (D.  kaheljauw,  a  cod ;  cf. 
Scot.  "  kabbelow,  a  cod-fish  salted  and  hung  for  a  few  days," 
Jamieson.)  Scicena  hololepidota,  Guv.  A  large  fish  common 
on  the  South  African  coast.  The  name  is  very  often  shortened 
to  Coh. 

"  At  the  Cape  there  are  several  sorts  of  the  fish  called 
Gabeliau.  .  .  .  The  Gabeliau  of  the  sort  that  is  salted  at  the 
Cape  is  not  spotted  as  in  the  Indian  Gabeliau."  (Kolben's 
"  Present  State  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  ii.  p.  188,  1731.) 

"  I  found  him  waxing  a  stout  fishing  line  for  kabbeljauw, 
a  very  large  but  coarse  sea-fish,"  (Glanville's  "  Tales  from 
the  Veld,"  p.  25,  1897.) 

"  Our  well-known  and  very  common  kabeljauw,  called  for 
briefness  '  cob  '  or  '  kob  '  {Scicena  acquila)."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  26  June,  1906.) 

Koejava  or  Qoejava. — Psidium  Guayava,  L.  The  Dutch 
pronunciation  of  the  name  of  this  fruit. 

"  Goyavus  is  eaten,  when  ripe,  both  raw  and  stewed  in 


272  AFEICANDERISMS 

red  wine  and  sugar."  (Thunberg's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  273, 
1796.) 

Koeriempje. — The  name  given  to  an  edible  wild  plant. 

Koesijsters. — A  confection  or  sweetmeat  which  has  been 
boiled  in  fat  and  dipped  in  powdered  sugar. 

"  Koesisters  (Batavian  or  old  Dutch  sweetmeat  recipe)," 
(Hilda's  "  Where  is  it?  of  Recipes,"  p.  128,  1904.) 

Koeskoetje  or  Koestertje. — (F.  coucher,  to  lie  down  ;  from 
Lat.  collocare  ;  cf.  G.  kuschen,  to  crouch,  to  submit.)  Various 
members  of  the  Alaudidce  family  have  received  this  appella- 
tion from  their  peculiar  habit  of  crouching  close  to  the  ground 
when  alarmed. 

"  Megalophonus  dnereus,  Lath.  Beim  Herannahen  eines 
Menschen  oder  Thieres  duckt  es  sich  nieder,  driickt  sich  flach 
auf  die  Erde,  dass  man  oft  einige  Schritte  an  ihn  voriibergeht, 
ohne  es  zu  bemerken."  (Holub  und  Pelzeln's  "  Omitho- 
graphie  von  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  136,  1882.) 

Koeskop. — (1)  A  term  applied  to  hornless  cattle  and  also 
to  tuskless  elephants.  (2)  It  is  also  used  of  a  fish,  a  species 
of  Chrysophrys.     See  Poeskop. 

"  If  a  chief  happen  to  have  any  hornless  cattle  (koeskop) 
among  his  herd."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  428,  1868.) 

"  John  pulled  my  sleeve  and  told  me  not  to  shoot,  because 
it  was  a  koeskop,  i.e.  an  elephant  without  tusks."  (Kerr's 
"  Far  Interior,"  i.  p.  90,  1886.) 

Koggelaar. — Cossypha  bicolor  is  so  called  both  in  Natal 
and  in  the  Cape  Colony.     See  Mocking-bird. 

"  Called  by  the  Boers  in  Natal  Koggelaar."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  351,  1868.) 

Koggelmander. — Agama.  Several  lizards  are  thus  de- 
signated. I  have  also  heard  chameleons  so  called — Koggel- 
mannetje. 

"  Jumping  up  he  threw  the  lizard  to  Mr.  De  Beer,  who 
loudly  exclaimed :  '  Mr.  Chairman,  there  is  a  cogolomander 
here'  and  ran  away."  (Churchill's  "Men,  Mines,  and 
Manners,"  p.  87,  1895.) 

"  The  leguan,  a  large  animal  of  the  lizard  tribe ;  the 
koggelmanner  of  two  sorts,  one  dull,  greyish  black,  the  other 
with  dark  blue  head,  usuallj'-  seen  on  stones."  ("  Scientific 
African,"  p.  61,  1896.) 

"  The  lizards,  grey  kokelmannetje,  the  little  cooking  man, 
and  the  blue  blinking  Agora,  have  hardly  yet  crept  out  to 


AFEICANDEKISMS  273 

bask  in  the  sun."     (Trotter's  "  Old  Cape  Colony,"  p.  234, 
1903.) 

"  They  are  spiny  lizards  and  bask  in  full  sunlight  on 
smooth  rocks,  often  nodding  their  head,  and  have  thus  gained 
the  name  of  Kokkelmanetje  or  little  bowing  man  among  the 
Dutch."     ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  145,  1905.) 

Kokerboom. — (D.  koker,  a  case,  sheath ;  G.  Kocher,  a 
quiver,  pen  case.)  Aloe  dichotoma  has  received  this  name 
because  the  Bushmen  and  Hottentots  of  the  western  coast 
almost  invariably  made  the  quivers  for  their  poisoned  arrows 
from  the  stem  of  this  aloe ;  cleaning  out  the  woody  interior 
they  fixed  to  the  tough  bark  cylinder  a  bottom  and  sometimes 
a  lid.  The  word  kokur  (a  quiver)  occurs  in  "  The  Chronicle  of 
Robert  of  Gloucester,"  about  a.d.  1300,  "  Mid  swerd  and  bowe 
bisyde,  and  o  kokur  fol  of  flon  "  (and  a  quiver  full  of  arrows). 
(Ed.  Wright,  ii.  Ap.  H,  1.  66.) 

"A  large  Aloe  dichotoma,  .  .  .  This  plant  is  called  the 
Koker  boom,  or  Quiver  tree  ;  and  has  its  name  from  the  use 
to  which  it  is  commonly  applied  by  the  natives."  (Paterson's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  58,  1789.) 

"It  is  called  in  the  country  kooker-boom,  or  quiver  tree, 
its  pithy  branches  being  employed  by  the  Bosjesmans  and 
Hottentots  as  cases  for  their  arrows."  (Barrow's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  381,  1801.) 

"  The  natives  more  towards  the  western  coast  frequently 
use  the  branches  of  the  Aloe  dichotoma,  which  is  therefore 
called  by  the  Hottentots  and  colonists  kokerboom  or  quiver 
tree."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  199,  1824.) 

Koko. — Gelastrus  undatus  is  thus  named  by  the  Hottentots. 

"An  erect  shrub,  koko,  of  the  Hottentots."  ("Flora 
Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  457,  1859-60.) 

Kol  bosch.— Is  this  Cussonia  thyrsijiora?  See  Cabbage 
tree. 

"  We  have  had  left  at  our  office  ...  a  couple  of  roots  of 
a  bitter  herb  which  grows  in  the  veld  both  in  this  and  the  lower 
districts,  which  has  proved  to  be  a  certain  cure  for  gall-sick- 
ness ...  the  plant  is  called  Kol  bosh  by  the  Dutch."  ("  Queens- 
town  Free  Press,"  3  May,  1875.) 

Kolbrook. — The  name  given  to  a  variety  of  pig,  with  short 
legs,  said  to  be  so  designated  from  the  ship  "  Colebrook,' 
wrecked  off  Cape  Agulhas,  from  which  the  variety  was  first 

obtained. 

18 


274  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Kol  haas. — (D.  haas,  a  hare.)     Lepus  saxatilis. 

"  Backed  into  the  shelter  of  an  untidy  bunch  of  what 
looked  like  coarse  '  grass  '  .  .  .  there  lay  in  his  well  couched 
'  form  '  a  fine  big  kalhaas."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6, 
18  October,  1912.) 

Kolwa. — (Kaf .  uku  Kolwa,  to  believe ;  i  Kolwa,  a  believer.) 
A  Christianized  Kaffir  is  so  called  by  his  own  people.  The 
initial  M  in  the  quotation  is  the  contracted  sign  of  the  plural 
— ama. 

"  Accused  is  a  MJcoIwa  or  Christianized  native."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  14  February,  1906.) 

Komaroo  or  Kambroo. — A  plant  of  the  genus  Fockea 
(glabra),  the  root  of  which  contains  a  large  quantity  of 
water,  of  which  the  natives  avail  themselves  during  the  long 
droughts  which  sometimes  prevail.  In  the  Kiversdale  District 
the  word  is  sometimes  shortened  to  "  Koo  ". 

"  Kamerup  was  the  name  given  here  to  the  Hottentots' 
water  melon,  a  large  succulent  root."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels," 
II.  p.  150,  1796.) 

"  The  natives  of  the  central  and  northern  districts  know 
very  well  how  to  find  such  underground  reservoirs  of  the 
precious  liquid,  e.g.  the  Kornaroo  (Fockea)  and  '  Barroe ' 
(Gyphia)."  (Edmonds  and  Marloth's  "  Elementary  Botany 
for  South  Africa,"  p.  125,  189  7.) 

Komberse. — (D.  kombaars,  a  coverlet,  rug.)  A  rug, 
blanket ;  sometimes  a  kaross  is  so  styled. 

"  In  the  evening  I  took  my  pillow  and  Komberse,  or  skin- 
blanket,  to  the  margin  of  a  neighbouring  vley,  where  I  had 
observed  doe  blesboks  drink."  (Gordon  Cumming's  "  Ad- 
ventures," I.  p.  186,  1850.) 

Kombuis. — (D.  kombuis,  kabuis,  a  nautical  term  for  the 
cooking  place  aboard  ship ;  cf .  Eng.  caboose.)  Cape  Dutch 
for  the  kitchen.     The  word  used  in  Holland  is  keuken. 

"  In  de  kleinere  huizen  is  de  *  vuurhaard  '  aan  het  eene 
einde  van  het  voorhuis,  doch  meestal  heeft  men  een  '  kook- 
huis '  buitensdeurs,  of  een  Kombuis,  evenals  de  slaapkamers 
door  een  dunnen  muur  van  het  woonhuis  afgeschoten." 
(Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  423,  1882.) 

Komfoor. — (D,  komfoor,  kafoor,  a  chafing  dish;  F. 
chauffoir,  a  foot-stove ;  chauffer,  to  warm.)  The  description 
of  this  article  as  used  in  South  Africa,  given  in  the  quotation, 
IS  as  accurate  as  the  author's  etymology  appears  to  be  in- 
accurate. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  275 

"  To  preserve  warmth  the  Dutch  women  use  an  apparatus 
to  set  their  feet  upon  called  a  komfoor.  It  is  a  square  box, 
with  a  few  holes  cut  through  the  top,  and  closed  only  half- 
way up  the  front.  Into  the  inside  a  few  hot  charcoal  embers 
are  introduced  from  time  to  time  in  an  iron  basin.  The 
name  is  compounded  of  Kom,  a  basin,  and  Vuur,  fire,  changed 
into  Foor.  Our  English  word  comfort  might  almost  be  thought 
to  have  had  its  origin  from  this  apparatus,"  (Backhouse's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  84,  1844.) 

Kommetje. — (D.  kom,  a  basin  ;  kommetje,  a  small  cup.) 
(1)  In  Cape  Dutch  this  is  a  small  basin.  (2)  The  term  is 
also  appHed  to  the  basin-like  depressions  that  in  some  locali- 
ties are  very  numerous  in  the  veld.     See  Comitjes, 

"  The  cluck  of  the  liquor  as  it  passed  into  the  tin  komeky." 
(Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  122,  1897.) 

"  A  feature  of  this  part  is  the  peculiar  surface  conforma- 
tion known  as  Kommetjes,  in  which  flat  or  gently  sloping 
ground,  overlying  an  impervious  ironstone  gravel,  has  the 
surface  closely  but  irregularly  pitted  to  a  depth  of  about  2 
feet,  while  the  adjoining  ground  is  similarly  elevated,  it  is 
said  by  the  action  of  earthworms."  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of 
Cape  Colony,"  p.  2,  1907.) 

Kommetje-gat  kat. — Herpestes  caffer.  See  Grijse  muis- 
hond. 

Kommetje  thee  water. — The  Western  Province  name  of 
a  wild  flower. 

"  The  quaint  little  Kommitje  thee  water  (little  cup  of 
tea),  with  its  pink  and  white  flower,  that  looks  as  though  it 
were  made  of  china."  (Hilda's  "Diary  of  a  Cape  House- 
keeper," p.  190,  1902.) 

Konfijt. — (D.  konfijt,  preserve.)  Various  fruits  are  splen- 
didly preserved  by  the  Dutch  housewives  ;  whether  in  syrup 
or  candied  they  form  a  very  appetizing  adjunct  to  the  tea 
table,  and  are  known  by  this  name. 

"  The  Dutch,  I  must  tell  you,  rise  so  early  that  a  twelve 
o'clock  dinner  is  honestly  earned  after  seven  hours  dawdhng 
about,  and  then  they  have  a  long  '  siesta '  in  their  darkened 
rooms  ;  after  which  coffee  and  cakes,  tea  and  comfddt  until 
it  is  time  to  go  to  bed  again  at  ten."  ("  Cape  Monthly 
Magazine,"  iii.  p.  25,  1871.) 

Koning  aasvogel. — (D.  koning,  king  ;  aas,  carrion  ;  vogel, 
a  bird.)     Otogyps  auricularis,  the  Black  vulture. 

18* 


276  AFKICANDEEISMS 

"  Their  is  another  fairly  well-known  species,  the  Black 
vulture,  called  by  the  Boers  Koning  aasvogel  (King  vulture)." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life," 
p.  4, 1908.) 

Koning  klip-visch. — (D.  klip,  rock  ;  visch,  fish.)  Epine- 
phelus  gigas,  a  delicious  table  fish.     See  Garoupe. 

Koning  riet-haan. — (D.  riet,  a  reed  ;  haan,  a  cock.)  Por- 
phyrio  madagascariensis. 

"  The  '  Blue  Gallinule  '  or  '  Koning  riet-haan  '  is  generally 
distributed  throughout  the  Colony."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's 
"  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  619, 1875-84.) 

Koning  rooibekje. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  bek,  a  beak,  bill.) 
Vidua  principalis,  a  well-known  little  bird. 

"  It  is  known  to  the  Boers  as  the  Koning  rooibekje  (King 
red-bill)."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African 
Bird  Life,"  p.  72,  1908.) 

Konya. — (Kaf.  um  Konya,  an  unknown  noise  or  voice 
heard  at  night,  regarded  by  the  natives  as  a  bad  omen  ; 
chirping  insects  generally  are  known  as  isi  Konyana,  more 
particularly  the  insects  {Pneumora)  known  to  the  Dutch  as 
Opblasers  (q.v.).  The  name  refers  to  and  imitates  to  some 
extent  the  weird  noise  which  the  insect  makes  at  night.  See 
Gonya. 

"  A  large  kind  of  grasshopper,  called  by  the  natives  um- 
konya,  a  name  which  is  intended  to  represent  its  call.  The  same 
name,  though  with  an  introductory  guttural — ghonya  is  used 
by  the  colonists  also."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5, 
8  January,  1909.) 

Konza,  to. — (Kaf.  uku  Konza,  to  wait  upon,  to  serve.) 
To  pay  one's  respects  to  the  chief ;  to  act  as  a  minister  of  the 
chief  ;  to  attend  to  the  request  or  command  of  another. 

"It  is  the  custom  for  all  the  young  men  in  the  country 
to  spend  a  few  months  every  year  Konzaing,  i.e.  paying  their 
respects  at  court ;  but  not  to  put  too  fine  a  point  on  it,  this 
means  in  fact  that  they  have  to  hoe  the  king's  corn,  and  at 
the  same  time  find  themselves  in  provant."  (Leslie's 
"  Zulus,"  p.  93,  1875.) 

"  It  suits  them  for  the  time  to  come  and  konza,  to  make 
peace."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896," 
p.  137,  1897.) 

Kooboo  besjes. — (D.  hezie,  a  berry.)  The  sweet,  edible 
stone  fruit  of  the  Elaeodendron  sphcBrophyllum. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  277 

Koodoo. — (Kaf.  i  Qudu.)  Strepsiceros  capensis.  One  of 
the  largest  and  perhaps  the  most  handsome  of  all  the  South 
African  antelopes.  The  horns  of  a  full-grown  bull  are  mag- 
nificent in  their  proportions  and  appearance,  diverging  in  a 
splendid  spiral  until  they  are  several  feet  apart. 

"  Koedoo  is  the  name  given  by  the  colonists  to  a  beautiful 
tall  gazelle,  with  long  and  slender  shanks,  which  is  larger 
though  much  less  clumsy  and  heavy  than  the  elk-antelope. 
The  horns  too  of  the  koedoo,  besides  that  the  spiral  twist  on 
them  is  more  deeply  embossed  and  is  embellished  with  a 
singularly  prominent  edge,  or  rib,  are  twice  as  long  as  the 
horns  of  the  elk."      (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  ii.  p.  213, 1786.) 

Kooi. — (D.  kooi,  cage,  fold,  pen.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this 
word  is  used  of  a  bed.  It  appears  to  have  been  taken  over 
from  the  sailors. 

"  De  Afrikaner  zegt  niet  '  in  de  kraam  kom  '  maar  in  die 
bed  {kooi)  kom"  ("  The  Northern  Post,"  p.  12,  20  June, 
1912.) 

Kook-a-vic. — The  onomatopoetic  name  of  Laniarius 
gutturalis.     See  Bakbakiri. 

"  The  Kook-a-vic  was  piping  his  shrill  note  in  a  bush  hard 
by — *  Kook-a-vic,  kook-a-vic,  kook-a-vic '."  (Clairmonte's 
"The  Africander,"  p.  126,  1896.) 

Kooi  hout. — (D.  kooi,  coal;  hout,  wood.)  Lachnostylis 
capensis.     See  Coalwood. 

Kooltry. — (Spelt  phonetically.)  A  general  term  in  the 
Eiversdale  District  for  Grassula  and  Cotyledon. 

Kooi  zonder  spek. — (D.  lit.  "  cabbage  without  bacon  ".)  A 
humorous  designation  for  a  ladies'  party  without  gentlemen. 

Kooper. — (D.  koopen,  to  buy,  purchase.)  In  the  early 
days  of  the  diamond  fields  the  diamond  buyers  were  known 
as  "koopers  ". 

"It  came  under  earnest  debate  whether  to  burn  the  pro- 
prietors' tents  ...  or  to  seek  the  stalls  of  the  koopers." 
(Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  182,  1873.) 

Koord  haar. — (D.  koord,  cord,  string,  rope  ;  haar,  hair.) 
Various  species  of  the  genus  Passerina  are  so  named  because 
their  tough  bark  is  made  into  a  rough  sort  of  rope  for  thatch- 
ing purposes. 

Koorn  kriek. — (D.  koorn,  koren,  corn,  grain;  kriek,  a 
cricket ;  kraken,  to  crack,  creak.)  Eugaster  longipes,  an  in- 
sect belonging  to   the  Locustidce ;   it  is  very  destructive  to 


278  AFEICANDEBISMS 

pumpkins,  mealie  cobs,  etc.,  and  does  at  times  great  damage 
to  crops. 

Koorts  pijpje.— (D.  koorts,  fever,  ague ;  pijp,  a  pipe,  tube.) 
A  clinical  thermometer. 

Kop.— (D.  hop,  a  head,  pate.)  (1)  In  common  use  in 
Dutch  for  the  head.  (2)  The  term  is  also  used  when  speaking 
of  a  hill— the  diminutive  "  Kopje  "  being  invariably  employed 
of  hills  of  low  altitude. 

"  We  did  not  advance  this  day  more  than  ten  miles  into 
the  country,  but  halted  for  the  night  in  the  plain  at  Kopjes 
li'ontein,  so  called  on  account  of  several  low  hills  in  the  sur- 
rounding distance."     (BurchelFs  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  285,  1822.) 

Kopdoek. — (D.  kop,  a  head ;  doek,  a  cloth.)  A  head  cloth. 
See  Doek. 

"  He  deposited  his  shapeless  hat  on  the  j3oor,  tapped  his  red 
kopdoek  with  a  claw-like  forefinger,  and  waited  for  an  inspira- 
tion."    ("  The  State,"  p.  642,  December,  1911.) 

Kop-en-duik. — (D.  duiken,  to  dive,  stoop,  duck.)  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  Queenstown  a  small  lizard  is  known  by 
this  name  from  its  habit  of  ducking  its  head  when  disturbed. 

Kop-en-pootje. — {D.poot,  a  foot.)  The  designation  of  a 
favourite  Dutch  dish,  the  principal  ingredients  of  which  are 
sheep's  head  and  feet. 

Koper  draad. — (D.  koper,  copper ;  draad,  thread,  wire.) 
Aristida  sp.  This  name  describes  this  grass  when  ripe; 
it  is  really  a  valuable  pasture  grass,  because,  when  burnt  off, 
it  shoots  up  in  the  spring  a  month  earlier  than  other  grasses, 
and  is  then  succulent  and  nourishing,  but  when  ripe  it  is 
hard  and  wiry  and  of  little  worth  as  food  for  stock. 

"  Koper-draad,  or  copper- wire  grass.  Andropogon  ex- 
cavatus  becomes  so  hard  and  bristly  as  it  matures  that  it  has 
been  favourably  mentioned  as  a  suitable  material  from  which 
to  manufacture  paper,  yet  in  the  early  stages  of  its  growth  it 
is  of  great  value  as  a  pasture  grass."  (Wallace's  "  Farming 
Industries  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  103,  1896.) 
Kopje. — See  Kop. 

Kopje  walloper. — One  who  visited  the  diamond  diggers  at 
their  claims  in  the  early  Kimberley  days  to  purchase  their 
diamonds. 

"  The  kopje  walloper  was  generally  a  gentleman  of  the 
Hebrew  persuasion  hailing  from  Petticoat  Lane  or  the  Min- 
ories."     (Matthew's  "  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  227,  1887.) 


AFRICANDEKISMS  279 

"  That  rara  avis  a  kopje  walloper  who  could  read  and 
write."     (Cohen's  "  Eeminiscences  of  Kimberley,"  p.  38, 1911.) 

Koren  bloemetjes. — (D.  koren,  korn ;  bloem,  a  flower.)  Ixia 
flexuosa,  Linn.,  and  other  species  are  so  named  in  the  Rivers- 
dale  District. 

Korenkrekel. — (D.  koren,  corn ;  krekel,  a  cricket.)  The 
Dutch  name  for  members  of  the  Locustidce  or  Green  grass- 
hopper family — Eug aster  longipes,  etc.     See  Koorn  kriek. 

"  The  korenkrekels,  e.g.  Eugaster,  are,  however,  common 
enough.  These  are  rather  stoutly  built  insects  with  the  first 
pair  of  wings  much  reduced  and  the  second  absent.  The  first 
pair  are  capable  of  producing  a  shrill,  piercing  sound."  (Gil- 
christ's "  South  African  Zoology,"  p.  120,  1911.) 

Korenland  kraai. — (D.  koren,  corn,  grain ;  kraai,  a  crow.) 
Corvus  segetum  has  been  thus  named  by  the  Dutch,  because 
of  its  habit  of  frequenting  cornlands. 

"  The  Korenland  kraai  (cornland  crow)  of  the  Dutch,  Cor- 
vus segetum  of  Temminck."  (Bryden's  *'  Kloof  and  Karoo," 
p.  54,  1889.) 

Korhaan. — See  Knorhaan. 

Kos. — (D.  kost,  food,  victuals.)  Food ;  "  Veld  kos  "  is  such 
food  as  the  veld  will  furnish;  "Pad  kos,"  provisions  for  a 
journey.  These  words  are  in  constant  use  in  the  Midland 
districts. 

"  Lebricht  Arie  owed  twelve  dollars  to  a  farmer,  and  not 
having  the  means  to  pay,  engaged  with  the  Boer  above  men- 
tioned to  work  six  months  on  his  farm,  at  two  dollars  (three 
shillings)  per  month  and  his  cost  (victuals)  on  condition  that 
the  Boer  should  immediately  discharge  his  debt."  (PhiUip's 
"  Researches,"  i.  p.  156,  1828.) 

"He  wandered  about  the  country  .  .  .  and  ...  ate  the 
veld  kos  (wild  roots  of  the  country)."  (Godlonton's  "Kaffir 
War,  1850-2,"  p.  157,  1852.) 

Kos  natje. — Crassula  columnaris  has  received  this  appella- 
tion— why,  I  cannot  say. 

"  Here  we  find  .  .  .  the  long  and  short  Cos  natchie,  or 
Crassula."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Philos.  Society,"  i.  Part  i.  p.  24, 
1878.) 

Koster. — (D.  koster,  a  pew  opener,  sexton;  cf.  G.  Kiister, 
a  clerk,  sexton ;  Lat.  custor,  from  custos,  a  keeper,  guardian.) 
The  title  of  the  sexton  or  caretaker  in  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church. 


280  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  A  little  further  on  lived  a  hosier  or  sexton,  a  set  of  people 
that  are  more  respected  by  the  colonists  than  with  us." 
(Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  67,  1785.) 

Kous-bandje. — (D.  hous ;  F.  chausse,  a  stocking ;  D.  kouse- 

band,  a  garter.)     Flaps  HygecB  Merr.     A  small,  vicious  snake, 

marked  in  transverse  bands  of  scarlet  and  black,  is  thus  named 

in  the  Midland  districts.    Compare  the  Cape  English  "  Garter 

^snake,"  which  is,  however,  given  to  another  snake. 

"  The  Kouse  hand,  or  Garter  snake,  is  another  of  the 
poisonous  reptiles  of  that  country  ;  it  is  particularly  dangerous 
to  travellers,  as  it  resembles  the  soil  so  much  that  it  is  not 
readily  perceived."     (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  163,  1789.) 

Kraai  bek. — (D.  kraai,  a  crow  ;  hek,  bill,  beak.)  See 
Papegaai  Visch. 

Kraai  uijntjes. — (D.  kraai,  a  crow ;  ui,  an  onion.)  A 
blue  crocus-like  flower  is  so  named  in  Namaqualand.  It  is 
very  much  Hke  the  flower  of  the  Klip  uijntje  (q.v.) ;  the  latter, 
however,  has  very  sharp,  almost  thorn-pointed  leaves,  while 
those  of  the  Kraai  uijntje  are  quite  soft. 

Kraal. — (Sp.  corral,  a  court,  enclosure ;  Port,  curral,  a 
cattle  pen,  paddock.)  (1)  An  enclosure  for  stock.  (2)  A 
Hottentot  village.  (3)  Any  native  village  or  collection  of 
huts.  The  word  seems  to  have  been  introduced  by  the  Dutch 
and  applied  somewhat  contemptuously  at  first  to  the  Hotten- 
tot and  Kaffir  holdings  and  villages. 

"  Der  Hauptmann  verspricht  .  .  .  keins  Veranderung  in 
den  Gesetzen  und  Gewohnheiten  des  kraals  vorzunehmen." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  77,  1745.) 

"A  place  or  fold  where  sheep  or  cattle  were  enclosed  in 
the  open  air  was  called  a  kraal."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i. 
p.  164,  1795.) 

"  Places  where  cattle  are  put  up  at  night  .  .  .  are  called 
kraals,  a  name  which  they  have  also  thought  proper  to  trans- 
fer to  the  collected  huts  of  the  Hottentots  or  Kaffirs." 
(Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  136,  1801.) 

Kraal  bosje. — Galenia  africana,  and  other  plants. 

Kraal  fuel.— See  Mist. 

Kraal,  To. — To  enclose  or  shut  in  a  kraal. 

Kraan  oog. — (D.  kraan,  a  crane  ;  oog,  an  eye.)  The  name 
given  by  the  Dutch  to  the  seed  of  Nux  vomica,  which  is 
thought  to  be  like  a  crane's  eye. 

"  The  Nux  vomica  seed,  then  called  kraan  oog  (crane's 


AFEICANDEEISMS  281 

eye),  was  rasped  and  used  with  some  success."  ("  C.G.H. 
Agric.  Journal,"  p.  61,  June,  1904.) 

Kraan  vogel. — (D.  kraan,  a  crane  ;  vogel,  a  bird.)  Anthro- 
poides  paradisea,  sometimes  called  the  Blue  crane,  and 
occasionally  "  Kraan  vogel,"  is  corrupted  into  "  Krans  vogel  ". 

Krans. — (D.  krans,  a  wreath,  garland ;  G.  Kranz,  a  crown.) 
(1)  A  crown  of  rocks  upon  the  top  of  a  mountain.  (2)  Thence 
the  word  appears  to  have  acquired  the  meaning  of  a  precipice, 
a  sense  in  which  it  is  constantly  used. 

"  The  way  ended  about  half-way  up  abruptly,  against  the 
side  of  a  precipice.  This  place  the  inhabitants  of  the  Cape 
call  the  Krants  or  wreath."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  i.  p.  31, 
1798.) 

"  We  passed  this  morning  under  a  mountain  whose  sum- 
mit is  garlanded  with  a  ring  of  perpendicular  rocks  appro- 
priately termed  kranz.''  (Barker's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld," 
p.  88,  1852.) 

"  Another  range  of  mingled  bush  and  Krantz."  (Fleming's 
"  South  Africa,"  p.  364,  1856.) 

"  We  hear  that  five  horses  were  precipitated  down  a  krans 
(or  precipice)  by  the  same  wind  and  killed."  ("  Queenstown 
Free  Press,"  16  January,  1861.) 

Krans  vogel. — See  Kraan  vogel. 

Krawwetjes. — (Mai.  krahil,  krabu,  an  ear-ring ;  thence  D. 
oor-krabben,  ear  ornaments.)  Ear-rings  are  sometimes  so 
called. 

Kreef. — (D.  kreeft,  a  lobster;  F.  crevette,  ecrevisse ;  Eng. 
crayfish.)  Palinurus  Jasus  lalandii — the  cray-fish  which 
abounds  in  Table  Bay.     See  Crayfish  and  Cape  lobster. 

"  A  new  theological  schism  has  sprung  up  amongst  the 
Malays  touching  the  important  question  whether  Kreef  or 
crawfish  is  to  be  considered  ceremonially  unclean  or  not." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  30  June,  1863.) 

"  Hawkers  screaming  their  wares  mid  ear-splitting  cries 
of  kreef!  kreef!  snoek  !  snoek!"  ("Cape  Monthly  Maga- 
zine," II.  p.  81,  1871.) 

"  The  Krief,  which  resembles  our  crayfish,  and  which 
abounds  in  the  waters  of  Table  Bay  ...  is  in  itself  but  a 
poor  libel  upon  the  lobster."  (Little's  "  South  Africa,"  i.  p. 
151,  1884.) 

Kreupelhout. — (D.  kreupel,  crooked,  lame ;  hout,  wood  ; 
kreupelhout,    underwood.)    Leucospermum    conocarpum.     In 


282  AFKICANDERISMS 

Holland  the  word  appears  to  be  applied  to  brushwood  or 
undergrowth  generally ;  in  Cape  Dutch  it  is  limited  to  the 
above  wood  and  has  reference  to  its  contorted  appearance. 

"  Another  sort  of  tree  at  the  Cape  ...  is  what  the  Cape- 
Europeans  call  Cripple-wood.  These  are  dwarf  trees  with 
very  crooked,  knobbed  branches."  (Kolben's  "  Present  State 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  ii.  p.  259,  1731.) 

"  Kreupel  boom,  a  large  shrub  or  small  tree,  with  greyish, 
hairy  leaves,  and  compact  heads  of  tawny  yellow  flowers." 
(Bunbury's  "  Journal,"  p.  57,  1848.) 

Krimmetart. — This  word  is  a  corruption  of  the  English 
"cream  of  tartar,"  and  is  the  name  given  by  the  Dutch  to 
the  fruit  of  the  Baobab  (q.v.). 

"In  this  capsule  numerous  kidney-shaped  seeds  are  em- 
bedded, between  fibrous  divisions,  in  a  white,  pulpy,  acid 
substance,  somewhat  resembling  cream  of  tartar  in  taste 
and  hence  called  by  the  Boers  kram-a-tat."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  441,  1868.) 

"  In  het  Noordoostelijke  gedeelte  van  het  Boschveld  wordt 
de  baobab  (Adansonia  digitata)  gevonden,  door  de  Boeren 
hrimmetat-hoom  genaamd,  60  tot  80  voet  in  doorsnede." 
(Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  341,  1882.) 

"  With  this  meat  we  had  to  eat  Krimmetart,  a  fruit  resem- 
bhng  a  cocoanut,  but  sour  and  full  of  small  pips."  (Moodie's 
"  Battles,"  II.  p.  342,  1888.) 

Krimpziekte. — (D.  krimpen,  to  shrink,  lessen ;  ziekte, 
sickness.) 

"  Cattle  and  sheep  .  .  .  showed  15  to  30  hours  after- 
wards the  first  symptoms  of  Krimpziekte."  ("  C.G.H.  Agric. 
Journal,"  p.  399,  October,  1904.) 

Kring-gat  bok. — (D.  kring,  a  circle,  ring  ;  gat,  a  hole,  the 
posterior.)  The  Dutch  name  of  Cobus  ellipsiprymnus.  Steed- 
man  (II.  p.  95)  says :  "  It  is  easily  distinguished  ...  by  the 
singular  and  regular  ellipse  of  milk-white  hair,  which  passes 
over  the  croup,  down  the  posterior  face  of  the  hips,  and  be- 
tween the  thighs,  having  the  tail  in  its  superior  focus,  vividly 
contrasting  with  the  dark  vinous-brown  colour  of  the  sur- 
rounding parts." 

"Er  sah  dicht  neben  sich  ein  Rudel  Waterbocke  (Palla- 
falla,  Kring-gat),  ein  seltenes  Wild,  und  er  hatte  seine  Flinte 
zuriickgelassen."  (Wangemann's  "  Ein  Reise-Jahr  in  Slid- 
Afrika,"  p.  409,  1868.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  283 

"Zoo  vindt  men  er  in  die  gebergten  op  onbereikbare 
plaatsen,  Buffels,Klipspringers,Koedoes,  i^m^^a^^ew,  .  .  .  enz. 
enz."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  1, 
1890.) 

"  Cohus  ellipsiprymnus,  Kring-gaat  of  the  Dutch  ;  Water- 
buck  of  the  English."  (Selous'  "  Hunter's  Wanderings  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  218,  1895.) 

Krink. — (Mansvelt  says  :  "  krink,  omdraaien  (van't  voorstel 
van  een  wagen).  Van't  oude  krenghen,  draaien  of  wenden.") 
(1)  To  turn  a  wagon.  (2)  A  mode  of  punishment  which 
seems  to  be  pecuhar  to  South  Africa,  the  ingeniousness  of 
which  is  only  equalled  by  its  brutal  cruelty.     See  quotation. 

"  He  showed  us  great  weals  on  his  dirty  skin  where 
he  had  been  thrashed  with  the  sjambok  (raw-hide  strip). 
He  further  stated  that  on  the  previous  day  they  krinked 
him.  This  is  the  most  dreadful  punishment  that  can  be 
imagined.  .  .  .  The  head  of  the  victim  is  tied  to  the 
off  hind  wheel  of  a  wagon,  and  his  feet  to  the  off  front 
wheel.  The  pole  is  then  pulled  over  to  the  near  side.  The 
torture  entailed  by  this  process  is  somewhat  similar  to  that 
of  the  old-fashioned  rack."  (Clairmonte's  "  The  Africander," 
p.  223,  1896.) 

Kroeshaarmens. — (D.  kroes,  woolly,  curled ;  G.  kraus ;  mid 
Eng.  crous ;  D.  haar,  hair;  mensch,  person.)  Woolly-haired 
man.  The  Hottentots  are  so  called  the  "  Langhaarmens," 
being  men  of  European  blood. 

Kroeskop. — (D.  kroes,  woolly,  curled ;  kop,  a  head.) 
Another  nickname  applied  to  the  Hottentots. 

Kropgans — (This  word  bears  a  different  meaning  in  South 
Africa  from  that  which  it  has  in  Holland  ;  as  used  there  the 
first  syllable  is  derived  from  kroppen,  to  cram,  and  a  kropgans 
is  a  goose  that  has  been  fattened  by  cramming.  But  as  em- 
ployed in  South  Africa  the  first  syllable  has  reference  to  the 
krop  (Eng.  crop)  of  the  bird  to  which  the  name  is  applied.) 
Pelecanus  roseus,  at  one  time  fairly  common  at  the  mouths 
of  the  rivers  and  on  the  vleys  of  South  Africa. 

"Pehcans  with  their  large  claws  (?  craws)  called  here 
Kropgans  {Pelecanus  onocrotalus),  which  are  not  scarce  on  the 
coast,  were  also  kept  in  a  tame  state,  and  lived  on  fish." 
(Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  295,  1795.) 

Kruidje-roer-mij-niet. — See  Koer-mij-niet. 

Kruip  mol. — (D.  kruipen,  to  creep  ;  mol,  a  mole.)     A  mole 


284  AFEICANDERISMS 

that  makes  long  galleries  very  superficially  without  coming  to 
the  surface. 

Kruisbesjes. — (D.  kruishes,  a  gooseberry.  Vercoullie  says  : 
"  Het  eerste  lid  behoort  bij  2.  kroes,  wegen  de  kroezelige 
haartjes  er  op  ".)  The  fruit  of  Grewia  occidentalis  is  known 
in  the  Cape  Colony  by  this  name,  the  reference  being  appar- 
ently to  the  cross-like  arrangement  of  the  four-lobed  drupe. 

Kruis  bosje, — (D.  kruis,  cross  ;  bos,  a  bush.)  Grewia 
occidentalis,  the  colonial  Assegai- wood,  so  called  because  the 
wood  is  used  by  the  natives  to  make  assegai  shafts. 

Kruis  gras. — Cynodon  Dactylon.     See  Bermuda  grass. 

Kruit  water. — (D.  kruit,  gunpowder.)  Water  strongly 
impregnated  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  and  giving  off  an 
unpleasant  smell  of  sulphur.  The  smell  disappears  after  the 
water  has  been  exposed  to  the  atmosphere  a  short  time,  when 
the  water  may  be  used  for  garden  and  other  purposes. 

"  Such  water  is  called  kruid  water  locally,  on  account  of 
the  similarity  of  its  smell  to  that  of  exploded  gunpowder." 
(Saunder's  "  Underground  Water  Supply  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,"  p.  11,  1897.) 

"Many  of  the  springs  yield  kruit  water,  water  i.e.  with 
the  smell  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  due  to  the  mutual  decom- 
position of  pyrites  and  the  organic  matter  in  the  shales  in 
the  presence  of  moisture."  (Roger's  "  Geology  of  the  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  137,  1905.) 

Kuier. — (D.  kuier,  a  walk.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this  word 
means  a  visit,  an  outing. 

"  Maar  de  Afrikaner  trekt  niet  als  hij  misschien  voor  zes 
maanden  of  een  jaar  op  reis  gaat  om  vrienden  of  betrekkingen 
te  bezoeken  {kuieren,  een  kuier  maken)."  (Cachet's  "  De 
Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  40  n.,  1882.) 

Kuier  gast. — (CD.  kuieren,  to  pay  a  visit ;  D.  gast,  a 
guest.)    A  visitor,  a  guest. 

Kuifkop. — (D.  kuif,  a  tuft,  crest  ;  kop,  head.)    See  Geelgat. 

"The  Kuif-kop  as  it  is  called  ...  is  found  in  great 
abundance  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town."  (Layard 
and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  207,  1875-84.) 

Kuifkop -koeskoetje. — (D.  kuif,  a  tuft,  crest ;  kop,  a  head  ; 
F.  Gaucher,  to  lie  down  ;  G.  kuschen,  to  crouch,  submit.) 
Megalophonus  cinereus,  Lay.  The  name  refers  to  the  tuft  of 
brown  feathers  on  its  head.     See  Padloopertje. 

Kuifkop  valk — (D.  valk,  hawk,  falcon.)     Lophoaetus  oc- 


AFKICANDEKISMS  285 

cipitalis.    This  bird  has  a  crest  of  eight  or  ten  narrow  feathers. 
See  Black  hawk. 

Kuikendief. — (D.  kuiken,  a  chicken  ;  die/,  a  thief.)  Milvus 
cBgypticus,  a  species  of  kite.     See  Geelbek  wouw. 

"  A  kite  which  in  size,  manners,  and  appearance  much 
resembles  the  common  kite  of  Europe  ...  is  known  by  the 
name  of  Kuikendief  (chicken  thief)."  (Barchell's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  502,  1822.) 

"According  to  Major  Stevenson  Hamilton,  the  Game 
Warden  of  the  Transvaal  Game  Preserves,  its  Dutch  name  of 
Kuikendief  (chicken  thief)  is  not  merited,  as  his  experience  of 
them  is  that  they  do  not  steal  poultry."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's 
"Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  60.  1908.) 

Kukumakranka. — Gethyllis  spiralis  and  other  species. 
The  peculiar,  strongly  scented  berry  of  this  field  plant  is  thus 
designated  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town.  Steeped  in 
brandy  it  is  used  as  a  remedy  for  the  colic. 

''Kukumakranka  {gethyllis)  is  the  name  given  to  the 
legumen  or  pod  of  a  plant,  that  grew  at  this  time  among  the 
sand  hills  near  the  town,  without  either  leaves  or  flowers.  .  .  . 
This  pod  was  the  length  of  one's  finger  .  .  .  had  a  pleasant 
smell,  and  was  held  in  great  esteem  by  the  ladies.  The 
smell  of  it  resembled  in  some  measure  that  of  strawberries, 
and  filled  the  whole  room."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p. 
116,  1795.) 

"  Onder  de  planten  in  Zuid-Afrika  moet  genoemd  worden 
de  Koek-ma-kranke  (Gethijlis  spiralis) ;  het  lof  bestaat  uit 
weinige  fijne,  groene  blaadjes  met  een  fraaie  witte  bloem,  en 
de  langwerpige,  oranje-gele  aardvrucht  heeft  een  bijzonderen, 
vrij  scherpen  reuk  .  .  .  De  vrucht  wordt  op  brandewijn  gezet 
en  deze  aangewend  tegen  koliek."  ("  De  Worstelstrijd  der 
Transvalers,"  p.  342,  1882.) 

Kupidutje. — A  name  sometimes  given  to  the  Kiewit  (q.v.). 

Kuran^. — (Mai.  kurang,  to  be  deficient,  defective.)  A 
Malay  verb  used  in  Cape  Dutch  as  an  adverb  =  unfairly. 

"  From  Malay  or  Indian  sources  we  have  .  .  .  kurang 
(unfair)."    ("  Northern  News,"  27  August,  1912.) 

Kurper  or  Kerper. — (D.  karper,  a  carp.)  Spirobranchus 
capensis,  a  well-known  fresh-water  fish.     See  Karper. 

Kurveyor. — (D.  karwei,  work  ;  F.  corvee,  labour,  drudgery  ; 
Lat.  corrogata,  fit.  work  done  by  command.)  One  who  con- 
veys goods  by  wagon.  Formerly  all  goods  were  conveyed 
from  the  coast  inland  and  up-country  by  this  means ;  during 


286  AFEICANDEEISMS 

the  last  thirty  or  forty  years  the  railways  have  wrought  a 
change,  but  kurveying  is  still  a  remunerative  employment  in 
some  parts.     See  Transport  rider. 

"  The  foundations  of  some  of  the  largest  fortunes  in  the 
East  were  laid  by  kurveyors."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine," 
III.  p.  372,  1871.) 

"  A  fine  independent  young  fellow  was  Eobert  Walters, 
the  transport  rider  or  karveyor,  as  they  are  called  in  South 
Africa."    (Hobson's  "  At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  27, 1884.) 

Kurvey,  To. — To  convey  goods  by  wagon  as  above. 

"  For  various  reasons  not  a  farmer  kurveys  between  either 
Concordia  or  Springbok  and  Port  Nolloth."  ("  Queenstown 
Free  Press,"  8  August,  1873.) 

"  'There  will  be  an  end  to  those  visits  one  day,'  said  the 
merchant,  *  and  then  good-bye  to  your  kurveying  Walters.'  " 
(Hobson's  "  At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  29,  1884.) 

Kusting  or  Kustingbrief. — (D.  kusting,  a  mortgage  ;  brief, 
a  letter.)  A  mortgage  bond  upon  a  property  covering  the 
balance  due  on  the  purchase  pricfe  of  the  property. 

Kwaad. — (O.D.  quaedt,  "  bad,  malicious,  perverse  "  ;  quads, 
"  ill,  evil,  bad,  naughty,  wicked,"  Hexham ;  D.  kwaad,  ill, 
angry.)  Angry,  vexed,  put  out.  The  word  is  used  by 
Chaucer  in  the  Cook's  "  Prologue  "  :  "  '  Sooth  pley,  quaad  pley,' 
as  the  Fleming  seith,"  1.  4357.  The  word  occurs  also  in 
Skelton,  who  wrote  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth 
century : — 

This  tretise  devysed  it  is 
Of  two  knaues  sometyme  of  Dis. 
Though  this  knaues  be  deade, 
Full  of  myschiefe  and  queed, 
Yet  where  so  ever  they  ly, 
Theyr  names  shall  neuer  dye. 

(Ed.  Dyce,  i.  p.  168,  11.  1-6.) 

"The  Boers  meanwhile  smiled  and  said  that  Mr.  .  .  . 
was  a  kwaad  (angry)  man."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  57,  1852.) 

Kwaai. — Angry,  vicious,  bad-tempered.  The  word  is 
used  of  both  animals  and  men. 

"  When  the  birds  are  savage — quei  the  Dutch  call  it,  they 
become  very  aggressive."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an 
Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  Ill,  1890.) 

"  You'd  have  to  ride  Pansy,  and  she's  in  a  camp  full  of 
kwaai  birds."     (Mitford's  "  Aletta,"  p.  53,  1900.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  287 

Kwartel. — (D.  kwartel,  a  quail.)  Coturnix  africana,  the 
Cape  quail. 

"  The  Cape  quail  (Coturnix  africana),  the  Kwartel  of  the 
Dutch,  does  not  need  any  description,  being  too  well  known 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land."  (Haagner 
and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  46, 
1908.) 

Kwedini. — (Kaf.  in  Kwenkwe,  a  boy  ;  in  Kwenkwendini,  the 
Voc.  case,  boy  !  Kwedini  is  a  contraction  of  the  latter  and 
is  only  used  in  Kaffir  in  the  vocative  case.)  A  term  applied 
on  the  Border  to  a  native  boy,  but  never  by  the  Kaffirs  to  a 
circumcised  lad,  however  young  he  may  be. 

*'  A  young  native  boy  was  badly  hurt  with  a  blow  from  the 
pole,  owing  to  the  fastening  of  the  chain  to  the  yoke  of  the 
oxen  giving  way ;  and  this  kweedini  was  walking  behind  the 
pole  driving  the  bullocks  on;  the  snapping  of  the  chain 
took  place  just  when  the  strain  was  heaviest."  ("  Queenstown 
Representative,"  p.  5,  27  January,  1912.) 

Kweek  gras. — (D.  kweek,  dog's  grass.)     See  Quick  grass. 

Kween. — (D.  kween,  a  barren  ewe.)  A  barren  animal  of 
any  sort.     See  Queen. 

Kya. — (Kaf.  i  Kaya,  a  place  of  abode,  home ;  in  Dlu  is 
the  Kaffir  word  for  a  house,  hut.)     A  house,  hut. 

"  A  native  living  in  a  kraal  at  Lydenberg  quarrelled  with 
another  native,  whom  he  accused  of  having  fired  his  kya  .  .  . 
the  first  native  made  a  torch  .  .  .  and  set  about  two  dozen 
newly  made  kyas  alight  and  fled  to  the  adjacent  hills."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  24  November,  1911.) 

Kyk.— (D.  kijken,  to  look,  see,  peep.  Cf.  G.  gucken.) 
To  look,  pry.     Chaucer  uses  the  word  in  the  same  sense : — 

Into  the  roof  they  kyken  and  they  gape 
And  turned  all  his  harm  unto  a  jape. 

("  The  Milleres  Tale.") 

Laagte  or  Leegte. — (D.  laagte,  a  valley.)  A  valley  or 
shallow  dip  in  the  veld. 

"  We  emerged  on  a  sandy  elevation  or  *  buet '  (?  bult) 
overlooking  an  extensive  undulation  or  leegte."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  25,  1868.) 

"  As  far  as  I  could  see  up  the  open  laagte  the  ground  was 
teeming  with  heavy  game."  (Schulz  and  Hammar's  "  New 
Africa,"  p.  188,  1897.) 


288  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Ladies'  fingers. — The  name  given  in  Natal  to  a  variety 
of  small,  delicately  flavoured  banana. 

Lady  bird. — The  ChrysomelidcB  are  known  by  this  name 
in  South  Africa,  because  of  their  superficial  resemblance  to 
the  lady-birds — Coccinellidce.    See  Blauw  beesje. 

Lady's  heart  grass. — A  variety  of  grass — Briza  maxima, 
Linn. — with  a  heart-shaped  head  is  so  called  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Queenstown.  It  has  been  introduced  from  England 
where  it  is  known  as  "  quaking  grass  ". 

Lager. — (G.  Lager,  a  camp  ;  lagern,  to  encamp.)  The 
extemporized  wagon  fortifications  so  successfully  employed 
by  the  Dutch  voortrekkers  in  their  frequent  conflicts  with 
the  natives.  The  wagons  were  drawn  up  in  a  circle,  and 
fastened  together  with  the  trek-touws,  the  spaces  between 
were  filled  with  goods  and  thorn  bushes,  and  the  famihes  and 
oxen  placed  within.  The  meaning  of  the  word  has  been  gradu- 
ally extended,  and  now  it  is  used  of  any  extemporized  fortifica- 
tion or  stockade,  and,  in  the  German  sense  also,  of  an 
encampment.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  Helvetians,  in 
their  conflicts  with  the  Eomans  under  Julius  Caesar,  adopted 
the  same  method  of  defence,  as  appears  from  the  following  : 
"  But  the  greatest  trouble  he  had  was  to  distresse  their  campe, 
and  to  breake  their  strength  "  (or  lager)  "  which  they  had 
made  with  their  cartes".  (North's  "  Plutarch,"  v.  p.  19. 
Tudor  Translations.) 

"  There  is  a  good  strong  laager  at  Jakins."  (Godlonton's 
"  Kaffir  War,   1850-52,"  p.  196,  1852.) 

"  At  every  laager  the  Zulu  forces  were  driven  back." 
(Holden's  "  History  of  Natal,"  p.  92,  1855.) 

Lager,  To. — To  adopt  the  defensive  measures  described 
above. 

"  Had  the  camp  been  at  once  laagered  in  the  Dutch 
fashion,  on  the  first  indication  of  the  enemy's  presence  .  .  . 
it  may  be  that 

Another  sight  had  seen  that  mom, 
From  Fate's  dark  book  a  leaf  been  torn." 

(Eussell's  "Natal,"  p.  229,  1891.) 
Lager,  To  go  into. — In  times  of  Kaffir  disturbance  people 
were  said  "  to  go  into  lager,"  when,  from  scattered  farms,  they 
gathered  for  mutual  protection  within  some  such  temporary 
defence  as  above  described. 

Laksman. — (Mai.  laksamana,  the  title  of  one  of  the  highest 


AFRICANDEKISMS  289 

dignitaries  in  the  Malay  State — the  Commander  of  the  Forces. 
Is  this  word  the  Malay  rendering  of  the  Dutch  fiskaal  ? 
This  latter  officer  was  authorized  to  inflict  corporal  punish- 
ment on  slaves  and  Hottentots  for  petty  offences  ;  the  present 
debased  meaning  of  the  word  would  be  thus  accounted  for.) 
(1)  The  public  executioner.  (2)  A  name  given  in  some  parts 
of  South  Africa  to  the  Fiscal  or  Butcher  bird  (q.v.)  appar- 
ently because  of  his  doings  as  an  executioner. 

"  Laksman,  sn.  hangman."  ("Patriot  Woordeboek," 
1902.) 

"It  is  commonly  known  as  the  '  Jack-hanger '  and 
'  Butcher  bird  '  in  the  Cape,  the  '  Jacky-hangman  '  in  Natal, 
and  the  Lachsman  in  the  Transvaal."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's 
"  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  95,  1908.) 

Lamvanger. — (D.  lain,  a  lamb  ;  vangen,  to  catch.)  Aquila 
rapax.  This  bird,  also  known  to  English  colonists  as  the 
golden  eagle  and  to  the  Dutch  as  the  coo  vogel,  is  so  de- 
structive to  flocks  as  to  cause  it  to  be  destroyed  on  all  occa- 
sions.    See  Coo  vogel. 

"  The  English  of  the  Cape  call  it  the  Golden  eagle,  on 
account  of  the  reddish  colour  of  its  neck  and  belly,  and  the 
Dutch  farmers  lamvanger,  or  lambsiezer,  because  it  is  accus- 
tomed to  seize  and  carry  off  to  its  aerie  a  lamb  or  kid." 
(Arbousset's  "  Narrative,"  p.  220,  1846.) 

"  The  bird  which  Chapman  says  is  called  by  some  Lam- 
mitjie  vanger  (lamb  catcher),  and  by  others  the  Golden  eagle, 
differs  so  far  as  I  can  find  only  in  the  lighter  colour  of  its 
plumage  from  the  European  kind."  (Baine's  "  Explorations 
in  South  East  Africa,"  p.  194,  1864.) 

Lamziekte. — (D.  lam,  lame;  ziehte,  sickness.)  Osteo- 
malacia. Paralysis  generally  of  the  hind-quarters  of  cattle, 
but  in  acute  cases  the  paralysis  is  sometimes  complete.  Dr. 
Theiler,  the  Director  of  Veterinary  Research  for  the  Union 
of  South  Africa,  has  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  after  an  elabor- 
ate series  of  experiments,  that  Lamziekte  is  neither  infectious 
nor  contagious.  Careful  microscopic  investigation  has  failed 
to  discover  any  specific  organism  to  which  the  disease  could 
be  traced.  He  advances  the  following  theory  as  a  working 
hypothesis,  that  "  Lamziekte  is  primarily  a  disease  of  the 
muscular  system  caused  by  a  toxin  which  accumulates  in  the 
muscles  and  is  obtained  from  grasses  of  certain  regions  where 
it  is  produced  under  the  influence  of  certain  climatical  and 

19 


290  AFEICANDEEISMS 

tellurical  conditions  ".  By  this  theory  the  Doctor  says  that 
it  is  possible  to  explain,  if  not  all  observations,  at  least  the 
great  majority.  ("  Agric.  Journ.  S.A.  Union,"  p.  49,  July, 
1912.) 

"  The  lamzieJcte  is  when  cattle  are  not  able  to  stand ;  it 
comes  on  gradually,  and  is  slow  in  its  progress  ;  after  the 
death  of  the  animal  the  bones  of  its  legs  are  found  to  be  with- 
out marrow,  instead  of  which  they  are  filled  with  water." 
(Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  ii.  p.  64,  1798.) 

"  It  is,  therefore,  very  probable  that  congestion  of  the 
hver,  giving  rise  to  indigestion,  may  act  as  the  exciting  cause, 
and  produce  a  serious  complication  of  these  cases  of  so-called 
acute  lamziehte."     {"  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  361, 1905.) 

Landdrost. — (D.  landdrost,  a  sheriff ;  cf.  Ger.  Drost,  a 
governor  of  a  province.)  The  Board  of  Landdrost  and 
Heemraden  was  a  judicial  court  ;  it  consisted  of  the  Land- 
drost and  six  Heemraden,  who  acted  in  much  the  same  ca- 
pacity as  the  county  magistrates  and  their  courts  do  in 
England.  These  courts  were  formed  under  the  old  Dutch 
law  of  the  colony,  but  were  continued  long  after  the  British 
had  taken  possession.     See  Drost. 

"  Er  setzte  den  ersten  Landdrost  oder  Kichter,  ein,  von 
beeden  Colonien,  Stellenbusch  und  Drachenstein."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  236,  1745.) 

"  The  colony  ...  is  divided  into  eleven  districts.  Each 
is  placed  under  the  superintendence  of  either  a  Landdrost  or 
a  deputy  landdrost,  who  administers  the  government,  in 
most  respects  as  the  representative  of  the  Governor ;  and 
it  is  through  him  that  all  laws,  proclamations,  and  inferior 
regulations  are  carried  into  effect."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i. 
p.  75,  1822.) 

Lands. — Those  portions  of  a  farm  that  can'  be  brought 
under  cultivation  for  cereal  or  other  crops  are  termed  "  the 
lands,"  often  only  too  small  a  proportion  of  the  whole  pro- 
perty. 

"  In  front  of  the  house  the  lands  (fields)  stretch  away  in 
the  distance."     (Clairmonte's  "  The  Africander,"  p.  6,  1896.) 

"  The  day  was  frightfully  hot,  and  at  all  the  Kaffir  lands 
the  men  picked  up  water-melons,  tasteless  to  eat,  but  thirst 
quenching."     (Stuart's  "  Pictures  of  the  War,"  p.  320, 1901.) 

Landsvaders. — (D.  land,  country ;  vader,  father ;  lit. 
"fathers  of  the  country".)    Men  whose  years  and  experi- 


A  FKIC  ANDEEISMS  291 

ence  have  given  them  influence  and  authority  in  the  land  ; 
members  of  parliament. 

"  Then  follows  this  :  '  There  is  a  possibility  of  the  natives 
electing  their  own  representatives  to  take  their  place  among  the 
Landsvaders  '."    ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  13  May,  1884.) 

"  In  the  early  days  of  the  Kepublic  a  farmer  was  fined 
80  rix-doUars  because  he  came  to  show  the  Landsvaders 
samples  of  quartz  containing  visible  gold."  (Du  Toit's 
"Khodesia,"  p.  81,  1897.) 

Lang  beentjes. — (D.  lang,  long;  been,  a  leg.)  In  the 
district  of  Worcester  a  species  of  Leucadendron  (Proteaceai) 
is  known  by  this  name. 

"  Amongst  the  farmers  it  is  known  from  its  height  (the 
fully-grown  shrub  attains  about  8  or  10  feet)  and  slender 
branches,  as  Laiig  beentjes."  {"  The  South  African  Medical 
Journal,"  i.  p.  128,  1884.) 

Langhaarmens. — See  Kroeshaarmens. 

Lap  or  Lapje. — (D.  lap,  a  patch,  rag.)     A  rag  or  clout. 

"  Blue  dungaree,  or  as  it  is  termed  by  the  natives  lap 
(corruption  of  cloth),  was  the  article  in  greatest  request." 
(Owen's  "  Narrative,"  i.  p.  118,  1833.) 

"  The  dish-cloth  is  a  great  institution  in  the  Boer  house- 
hold. A  dirty  bit  of  lapje  (rag)  it  is,  which  fulfils  more  than 
its  allotted  share  in  the  common  round."  (Hicks'  "  The 
Cape  as  I  Found  It,"  p.  179,  1900.) 

Latje. — (D.  lat,  a  lath.)  The  tough,  young  shoots  of  trees 
(chiefly  quince,  kweepeer)  are  often  used  by  those  in  authority 
for  purposes  of  castigation. 

"  Parting  the  quince  luikeys  with  my  hand."  (Glanville's 
"  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  209,  1897.) 

Laughing  dove. — Turtur  senegalensis,  Linn.  The  name 
refers  to  the  strange  laughing  sort  of  coo  which  this  bird  has. 

"  The  little  Laughing  dove  ...  is  also  common  in  places, 
especially  in  the  Municipal  Gardens  in  Cape  Town."  ("  Science 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  142,  1905.) 

Lavandel. — (D.  lavendel,  lavender.)  The  name  given  in 
the  Transvaal  to  Heteropyxis  natalensis,  Harv. 

Lazaretto. — (It.  lazzeretto,  a  plague-hospital.)  A  lazar- 
house,  plague  hospital. 

Lazarus. — (Gk.  Adi^apo^,  Luke  xvi.  20  ;  Heb.  Eleazar, 
he  whom  God  helps.)  Leprosy,  leper,  leprous.  Cf.  Bng. 
lazar,  one  afflicted  with  a  filthy  and  dangerous  disease. 

19  * 


292  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Lazy  Jack. — See  Idle  Dick. 

Leader. — (1)  A  boy  employed,  when  trekking,  to  lead  the 
two  front  oxen  of  the  span,  which  he  does  by  means  of  a  riem 
fastened  to  their  horns.  (2)  The  two  front  oxen  of  a  span 
are  also  termed  leaders. 

"The  leader  (as  the  boy  is  called  who  leads  the  two  front 
oxen  of  the  span)  on  my  first  wagon  journey  was  a  Bushman." 
(Cole's  "  The  Cape  and  the  Kaffir,"  p.  141,  1852.) 

Leader. — A  vein  of  gold-bearing  quartz  which  is  supposed 
to  indicate  the  whereabouts  of  the  main  reef. 

"  Many  quartz  veins  more  or  less  auriferous  have  been 
found  vrhich  are  supposed  to  lead  to  the  rich  or  mother  vein  ; 
these  are  thus  called  leaders  and  some  of  them  are  giving  a  fair 
percentage  of  gold."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  6  June, 
1884.) 

Lead  water,  To. — In  many  of  the  towns  and  villages  of 
South  Africa,  water,  both  for  drinking  and  irrigation  purposes, 
is  brought  by  means  of  an  open  "  Furrow  "  (q.v,).  The  Dutch 
are  very  expert  at  this  work.  For  irrigation,  each  householder 
— unless  he  holds  what  are  known  as  "  dry  erven  " — has  the 
right  to  turn  the  water  from  the  furrow  on  to  his  land  for  a 
time  determined  by  the  size  of  his  holding.  Guiding  the  water 
from  the  furrow  so  as  to  wet  the  land  uniformly  is  termed 
"  leading  water  ". 

"  Along  one  of  these  (furrows)  the  water  is  led  to  the  field 
which  is  to  be  watered."  (Lownde's  "E very-day  Life  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  86,  1900.) 

Lean=to,  A. — A  room  or  shed  built  against  the  side  or 
back  of  a  house,  with  a  separate  sloping  roof. 

"  One  has  not  the  satisfaction  of  enjoying  the  comfortable 
bit  of  shade  afforded  by  the  lean-to,  which  we  had  rigged  up 
in  the  corner  of  the  laagar."  (Hutchinson's  "  In  the  Tents 
in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  137,  1879.) 

Lechwe. — Cohus  leche  ;  a  beautiful  species  of  water-buck 
discovered  by  Oswald,  Murray  and  Livingstone. 

"  Troops  of  leches,  or,  as  they  are  here  called,  lechtves, 
appeared  feeding  quite  heedlessly  all  over  the  flats."  (Living- 
stone's "Missionary  Travels  in  South  Africa,"  p.  204,  1857.) 

"  The  river  and  the  banks  are  frequented  by  the  rare 
species  of  waterbucks,  called  by  the  natives  bichee  {Adenota 
leche),  before  noticed  in  this  neighbourhood."  (Chapman's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  141,  1868.) 


AFRICANDEEISMS  293 

Leegte. — See  Laagte. 

Leer  visch. — (D.  leer,  leder,  leather ;  visch,  fish.)  Licliia 
amia,  known  in  Natal  as  the  Garrick  (q.v.).  Gilchrist  sug- 
gests that  the  fish  was  thus  named  by  the  early  Dutch  sailors, 
because  of  the  similarity  of  its  leathery  skin  to  that  of  a  fish 
so  named  in  the  East  Indies. 

Leeuwbekkies. — (D.  leeuio,  a  lion  ;  hek,  a  beak,  snout.) 
(1)  The  snap-dragon — Antirrhimim  majus — has  received  this 
name  from  the  Dutch.  It  is  known  in  some  parts  of  England 
as  "  Calf's  snout ".  (2)  The  name  is  also  applied  to  other 
Scrophulariacece  with  personate  corollas. 

Legavaan. — (Amer.  yuana,  Sp.  iguana,  a  hzard.)  Both 
Varanus  niloticus  and  the  smaller  V.  albigularis  are  known  by 
this  name.     See  Guana  and  Iguana. 

"  Frequented  by  numbers  of  the  large  amphibious  lizards 
called  the  leguan  or  guana."  (Pringle's  "  Narrative,"  p.  29, 
1840.) 

"  My  though,  but  he's  about  the  biggest  legovaan  I've 
ever  seen  !  "  (Mitford's  "  Renshaw  Fauning's  Quest,"  p.  81, 
1894.) 

Leg  off,  A. — The  leg  of  an  animal  broken  by  a  shot  or  in 
any  other  way  is  said  in  Dutch-speaking  districts  to  be 
"  off"  or  to  have  been  "  shot  off". 

"Yes,  he's  wounded  certainly,  got  a  a  leg  off  (broken)." 
(Watkin's  "  From  Farm  to  Forum,"  p.  497,  1906.) 

Lekker. — (D.  lekker,  dainty,  nice,  sweet.)  (1)  Tasty,  de- 
licious :  in  common  use  in  the  Midland  Districts.  (2)  Some- 
times used  of  a  person  the  worse  for  liquor. 

They  lyvd  at  ease  in  vile  excess. 
They  sought  for  lecker-cost. 

(Riche's  "  Alarme  to  England,"  1578). 

"  Unsere  Reisegesellschaft  bezeichnete  das  Wasser  lecher 
weil  es  keinen  salz  gehalt  hatte."  (Wangemann's  "  Ein 
Reise-Jahr  in  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  93,  1868.) 

"  In  gaol  for  drunkenness  or  violent  incontinence  of  speech 
when  only  lekker  or  half-tipsy."  ("  The  State,"  p.  243,  Sep- 
tember, 1911.) 

Lekkers. — (D.  lekker,  dainty,  sweet..)  Confections  made 
of  sugar ;  sweets. 

"  As  pocket  handkerchiefs  are  the  exception  and  leckers 
(a  kind  of  sticky  sweetmeat)  the  rule,  your  hand,  at  the  finish 


294  AFEICANDEKISMS 

of  a  family  '  How  do  you  do  ? '  has  something  of  the  adhesive- 
ness and  consistency  of  a  glutinous  fish."  (Atcherley's  "A 
Trip  to  Boerland,"  p.  78,  1879.) 

Leispreeuw. — (D.  lei,  uvula,  wattle ;  spreeuw,  a  starling.) 
Dilophus  carunculatus.     See  Locust  bird. 

"  It  is  sometimes  called  leispreeuw  on  account  of  the  large 
'  lei '  or  wattle  which  the  male  develops  in  the  breeding 
plumage."    ("  Transvaal  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  529,  July,  1908.) 

Lemon  dove. — Haplopelia  larvata.     See  Cinnamon  dove . 

Lemon  grass. — Elionurus  argenteus,  Nees.,  is  commonly 
known  by  this  name. 

Lemon  wood. — Xymalos  monospora,  Harv.,  common  in 
Transvaal  forests. 

Leopard  bird. — Another  name  given  by  sailors  to  Ossifraga 
gigantea.     See  Glutton  bird. 

Leopard  toad. — Bufo  regularis. 

*'  A  large  and  extremely  handsome  form,  with  bright  yellow 
spots  and  markings,  is  generally  known  as  the  leopard  toad." 
("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  149,  1905.) 

"  Several  of  these  were  new  to  science.  Among  the  more 
interesting  of  these  may  be  mentioned  a  toad  which  was 
marked  like  a  leopard."  (W.  C.  Scully,  "  The  State,"  p.  222, 
March,  1912.) 

Lepelhout. — (D.  lepel,  a  spoon;  hout,  wood.)  Hartogia 
capensis.  In  the  Transvaal  Mystroxylon  hurkeanum,  Sond.,  is 
so  called. 

"  This  tree  is  found  in  the  woods  of  the  districts  of  Swel- 
lendam  and  Caledon,  where  it  is  known  by  the  name  of  Lepel- 
hout (ladle  wood)  and  in  the  bushy  ravines  on  the  eastern  side 
of  Table  Mountain."    (Pappe's  "  Silva  Capensis,"  p.  10, 1862.) 

Let  rip,  To. — A  slang  expression  applied  to  the  firing  of  a 
gun,  the  use  of  vigorous  language,  etc. 

"  I  galloped  round  the  kopje  with  my  police  and  half-a- 
dozen  volunteers  .  .  .  and  we  let  rip,  to  use  the  Africander 
expression."  (Barkly's  "  Among  Boers  and  Basutos,"  p.  186, 
1893.) 

Liddoom. — (D.  liJcdoren,  a  corn ;  doom,  thorn,  prickle. 
Cf.  the  first  syllable  lik  with  D.  lijk  ;  Ger.  Leiche  ;  M.E.  lich,  a 
corpse  ;  A.S.  lie,  a  body.)     A  corn. 

"  Voor  't  engelse  '  corn  '  zegt  de  Hollander  meestal  '  ek- 
steeroog'  en  de  Afrikaner  liddoorng  en  niet  'likdoorn'." 
("  The  Northern  Post,"  p.  12,  20  June,  1912.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  295 

Lifting  the  elbow.— A  euphemism  for  "  given  to  drink  ". 

"  There's  a  sight  too  many  chaps  out  here  who  are  a  deal 
too  fond  of  lifting  the  elbow."  (Mitford's  "  Gerard  Kidgeley," 
p.  24.) 

Lift,  To. — Another  word  in  common  use  for  taking  away 
unlawfully,  stealing.  The  word  is  not  unknown  in  this  sense 
on  the  Scottish  border. 

"  Cattle  were  to  be  lifted  from  town  kraals."  (Sheffield's 
"  Story  of  the  Settlement,"  p.  227,  1884.) 

Lighted  candles. — In  Natal  the  flowers  of  Loranthus 
natalitius  are  thus  designated. 

"The  long  tubular  flowers  are  frequently  decorated  with 
alternate  transverse  bands  of  colour,  white  and  crimson,  and 
one  (L.  natalitius),  waxy  white,  tipped  with  yellow,  has  no 
fanciful  resemblance  to  lighted  candles,  by  which  name  I  have 
heard  the  children  call  them."  (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii. 
p.  452,  1868.) 

"  In  Natal  another  species  (L.  natalitius)  has  waxy  white 
flowers  tipped  with  yellow  which  the  children  know  as  lighted 
candles."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  128,  1906.) 

Lighting  matches. — See  quotation. 

"Every  one  who  lives  in  the  Eastern  Province  knows 
what  is  meant  by  lighting  matches.  The  '  matches '  of 
Loranthus  olecefolius  are  born  in  umbels  of  three  to  five 
flowers,  bright  red  at  base  and  orange  in  the  upper  portion 
with  green  tips.  .  .  .  When  ready  for  lighting  the  tips  which 
hold  the  ends  of  the  stamens  become  black.  When  this 
sensitive  point  is  struck  by  birds,  back  fly  the  petals,  and 
the  pollen  is  thrown  some  distance  as  the  stamens  are  freed 
from  confinement."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  127,  1906.) 

Lilac  disa. — The  trivial  name  of  Disa  Harveiana  Lind. 

Lily,  Natal. — Gladiolus  psittacinus.  Hook,  is  known  in 
Grahamstown  by  this  name. 

Lily  of  the  hill. — See  Trumpet  lily. 

Lily,  Pig. — This  is  the  unromantic  name  by  which  the 
beautiful  creamy  white  arum — Bichardia  africana — is  known 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town.  In  Engler's  "  Natiir- 
lichepflanzenfamilien,"  this  plant  now  stands  under  the  name 
of  Zantedeschia  csthiopica,  Sprengl. 

"  Thousands    upon    thousands    of    arums,    pig-lilies    as 


296  AFKICANDEKISMS 

they  call  them  in  Africa."  (Haggard's  "Jess,"  p.  48, 
1887.) 

Limbo. — Certain  varieties  of  coloured  cotton  prints,  used 
in  trade  and  barter  with  the  up-country  natives,  are  so  called. 

"We  exchanged  some  limho  ...  for  eighteen  young 
fowls."  (De  Waal's  "  With  Ehodes  in  Mashonaland,"  p.  259, 
1896.) 

"  The  native  in  the  foreground  is  wearing  the  distinguish- 
ing mark — yellow  limho  round  his  head,  as  worn  by  our 
friendlies."  (Wills  and  Collingwood's  "Downfall  of  Loben- 
gula,"  p.  187, 1894.) 

Limoen  gras. — Andi'opogon  Schcenantlmts,  Linn.,  is  so 
called  because  of  the  faint  lemon  scent  which  it  gives  off  when 
bruised  ;  but  the  name  is  more  commonly  and  more  appropri- 
ately (its  lemon  scent  being  much  stronger)  apphed  to 
Elionurus  argenteus,  Nees. 

Links. — (D.  links,  at  the  left  hand.)  The  left-handed  one. 
The  name  borne  by  Makanna,  originally  a  Kaffir  of  common 
rank,  who,  by  his  talents  and  address,  gradually  raised  him- 
self to  distinction  as  a  witch-doctor.  He  was  an  important 
personage  in  the  attack  made  by  the  Kaffirs  on  Grahamstovra, 
on  22  April,  1819.  He  was  drowned  while  trying  to 
escape  from  Kobben  Island,  where  he  was  detained  as  a 
prisoner. 

Lion  fish. — 

"  Should  any  sportsman  be  thinking  of  emigrating  to 
South  Africa,  I  would  strongly  recommend  him  the  following 
bill  of  fare  for  his  first  dinner  party  in  the  wilderness.  .  .  . 
First  course. — Tortoise  soup,  Crab,  Lion  fish  found  in  the 
rivers."     (Cole's  "  The  Cape  and  the  Kaffirs,"  pp.  84-85, 1852.) 

Lion's  Head. — A  mountain  in  the  immediate  neighbour- 
hood of  Cape  Town,  which  is  supposed  to  resemble  a  lion 
couchant ;  one  part  is  known  as  the  Lion's  Head,  the  other 
as  the  Lion's  Rump. 

"  Einige  sagen  der  Name  komme  von  denen  sonst  darauf 
gewesen  Lowen  her.  Vor  kurzer  Zeit  hielte  sich  ein  der- 
gleichen  fiirchterliches  Thier  da  auf,  welches  Vieh  und 
Menschen  zerrisse.  .  .  .  Anders  meynen  der  Berg  heisse  also, 
well  er  einem  liegenden  Lowen  ahnlich  scheint  der  auf 
seinen  Raub  lauert."  (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  208, 
1745.) 

Lion's  Rump. — See  above. 


AFRICANDEKISMS  297 

"A  long  unbroken  hill  of  moderate  height,  is  King 
James's  Mount  (the  Lion's  Rump  of  the  Dutch)."  (Barrow's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  14,  1801.) 

Little  dog-rose. — Domheya  Dregeana,  Sond.,  is  so  called 
in  the  Eastern  Province. 

"  The  Dombeya,  sometimes  called  little  dog-rose."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  27  May,  1910.) 

Liverpool  of  South  Africa. — Port  Elizabeth  is  sometimes  so 
designated,  but  v^^hether  the  designation  is  intended  to  be 
taken  humorously,  or  as  being  anticipative,  is  somewhat 
uncertain. 

"  The  Liverpool  of  the  Cape  was  not  yet  in  existence,  and 
a  dreary,  barren-looking  waste  met  many  a  disappointed  eye." 
(Dugmore's  "  Eeminiscences,"  p.  5,  1871.) 

"  Port  EHzabeth,  the  Liverpool  of  South  Africa,  is  the  next 
point  we  have  to  aim  at."  (Statham's  "  Blacks,  Boers  and 
British,"  p.  78,  1881.) 

Loan  Farms. — This  was  the  designation  of  those  farms 
which  were  originally  granted  by  the  Government  on 
yearly  lease,  the  lease-holder  paying  an  annual  rent  of  twenty- 
four  rix-dollars.  The  payment  was  regarded  as  a  renewal  of 
the  lease,  the  tenure  being  really  a  lease  held  in  perpetuity ; 
this  seems  to  have  been  the  oldest  form  of  tenure  in  the  Cape 
Colony. 

"  The  number  of  these  loan  farms  registered  in  the  office  of 
the  receiver  of  land  revenue  on  closing  the  books  in  1798, 
were  : — 

In  the  District  of  the  Cape    ....         110 
,,  ,,        ,,   Stellenbosch  and  Drakenstein  689 

„  ,,        ,,  Swellendam      .         .         .         541 

,,  ,,       ,,  Graaff  Reinet    .         .         .        492 

Total    1832 " 
(Barrow's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  380,  1804.) 

"A  loan  place  which  is  a  place  obtained  from  the  Govern- 
ment, that  has  not  yet  been  surveyed,  is  half-an-hour's  walk 
in  every  direction  from  the  house  or  centre."  (Backhouse's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  585,  1844.) 

"  Sixty  morgen  of  land  proved  in  Africa  far  too  little  for 
men  who,  in  Europe,  never  probably  owned '  an  acre ;  so 
eventually  they  obtained  loan  farins  of  6000  or  more  acres." 
(Sutherland's  "  South  African  Tribes,"  i.  p.  95, 1845.) 


298  AFKICANDEEISMS 

Lobengula. — The  bloodthirsty  despot  who  ruled  the 
Matabele,  until  the  territory  over  which  he  held  such  baleful 
sway  was  occupied  by  the  forces  of  the  British  South  African 
Company. 

''Lobengula  .  .  .  His  name  means  'defender,'  but  for 
the  Matabele  nation  he  was  the  'destroyer'."  (Du  Toit's 
"  Ehodesia,"  p.  77,  1897.) 

Lobola. — (Kaf.  uku  Lobola,  to  compensate  ;  to  pay  dowry 
for  a  wife.)  The  word  lobola  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
the  original  idea  in  giving  cattle  in  order  to  secure  a  wife 
among  the  Kaffirs,  was  of  ?.  somewhat  different  character 
from  that  which  obtains  at  present ;  that  it  was  in  fact 
regarded  as  a  solatium  to  the  mother  for  the  pains  which 
she  is  supposed  to  experience  when  her  daughter  is  taken 
from  her.  This  may  have  been  the  original  idea  in  the  trans- 
action, but  there  is  no  doubt  that  at  the  present  time  the 
custom  has  degenerated  into  the  mere  buying  of  the  woman  on 
the  part  of  the  would-be  husband  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
securing  the  largest  number  of  cattle  possible  for  her  on  the 
part  of  her  father  or  guardian  on  the  other  hand  ;  the  choice 
of  her  husband  being  a  matter  in  which  the  woman,  as  a  rule, 
has  very  little  if  any  voice. 

"  If  they  will  but  treat  my  daughter  well  that  is  the  best 
uku-lobola."    (Colenso's  "  Ten  Weeks  in  Natal,"  p.  138, 1855.) 

"  The  verb  for  buy  is  tenga,  but  when  a  Kaffir  speaks  of 
buying  a  wife  he  uses  the  verb  lobola,  which  means  to  take 
away  a  cutting,  and  figuratively  to  remove  a  pain.  It  would 
seem  therefore  that  the  word  when  applied  to  the  giving  of 
cattle  for  a  girl,  refers  to  the  pains  which  the  mother  endured 
in  bearing  and  nurturing  her,  and  that  they  were  originally 
given  to  remove  those  pains,  that  is  to  reward  her  for  them." 
(Shooter's  "  Kaffirs  of  Natal,"  p.  48,  1857.) 

Location.— (1)  In  the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  the  "location"  is  a  portion  of  land  set  apart  by  a 
municipality  somewhere  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  upon 
which  natives  are  allowed,  under  certain  regulations,  to  reside. 
(2)  In  Natal  the  term  refers  to  certain  large  tracts  of  land 
which  are  firmly  secured  by  Government  to  the  natives. 
Each  such  "  location  "  is  suitable  for  a  population  of  from 
10,000  to  12,000,  and  is  the  property  of  the  tribe  collectively. 
Altogether  the  total  'area  of  the  land  thus  secured  to  the 
natives  in  Natal  is  not  less  than  2,000,000  acres. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  299 

"  Up  the  country  each  town  has  its  location^  an  adjoining 
town  really,  separated  from  it  by  a  little  space,  where  the 
natives  live."  (Lownde's  "Everyday  Life  in  South  Africa," 
p.  113,  1900.) 

"  The  plan  Government  devised  was  to  preserve  the  natives 
distinct  from  the  whites,  and  for  this  purpose  large  tracts  of 
country  were  set  aside,  under  the  designation  of  '  locations 
for  the  natives'.  On  these  locations  the  natives  were  to  be 
collected,  and  governed  by  their  own  laws,  through  the 
medium  of  their  own  chiefs."  (Holden's  "  History  of  Natal," 
p.  176,  1855.) 

Lock,  To. — This  was  the  term  applied  to  the  old  method 
of  skidding  the  wagon  wheels  for  the  descent  of  a  steep  place. 
It  consisted  in  fastening  the  wheel  with  a  riem  or  chain  in 
such  a  way  that  it  could  not  revolve.  Sometimes  a  "lock- 
shoe"  or  "  riem-schoen  "  was  employed  into  which  the  wheel 
was  slipped  and  secured,  saving  enormously  in  wear  and  tear. 
All  this  has,  however,  been  superseded  by  the  patent-screw 
brake. 

'*  Down  still  steeper  hills  .  .  .  both  the  hind  wheels  are 
locked,  and  sometimes  one  of  the  forewheels  into  the  bargain, 
especially  in  rainy  weather,  when  it  is  slippery."  (Sparrman's 
"Voyage,"  i.  p.  124,  1785.) 

Lock -shoe. — A  small  trough  of  hard  wood  into  which  the 
wheel  is  slipped  to  prevent  wear  and  tear  when  the  wheel  is 
locked. 

"  In  order  that  the  lowest  fellies  of  the  wheel  which  is  to 
be  locked  may  not  be  worn,  together  with  the  iron-work 
round  it,  a  kind  of  sledge  carriage,  hollowed  out  in  the  inside, 
and  called  a  lock-shoe,  is  fitted  to  it."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage," 
I.  p.  124,  1785.) 

Locust  bird. — (1)  The  wattled  starling — Dilophus  carun- 
culatus.  This  bird  destroys  large  numbers  of  locusts  in  their 
immature  or  voetganger  stage,  and  is  no  less  destructive 
among  them  when  they  are  on  the  wing.  (2)  Two  Pratincoles 
— Glareola  melanoptera  and  G.  pratincola — follow  the  locust 
swarms  in  great  numbers.  At  one  time  they  were  seldom  seen 
in  the  Cape  Colony  except  when  in  pursuit  of  their  favourite 
food,  but  in  recent  years  they  seem  to  have  settled  down  in 
some  parts,  and  failing  locusts  do  not  hesitate  to  attack  the 
fruit.  All  three  of  these  birds  are  known  to  the  Dutch  as 
Klein  springhaan  vogel  (small  locust  birds).    (3)  Gicona  alba ; 


300  AFKICANDERISMS 

this  member  of  the  stork  family,  responsible  for  so  much  in 
the  domestic  life  of  Germany,  confers  a  great  benefit  of 
another  sort  upon  the  agriculturist.  Locusts  appear  to  be 
its  chief  South  African  food  ;  it  is  known  as  the  "  Great  locust 
bird  ". 

"  The  numbers  of  the  grillevori  are  not  less  astonishing 
than  those  of  the  locusts,"  (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  257, 
1801.) 

"  The  white  stork  of  Europe  is  known  here  as  the  great 
locust  bird."  (Burton's  "  The  Cape  Colony  for  the  Settler," 
p.  11,  1903.) 

Lokkertje. — (D.  lokken,  to  decoy,  allure.)  A  tame  bird 
used  to  lure  wild  ones  into  a  cage  or  trap.  Cf.  Caxton's  "  I 
am  no  byrde  to  be  locked  ne  take  by  chaf."  ("  The  Historye 
of  Eeynard  the  Foxe,"  1481.) 

Lol. — (D.  lollen,  to  sit  by  the  fire,  to  chat ;  cf.  G.  lallen.) 
The  term  apphed  at  one  time  by  the  students  at  Stellen- 
bosch  to  a  students'  party ;  a  social  evening  ;  a  spree. 

"  We  were  approached  one  day  in  class  by  a  solemn-look- 
ing individual,  and  invited  in  the  name  of  the  lady  of  one  of 
the  professors  to  be  present  at  a  loll.  The  word  applied  to 
an  evening  party  brought  up  rather  a  funny  picture  before 
the  imagination,  and  suggested  the  thought  that  people  must 
feast  here  in  Eoman  fashion,  but  we  were  subsequently  in- 
formed that  it  meant  a  simple  evening  party."  (Mackinnon's 
"  South  African  Traits,"  p.  45,  1887.) 

Longbelly. — A  Natal  corruption  of  the  name  of  the  native 
chief,  Langelibelele,  who  gave  so  much  trouble  in  1873. 

Long-tailed  cormorant. — Graculus  africanus,  Gray.  See 
Crown  duiker. 

Long -tailed  finch. — The  common  designation  of  Chera 
progne,  the  Kaffrarian  grosbeak.     See  Kaffir  chief. 

"  A  few  of  the  long -tailed  finches  also  described  in  the 
Sy sterna  Naturce  as  the  Loxia  caffra,  and  in  the  same  work 
as  Emheriza  longicauda,  were  here  seen  flying  about  among 
the  flags."      (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Eesearches,"  p.  85,  1833.) 

Long  Tom. — (1)  A  somewhat  primitive  arrangement  em- 
ployed by  the  early  diggers  at  the  diamond  fields  for  "  sort- 
ing "  the  diamondiferous  material ;  it  is  sufficiently  described 
in  the  quotation.  (2)  This  designation  was  also  applied  by 
the  British  soldier  to  the  big  guns  employed  by  the  Boers  in 
the  Anglo-Boer  War,  1899-1902. 


AFRICANDERISMS  301 

"  First  of  all  came  the  Lo7ig  torn,  a  trough  fitted  with 
ripples,  into  the  head  of  which  the  gravel  was  thrown,  and 
through  which  a  constant  flow  of  water  .  .  .  was  maintained, 
while  the  gravel  was  raked  and  the  larger  stones  and  pebbles 
removed,  the  fine  gravel  behind  the  ripples  being  taken  to  the 
sorting  tables."     (Mathew's  "  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  175,  1887.) 

"  A  6-inch  Creusot  or  Long  torn  which  .  .  .  had  come  down 
from  Laing's  Nek  by  rail."  ("  The  Times'  History  of  the 
War,"  II.  p.  198,  1902.) 

Longwagon. — The  pole  running  beneath  the  wagon  be- 
tween the  two  axles,  and  connecting  them  together. 

"  Extra  delay  was  caused  by  the  long-wagon  (perch-pole) 
of  the  buck-wagon  getting  badly  cracked  in  crossing  a  spruit 
on  the  wrong  road."  (Balfour's  "  Twelve  Hundred  Miles  in 
a  Wagon,"  p.  188,  1895.) 

Long-ziekte. — (D.  long,  lung;  ziekte,  sickness.)  See 
Lung-sickness. 

Loog. — (D.  loog,  lye.)  Mesemhryanthemum  micranthum. 
The  ash  of  this  plant  is  used  both  by  the  Dutch  and  by  the 
Hottentots  in  making  soap  ;  as  is  also  the  ash  of  M .  junceum, 
Harv.,  which  is  more  widely  distributed  and  extends  into  the 
Eastern  Karoo. 

Looper. — (D.  looper,  a  slug.)  The  name  given  in  South 
Africa  to  a  large-sized  buckshot  or  slug. 

"  With  plenty  of  powder,  buck-shot,  loepers,  or  slugs." 
(Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  47,  1852.) 

"  Nine  loepers,  well  and  tightly  loaded  in  a  shot  cartridge." 
(Mitford's  "  Clement  Wayneflete,"  p.  76, 1894.) 

Lootsman. — (D.  loot,  lead  ;  Eng.  leadsman,  the  man  who 
gauges  the  depth  of  water  by  means  of  lead  and  a  hne.  Cf. 
Eng.  -pi-lot ;  see  Skeat.)     Naucrates  ductor. 

"  Vom  Lootsmann.  Dieser  Fisch  fithret  seinen  Namen 
desswegen,  weil  man  glaubt,  er  diene  dem  Meer-Vielfrasse 
zum  Wegweiser."     (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  376, 1745.) 

"  Another  rare  fish  recently  acquired  was  ...  a  fine  speci- 
men of  a  sucker-fish  or  lootsman.  .  .  .  The  chief  characteristic 
of  this  fish  is  the  long  narrow  sucker  on  the  top  of  the  head, 
this  being  3^  inches  long  by  nearly  2  inches  in  width." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  5  May,  1908.) 

Loquat. — The  tree  Eriohotrya  japonica,  Lind.,  is  a  na- 
tive of  China  and  Japan  ;  the  name  as  we  have  it  approxi- 
mates to  the   Canton  pronunciation  of  the   Chinese  name 


302  AFRICANDERISMS 

meaning  "  rush  orange  ".  The  fruit  when  ripe  is  very  juicy 
and  pleasantly  subacid.  The  word  is  introduced  because  the 
fruit  is  so  well  known  to  South  Africans. 

Lory. — (The  word  is  a  corruption  of  the  Malay  nuri,  a 
parrot.  Yule  and  Burnell's"  Anglo-Indian  Glossary  ".)  Tura- 
cus  corythaix ,  Gallirexporphreolophus,  and  Schizorhis  concolor, 
the  two  latter  being  northern  birds,  are  all  Lories  (Musopha- 
gidcB).  Turacus  has  a  much  more  extensive  range  than  the 
others,  and  is  common  in  the  forests  of  the  Cape  Colony. 
Its  general  colour  is  an  iridescent  green,  the  tail  and  wings 
are  steel  blue,  the  latter  when  expanded  showing  a  brilliant 
crimson  shot  with  purple.  See  Bush  lory  and  Go-way 
bird. 

"  The  cuculus  persa,  a  beautiful  bird,  called  by  the 
colonists  loeri  or  lori,  with  scarlet  wings,  a  green  crown, 
tipped  with  red,  and  a  red  bill."  (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  195  n.,  1812.) 

"  The  lovely  doves  and  woodpeckers  with  beautiful  lowries 
fluttering."     (''  C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette,"  p.  97,  1831.) 

"  Lories,  richly  tinted  and  mellow  coloured."  (Russell's 
"Natal,"  p.  36,  1891.) 

Lospit. — (D.  los,  loose,  free  ;  pit,  the  stone  or  kernel  of 
fruit.)  The  name  given  to  a  variety  of  peach  the  flesh  of 
which  does  not  adhere  to  the  stone.      See  Taaipit. 

Love  bean. — In  the  Transvaal  the  seeds  of  Abrus precato- 
rius,  L.,  are  known  by  this  name. 

Lovebird. — Agapornis  roseicollis.  A  pretty  little  bird  of 
the  parrot  tribe. 

Love  grass. — Setaria  verticillata,  Beauv.  The  hooked 
seeds  of  this  grass  attach  themselves  firmly  to  one's  clothing. 
See  Klis  or  Klits  grass. 

Lucht. — (D.  loog,  lye.)  A  corruption  of  the  Dutch  word 
"  Loog "  (q.v.),  it  is  applied  to  a  potash  salt  obtained  by 
burning  a  small  karoo  bush  with  cylindrical  fleshy  leaves, 
known  as  the  "  Asbosje  "  (ash  bush).  The  salt  thus  obtained 
is  used  as  a  lye  in  the  manufacture  of  the  coarser  Boer  or 
KaflSr  tobacco  as  it  is  called. 

"  Much  of  the  tobacco  consumed  in  the  Colony  is  dipped 
in  a  lye  of  lucht."  (Wallace's  "Farming  Industries  of  the 
Cape  Colony,"  p.  480,  1896.) 

Lui  haai. — (D.  lui,  lazy,  slothful ;  haai,  a  shark.)  Scyl- 
lium  africanum.     This  dogfish  is  known  round  the  coast  by 


AFRICANDEKISMS  303 

several  names :  e.g.  Bonti  haai  (variegated  shark),  Tiger 
shark,  Schaam  oog  (bashful  eye). 

Luipard. — (D.  luipaard,  a  leopard.)  The  hunting  leo- 
pard.   Cyncelurus  jubatus.    Known  also  as  the  Vlackte  tijger. 

"  The  creature  known  as  the  Hunting  leopard,  generally 
called  Luipard  by  the  Dutch  {Cijncelurus  jubatus  of 
naturalists),  is  rather  rare  in  South  Africa."  ("Science  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  126,  1905.) 

"  I  may  be  allowed  here  to  remark  .  .  .  that  the  South 
African  animal  called  Luipard  (leopard)  by  the  Dutch 
colonists  .  .  .  and  supposed  to  be  the  Felisjubata,  has  not  the 
sharp  retractile  claws  which  distinguish  the  feline  genus." 
(Burchell's  '^  Travels,"  ii.  p.  326  n.,  1824.) 

Luiters. — Unaware,  innocent. 

Lumpy  jaw. — Actinomycosis  of  the  bony  structure  of  the 
jaw.     See  Ray  fungus  disease.  Big  jaw,  and  Wooden  tongue. 

Lung  sickness. — A  highly  infectious  inflammatory  condi- 
tion of  the  pleura  and  lungs  ;  the  cause  of  heavy  losses  at 
times  to  the  cattle  farmers  of  South  Africa.  See  Long 
ziekte. 

Luns. — (Eng.  "  To  lunge  a  colt  in  breaking  him  in,  is 
to  hold  him  with  a  long  rope,  and  drive  him  round  in  a 
circle.  Still  in  use,"  Halliwell.)  '  To  tame  a  horse,  to  break 
a  young  horse  in. 

Lunsriem. — (D.  luns,  a  linch-pin.)  (1)  The  small  strip  of 
untanned  hide  with  which  the  linch-pin  is  secured  in  the  end 
of  the  axle.  (2)  A  term  of  opprobrium  applied  to  an  English- 
man, and  to  a  dirty  fellow  or  tramp. 

Die  dit  nie  spreek,  hij  is  bekent ; 
Als  hms-riem  of  een  rooinek-vent. 

(Ben  Patriot,  Eeitz's  "  Afrikaanse  Gedigte,"  p.  21,  1888.) 

Lynx. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  Felis  caracal,  though 
this  animal  differs  in  several  characteristic  features  from  the 
true  lynx  of  the  northern  hemisphere.     See  Eooi-kat. 

Maaiers. — (D.  maden,  maggots.)  A  term  applied  to 
maggots  and  caterpillars. 

Maal  klip. — (D.  maal,  meal;  klip,  a  rock,  stone.)  The 
primitive  implement  employed  by  native  women  in  grinding 
meal  or  snuff. 

"  A  maal-klip,  that  is  a  flat  stone,  or  one  which  has  been 
slightly  hollowed  in  the  centre,  upon  which  the  dried  locusts 
were  reduced  to  powder,  by  means  of  a  smaller  round  stone 


304  AFKICANDEKISMS 

worked  with  both  hands."     (Stow's  "  Native  Eaces  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  58,  1905.) 

Maanhaar  Jackal. — (D.  manen,  a  mane;  haar,  hair.) 
Proteles  cristatus,  Gray.  This  name  has  reference  to  the 
ridge  of  long  dark  hair  which  this  animal  has  running  from 
the  head  down  its  back.     See  Aard-wolf. 

"  The  mona  (maned)  jackal,  by  which  name  it  is  most 
commonly  known,  may  be  found  all  over  South  Africa." 
(Nicolls  and  Eglinton's  "  Sportsman  in:  South  Africa,"  p.  93, 
1892.) 

"  The  Maanhaar  (maned)  jackal  ...  an  animal  inter- 
mediate in  appearance  between  the  hyena  and  the  common 
jackal,  has  recently  been  the  subject  of  discussion,  as  to 
whether  it  attacked  sheep  or  not."  (Wallace's  "Farming 
Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  338,  1896.) 

Maantje  hut. — (D.  mand,  a  basket ;  cf .  Eng.  maunde,  a 
hand  basket ;  the  word  is  still  in  use.)  A  hut  made  of  wattles 
and  covered  with  anything  that  will  keep  out  the  wet  or  cold  ; 
easily  erected  and  easily  removed. 

"  They  built  only  the  maantje  house — a  slight  basket 
frame  of  wattles,  covered  with  rush  mats,  which  could 
be  erected  or  taken  down  by  the  wife  while  the  man  boiled 
the  kettle.  When  I  visited  the  Griquas  at  the  Mount 
Currie  Laager  first  in  1869,  one  of  these  maantje  huts 
was  still  in  use."  (Dower's  "  Annals  of  Kotstad,"  pp.  4-5, 
1902.) 

Maan  visch. — (D.  maan,  the  moon  ;  visch,  a  fish.)  Or- 
thagoriscus  mola.     See  Sun-fish. 

Maccles. — (G.  Makel,  a  stain,  spot,  blot  ;  Lat.  macula,  a 
spot.)  Diamonds  made  defective  by  a  dark  ridge  across 
them,  detracting  considerably  from  their  value. 

"  The  commonest  kind  of  flaw  is  a  dark  ridge  stretching 
right  across  the  stone,  as  if  it  had  been  severed  at  some  period 
of  its  growth  and  welded  together  again.  Diamonds  so 
marked  are  called  maccles."  (Devereaux'  "  Side  Lights,"  p. 
142, 1899.) 

Madagascar  cat. — Lemur  catta,  L.,  L.  macaco,  L.,  and 
L.  mongoz,  L.  In  Natal  these  pretty  httle  animals,  which 
make  interesting  pets,  are  so  styled. 

"  They  have  brought  with  them  .  .  .  macacas,  or  as  they 
are  sometimes  termed  Madagascar  cats."  (Owen's  "  Narra- 
tive," II.  p.  88,  1833.) 


AFRICANDEEISMS  305 

"  Curious  lemurs  which  are  usually  known  as  Madagascar 
cats.''     (Bryden's  "  Animals  of  South  Africa,"  p.  12,  1900.) 

Mackerel. — Scomber  brachysoma,  Bleek,  is  known  by  this 
name  in  Natal. 

Made  road. — A  road  which  has  been  metalled  is  so  called 
to  distinguish  it  from  a  road  cut  through  the  veld  by  the  traffic 
only.  This  latter,  up  to  comparatively  recent  years,  was  the 
South  African  style  of  road  nearly  everywhere  outside  a  town. 

"  At  Mamre,  and  at  Mamre  only,  through  all  this  South 
African  trip,  we  found  a  made  road.''  (Boyle's  "  To  the 
Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  26,  1873.) 

Magerman (D.   mager,  lean,    thin,  meagre.)     TJrginea 

altissima,  Baker.  A  bulbous  plant  with  a  tall,  thin  flower- 
stalk  ;  it  grows  abundantly  on  the  Queenstown  commonage. 

Maggot  fly. — Auchmeromyia  {Bengali)  depressa,  as  also  a 
species  of  Ochromyia,  deposit  their  larvae  on  the  skin  of  man  ; 
the  larvae  penetrate  the  skin  and  produce  large  inflamed  ulcers. 

Mahem. — (Kaf .  i  Hemu,  PI.  ama  Hemu,  the  crested  crane.) 
Balearica  regulorum.  The  name  is  onomatopoetic.  See 
Crowned  crane  and  Kaffir  crane. 

"  They  hold  in  high  estimation  a  beautiful  crane  .  .  . 
they  call  it  maahoom,  from  the  noise  it  continually  makes." 
("  Scenes  and  Occurrences  in  Albany,"  p.  117,  1827.) 

"Observed  a  troop  of  Ahem  cranes,  consisting  of  ten." 
(Andersson's  "  Notes  of  Travel  in  South  Africa,"  p.  296, 1875.) 

"  There  were  several  varieties  of  the  crane,  including  the 
lovely  Mahem,  or  crested  crane,  and  the  great  bull  crane." 
(Lacy's  "  Pictures  of  Travel,  Sport,  and  Adventure,"  p.  272, 
1899.) 

Mahogany  bean. — The  Rhodesian  name  of  the  seed  of 
Afzelia  cuanzensis. 

Maifoedi. — A  term  applied  to  a  rascal  or  loafer. 

"  Myfooty  is  a  common  Hottentot  term,  which  I  would 
defy  even  themselves  to  construe."  (Gordon  Cumming's 
"  Adventures,"  i.  p.  27,  1850.) 

Makatan. — A  variety  of  water-melon  from  Bechuanaland 
which  makes  splendid  feeding  for  stock,  and  is  now  being 
grown  in  the  Karoo. 

Mak  gauw  !— (D.  mahen,  to  make,  do  ;  gauw,  quick.)  (1) 
Be  quick  !  Make  haste  !  In  common  use  in  Dutch-speaking 
districts.  (2)  A  mild  kind  of  Kaffir  beer  is  so  called  {ama- 
rewu)  because  of  the  quickness  with  which  it  can  be  prepared. 

20 


306  AFKICANDEEISMS 

"  One  horseman  drew  rein  ,  .  .  while  the  other  cantered 
in  shouting  '  Kom  vriend,  laat  ons  rei  !  mah  hoe  ! '  (Come 
friend,  let  us  ride  !  Make  haste !)."  (Turnbull's  "  Tales  from 
Natal,"  p.  177,  1901.) 

Mak  gauw. — Dichapetelum  cymosum  is  so  called  because 
of  the  rapidity  with  which  it  acts,  killing  the  cattle  that  eat 
it  in  a  very  short  time ;  it  is  a  native  of  the  Transvaal.  See 
Gift  blaar. 

"On  the  4th  we  .  .  .  reached  Zacharias  De  Beer's,  sur- 
named  *  pure  gyft '  or  rank  poison,  on  account  of  the  quantity 
of  MaJchouw,  or  cattle  poison,  that  grows  on  his  farm." 
(Baines'  "  Gold  Kegions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  82,  1877.) 

Makreel. — (D.  makreel,  mackerel.)  Scomber  grex,  a  near 
relative  of  the  English  mackerel — Scomber  scombrus,  L. 

Makrolletje.  —  (F.  macaron ;  G.  makrone,  macaroon,  a 
cake.)    A  variety  of  "  koekey  "  made  with  almonds,  macaroon. 

"  The  one  word  I  feel  sure  of  is  '  oublietje  .  .  .  makrolletjes 
(macaroons)  may  be  another."  ("  Northern  News,"  27  August, 
1912.) 

Malachite  sun-bird. — Nectarinia  famosa,  a  beautiful  little 
metallic  green  bird,  with  yellow  shoulders  and  long  tail- 
feathers. 

Malagas. — Sula  capensis.  The  common  gannet  of  South 
Africa  found  round  the  coast  in  countless  thousands. 

"  As  soon  as  the  Malagas  spies  a  fish  under  her,  she  pops 
her  head  nimbly  into  the  water  and  if  she  catches  the  fish  she 
swallows  it  before  she  brings  her  head  up  again."  (Kolben's 
"  Present  State  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  ii.  p.  143,  1731.) 

Malamock. — (Devic  regards  this  word  as  being  a  corrup- 
tion of  the  F.  mamelouk,  a  mameluke;  Ar.  mamluk,  a  slave ; 
the  reference  being  to  its  dark  plumage  and  beak.)  A  sailor's 
name  for  the  black-browed  Albatross — Biomedia  melanophrys, 
Temn.  Layard  ("  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  364,  1867)  gives 
the  name  as  "  Mollymaw,"  but  the  form  Malamock  is  the 
common  one. 

"  On  the  26th,  the  large  birds  called  malmucks,  which  are 
brown  and  white  underneath,  passed  us  in  great  numbers." 
(Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  91,  1795.) 

"  The  butterfly-plumaged  Cape  pigeons,  the  dark-plumaged 
Cape  hens ;  the  snipe-like  whale-birds  ;  the  swan-like  molly 
mawkr     (Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  204,  1859.) 

Malay. — This  word  is  very  generally  used  in  the  Western 


AFRICANDEKISMS  307 

Province  as  though  it  were  synonymous  with  the  word 
Mohammedan. 

"  The  religion  of  the  False  Prophet  was  introduced  into 
the  Colony  by  the  importation  of  Malacca  slaves  by  the 
Dutch ;  hence  the  terms  Malay  and  Mahomedan  became 
synonymous  in  the  Colony."  (Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p. 
606,  1844.) 

Malbaar. — A  native  of  Malabar ;  some  of  these  people 
were  brought  over  by  the  Dutch  as  slaves  in  the  earlier  days 
of  the  Colony ;  their  intelligence,  industry,  and  mildness  of 
disposition,  made  them  of  considerable  value. 

"  First  the  Madagascar  woman  .  .  .  next  to  them  the 
Malabar s,  then  the  Bugunese  or  Malays."  (Sparrman's 
"Voyage,"  i.  p.  72,1785.) 

"  There,  at  the  Cape,  they  are  no  longer  merely  Malays  or 
Malahars  or  natives  of  the  coast  of  Mozambique,  they  are 
slaves."  (Semple's  "  Walks  and  Sketches  at  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,"  p.  37,  1805.) 

Mai  gift. — (D.  mal,  foolish,  mad  ;  gift,  poison.)  A  poison 
obtained  from  the  Buphane  disticha,  used  by  the  Bushmen  on 
their  arrows  ;  so  called  by  the  Dutch  from  the  peculiar  effects 
which  it  produced  in  the  wounded  animals. 

"  Another  poison  used  by  them  was  extracted  from  the 
Amaryllis  distichia  (Paterson),  which  was  called  mal  gift  or 
mad  poison  by  the  Dutch  and  Namaqua  Hottentots."  (Stow's 
"  Native  Kaces  of  South  Africa,"  p.  78,  1905.) 

Mali. — A  word  in  constant  use  among  the  natives,  and 
frequently  heard  among  the  colonists  also,  for  money. 
According  to  Dr.  Bleek  ("Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p. 
202,  1857),  this  word  is  the  result  of  Hottentot  (mari)  and 
Kaffir  (mali)  efforts  to  pronounce  the  EngHsh  word  "  money  ". 
The  Kev.  J.  L.  Dohne  ("  Zulu-Kafifir  Dictionary,"  Intro. 
XXXV,  1857)  says  that  this  derivation  is  a  mistake,  "  since  it 
comes  from  quite  another  quarter,  because  both  its  radical 
letters  and  its  meaning  show  us  the  way  to  trace  it  through 
the  Suaheli  to  the  Arabic  and  Shemitic  pj^?2  {^ol(^h),  plenus 
est,  repletus  est,  from  the  root  ^^^  (mala),  complere,  fj,a\etv, 
augere,  fxaWov,  magis  ".  The  entire  paragraph  is  exceedingly 
interesting. 

"  The  fact  is  that  the  Kaffir  has  for  some  time  made  the 
discovery  that,  next  to  cattle  and  wives,  a  certain  number  of 
threepenny  pieces  is  the  most  desirable  of  possessions ;  and 

20* 


308  AFRICANDERISMS 

nothing  which  is  not  readily  convertible  into  mali,  or  hard 
cash,  has  now  much  attraction  for  him."  (Barter's  "  The 
Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  214,  1852.) 

"He  appears  stretching  out  his  hands  for  mali  (money). 
If  the  '  mali '  is  not  forthcoming  that  instant,  good-bye  to 
peace."  ("Adventures  in  Mashonaland  by  Two  Nurses,"  p. 
181,  1893.) 

Maikop. — (D.  mal,  foohsh,  mad  ;  kop,  a  head.)  A  wrong- 
headed,  fooHsh  person  ;  also  one  who  is  insane. 

Mallemot. — (D.  mallen,  to  fool ;  mot,  a  moth.)  A  variety 
of  hornet,  the  sting  of  which  is  exceedingly  painful. 

Mai  mier. — (D.  mal,  foolish,  mad ;  viier,  an  ant.)  A 
small  ant  that  often  appears  in  the  sugar. 

Malmokki. — Cavia  cobaya,  Schreb.     The  tame  guinea-pig. 

Malta  thistle. — Centaurea  melitensis,  L. 

Maltese  lily. — Sprekeliaformosissima,  Herbert.  The  Cape 
name  of  this  flower,  which  is  a  native  of  Mexico  and  Guate- 
mala. It  is  known  in  England  by  the  name  Jacobasa  lily 
according  to  the  "  Botanical  Magazine  "  of  1790. 

Maltrap. — (D.  mal,  foolish;  trappen,  to  trample,  kick.) 
(1)  This  word  is  applied  to  a  young  and  frisky  horse,  and  (2) 
also  to  a  young  person  who  acts  foolishly  or  without  con- 
sideration. 

Malva. — (D.  maluive,  a  mallow.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this 
word  is  applied  to  geraniums  generally. 

Mamba,  Black. — (Kaf.  ivi  Mamba,  a  large  snake.)  Den- 
draspis  angusticeps.  This  snake  is  found  in  Natal  and  in  the 
low  countries  to  the  east.     Its  bite  is  almost  certain  death. 

"  The  snake  was  a  large  black  one,  called  by  the  Kaffirs 
M'namba  umkulu,  or  great  puff-adder.  It  did  not  resemble 
the  ordinary  puff-adder  in  colour,  size,  or  character." 
(Drayson's  "Sporting  Scenes,"  p.  260,  1858.) 

"  The  black  mamba,  which  is  nearly  as  large  as  a  rattle- 
snake, is,  however,  a  dangerous  creature,  being  ready  to 
attack  man  without  provocation,  and  the  bite  may  prove  fatal 
in  less  than  an  hour."  (Bryce's  "Impressions  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  23,  1898.) 

Mamba,  Green.— See  quotation. 

"The  younger  specimens"  (of  the  mamba)  "are  green, 
but  as  they  grow  older  they  get  darker ;  there  is  no  ground, 
however,  for  distinguishing  the  black  from  the  green  mamba 
specifically."    ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  148,  1905.) 


AFEICANDERISMS  309 

Man. — An  exclamatory  form  of  address  in  common  use  all 
over  South  Africa,  employed  often  enough  quite  irrespective 
of  either  the  age  or  the  sex  of  the  person  addressed. 

"  With  many  mans  !  and  other  fashionable  interjections 
they  carry  on  their  brainy  conversation."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  3,  13  February,  1912.) 

Mandoor. —  (Port,  mandador,  an  overseer,  superintendent.) 
A  foreman.  This  is  the  Malay  form  of  the  word  current  in 
the  Archipelago,  whence  it  was  brought  in  the  early  days  to 
South  Africa  by  Malay  slaves. 

Man-eaters. — Native  tribes  or  remnants  of  tribes,  that 
have  been  robbed  of  their  cattle  and  all  other  means  of  sub- 
sistence by  stronger  tribes,  have  been  compelled  to  resort  to 
cannibalism  for  sustenance  ;  but  proof  is  not  wanting,  in  some 
cases,  that  that  which  was  begun  from  necessity  was  con- 
tinued from  choice.  During  the  terrible  times  consequent 
upon  the  devastation  of  Natal  by  Chaka's  impis,  the  remnants 
of  the  tribes  that  were  left  were  reduced  to  the  most  terrible 
straits.  Undava,  a  man  of  the  Amadunge  tribe,  began  the 
practice  of  cannibalism ;  he  collected  a  band  of  men,  who 
hunted  for  human  beings  as  tigers  do  for  their  prey.  They 
were  ultimately  killed  or  dispersed  by  Dingaan  about  1820. 
It  must  be  said  that  the  Kaffirs  as  a  people  are  entirely  free 
from  the  stigma  of  this  disgusting  practice. 

"  I  have  myself  conversed  with  several  men  who  escaped 
after  having  been  captured  by  these  man-eaters  and  after 
having  been  told  off  to  furnish  the  next  feast  for  their  captors  ; 
and  with  one — a  chief  still  living  in  this  Colony — who  was 
compelled  to  carry  the  vessel  in  which  he  was  told  he  himself 
would  be  cooked."  (Moodie's  "  Battles  in  South  Africa,"  ii. 
p.  297, 1888.) 

"  Dingaan  drove  the  last  of  the  man-eaters  from  the  Big- 
garsberg."     (Russell's  "Natal,"  p.  124,  1891.) 

Manel. — (F.  mandille,  footman's  cloak,  great-coat;  Lat. 
7nantrellum,  a  cloak.)     A  dress-coat,  a  frock-coat. 

"  Het  einde  was  dat  Adoons  ontsnapte  en  triomfantelik  de 
manel  aan  de  President  bracht.  Ongeveer  tot  het  einde 
van  de  oorlog  heeft  Pres.  Steyn  de  jas  gedragen  die  zijn 
zorgzame  vrouw  voor  hem  had  meegegeven."  ("Northern 
Post,"  p.  2,  27  June,  1912.) 

Mangrove. — Bruguiera  gymnorhiza,  which  (with  the 
red    mangrove,    Bhizophora    mucronata,    Lamb,    and    the 


310  AFEICANDEBISMS 

white  mangrove,  Avicennia  officinalis)  at  one  time  formed 
a  considerable  belt  on  the  Bluff  side  of  Durban  Bay. 

Mannevogel. — Another  name  for  the  Kivitje  (q.v,). 

Manotoka  boom. — The  Western  Province  name  for  Myo- 
porum  acuminatum. 

Mantis. — (Grk.  fidvTt<;,  one  vs^ho  divines,  a  seer.)  This 
insect  is  also  called  the  "  Praying  insect  "  (q.v.).  One  variety 
of  mantis  occupied  an  important  position  in  the  esteem  of 
the  Hottentots.  See  "  Hottentot's  god  ".  Kolben  says  that 
they  v^orshipped  it,  but  Thunberg,  who  is  probably  much 
nearer  the  truth,  says  that  "it  is  by  many  considered  an 
animal  of  a  fortunate  omen".  There  are  a  good  many 
varieties  of  this  insect  in  South  Africa. 

"  A  small  grey  species  of  grasshopper  (il^faw^^s/aws^a)  .  .  . 
which  has  obtained  the  name  of  Hottentot's  god."  (Thun- 
berg's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  65,  1796.) 

"  All  the  mantis  tribe  are  very  remarkable  insects  .  .  . 
whose  dusky  sober  colouring  well  suits  the  obscurity  of  night." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  418,  1822.) 

Mantyi. — (K.  i  Mantyi,  a  magistrate.)  A  magistrate  is 
designated  by  the  natives  i  Mantyi. 

"  It  was  thought  at  one  time  the  whole  sixty-nine  would 
accept  the  Mantjes  invitation,  and  become  the  guests  of  the 
country."    ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  10,  29  June,  1912.) 

Market-master. — The  municipal  ofhcer  whose  duty  it  is 
to  attend  to  all  the  affairs  of  the  morning  market. 

"  I  should  advise  them  to  send  the  market-master  .  .  . 
to  visit  our  market."  ("  The  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  3 
August,  1859.) 

Maroola. — Sclerocarya  Caffira,  Sond.  A  handsome  tree 
(Order  Anacardiacece)  common  in  the  Transvaal  Bush  veld ; 
it  is  found  also  in  Natal,  Rhodesia,  and  Portuguese  East 
Africa.  The  fruit  has  an  acid  and  slightly  mango-like  flavour, 
and  is  largely  used  by  the  natives  for  making  an  intoxicating 
drink. 

"  Some  doubt  having  arisen  as  to  whether  the  kernels 
whose  analysis  was  given  on  page  136  of  the  last  issue  of  the 
'  Journal '  were  really  obtained  from  the  Meroola  or  Marula 
as  described,  a  few  specimens  of  the  whole  fruit  of  this  tree 
were  obtained."  ("Trans.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  411,  January, 
1907.) 

"  A  big  marula-tree  is  for  a  moment  enveloped  in  a  sheet 
of  flame,  and  then  down  comes  one  of  the  great  limbs,  its 


AFEICANDERISMS  311 

rending  and  tearing  lost  in  the  rage  of  other  sounds."    ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  30  July,  1912.) 

Marsbanker. — Caranx  trachurus.  The  horse  mackerel  so 
named  in  Holland  from  the  Marsdiep  in  the  Zuyder  Zee,  re- 
tains its  Dutch  name  in  the  Cape  Colony.  In  New  York 
Alosa  menhaden  is  known  as  the  Mossbunker. 

"Adsi  is  the  Maasbancker  of  the  Dutch."  (Kaempfer's 
"  History  of  Japan,"  1690-2,  Reprint,  i.  p.  229.) 

"  The  famihar  Stock-fish  (Merlucius  vulgaris)  and  the 
Maashanker  {Caranx  trachurus)  are  examples  from  a  group 
of  the  fishes  illustrating  identity  of  Cape  and  European 
forms."    ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  193,  1905.) 

Marsbloem. — (D.  Maart,  March ;  bloem,  a  flower.) 
Brunsvigia  JosephincB,  Gawl.  This  beautiful  Amaryllid 
bears  its  flowers  in  umbels  occasionally  as  much  as  two  feet 
in  diameter. 

"Several  other  plants  of  the  Amaryllis  tribe  threw  up 
their  flower  stems  quickly  ;  among  them  the  beautiful  Bruns- 
vigia JosephincB  called  Marsbloem  (March-flower)  with  a  large 
spreading  head  of  deep  crimson,  lily-like  flowers."  (Back- 
house's "Narrative,"  p.  606,  1844.) 

Mashona  piano. — A  somewhat  crude,  but  ingenious  musi- 
cal instrument  made  by  the  Makalakas,  consisting  of  a 
wooden  frame,  with  iron  tongues  of  different  lengths  fastened 
upon  it  in  a  row,  each  emitting  when  struck  a  different  musi- 
cal note. 

"It  is  interesting  to  examine  their  splendid  assegai  work, 
their  waist  knives,  their  delicately  tipped  arrows,  the  curious 
engravings  on  their  battle-axes,  and  the  careful  workmanship 
displayed  in  the  crude  musical  instrument  known  as  the 
Mashona  piano.''     ("  Scientific  African,"  p.  78,  1896.) 

Masked  duck. — Dendrocycna  viduata.  A  tree  duck  with 
the  front  part  of  the  head  white,  found  occasionally  in  Natal. 

''Vfh.\te  masked  duck  .  .  .  there  is  a  specimen  .  .  .  in  the 
Durban  Museum."  (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds,"  p.  209, 
1899.) 

Mason. — This  word,  influenced  probably  by  the  Dutch  use 
of  the  word  metselaar  (CD.  messelaar)  for  both  mason  and 
bricklayer,  is  used  all  through  South  Africa,  where,  in  Eng- 
land, the  word  "  bricklayer  "  would  be  employed. 

Master. — (D.  meester,  teacher.)  This  word  is  often  used 
in  the  sense  of  "  teacher  ", 


312  AFEICANDEBISMS 

"He  asked  me  to  stay  to  supply  the  place  of  master ^ 
(Damberger's  "  Travels,"  p.  61,  1801.) 

N.B. — In  a  note  the  author  explained  the  word  master  as 
follows :  "  This  office  unites  those  of  schoolmaster  and  of 
overseer  to  the  slaves  of  the  plantation  ". 

Matabele. — (Lit.  "  Those  who  disappear  ".)  The  refer- 
ence is  to  the  large  size  of  the  ox-skin  shields  behind  which 
the  redoubtable  warriors  of  Moselikatse  fought ;  it  was  nearly 
twice  the  size  of  those  used  by  the  Basutos,  with  whom,  or 
with  the  Bechuanas,  the  name  seems  to  have  originated. 
The  Matabele  are  really  a  Zulu  people. 

"  Our  road  wound  for  some  distance  in  a  north-westerly 
direction  amongst  numerous  Matabili  villages."  (Harris's 
"Wild  Sports,"  p.  Ill,  1839.) 

"  Hearing  at  the  Baharutse  that  a  tribe  possessing  much 
cattle  lived  at  some  distance  eastward,  they  proceeded  thither 
and  were  received  in  a  friendly  manner  by  Moselekatse  the 
king  of  that  division  of  Zoolus  called  Abaka  Zoolus,  or  more 
generally,  Matabele."     (Moffat's  "  South  Africa,"  p.  133, 1846.) 

Matabele  flower. — Species  of  Striga  is  so  called. 

Mat  house. — The  temporary  shelters  used  by  natives  and 
Boers  when  on  trek  :  they  are  hive-shaped  and  consist  of  rush 
mats  stretched  over  sticks  stuck  in  the  ground  in  a  circle  and 
drawn  together  at  the  top. 

"  On  either  side  of  it  stood  respectively,  a  mat-house  and 
a  square  tent."  (Scully's  "  Between  Sun  and  Sand,"  p.  18, 
1898.) 

Matjesgoed. — (D.  7nat,  mat,  hammock  ;  goed,  stuff,  ma- 
terial.) Cyperus  textilis.  This  reed  is  so  called  because  it 
is  largely  used  for  making  mats  and  baskets. 

"  The  mat-rush  grows  here  in  abundance  ...  of  the  sort 
caAled  Hard  matjesgoederen."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  ii.  p. 
123,  1824.) 

Matroosberg. — (D.  matroos,  a  sailor;  berg,  a  mountain.) 
The  highest  elevation  in  the  western  part  of  South  Africa. 
It  is  situated  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Worcester  and  is  about 
7340  feet  high. 

"  Did  not  our  beloved  Club  cover  itself  with  glory,  by  the 
discovrey  of  the  snow-flea,  the  Pulex  nivalis,  on  the  wintry 
slopes  of  the  Matroosberg  .?  "  ("  Mountain  Club  Annual,"  p. 
14,  1894.) 

Matrix.— The  so-called  Blue  ground  (q.v.),  in  which  the 


AFEICANDEEISMS  313 

diamonds  are  embedded,    is  known  by  this  designation  at 
Kimberley. 

"  Gems  are  discovered  in  the  most  unlikely  matrix.  I 
use  this  word  matrix  to  express  the  substance  in  which 
diamonds  at  the  Cape,  at  least,  are  actually  found,  and  where, 
as  I  feel  sure,  by  nature's  alchemy,  whatever  that  was,  they 
were  crystallized."  (Boyle's  "To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds," 
p.  126,  1873.) 

Mauritius  thorn. — A  species  of  Acacia  (Kaf .  u  Bobo)  is 
thus  named  in  the  native  territories  and  in  Natal. 

Mauve  Afrikander. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  Gladio- 
lus recurvus  ;  it  is  very  variable  in  colour. 

"  Called  by  some  people  the  Mauve  Afrikander,  this  beauti- 
ful flower  may  be  found  here  growing  from  3  to  4  feet 
high,  with  as  many  as  ten  or  twelve  flowers  on  a  stem." 
("  Cape  Times,"  p.  9,  14  September,  1912.) 

Mealie. — (D.  milie,  millet ;  CD.  mielie,  maize ;  Port. 
milho,  grain ;  Lat,  milium,  millet.)  The  plant  and  seed  of 
the  Zea  mais,  or  Indian  corn,  are  thus  designated  by  English 
colonists  all  through  South  Africa.  This  form  of  the  word  is 
obviously  due  to  a  striving  after  meaning ;  the  connexion 
of  the  word  mielie  with  the  word  meal  is  somewhat  remote. 
Mealies  and  Kaffir  corn  (q.v.)  are  the  chief  food  of  the 
natives, 

"  1658,  July  23-24.  As  the  season  for  sowing  Dutch 
grain  is  past,  he  recommended  that  each  farmer  should  sow 
a  good  quantity  of  mily,  or  Turkey  wheat  brought  from 
Guinea,  by  the  Hassalt."   (Moodie's  "  Records,"  p.  137, 1841.) 

" Melis  (Indian  corn)  were  then  distributed  for  food." 
(Damberger's  "  Travels,"  p.  71,  1801.) 

"  Abundant  crops  of  hay,  oats,  mealies,  or  Indian  corn, 
and  barley."  (Colenso's  "  Ten  Weeks  in  Natal,"  Hist. 
Sketch,  p.  vi.  1855.) 

Mealie  bird. — In  Natal  Serinus  icterus  is  so  called. 

"It  is  commonly  known  as  the  mealie-hird,  and  abounds 
everywhere  where  there  are  Kaffir  *  mealie '  gardens  or 
patches  of  Indian  corn."  (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  58, 
1899.) 

Mealie  cob. — See  Cob. 

"The  young  mealy -coh  is  generally  preferred  to  bread." 
(Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  137,  1859.) 

Mealie-cob  worm. — The  name  given  to  the  caterpillar  of 


314  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Heliothis  armiger,  which  is  a  great  pest  to  the  agricultural 
farmer. 

"The  Mealie-cob  ivorm  attacks  buds  and  pods  and  does 
extensive  damage  to  mealies,  peas,  tomatoes,  and  lucerne." 
(Gilchrist's  "  South  African  Zoology,"  p.  150,  1911.) 

Mealie  gift. —  (D.  gift,  poison.)  See  Kooi-bloem  and 
Witch-weed. 

Mealie,  Green. — The  young  cob  is  boiled  or  roasted  whole, 
and  is  much  esteemed — being  known  as  "  Green  meahes  ". 

Mealie  meal. — The  coarse  flour  made  from  mealies.  It 
is  the  principal  food  of  the  natives  in  Natal;  when  freshly 
ground  and  made  into  porridge  it  is  both  wholesome  and 
nutritious. 

"  The  consumption  of  mealie  (maize)  meal  in  Durban  has 
increased."     (Holden's  "  Natal,"  p.  282,  1855.) 

Mealie-stalk  borer. — The  larva  of  a  moth,  Sesamiafusca, 
which  eats  out  the  core  of  the  growing  meahe,  and  some- 
times destroys  large  quantities. 

Mealies,  Stamped — (D.  stampen,  to  pound.)  The  grain 
is  pounded  with  a  wooden  pestle  in  a  deep  mortar  made  from 
the  hollowed  trunk  of  a  young  tree,  until  it  is  freed  from  the 
outer  skin.  Bamberger  ("Travels,"  p.  79,  1801)  describes 
the  process  though  he  does  not  use  the  word. 

"Before  the  husk  can  be  separated  from  the  pure  grain, 
a  second  threshing  or  stamping  is  necessary."  (Thunberg's 
"  Travels,"  IV.  p.  85,  1796.) 

Measures,  Liquid. — The  liquid  measures  usually  employed 
in  South  Africa  are  as  follows  : — 

The  Half  Leaguer  =  63    Imperial  Gallons 
The  Aum  =  32 

The  Anker  =     7| 

The  Keg  =     4  „ 

Mebos. — (Mansvelt  says  that  this  word  has  apparently 
come  to  us  via  India,  from  the  Arabic  mushmush  (apricot)  ; 
but  from  what  Thunberg  says — see  quotation  below — it 
should  seem  to  have  come  from  Japan,  and  was  probably  in- 
troduced into  South  Africa  in  the  days  of  the  Dutch  East 
India  Company  with  the  article  itself.)  The  name  given  to 
apricots  which  have  undergone  a  peculiar  process  for  preserv- 
ing them  :  they  are  stoned  and  then  dried  with  sugar  and  salt. 
The  taste  for  mebos  is  an  acquired  one. 

"  I  saw  several  kinds  of  fruit  the  produce  of  this  country 


AFEICANDERISMS  315 

(Japan)  either  dried  or  preserved  in  yeast,  in  a  mode  which 
is,  I  fancy,  only  practised  in  Japan  or  China.  The  fruit  that 
was  only  dried,  such  as  plums  and  the  like,  was  called  mebos." 
(Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  in.  p.  120,  1796.) 

"  The  best  sort  of  preserve  is  called  mebos,  and  is  made  of 
stoned  and  sun-dried  apricots,  flattened  out  and  pickled  with 
salt  and  sugar."  ("Answers,"  Art.  "More  interesting  Data 
about  Life  in  Boerland,"  p.  7,  18  November,  1899.) 

The  following  note  is  of  interest  as  supporting  the  origin 
of  the  word  suggested  above  : — 

"  The  appended  explanation  regarding  the  derivation  of 
the  word  meebos,  regarding  which  there  has  been  a  good  deal 
of  speculation,  has  been  arrived  at  by  Mr.  B.  H.  de  Waal, 
who  was  at  one  time  Netherlands  Consul  at  Cape  Town  : — 

"  *  Some  years  ago  I  got  hold  of  an  old  Dutch  volume  in 
which  occurred  a  description  of  one  of  the  annual  visits  paid 
at  that  time  by  one  of  the  heads  of  the  Netherlands  factory 
at  Desjima  to  the  Mikado. 

" '  In  this  mention  was  made  of  a  kind  of  plum,  prepared 
with  salt — a  preserve — which  the  writer  terms  "  meibos  ".  I 
could  ascertain  nothing  further  with  reference  to  this,  but  al- 
ways in  search  of  what  I  wanted  to  know,  I  asked  the  Japanese 
ambassador,  when  I  met  him  recently,  whether  he  had  ever 
heard  of  such  a  fruit.  Not  a  little  to  my  surprise  he  replied 
that  he  knew  it  well.  It  was  a  small  plum,  the  fruit  of  a  tree 
whose  beautiful  blossoms  delight  the  heart  of  the  Japanese  in 
the  spring,  which  is  preserved  with  salt  and  the  name  of 
which  in  the  Japanese  language  was  Umeboshi. 

" '  I  have  now  come  to  the  conclusion  that  our  old  navigators 
became  acquainted  with  this  delicacy  in  Japan,  learned  to 
like  it,  and  afterwards  at  the  Cape  attempted  to  imitate  it, 
but  used  the  fruit  of  apricot  trees  in  default  of  the  proper 
article,  and  that  the  word  Meibos  or  Meebosje  had  its  origin 
in  Umeboshi:  "    ("  Northern  Post,"  27  September,  1912.) 

Medlar,  Wild. — The  Natal  name  of  Vangueria  infausta. 

Meelbol. — (D.  meel,  meal,  flour;  bol,  a  ball.)  Flour  or 
meal  pressed  hard  into  a  cloth  and  boiled,  after  which  it  is 
crushed  fine,  mixed  with  milk  and  used  as  food  for  infants 
and  invahds. 

Meerkat. — (D.  meerkat,  a  monkey ;  lit.  sea-cat ;  cf.  Ger. 
Meerkatze,  "  iiberseeische  Katze  " — Tetzner.  Andresen  and 
others  maintain  that  the  word  is  a  corruption  of  the  Sanscrit 


316  AFEICANDEEISMS 

markata,  an  ape.)  Suricata  tetradactyla  and  Cynictis  pent- 
cillata,  two  small  animals  not  unlike  the  prairie  dog  of  the 
Western  States  of  America  both  in  appearance  and  habit. 

This  seems  to  be  one  of  the  many  examples  in  South 
'  African  nomenclature  in  which  the  names  of  known  animals 
in  Europe  have  been  transferred  to  African  animals  that  were 
supposed  to  resemble  them ;  with  the  result  in  this  case  that, 
to  make  the  word  mean  something,  the  former  part  of  it  has 
been  made  by  some  equivalent  to  the  English  word  "  moor  " 
(Bryden,  "Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  55,  1889),  and  by  others  to 
the  Dutch  word  "  mier"  (cf.  Eng.  pis-mire),  an  ant. 

"  Small  quadrupeds  that  borrow  in  the  ground,  and  which 
are  known  to  the  colonists  under  the  general  name  of  meer- 
cats."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  231,  1801.) 

"  There  are  two  kinds  of  meerkats,  one  red,  with  a  bushy 
tail,  like  a  squirrel,  the  other  grey  with  a  pointed  tail,  and  it 
is  this  latter  kind  which  makes  so  charming  a  pet."  (Martin's 
"  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  158,  1890.) 

Meester. — (D.  meester,  master,  teacher.)  In  the  early 
days  of  the  Colony  the  "meester  "  was  an  itinerant  teacher 
passing  from  farm  to  farm,  giving  a  certain  time  to  the 
children  of  each.  This  method,  and  the  incapacity  of  many 
of  those  so  employed,  could  have  had  but  one  issue  so  far  as 
the  pupils  were  concerned.     See  Master. 

"  This  meester  as  he  was  called  (that  is,  schoolmeester,  or 
schoolmaster),  considered  it  part  of  his  profession  ...  to  let 
every  person  know  the  extent  of  his  acquirements."  (Bur- 
chell's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  114,  1824.) 

"  Schrijver  heeft  onder  die  meester s  aangetroffen : 
deserteurs,  verloopen  rechtsgeleerden  en  geneeskundigen, 
mislukte  studenten,  jongelui  van  goeden  huize  doch  met  een 
treurige  geschiedenis  achter  zich,  en  personen,  die  te  lui  of 
te  ongeschikt  waren  om  te  werken  ; — meesters  die  alleen 
nuchter  waren  als  er  geen  drank  te  krijgen  was,  en  niet  naar 
het  dorp  mochten  gaan,  dan  onder  behoorlijk  opzicht ; — 
meestersy  die  in  het  een  of  ander  verbeterhuis  thuis  be- 
hoorden, — de  laatste  personen  aan  wie  men  de  opvoeding 
van  kinderen  zou  toevertrouwen.  .  .  .  Ineenwoord:  treurig." 
(Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  406  n.. 
1882.) 

"  These  meesters  were  generally  disbanded  men,  or  de- 
serters from  regiments   stationed   out   there,   and   found  a 


AFKICANDEEISMS  317 

double  occupation,  both  as  itinerant  teachers  and  helpers  on 
the  farm."  (Greswell's  "  Our  South  African  Empire,"  ii.  p. 
230,  1885.) 

Meestergoed. — (D.  meester,  still  used  in  some  parts  of 
Holland  for  "doctor,"  "medical  man";  goed,  goods,  wares, 
stuff.)     Medicine. 

Meestering. — (D.  meester,  master,  teacher.)  To  follow  the 
occupation  of  teaching. 

Meitje. — The  onomatopoetic  name  of  Chrysococcyx  Klaasi. 

"  Monsieur  Le  Vaillant  named  this  cuckoo  after  his 
Hottentot  servant  Klaas,  who  was  almost  as  fond  of  birds  as 
himself.  It  is  widely  spread  throughout  the  bush  and  thorn 
lands,  where  its  rather  monotonous  cry  of  mitje,  mitje  is  con- 
tinually heard  during  the  summer."  (Woodward's  "Natal 
Birds,"  p.  118,  1899.) 

M^l^es. — The  off-coloured  diamonds  from  two  carats  down. 

"  On  a  certain  day  I  had  entrusted  him  with  two  or  three 
hundred  carats  of  mel^e — small  stones — to  sell."  (Cohen's 
"  Reminiscences  of  Kimberley,"  p.  267,  1911.) 

Melk  boer. — (D.  melk,  milk ;  boer,  peasant,  farmer.)  The 
farm  servant  whose  special  duty  it  is  to  tend  and  milk  the 
cows ;  a  dairyman. 

Melk  boom. — (D.  melk,  milk  ;  boom,  a  tree.)  The  various 
species  of  Ficus  native  to  the  Eastern  Province  and  Natal 
are  so  named  because  of  the  milky  fluid  which  exudes  from  a 
broken  branch. 

Melk  bosch.— See  Milk  bush. 

Melk  fish. — Atyposoma  gurneyi,  Boul.,  is  known  to  the 
fishermen  of  False  Bay  by  this  name. 

Melkhout  boom. — (D.  hoot,  wood.)  Sideroxylon  inerme 
is  so  called  in  the  Riversdale  District. 

Melktouw. — (D.  touw,  a  rope.)  Various  climbing  Ascle- 
piadacece,  which  when  broken  exude  latex,  are  so  named  in 
the  Riversdale  District  and  elsewhere — Secamone  Thunbergii, 
B.Br. 

Meltziekte. — (D.  milt,  the  spleen ;  zieMe,  sickness.)  The 
name  given  to  a  disease  affecting  cattle. 

"  The  oldest  and  most  experienced  of  Kurveyors  confess 
themselves  flabbergasted  by  meltziekte,  and  even  Professor 
Beauford  has  not  been  able  to  devise  an  effective  remedy." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  1  December,  1877.) 

Mest  bredie. — (D.  mest   or  mist,  manure ;  CD.  bredie,  a 


318  AFEICANDEBISMS 

stew.)      Amarantus    Thunbergii,   Moq.,   which    grows    on 
manure  heaps ;  a  Kiversdale  name. 

Mest  wurm. — (D.  mesten,  to  fatten,  cram ;  worm,  a 
worm.)  A  term  applied  to  caterpillars  which  attack  young 
plants  at  the  surface  of  the  ground  ;  they  are  generally  found 
just  beneath  the  soil  and  as  a  rule  are  full  fed.  See  Cut- 
worm. 

Meul. — (CD.  a  mill.)  A  game  played  on  a  board  with 
white  and  black  pieces. 

Mexican  poppy  or  thistle. — Argemone  Mexicana.  An 
American  weed,  sometimes  called  the  Texas  poppy.  In 
India  it  is  known  as  the  Yellow  thistle. 

"  Mexican  poppy  or  yellow  poppy,  usually  called  Mexican 
thistle  at  the  Cape  {Argemone  Mexicana),  can  be  destroyed 
by  continuous  cutting  and  frequent  cultivation."  (Blersch's 
"Handbook  of  Agriculture  in  South  Africa,"  p.  144,  1906.) 

Miet  or  Mijt. — (D.  mijt,  insect,  mite.)  The  Cape  farmer's 
name  for  the  tuberworm  which  bores  its  way  into  stored 
potatoes. 

Milk  basket. — Baskets  made  by  the  natives  from  a  strong, 
reedy  grass  are  used  to  hold  milk  ;  so  well  and  closely  are 
they  plaited  that  no  liquid  can  pass  through  them. 

"His  wife  now  brought  me  a  very  fine  lattice-work 
basket  of  milk  and  two  heads  of  roasted  Indian  corn."  (Dam- 
berger's  "  Travels,"  p.  63,  1801.) 

"  In  the  evening  they  sent  us  in  return  some  baskets  of 
milk"    (Barrow's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  70,  1801.) 

Milk  bush. — Euphorbia  mauritanica.  The  name  is  ap- 
plied to  this  plant  principally  and  has  been  taken  over  from 
the  Dutch  (Melk-bosch),  but  is  applied  to  several  other 
plants  {Gomphocarpus,  etc.)  which,  like  this,  yield  when 
punctured  a  white  milky  fluid. 

"  The  milk-bush  (fiscus),  a  tree  not  unlike  a  Portugal 
laurel."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  133,  1818.) 

"  The  only  green  things  visible  were  the  milk-bushes — 
an  euphorbia  of  a  poisonous  nature — that  grew  like  long, 
thin  fingers  pointing  to  the  sky."  (Clairmonte's  "  The  Afri- 
cander," p.  52,  1896.) 

"  In  summer  there  will  be  hardly  another  plant  except 
the  succulent  milk-bush."  (Trotter's  "  Old  Cape  Colony,"  p. 
223,  1903.) 

Milk   sack.— (D.  zak,  a  bag,  pocket.)     A  bag  made  of 


AFEICAKDEBISMS  319 

ox  or  quagga  hide  in  which  Amasi  (q.v.)  is  prepared — im 
Vaba. 

"  In  that  (the  hut)  of  a  wealthy  Caffer,  there  is  usually  a 
milk-sack  made  of  bullock's  hide,  so  closely  sewn  together 
as  to  prevent  leakage,  and  capable  of  containing  several 
gallons."     (Steedman's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  263,  1835.) 

Milk  weed. — Asclepias  fruticosa,  Linn.,  is  so  called  in 
Bechuanaland.     See  Wild  cotton. 

Mimosa. — (Gr.  /it/io?,  an  imitator.)  A  leguminous  tree — 
Acacia  horrida — common  all  over  South  Africa  in  several 
varieties.  The  name  has  reference  to  the  irritability  of  the 
leaves  of  some  species  which  seem  to  imitate  animal  sensitive- 
ness. One  species  is  known  in  England  as  the  "  Sensitive 
plant ". 

"  The  banks  were  skirted  by  a  thicket  of  the  doom-boom 
...  a  species  of  mimosa.'-'  (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  89, 
1801.) 

"  A  broad  valley,  covered  with  rich  pasturage  and  dotted 
with  mimosa  bushes,  stretched  out  over  several  acres." 
(Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  364,  1856.) 

Mispel. — (D.  mispel,  a  medlar.)  Vangueria  infausta.  See 
Wild  medlar. 

"  Nog  is  er,  behalve  vele  andere  wilde  vruchtsoorten  zoo 
als  wilde  mispels,  stamvruchten,  enz.,  enz.,  de  groote  karme- 
tart  of  baobab,  die  van  wege  zijne  zwaarlijvigheid,  wel  de 
OHfant  onder  de  Boomen  genoemd  kan  worden."  (Hof- 
meyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  2,  1890.) 

Misrijbol. — (D,  mest,  dung,  manure  ;  rijden,  to  ride ;  bol, 
a  bulbous  root.)  A  variety  of  Hcemanthus,  which  appears 
to  have  received  this  inelegant  appellation  because  it  happens 
to  be  in  flower  just  about  the  time  that  the  mest  (manure)  is 
being  carted,  or  in  South  African  English  "  ridden  "  on  to  the 
vineyards.    The  name  is  also  applied  to  a  fragrant  Amaryllis. 

Mission  Reserves. — In  Natal  a  Mission  Reserve  is  a  section 
of  country  held  in  trust  from  the  Government  by  a  religious 
body  for  the  benefit  of  the  natives.  There  are  no  less  than 
twenty-three  such  Mission  Reserves  in  that  province,  con- 
taining in  all  164,729  acres. 

Mist. — (D.  mest,  dung,  manure.)  The  firmly  trodden 
accumulation  on  the  floor  of  the  kraal,  which  is  not  unlike 
light,  fibrous  peat  in  appearance.  It  is  often  cut  into  slabs 
or  blocks,  and  used  either  as  fuel  or  for  wall  building,  some- 


320  AFRICANDEEISMS 

times  it  is  pulverized  and  used  as  manure.     For  one  purpose 
and  another  it  is  invaluable  to  the  South  African  farmer. 

"  This  evening  our  fire  was  of  mest  or  dried  cow-dung, 
which  turns  to  a  white  ash,  gives  a  great  heat,  and  is  no  bad 
substitute  for  wood."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld," 
p.  51,  1852.) 

"It  is  the  practice  to  cut  the  material  which  ...  is 
known  as  mist  into  slabs."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries 
of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  492,  1896.) 

Mistkruier. — {J).7nest,  dung,  manure;  kruier,  a  porter.) 
The  not  inappropriate  appellation  of  the  various  dung-roUing 
beetles  (Fam.  Scarahcedice).     See  Tumble  bug. 

M'limo  or  Umlimo. — ("Every  being  to  whom  the  natives 
render  adoration  is  called  Molimo,  the  signification  of  which 
shows  that  it  is  not  of  heathen  origin.  It  is  evidently  com- 
posed of  the  prefix  Mo,  which  belongs  to  almost  all  those 
v/ords  representing  intelligent  beings  ;  and  of  the  root  holimo, 
above,  in  the  sky.  Moholimo,  or  the  abbreviation  Molirno, 
therefore  signifies  *  He  who  is  in  the  sky'." — Casalis,  "  The 
Basutos,"  p.  248,  1861.)  The  word  came  into  prominence 
during  the  military  operations  in  Matabeleland  in  1 896.  The 
M'limo  was  supposed  to  be  an  invisible  god,  who  communi- 
cated his  will  to  the  people  through  several  oracles,  these 
being  themselves  often  spoken  of  as  M'limos. 

"  A  few  indeed  there  were  who  seemed  to  have  some  con- 
fused notion  of  invisible  powers,  who  they  designated  Moor- 
eemo  and  Booreemo,  and  of  whom  they  were  taught  by  their 
sorcerers  to  stand  in  constant  dread."  (Kay's  "  Caffrarian 
Eesearches,"  p.  236,  1833.) 

"  The  M'limo  is  an  invisible  god  who  has  three  priests 
about  the  country."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Cam- 
paign, 1896,"  p.  31,  1897.) 

"  These  Umlimos  or  prophets  exist  among  all  the  tribes  in 
Mashonaland."  (Selous'  "  Sunshine  and  Storm  in  Rhodesia," 
p.  236,  1896.) 

Mocking  bird. — Cossypha  hicolor  is  sometimes  so  called. 
It  certainly  imitates  the  notes  and  calls  of  some  other  birds 
with  considerable  success.  See  Koggelaar  and  Piet-myn- 
vrouw. 

"The  Mocking  bird  of  the  colonial  boy."  (Haagner 
and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  102, 
1908.) 


AFEICANDEKISMS  321 

Moeder  haartslag. — Satyrium  spathulatum  (Thunberg's 
"  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  15,  182S)  =  Disa  spathulata,  Sw. 

Moederkapje. —  (D.  moeder,  mother;  hap,  cap,  hood.) 
The  popular  designation  of  one  or  two  of  the  many  orchids 
growing  in  the  veld — Disperis  villosa,  Pterygodiurn  catho- 
licum ;  the  name  has  been  suggested  by  the  shape  of  the 
flower. 

"  And  here  is  the  Pride  of  Table  Mountain  and  the  Mutter- 
cap,  two  of  the  twenty-five  species  of  orchids  that  exist  in 
South  Africa."  (Mackinnon's  "  South  African  Traits,"  p. 
124,  1887.) 

Moeder -skep-oppies. — (D.  7noeder,  mother ;  opskep,  to 
scoop,  or  dish  up.)  The  popular  name  of  another  wild  flower 
=  mother-lay-the-table. 

Moeni, — (D.  moeten,  must,  ought ;  niet,  not.)  A  contraction 
of  moet  niet  =  rrm'&i  not,  do  not. 

Moertje-en-kinders. — (D.  moeder,  moiheT;  kind,  a  child.) 
See  Pollossi. 

Moer  wortel. — (D.  moer,  lees,  dregs ;  wortel,  a  root.)  The 
root  of  Anacampseros  ustulata,  E.  Mey.  employed  in  making 
"  karree  "  and  "  karree  moer  ". 

"  Moer-wortel  is  an  umbelliferous  plant,  from  the  root 
of  which  and  honey  the  Hottentots  make,  by  fermentation, 
an  intoxicating  hquor."  (Thunberg's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  150, 
1796.) 

Moesoek. — (Mai.  musuh,  an  enemy,  rival,  opponent.)  One 
who  is  superior.  Hij  is  mij  moesoek,  he  is  my  master, 
he  can  beat  me.  Sometimes  the  word  is  corrupted  to 
"  Moses  ". 

"  In  '  Hy  is  my  Moses  '  or  '  Moezoek,'  the  '  Moses  '  comes 
from  Malay  muzuk,  a  rival,  and  by  extension  of  meaning, 
conqueror."     ("Northern  News,"  27  August,  1912.) 

Mof.^ — (D.  mo/,  a  muff;  nickname  for  a  German.  Cf.  prov. 
Ger.  Muff,  a  rude,  blunt  man ;  muffen,  to  be  sulky ;  and  Eng. 
muff,  a  foohsh  person.)  An  imported  animal;  mofschaap, 
a  merino  sheep  ;  mofbeest,  an  imported  bull  or  cow ;  mofkoe, 
a  cross  between  Africander  and  imported  (Friesland)  animals. 

"  A  cross-breed  from  a  fellow  mof  and  the  second  genera- 
tion was  a  light  yellow."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6, 
June,  1910.) 

"  In  1910  people  might  have  assimilated  the  Opposition 
just  as  a  farmer  might  put  bastard  sheep  among  his  mof- 

21 


322  AFKICANDEEISMS 

schapen."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  7  October, 
1912.) 

Moffeer. — To  vex,  to  attack. 

Mof  hartebeest. — Bubalis  Lichtensteini. 

Moggel. — Barbus  capensis  has  been  thus  named  by  the 
Dutch. 

"  My  people  came  back  in  the  evening  vv'ith  two  large 
moeJcul  or  flat-heads."  (Alexander's  "Expedition,"  i.  p. 
144,  1838.) 

Mohair. — (F.  moire,  a  woven,  watered  fabric  ;  Ar.  mok- 
hayyar,  "a  kind  of  coarse  camelot  or  hair-cloth".  Skeat 
says:  "  The  English  spelling  is  a  sophisticated  one,  from  a 
ridiculous  attempt  to  connect  it  with  English  hair ;  just  as 
in  the  case  of  cray-fish,  cause-way  ".)  The  long  silky  hair  of 
the  Angora  goat. 

"  Angora  wool  is  called  in  French  poil  de  chevre,  in  ItaHan 
pelo  di  capra,  in  German  mohair  wolle,  in  Turkish  seftik. 
The  first  quahty  is  long,  bright,  white  ;  the  second  quality  is 
reddish ;  the  third  is  brown  or  black ;  the  fourth  is  grey. 
When  spun  it  is  called  in  English  mohair,  in  French  JiUe  de 
chevron,  in  Italian  Jilo  d' Angora."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Maga- 
zine," I.  p.  125,  1857.) 

Mole  rat. — Georychus  hottentotus.  The  members  of  this 
family  are  found  only  in  Africa — BathyergidcB. 

"  The  fur  of  the  blesmols,  mole  rats,  and  sand  moles  is 
usually  rusty  grey  above,  whitish  below,  and  without  any 
sheen."     ("  The  State,"  p.  229,  September,  1912.) 

Mole  snake. — Pseudaspis  cana. 

"When  alarmed  the  Mole  snake  is  very  pugnacious." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  1  September,  1911.) 

Molteno  disease. — Another  name  for  the  disease  affecting 
horses  and  cattle,  which  appears  to  be  caused  by  eating  the 
plants  known  as  "  Eagwort " — Senecio  Burchelli  and  S. 
latifolius.      See  Stomach  staggers. 

"  The  chemical  examination  of  Senecio  latifolius  was 
made  by  Dr.  H.  E.  Watt ;  the  physiological  examination  of 
the  pure  materials  prepared  by  Dr.  Watt  was  undertaken  by 
Dr.  A.  E.  Cushny,  F.E.S.,  of  University  College,  London. 
The  results  leave  no  doubt  that  the  Molteno  disease  of  South 
Africa  can  be  caused  by  the  consumption  of  S.  latifolius." 
("Queenstown  Eepresentative,"  p.  7,  27  February,  1912.) 

"  The  name  Molteno  disease  arose  from  the  fact  that  the 


AFEICANDERISMS  323 

Molteno  Farmers'  Association  was  responsible  for  the  first 
investigation  into  the  cause  of  what  is  still  often  referred  to 
as  merely  black  gallsick."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7, 
5  March,  1912.) 

Mombakjes. — (D.  mom,  a  mask ;  hak,  the  cheek.)  The 
masks  such  as  are  employed  at  carnivals  and  by  English 
children  on  5  November — Guy  Fawks'  Day. 

Is't  Neger  mensch  van  oer  de  zee  ? 

Of  is't  mombakjes  aan  ? 
Mombakjes  is  dat  waarlijk  niet, 

Dat's  zwartsel  op  de  vel. 

(Dower's  "Annals  of  Kokstad,"  p.  94,  1902.) 

(This  represents  the  astonishment  of  a  Griqua  at  the  black 
faces  at  a  Christy  minstrel  entertainment.) 

Monkey  apple. — The  fruit  of  Boyena  pubescens,  W.,  is 
called  by  this  name  in  Lower  Albany. 

Monkey  bird. — The  Eastern  Province  name  for  the  Kake- 
laar  (q.v.). 

"  Here  about  it  is  sometimes  referred  to  as  the  monkey- 
bird  because  of  a  resemblance  in  its  cries  to  the  explosive 
barking  of  the  black-faced  monkey."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  4,  4  December,  1908.) 

Monkey  nuts. — The  oily  edible  fruit,matured  under  ground, 
of  the  plant  Arachis  hypogcea.     See  Pea-nut  and  Ground-nut. 

"  A  peculiar  salad  made  with  oil  extracted  from  mon- 
key-nuts and  vinegar  manufactured  from  the  pine-apple." 
("  Chambers's  Journal,"  "  Trappist  Monastery  in  Natal,"  p. 
467,  1897.) 

Monkey  touw  or  Monkey  ropes. — (D.  touw,  a  rope,  cord.) 
The  tough  and  pliant  stems  of  various  climbing  plants — 
Vitis  capensis,  V.  Thunbergii,  Secamone  alpine — which  de- 
pend in  enormous  numbers  and  of  every  size  from  the 
branches  of  stouter  growths  in  the  forests. 

"  I  swung  over,  holdin'  fast  to  a  monkey-tow."  (Glanville's 
"  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  141,  1897.) 

"  Both  form  Monkey  ropes,  which,  split  up,  are  much 
used  by  the  natives."  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony," 
p.  177,  1907.) 

Monkey  uyntjes. — Mariscus  capensis.  The  bulbs  are 
formed,  boiled  in  milk,  and  used  as  food  by  the  Bechuanas  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Kimberley. 

Monster. — (D.  monster,  a  sample,  pattern.)     A  sample  of 

21  * 


324  AFRICANDEEISMS 

goods  offered  for  sale  on  the  public  market.  Cf.  Port,  mostra, 
a  pattern,  sample  ;  Lat.  monstrare,  to  show. 

Mont  aux  Sources.— (F.  "  Mountain  of  Springs  ".)  One 
of  the  highest  points  in  the  Kahlamba  or  Drakensberg  (q.v.) 
range,  being  11,000  feet  high.  It  is  situated  on  the  Western 
boundary  of  Natal.  This  was  the  appropriate  name  given  to 
this  mountain  by  some  early  French  missionaries,  for  on  its 
slopes  the  Tugela,  the  Vaal,  the  Orange,  and  the  Caledon 
Eivers  all  have  their  rise. 

"  A  mountain  which  the  natives  call  Pofung  (the  Elan) 
because  there  they  have  frequent  Elan  hunts,  but  which  we 
have  designated  in  our  map  by  the  name  of  Mont  aux 
Sources."    (Arbousset's  "  Narrative,"  p.  70,  1846.) 

Moocha  or  Mutya. — (Kaf.  twi  Tya,  a  band  or  thong,  the 
dress  worn  by  the  Zulu  men,  which  is  made  of  strips  of  skin 
or  animals'  tails.)  A  sort  of  apron  or  short  skirt  worn  by  the 
native  men. 

"  A  wee  httle  Kaffir  boy  with  nothing  upon  him  but  his 
moochie  or  tails,  drives  by  a  herd  of  calves."  (Eoche's  "  On 
Trek  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  325,  1878.) 

"  His  dress  consisted  only  of  a  monkey  skin  muchi,  or 
apron,  and  in  his  hand  he  carried  a  rifle."  ("Chambers's 
Journal,"  "  A  Kalahari  Story,"  p.  95,  1898.) 

Mooi. — (D.  mooi,  handsome,  pretty,  fine.)  Good-looking, 
fine.  This  word  is  in  frequent  use  in  the  Midland  Districts 
among  English-speaking  colonists,  but  among  the  Dutch  it 
has  to  do  duty  for  almost  every  shade  of  appreciation. 

"  The  moye  kinder  (pretty  little  children) — to  translate  for 
you."  ("  South  Africa  a  Century  Ago,"  p.  138.  "Lady  Bar- 
nard's Letters,"  29  November,  1797.) 

"  There  stands  the  broad  sounding  adjective  '  MOOI,' 
which  has  to  fit  into  every  possible  shape.  .  .  .  Everything 
is  monotonously  mooi."  (Dr.  T.  Hahn's  "Address  S.A. 
Public  Library,"  29  April,  1882.) 

Mooi  nooije. — (D.  mooi,  handsome,  pretty;  CD.  nooi,  a 
young  woman.)  The  Struis  Bay  and  Hermanuspetrusfontein 
name  for  Box  salpa.     See  Bamboo-fish. 

Mooipraat. — (D.  mooi,  pretty,  fine  ;  praten,  to  talk,  prate.) 
To  fawn,  flatter. 

Moon  bird. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  the  Dikkop 
(q.v.). 

"  It  has  a  loud,  plaintive  call  which  may  often  be  heard  on 


AFEICANDEEISMS  325 

bright  moonlight  nights,  a  fact  which  has  earned  for  them 
the  name  of  Moonbirds  in  some  districts."  (Haagner  and 
Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  131,  1908.) 

Moon  fish. — Psettus  falciformis.  The  name  appears  to  be 
apphed  to  a  different  fish  in  Natal. 

"  The  fish  photo  this  week  is  that  of  a  moon-fish.  .  .  .  It  is 
a  bluish  silvery  fish  without  scales  and  grows  to  a  weight  of 
about  3  lb."     ("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  339,  1905.) 

Moon  lily  or  Moon  flower. — Datura  Knightii,  which  has 
long,  pendulous,  strongly  scented  white  flowers. 

"The  stars  looked  down  on  him;  scent  from  an  unseen 
moon-lily  was  floating  like  incense  through  the  air — the  night 
was  full  of  mystery."    ("  The  State,"  p.  603,  December,  1911.) 

Moord  Spruit — (D.  moord,  murder;  spruit,  sprout;  but  in 
Cape  Dutch  a  small  stream,  a  tributary.)  This  name  com- 
memorates the  ruthless  butchery  of  men,  women,  and  children 
by  Dingaan's  impis,  on  this  branch  of  the  Blauwkrans  Eiver, 
immediately  after  the  treacherous  murder  of  Ketief  and  his 
party  at  Umgungundhlovu,  1838. 

"  At  Blauwkrantz,  Moord  Spruit,  and  Malan's  Spruit  none 
of  the  whites  escaped."  (Bird's  "Annals  of  Natal,"  i.  p. 
233,  1888.)  ^ 

Mooselmaan. — (Ar.  muslim ;  Pers.  musulman,  a  true  be- 
liever, a  follower  of  Mahomet.)  The  Natal  natives  distinguish 
the  so-called  Arab  merchants  (q.v.)  by  this  name  from  the 
smaller  ("  Coolie  ")  shopkeepers. 

"  To  the  natives,  however,  this  section  has  now  become 
Mooselmaanr     (Kussell's  "  Old  Durban,"  p.  492,  1899.) 

Morgen. — (D.  morgen,  morning,  acre  ;  the  area  of  land 
that  could  be  ploughed  by  one  span  in  a  morning.)  In  South 
Africa  this  land  measure  is  equal  to  about  two  English  acres. 

"Ein  morgen  hat  660  Eheinische  Schuh  ins  gevierte." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  13,  1745.) 

"Eighty  morgens  of  land  or  120  English  acres."  (Bar- 
row's "Travels,"  i.  p.  64,  1801.) 

Mors. — (G.  dial,  morsch,  murschtot ;  Mansvelt  says: 
"Mors  bet.  eig.  verpletterd,  verbroken,  en  komt  van  een 
oud  WW.  morsen  (verpletteren)  ".)  As  used  in  South  Africa 
this  word  means  altogether,  totally,  quite:  e.g.  mors-dood, 
quite  or  stone  dead. 

"  I  pulled  up  my  pony,  fired  from  the  saddle,  aiming  well 
in  front,  and  next  instant,  to  the  general  astonishment,  the 


326  AFKICANDERISMS 

koorhaan  fell  dead  as  mutton — 7noors  dood  as  a  Boer  would 
say."  (Bryden's  "  Gun  and  Camera  in  South  Africa,"  p.  176, 
1893.) 

Mosbieker  or  Masbieker. — A  corruption  of  Mozambiquer, 
a  native  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Mozambique,  many  of 
whom  are  employed  in  South  Africa  as  labourers  at  the  mines 
and  elsewhere.  In  the  earlier  days  many  were  brought  down 
as  slaves.     See  Mozambiquer. 

"  Their  (the  people  of  Mazhanga)  language  is  very  like 
that  spoken  by  most  of  the  prize  negroes  brought  from  the 
east  coast  to  the  Cape.  They  have  consequently  been  called 
very  appropriately,  I  think,  Moshiekers — a  corruption  of  Mo- 
zambique— from  this  resemblance."  (Chapman's  "  Travels," 
II.  p.  182,  1868.) 

Moschus  kruyt. — {T).  muscus,  musk;  'kruid,\iexh.)  Ger- 
anium prcecox  (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  512, 
1823)  =  Erodium  moschatum,  JVilld.  It  has  a  faint  scent 
of  musk. 

Moselekatze's  bird. — Coracias  caudatus.  This  bird  is 
met  with  in  the  Transvaal  bushveld,  and  is  known  by  this 
name  because  Moselekatze  (Umzilikazi,  King  of  the  Matabele, 
and  father  of  Lobengula)  claimed  its  feathers  for  his  own 
exclusive  use  and  ornament. 

Mossie. — (D.  musch,  a  sparrow.)  Passer  arcuatus.  The 
colonial  name  of  the  Cape  Sparrow. 

"  The  Mossie,  like  its  cousin  the  English  bird,  is  essentially 
a  '  cit.'  "  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p. 
479,  1875-84.) 

Most. — (D.  most,  must.)  The  unfermented  juice  of  the 
grape. 

"  During  the  wine-pressing  season  we  used  to  quaff  foaming 
tankards  of  must  or  moss  as  it  was  called."  ("  The  State," 
p.  243,  September,  1911.) 

Mostbolletje — (D.  most,  must ;  hoi,  a  ball.)  A  toothsome 
roll  or  bun  prepared  with  the  unfermented  juice  of  the  grape 
and  usually  flavoured  with  aniseed. 

"  Then,  too,  we  made  Moss  holletjes,  a  delicious  bun,  which 
every  housekeeper  prided  herself  on  making  a  good  supply 
of."    (Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  6,  1902.) 

Most  konfijt. — (D.  most,  must;  konfijt,  preserve,  confec- 
tion.)    A  thick  syrup  prepared  from  grapes. 

"  Om  gou  terpentynseep  of  moskomfyt  op  te  set  is  oek 


AFEICANDEEISMS  327 

goed."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Resepten  Boek,"  p. 
116,  1898.) 

"  The  first  idea  in  planting  vines  is  to  provide  ?^ios  confyt, 
a  kind  of  grape  sugar  syrup,  which  is  given  as  part  of  their 
rations  to  the  coloured  labourers."  ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.," 
p.  483,  1905.) 

Motbij. — (D.  mot,  a  moth  ;  hij,  a  bee.)  The  death's 
head  moth — Aclierontia  atropos — is  known  by  this  name 
among  the  Dutch. 

"  A  few  days  ago  several  hives  were  attacked  by  what  is 
known  in  the  Dutch  language  as  the  motbij,  presumably  with 
the  object  of  eating  the  honey. "  ("The  Cape  Mercury,"  9 
October,  1906.) 

"  The  big  moth,  commonly  called  the  death's  head,  or  by 
the  Dutch  the  mot-hij.  .  .  .  The  natives,  to  whom  it  is  known 
as  '  vivingane,'  are  terribly  afraid  of  it."  ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  9,  9  October,  1908.) 

Mother-of-pearl  butterfly. — Salamis  Anacardii.  This 
beautiful  butterfly  is  thus  designated  in  Natal,  and  no  other 
name  could  be  more  appropriate;  seen  in  the  sunshine  it  has 
all  the  iridescent  beauty  of  the  material  after  which  it  is  named. 

"  One  must  see  Salamis  Anacardii  gliding  with  extended 
wings  to  realize  what  a  beautiful  object  this  mother-of-pearl 
butterfly  is."     ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  170,  1905.) 

Mottekruid. — (D.  mot,  a  moth ;  kruid,  a  herb,  grass.)  See 
Akkewani. 

Motworteltjes. — (D.  mot,  a  moth;  wortel,  a  root.)  See 
Akkewani. 

Mountain  canary. — Alario  alario.  See  Berg  canarie, 
Namaqua  canarie,  and  Blackhead. 

"We  had  one  tame  for  a  long  time  which  we  kept  in  a 
cage  with  a  Mountairi  canary  {Alario  alario)."  (Woodward's 
"  Natal  Birds,"  p.  58,  1899.) 

Mountain  head  pear. — Pleurostylia  capensis.  The  bark 
tastes  like  quinine. 

Mountebank  eagle. — Helotarsus  ecaudatus.  So  called  in 
Natal  from  its  peculiar  flight. 

"  They  have  a  curious  habit  of  turning  somersaults  in  the 
air  like  a  tumbler  pigeon,  from  which  it  has  been  called  the 
African  Mountebank  eagle."  (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds," 
p.  148,  1899.) 

Mouse-birds. — See  Muis  vogel. 


328  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"A  flock  of  long-tailed  mouse-birds."  (Clairmonte's 
"  The  Africander,"  p.  2,  1896.) 

Mouse  klip-fish. — (D.  klip,  a  rock.)  Clinus  mics,  a  small 
prettily  coloured  fish  found  in  rock-pools  at  False  Bay. 

"  The  Mouse  hlip-fish  is  a  pretty  little  fish — the  nearly 
straight  upper  profile  of  the  snout,  the  slightly  retrouss6 
upper  lip  and  the  beady  eye  are  not  unlike  that  of  a  mouse." 
("  S.A.  Journal  of  Science,"  vii.  p.  222,  1901.) 

Mozambiquer  or  Maasbikker. — A  native  from  the  east 
coast — Mozambique.     See  Mosbieker. 

"  Without  the  inactivity  or  dulness  of  the  Mozambiquer, 
or  the  penetrative  genius  of  the  Malay,  he  (the  Malabar 
slave)  forms  an  excellent  medium  between  the  two." 
(Semple's  "  Walks  and  Sketches  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope," 
p.  49,  1805.) 

"  The  slaves  from  the  coast  of  Mozambique  .  .  .  are  so 
proverbial  for  their  extreme  stupidity,  that  the  greatest  af- 
front a  Dutch  colonist  can  cast  on  another's  understanding 
is  to  observe  that  he  is  als  domme  als  een  Mozambiquer,  or 
as  stupid  as  a  Mozambique."  (Moodie's  "  Ten  Years  in 
South  Africa,"  i.  p.  201,  1835.) 

"Besides  this  we  had  two  cooks,  a  Malay  and  a  Mozam- 
biquer."    (Boyle's  "  Savage  Life,"  p.  271,  1876.) 

Mud  bream. — Chrysophrys  Bobinsoni,  a  Natal  fish. 

Mud -cracker. — 

"Mud-crackers  are  always  in  season  and  are  a  useful 
fall-back.  I  have  known  times  when  mud-crackers  were  the 
pibce  de  resistance  on  the  menu,  being  readily  taken  when 
other  baits  were  ignored."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3, 
3  June,  1905.) 

Mud  fish, — An  East  London  name  for  the  fish  known 
generally  as  the  Hottentot  (q.v.). 

"  A  large  number  of  people  in  this  district  have  never  seen 
a  trout  .  .  .  and  therefore  would  possibly  mistake  a  largely 
marked  mud  fish  (tottie  or  Hottentot)  for  a  trout."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  2,  24  October,  1905.) 

Mud  lark. — Scopus  umbretta.  In  Natal  the  Hammerkop 
is  known  by  this  name. 

"  This  curious  bird,  called  also  Mud  lark  by  the  colonists, 
is  found  in  nearly  every  stream."  (Woodward's  "Natal 
Birds,"  p.  199,  1899.) 

Muid — (D.  mud,  four  bushels;    F.  muid,   a   hogshead; 


AFKICANDEKISMS  329 

Lat.  modius,  a  peck.)  A  South  African  measure  equal  to  2|f  | 
bushels. 

"  One  farmer  in  the  Umvoti  country  reaped  120  muids  (of 
21*1  bushels  each)  from  30  acres  of  land,  which  had  been 
sown  with  5  muids  of  seed.  Another  proprietor  states  that 
he  reaped  95  muids  off  15  acres,  which  had  been  sown  with 
3  muids  of  seed."     (Mann's  "  Natal,"  p.  124,  1859.) 

Muishond. — (D.  muishond,  a  mousing  dog.)  Zorilla 
striata.  A  gentle  and  easily  tamed  little  animal,  but  in  com- 
mon with  most  members  of  the  family  Mustelidce,  when  ir- 
ritated it  emits  from  the  anal  glands  a  powerful  and  fetid 
odour.     See  also  Stink  muishond  and  Stink  cat. 

"  We  observed  a  tame  mongoose  or  mauseliund  from  Java, 
a  species  of  viverra,  which  ran  about  and  suffered  itself  to  be 
handled."     (Latrobe's  "Journal,"  p.  36,  1818.) 

"Piet,  an  old  Hottentot  of  my  uncle's,  who  had  as  many 
dodges  for  defeating  the  Kaffirs,  stalking  an  ostrich,  or  trap- 
ping B^mousehunt,  as  any  jackal  has  for  stealing  chickens." 
(Drayson's  "  Tales  of  the  Outspan,"  p.  347,  1862.) 

"  Within  two  yards  of  us  was  a  striped  MuisJiond  with 
his  paws  firmly  planted  on  an  adult  Black-necked  cobra  {Naia 
nigricollis).  The  MuisJiond  stood  facing  us  menacingly, 
daring  us  to  approach."  (Fitzsimon's  '*  Snakes  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  30,  1912.) 

Muishond. — In  some  parts  of  the  Western  Province  this 
name  is  applied  to  a  particularly  evil-smelling  tobacco. 

Muis  vogel. — (D.  mids,  a  mouse  ;  vogel,  a  bird.  The 
former  part  of  the  word  has  reference  to  the  hair-like  char- 
acter of  the  breast  feathers  of  the  bird ;  some,  however,  re- 
gard it  as  a  corruption  of  the  Dutch  word  for  the  crest  which 
the  bird  has,  muts,  and  others  as  a  corruption  of  the  Dutch 
word  for  sparrow,  musch  ;  the  first  suggestion  appears  to  be 
the  more  likely.)     Colius  striatus.     See  Mouse  bird. 

"  A  few  birds,  among  which  was  the  musch-vogel  (sparrow), 
a  bird  the  size  of  the  common  sparrow,  having  red  feet,  a 
long  tail,  and  cinereous  brown-coloured  plumage." 

"  Perhaps  muts-vogel  (cap-bird)  from  its  crest,  or  possibly 
muis-vogel  (mouse-bird)."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  214, 
1882.) 

Murg-van-groente.— (D.  murg,  marrow;  groente,  greens, 
vegetables.)  The  vegetable  marrow ;  the  Dutch  name  seems 
to  be  a  translation  of  the  English  name. 

"  Murg  van  groente.     Skil  en  sny  in  mooi  stukke,  laat'n 


330  AFBICANDEBISMS 

bitji  in  sout  water  W,  kook  dan  gaar  en  skep  uit."  (Dijkman's 
"Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  27,  1898.) 

Mushroom  flower. — The  name  sometimes  given  in  Natal 
to  the  root  parasite  Cycnium  adonense,  E.  Mey.  It  appears 
in  the  mushroom  season  and  bears  handsome  pure  white 
flowers  which  nestle  low  in  the  grass  and  at  a  distance  may 
be  taken  for  mushrooms — hence  the  name. 

Musk  kat.  —  Genetta  tigrina  and  G.  felina  are  both 
known  by  this  name. 

Mussel  cracker. — Pagellus  lithognathus,  also  known  as  the 
White  steenbras  at  East  London,  has  been  thus  named. 

"  Judging  by  the  enormous  incisors,  and  the  perfect  pave- 
ment of  rounded  molars  with  which  the  jaws  of  these  white 
steenbras  are  armed,  these  fish  live  largely  upon  shell-fish, 
hence  the  local  name  mussel  cracker  and  the  Durban  name 
mussel  crusher.''  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  6  November, 
1905.) 

Mussel  crusher. — The  Natal  name  of  the  above  fish.  See 
quotation  above. 

Muti. — (Zulu,  umu  Ti,  a  tree,  shrub,  herb ;  hence  also 
medicine,  because  that  is  prepared  by  the  natives  principally 
from  herbs  ;  a  charm.)  The  word  is  often  used  by  Europeans 
in  Natal  for  medicine,  physic. 

"  They  could  see  but  a  muti  (tree  or  plant)  neither  fit  for 
food  nor  medicine."  (Drayson's  "  Sporting  Scenes,"  p.  165, 
1858.) 

"  They  (the  Kaffirs)  don't  mind  saying  some  are  used  as 
woo^i— physic."     (Monteiro's  "  Delagoa  Bay,"  p.  172,  1891.) 

"  He  produced  a  few  pinches  of  powder  from  the  77iuti 
bag  suspended  round  his  neck,  and  sprinkled  it  over  a  freshly 
kindled  fire  of  dry  twigs.  While  the  powder  burned  he  mut- 
tered incantations,  and  performed  various  rites ;  and  when 
the  flame  died  down  he  carefully  collected  the  ashes.  ...  It 
would  relieve  his  mind  if  we  would  let  him  just  sprinkle  the 
ashes  over  us,  as  it  was  a  very  powerful  muti  he  had  made,  and 
was  simply  guaranteed  to  queer  any  funny  business.  He 
was  obviously  in  earnest,  so  we  submitted  as  gravely  as 
possible,  and  were  duly  sprinkled."  ("The  State,"  p.  659, 
December,  1911). 

Muts.— (D.  muts,  a  cap,  hood.)  A  cap,  night-cap.  See 
Klapmuts. 

Mynheer. — (D.    mijnheer,   sir,    gentleman;   cf.   G.    mein 


AFKICANDEEISMS  331 

Herr.)  (1)  A  term  of  respect  often  employed  in  South  Africa 
when  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  is  addressed  or  spoken  of. 
(2)  Frequently  of  more  general  application,  as  to  a  superior. 

"  On  one  side  of  him  sat  Mynheer,  as  the  local  Predikant 
or  Minister  is  commonly  known  among  his  flock."  (Mitford's 
"Aletta,"  p.  2,  1900.) 

Mynpacht. — (D.  mijn,  mine  ;  yacht,  rent.)  The  proprietor 
of  a  farm  which  was  proclaimed  as  a  gold-field,  was  allowed 
by  the  Transvaal  Gold  Law  to  reserve  for  himself  a  certain 
number  of  "claims" — these  were  technically  known  as  the 
Mynpacht. 

"  As  the  mynpacht  necessarily  occurs  frequently  in  these 
pages,  some  notion  of  its  meaning  may  be  given  for  the  bene- 
fit of  distant  readers.  When  farms  are  proclaimed  as  public 
fields,  the  Government  allow  the  owners  ...  to  take  out  Myn 
Pacht  Brieven,  which  entitles  them  to  reserve  from  interfer- 
ence from  diggers  about  a  tenth  portion  of  the  ground." 
(Mather's  "Golden  South  Africa,"  p.  320,  1888.) 

"  These  constitute  what  is  technically  known  as  the  Mijn- 
pacht,  and  as  they  were  supposed  to  represent  the  pick  of 
the  bunch,  a  Mijnpacht  was  the  most  valuable  portion  of  a 
proclaimed  farm."  (Wilson's  "  Behind  the  Scenes  in  the 
Transvaal,"  p.  165,  n.d.  (?  1901).) 

Myrtle  apple. — The  fruit  of  a  Myrtaceous  plant  growing 
along  the  Eastern  coast. 

"  We  roamed  the  veld  and  bush  in  search  of  wild  fruits — 
myrtle  apples,  't'gokums,'  'gwenyas,'  etc. — which  I  presume 
are  still  to  be  found  by  the  enterprising  East  London  youth." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  12,  28  September,  1912.) 

Naaibosch. — (D.  naaien,  to  sew;  hos,  a  bush.)  Azima 
tetracantha  is  so  called  on  account  of  the  needle-like  char- 
acter of  its  spines. 

Naairiempjes. — (D.  naaien,  to  sew ;  riem,  a  tie,  thong.) 
Finely  cut  strips  of  duiker  or  steenbok  skin,  used  for  sewing 
the  skins  together  for  Karosses  (q.v.). 

"  Aan  Koedoes,  Hartebeesten  en  Kooibokken  had  men  over- 
le^rvellen  en  voorslagen  te  danken,  en  Duikers  en  Steenbokken 
bragten  de  naairiempjes."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in 
Zoutpansberg,"  p.  25,  1890.) 

Naald  bosje. — (D.  naald,  a  needle  ;  hos,  a  bush.)  Mon- 
sonia  hiflora,  B.C.  This  plant  has  well  known  medicinal  pro- 
perties, and  is  used  in  cases  of  dysentery. 


332  AFBICANDEEISMS 

"  The  Naald  bosje  is  a  small,  shrubby,  herbaceous  plant, 
growing  pretty  freely  in  most  districts  of  the  Transvaal.  .  .  . 
The  seeds  are  enclosed  in  five  seed-bearing  vessels,  each  of 
which  terminates  in  a  long  fine  bristle  or  beak.  These  seed- 
vessels  with  their  bristles  are  attached  to  a  central  column, 
and  form  the  curious  needle-shaped  fruits  that  give  the  plant 
its  name."     ("  Trans.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  655,  July,  1909.) 

Naaldkoker. — (D.  naald,  a  needle ;  koker,  a  case,  quiver.) 
The  dragon-fly  is  so  named  by  the  Dutch. 

Naaldvisch. — (D.  naald,  a  needle ;  visch,  a  fish.)  Hemi- 
ramphus  calabareus.  The  lower  jaw  of  this  peculiar-looking 
fish  is  prolonged  to  about  half  the  length  of  the  body. 

Naartje. — (This  word  has  been  imported  from  the  East ; 
it  appears  to  be  more  nearly  related  to  the  word  "  orange  " 
than  the  form  of  the  latter  word  would  seem  to  indicate. 
The  efforts  to  connect  the  word  "orange"  with  the  F.  or, 
Lat.  aurum,  gold,  as  though  the  name  had  reference  to  the 
golden  colour  of  the  fruit,  have  caused  the  disappearance  of 
an  initial  n,  the  proper  form  of  the  word  being  narenge.  In 
Tamil  the  citron  is  nartei,  and  the  wild  orange  narta  marum.) 
Citrus  Aurantium,  var.     A  small  delicately  flavoured  fruit. 

"  The  oranges,  especially  that  kind  called  nareteyes,  are 
excellent."     (Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  14,  1796.) 

"  The  lime  ...  is  not  quite  so  hardy  as  the  orange,  but 
the  naartje  is  hardier  than  either."  (Wallace's  "Farming 
Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  194,  1896.) 

Naboom. — Euphorbia  tetragona.  See  Gnaarboom.  In 
the  Transvaal  E.  Reinhardtii,  Volkens.  is  so  named. 

Nacht  apie.  —  (D.  nacht,  night  ;  aap,  ape,  monkey.) 
Galago  maholi,  the  Transvaal  lemur ;  another  member  of 
the  same  species — G.  garnetti — is  found  in  Natal.  See  Bush- 
baby. 

"  The  maholi  is  invariably  called  by  up-country  white 
colonists  in  South  Africa  the  night-ape  from  the  Boer  '  nagt- 
apje '."     (Bry den's  "  Animals  of  South  Africa,"  p.  14,  1900.) 

Nachtegal.' —  (D.  7iachtegaal,  nightingale.)  Saxicola 
pileata  is  so  named  by  the  Dutch ;  this  bird  has  a  pleasant 
song  which  it  will  frequently  sing  far  into  the  night — hence 
the  name.     See  Schaapwachtertje. 

"  The  Dutch  boors  have  given  it  the  name  of  '  Schaap 
wagter'  or  shepherd;  it  has  also  the  more  local  name  of 
Nagtgaal  and  '  Eossignol,'  from  a  habit  it  is  said  to  have  of 


AFRICANDERISMS  333 

singing  by  night."  (Andersson's  "  Birds  of  Damaraland," 
p.  108,  1872.) 

Nachtmaal. — (D.  nachtmaal,  the  Lord's  Supper.)  The 
sacramental  service  in  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church. 

"  The  Nachmaal  or  communion,  which  happens  three  or 
four  times  in  a  year."  (Gordon  Cumming's  "Adventures," 
I.  p.  4,  1850.) 

"  In  the  course  of  this  day's  trek  we  met  no  less  than  ten 
or  twelve  wagons  containing  Dutch  families  on  their  way  to 
.  .  .  the  half-yearly  Nachtmaal,  or  sacrament."  (Barter's 
"  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  52,  1852.) 

Nacht  muis. — (D.  nacht,  night ;  muis,  a  mouse.)  This 
name  refers  to  the  nocturnal  habits  of  the  animal.  See 
Duinrat. 

Nacht  patrijs. — (D.  nacht,  night ;  patrijs,  a  partridge.) 
The  yellow-throated  sandgrouse — Pterocles  gutturalis. 

Nacht  slang. — (D.  nacht,  night;  slang,  a  snake.)  Larn- 
prophis  aurora.  This  snake  has  the  habit  of  moving  about 
in  the  evening  when  it  cannot  be  seen. 

And  warns  me  it  is  time  to  haste 

My  homeward  walk  across  the  waste, 
Lest  my  rash  tread  provoke  the  wrath 

Of  nacht-slang  coii'd  across  the  path. 

(Pringle's  "Poems,"  p.  Ill,  1829.) 

"  The  Nacht  slang  is  about.2  feet  in  length  and  is  oHve- 
brown  in  colour."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7, 1  Septem- 
ber, 1911.) 

Nacht  uil. — (D.  nacht,  night;  uil,  an  owl.)  Several 
birds  of  the  Caprimulgidce  are  known  to  the  Dutch  by  this 
name :  Caprimulgus  europceus,  etc. 

Nageltjes. — (D,  nagel,  a  clove  ;  G.  Nelke,  gilliflower,  car- 
nation.) Lapeyrousiafusifolia,  Ker,  is  so  named  in  the  Rivers- 
dale  District,  on  account  of  its  strong  clove  scent. 

Nagskaal. — See  Nastagal. 

"  Nagskaal  sop  met  brandewyn  en  heuning  om  m6  te 
gorl."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Resepten  Boek,"  p.  152, 
1898.) 

Naklip. — Disintegrated  rock  of  various  bright  colours  is 
so  called  in  Namaqualand.  It  is  said  to  be  the  material  used 
by  the  Bushmen  in  their  paintings. 

Naloop. — (D.  na,  after  ;  lopen,  to  run,  flow.)  The  weak 
brandy  that  flows  after  distilling. 


334  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Namaqua  canarie. — See  Berg  canarie. 

Namaqua  dove. — Oena  capensis. 

"  This  exquisite  little  dove  ...  is  known  by  the  name  of 
Namaqua  dove  to  the  Dutch  Cape  Colonists."  (Layard 
and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  573,  1875-84.) 

"  As  for  the  birds  they  abound  in  every  bush  .  .  .  turtle- 
doves and  little  black-eyed  Namaqua  doves."  (Du  Plessis' 
"  In  the  Heart  of  Africa,"  p.  137,  1905.) 

Namaqua  partridge. — Pteroclurus  namaqua.  This  bird 
belongs  to  the  genus  Pterocles,  and  seems  with  one  or  two 
other  species  to  be  peculiar  to  Africa. 

"  At  this  place  we  met  with  for  the  first  time  the 
Namaqua  partridge,  a  very  small  species  of  Grous."  (Bur- 
chell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  265,  1822.) 

"  Large  flocks  of  Namaqualand  partridges,  or  Sand- 
grouse,  of  which  there  are  two  or  three  kinds,  were  seen  in 
the  locality."  (Leyland's  "Adventures  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
141,  1866.) 

Namaqua  pheasant — Francolinus  natalensis.  It  is  known 
as  the  "  Coast  pheasant  "  in  Natal. 

"  The  Natal  Francolin,  called  by  the  Dutch  the  Namaqua 
pheasant."  (Distant's  "A  Naturalist  in  the  Transvaal," 
p.  105,  1892.) 

Nana  bezies. — (D.  hezie,  a  berry.)  The  edible  fruits  of 
several  species  of  Bhus  are  known  by  this  name  in  Albany. 

Nancy  pretty. — An  East  London  name  for  a  wild  flower 
{Saxifrages  ?). 

"  We  scrambled  up  the  rocky  bed  of  a  bush  stream  noting 
how  the  few  days'  rain  was  putting  freshness  into  the 
Nancy  pretty  and  Twin  sisters  (Streptocarpus)  occupying  the 
crannies."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  13  October, 
1911.) 

Nap. — See  Gnap. 

Naras. — (Hot.  *  ndrab  (initial  cerebral  click),  "  ein  in 
Damraland  bei  Walfischbai  im  Sande  wachsendes  Rankenge- 
wachs,  nahrhafte  melonartige  Frucht,  und  mit  mandelartig 
schmeckenden  Kernen,"  Kronlein,  "Wortschatz  der  Khoi- 
Khoin  ".)  The  name  given  by  the  Hottentots  to  the  fruit  of  a 
cucurbitaceous  plant — Acanthosicyos  horrida — growing  in  Na- 
maqualand. This  fruit  is  the  principal  food  of  the  tribe  of 
the  Topnaars ;  the  seeds  are  also  used  by  Cape  confectioners 
as  a  substitute  for  almonds  which  they  resemble  in  flavour. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  335 

"  We  found  the  new  fruit  'Naras  of  which  I  had  first 
heard  from  the  Boschmans  of  Ababies.  The  'Naras  was 
growing  on  little  knolls  of  sand."  (Alexander's  "  Expedi- 
tion," II.  p.  68,  1838.) 

"  'Naras.  This  plant  is  a  Cucurbitacea,  almost  as  large  as 
a  new-born  child's  head.  The  flesh  of  it  is  eaten  raw,  and 
the  seeds  are  kept  for  the  dry  season,  when  there  is  no  fruit. 
The  seeds  taste  almost  like  almonds."  (Hahn's  "'Tsuni 
*Goab,"p.  47,  1881.) 

Nastagal. — (D.  nachtschade,  the  night-shade  ;  as  early  as 
Kolben's  time  it  had  been  corrupted  to  nagskaal.)  The 
name  given  in  the  Transvaal  to  Solanum  nigrum,  Linn.  See 
Sobosobo  and  Nagskaal. 

"  Those  who  hve  in  the  High  Veld  know  there  is  a  bush 
which  grows  in  the  meahe  lands  and  ripens  its  black  berries 
in  the  autumn  called  in  Dutch  Nastergaal,  a  species  of 
Solanum."  ("South  African  Gardening  and  Agriculture," 
p.  377,  September,  1912.) 

Nastagal  ink. — The  expressed  juice  of  the  berries  of 
Solanum  nigrum,  Linn.     See  Sobosobo. 

"  I  did  not  always  have  good  ink,  and  the  first  pages  of 
my  notes  are  written  in  various  shades ;  I  had  even  to  use 
Nastagal  ink  made  by  our  women."  (Kestell's  "  Through 
Shot  and  Flame,"  p.  206,  1903.) 

Natal,  Terra  de. — (Port.)  This  Portuguese  word  for 
"  Christmas "  will  record  for  all  time  the  people  who  dis- 
covered and  named  the  Colony,  and  also  the  day  of  its  dis- 
covery, 25  December,  1497. 

"  Nunmehro  sind  wir  bey  dem  Lande  von  Natal  welches 
die  Kaffern  oder  Caffern  bewohnen."  (Kolben's  "  Besch- 
reibung,"  p.  74,  1745.) 

"  After  passing  Terra  de  Natal  there  is  nothing  but  fine 
weather  to  be  expected."  (Sutherland's  "  South  African 
Tribes,"  i.  p.  148,  1845.) 

Natal  bottle  brush. — Greyia  Sutherlandi  is  sometimes  so 
called. 

"  Greyia  Sutherlaiidi  is  a  handsome  flowering  tree  of  the 
upper  districts,  and  is  sometimes  known  as  the  Natal  bottle 
brush.''  (Wood's  "  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  33, 
1907.) 

Natal  cotton  plant. — Batata  paniculata. 

"  B.  paniculata  or  Natal  cotton  plant,  a  widely  dispersed 


336  AFEICANDEEISMS 

tropical  species,  grows  at  Natal."  (Harvey's  "  Genera  of 
South  African  Plants,"  p.  254,  1868.) 

Natal  fever. — An  indisposition  to  exert  one's  self,  induced 
by  the  intense  heat  of  summer,  is  thus  euphemistically  de- 
signated. 

"  Unwillingness  to  work.  .  .  .  It's  an  old  malady  in  South 
Africa,  remarks  the  '  Argus '.  We  call  it  Natal  fever." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  7  June,  1909.) 

Natal  fly. — One  of  the  Muscidce,  probably  Lucilia  or 
Ochromya  sp.,  which  has  the  objectionable  habit  when  in  the 
larval  condition  of  burrowing  into  and  feeding  upon  hving 
human  flesh ;  the  place  assumes  the  appearance  of  a  large 
inflamed  carbuncle  and  is  exceedingly  painful.  At  one  time 
it  was  very  prevalent  in  Durban,  Natal. 

"  Sur  un  Muscide  de  I'Afrique  australe,  a  larve  cuticole. 
Une  Mouche  .  .  .  montee  entre  deux  verres,  et  provenant 
aussi  de  d'Urban.  Elle  a  ete  envoyee  au  South-African 
Museum  par  le  Rev.  C.  Pettman.  .  .  .  Cette  larve  avait  ete 
la  cause  de  la  maladie  ;  elle  etait  enfoncee  dans  les  chairs  de 
la  Jambe,  la  tete  la  premiere ;  c'etait  in  partie  abdominale  que 
nous  avions  vue  remuer.  Je  la  mis  sous  un  verre  et  elle  se 
transforma  en  une  pupe  d'un  brun  sombre  presque  noir." 
(Dr.  Blanchard,  "  Contributions  a  I'etude  des  Dipteres 
parasites,"  p.  2 ;  "  Extrait  du  Bulletin  de  la  Soci6te  ento- 
mologique  de  France,"  1893.) 

"The  Natal  fly  is  said  to  occur;  its  larva  causes  annoy- 
ance by  burrowing  into  the  human  skin,  where  it  pupates  and 
causes  painful  inflammation."  ("  Addresses  and  Papers,  Brit, 
and  S.A.  Assoc.  Agric.  Science,"  iii.  p.  532,  1905.) 

Natal  ivy. — Senecio  macroglossus,  D.G.,  is  known  by  this 
name  in  Natal.  It  is  a  climbing  plant  with  fleshy,  ivy-like 
leaves  and  handsome  yellow  flowers.  The  plant  is  common 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  East  London.  In  England  it  is 
known  as  Cape  ivy. 

Natal  kin^isher. — In  the  Eastern  Province  Halcyon 
cyanotis  is  known  by  this  name. 

Natal  lily — Gladiolus  psittacinus,  Hook.  The  pink 
veined  perianth  of  this  exquisite  flower  makes  it  a  general 
favourite.  Amaryllis  belladonna  is  incorrect,  as  it  is  only 
found  in  the  Cape  Districts  and  does  not  extend  farther  East 
than  Eiversdale. 

"Another    very    magnificent    amaryllid    which    is    dis- 


AFEICANDERISMS  337 

tinguished  par  excellence  as  the  Natal  lily  (Amaryllis  bella- 
donna) presents  itself  in  moist  places."  (Brooks'  "Natal," 
p.  169,  1876.) 

Natal  mahogany. — (1)  See  Eed  ebony.  (2)  Trichilia 
emetica  is  also  known  as  Natal  and  Cape  mahogany. 

Natal  plum. — The  fruit  of  Carissa  grandiflora.  See 
Amatungulu. 

"  There  exists  in  many  places  along  the  coast  ...  a 
plant  .  .  .  that  is  chiefly  remarkable  on  account  of  its  bear- 
ing a  really  valuable  fruit  which  is  familiarly  known  as  the 
Natal  plum."     (Brooks'  "  Natal,"  p.  168, 1876.) 

Natal  red  top  grass. — Tricholcena  rosae,  Nees. 

Natal  rum. — A  vile  spirit  distilled  from  sugar  refuse 
and  nothing  behind  "  Cape  smoke  "  in  its  effects. 

"No  public  analyst  has  as  yet  exposed  to  light  the 
horrible  ingredients  of  'Cape  smoke'  and  Natal  rum." 
(Greswell's  "Our  South  African  Empire,"  ii.  p.  204,  1885.) 

Natal  sore. — A  painful  eruption,  like  a  boil,  which  some- 
times troubles  new-comers  to  the  Garden  Colony,  and 
requires  to  be  treated  by  those  who  understand  it. 

"  The  Natal  sore,  a  very  painful  boil,  which  makes  its  ap- 
pearance on  the  arms  and  legs  of  new-comers."  (Barter's 
"  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  13,  1852.) 

"  An  open  blain  or  blister  generally  ending  in  a  running 
sore.  It  is  known  among  the  natives  and  colonists  as  the 
Natal  sore,  and  is  of  so  violent  a  kind  as  to  have  seriously 
affected  those  who  have  neglected  its  first  appearance." 
("  Sketches  of  Life  and  Sport  in  South  Eastern  Africa," 
by  Charles  Hamilton,  F.A.S.I.,  p.  50,  1870.) 

"  Natal  sores  are  not  unknown,  and,  as  I  have  said,  there 
is  the  '  jigger '  flea."     ("  Cape  Argus,"  p.  3,  4  May,  1901.) 

Nat-lij. — (D.  nat,  wet,  moist,  damp  ;  leiden,  to  lead.) 
To  irrigate  land.     See  To  lead  water. 

Na  touw. — (D.  na,  near,  after ;  touw,  a  rope.)  Ficus 
natalensis  has  received  this  name  because  the  natives  make 
a  rough  kind  of  cordage  from  its  fibrous  bark. 

Natros  or  Natrossi. — (D.  na,  after  ;  tros,  a  bunch,  cluster  ; 
cf.  F.  trousse,  a  bundle ;  Eng.  truss,  trousers,  trousseau.)  A 
bunch  of  late  grapes  ;  gleanings  in  a  vineyard. 

Nceta. — Monsonia  ovata.  This  plant,  which  belongs  to 
the  Geranium  family,  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  Hotten- 
tots as  a  cure  for  dysentery  and  obstinate  diarrhoea. 

22 


338  AFRICANDEKISMS 

Ncetekie. — (Kaf.  in  Ncete,  a  small  brown  bird.)  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  King  William's  Town  this  name  is  applied 
to  a  number  of  small  birds,  among  others  to  Drymoica  fulvi- 
capella,  Bp. 

"  The  netikee,  the  smallest  of  all  South  African  birds,  and 
a  member  of  the  wren  family."  (Glanville's  "  Tales  from 
the  Veld,"  p.    45,  1897.) 

"  The  Dutch  name  for  our  smallest  bird  they  pronounce 
Knedike.  It  is  about  the  size  of  our  English  wren,  of  a  brown- 
grey  in  colour.  It  builds  its  nest  of  fine  grass,  wool,  and 
fluff,  the  inside  of  it  being  not  so  large  as  the  inside  of  a 
tennis  ball."  ("Everyday  Life  in  the  Cape  Colony,"  by 
X.  C,  p.  41,  1902.) 

Nciba. — (Kaf.  i  Nciba,  the  swiftly  flowing.)  The  native 
name  of  the  Great  Kei  River. 

Needlefish. — This  is  its  Natal  name.     See  Naald  visch. 

"A  needlefish  or  'half-beak'.  It  is  a  semi-transparent, 
greenish  fish,  not  often  seen  by  day,  but  may  be  speared  at 
night  with  a  lantern."  ("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  719, 
1906.) 

Neef. — (D.  7ieef,  cousin,  nephew.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this 
word  is  used  by  elderly  men  as  a  term  of  address  to  a 
young  man  ;  as  Oom  (q.v.)  is  used  by  young  people  to  an 
elderly  man,  or  by  young  or  middle-aged  men  to  each  other. 

Negeoog. — (D.  negen,  nine  ;  oog,  an  eye.)  A  boil,  an 
inflammatory  tumour. 

"  Myn  vrouw  had'n  negeoog  an  haar  nek,  wat  so  erg  was 
dat  di  doktor  gevaar  daarin  gesiin  het."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook, 
Koeken  Resepten  Boek,"  p.  131,  1898.) 

Negotie  ware. — (F.  nigoce,  trade;  Lat.  negotium,  Ht. 
want  of  leisure,  hence  a  business,  an  occupation  ;  waar,  ware, 
commodity.)  Groceries,  hard  or  soft  goods  offered  for  sale  ; 
the  stock-in-trade  of  a  store-keeper  or  pedler. 

Negry — A  word  which  has  died  out,  but  which  appears 
to  have  been  applied  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  Colony  (1) 
to  the  slaves'  quarters  on  an  estate,  (2)  to  a  collection  of 
native  huts. 

"  1657,  December  6.  The  sergeant  reported  that  Henry, 
with  a  negerye  of  5  huts,  was  also  at  the  mustard-leaves  ;  be- 
sides four  other  negeryes  having  altogether  about  64  houses." 
(Hoodie's  "  Records,"  p.  92,  1841.) 

Nek. — (D.  nek,  neck,  nape  of  the  neck.)  A  narrow  ridge 
connecting  two  hills  or  mountains,  as  Laing's  Nek  (q.v.). 


AFEICANDEEISMS  339 

"  Had  to  travel  along  the  narrow  ridge  {neli)  in  order  to 
reach  the  opposite  high  land."  (Pringle's  "  Narrative,"  p.  92, 
1841.) 

By  rising  ground  on  all  quarters  shut  in 
Excepting  the  neck  that  leads  out  on  the  plain. 

(Hudson's  "  Features  in  South  African  Frontier  Life,"  p.  72, 
1852.) 

Nelly. — Ossifraga  gigantea,  otherwise  known  as  the  Giant 
petrel. 

"  It  is  called  the  Nelly  by  sailors."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's 
"Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  765,  1875-84.) 

Nenta — (Hot.  *  Nenta,  with  initial  cHck.)  Cotyledon 
ventricosa.  This  plant  is  supposed  to  be  the  cause  of  a 
disease  fatal  to  sheep  and  goats,  and  thus  of  considerable 
loss  to  the  South  African  farmer.  Some  leguminous  plants 
are  also  suspected. 

"  The  Russian  moufik  contracts  neurotis  through  con- 
tinued eating  of  the  leguminous  Lathyrus ;  the  Australian 
sheep  takes  it  from  the  leguminous  Swainsonia,  and  the 
Cape  goat  gets  it,  may  I  say,  from  an  undetermined  legumin- 
ous Nentar     ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  308,  1897.) 

Nenta. — The  disease  referred  to  above — Cerebrospinal 
meningitis. 

"  The  well-known  disorder  in  sheep  and  goats  known  at 
the  Cape  as  Nenta."    ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  302, 1897.) 

"Whether  t' Nenta  and  Stiff-ziekte  are  names  for  one 
and  the  same  thing  differing  in  degree,  I  cannot  say." 
("C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.,"  12  September,  1901.) 

Neuk. — (D.  obs.  neuken,  to  push,  strike.)  This  word  sur- 
vives in  South  Africa  with  the  meaning  to  hit,  to  strike.  Ek 
zal  jou  neuk — "  I'll  hit  you  ".    It  is  regarded  as  a  coarse  word. 

New  Year's  plum. — A  variety  of  plum  that  ripens  about 
New  Year  time. 

"  Another  case  also  where  a  farmer  made  £7  10s.  out  of 
a  single  or  Mirabelle  {New  Years  plum)  tree  in  one  season." 
(Henkel's  "  The  Native  or  Transkeian  Territories,"  p.  51, 1903.) 

Nieuwhout. — (D.  nieuw,  new;  hout,  wood.)  The  Knysna 
name  for  Pygeum  africanum.     See  Red  stinkwood. 

Nieuwjaars  vogel. — (D.  nieuwjaar,  New  Year;  vogel,  a 
bird.)  Coccystes  serratus ;  "this  bird  visits  the  Cape  about 
the  New  Year,  whence  the  name  which  it  has  acquired 
among  the  colonists  ". 

22* 


340  AFRICANDEKISMS 

Nieuwziekte. — (D.  nieuw,  new,  recent,  fresh ;  ziekte,  sick- 
ness.) The  Dutch  name  for  the  Strangles,  an  infectious 
and  contagious  disease  of  equines,  due  to  a  specified  organ- 
ism.    The  term  is  also  appHed  to  Glanders. 

"Indeed  glanders  is  also  commonly  called  nieuwziekte ; 
consequently,  it  is  often  very  difficult  to  convince  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  horse  suffering  from  glanders  that  it  is  really 
infected  with  that  disease  and  not  strangles."  ("Trans. 
Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  391,  January,  1907.) 

Nigger. — A  term  of  contempt  applied  to  people  of  coloured 
blood,  and  as  a  rule  as  vigorously  resented  by  them  as  the  de- 
signation Kaffir  is  sometimes  resented  by  the  natives. 

"  There  is  something  in  the  circumstances  occasioned  by 
the  presence  of  the  African  races  here,  which  may  be  said  to 
be  analogous  to  the  circumstances  occasioned  by  slavery  in 
the  Southern  States.  The  word  nigger  condenses  and  in- 
cludes nearly  all  that  we  wish  to  suggest."  (Glanville's  "At 
Home  and  Abroad,"  p.  92,  1878.) 

"  Talking  of  the  niggers  they  had  shot,  or  the  kraals  they 
had  destroyed."  (Olive  Schreiner's  "  Trooper  Peter  Halkett," 
p.  20,  1897.) 

Night  adder. — Causus  rkomheatus  is  so  named  by  the 
English  col6nists  on  account  of  its  habit  of  moving  about  at 
night.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  snake  in  the  Eastern  Pro- 
vince. 

"  In  the  boom  slang  {Bucephahis  capensls),  the  schaap- 
sticker  (Psammophylax  romheatus)  .  .  ,  the  so-called  night- 
adder  (Leptoderia  rufescens),  they  (the  teeth)  are  remarkably 
lengthened,  and  not  only  so,  but  grooved."  ("  Trans.  S.A. 
Phil.  Soc,"  III.  p.  9,  1884.) 

Nix. — (D.neits ;  G.  Nichts,not\im.g.)  Nothing.  Nix-nie, 
nothing  at  all. 

"  '  Why,  Cole,  this  is  nix  '  (snow).  A  play  upon  the  Dutch 
word  niets,  meaning  '  nothing '."  (Justice  Cole's  "Remin- 
iscences," p.  38, 1896.) 

"  I  could  tell  that  there  was  some  critters  there  that  they 
did  not  like — maybe  a  tiger — but  I  could  see  nix  beyond  a 
rock  or  a  tree  stump."  (Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld," 
p.  278,  1897.) 

Nixnuts. — (G.  nichtsnutz,  useless,  worthless.)  Apphed  to 
(1)  a  person  who  is  neither  clever  nor  capable ;  (2)  it  is  used 
also  of  a  rogue. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  341 

Nole-kole. — (D.  knol,  a  turnip  ;  kool,  a  cabbage.)  Brassica 
oleracea,  var.  caidorapa.  Toward  the  root  the  stalk  of  this 
vegetable  expands  into  a  turnip-like  mass,  which  is  the 
edible  part. 

No  Man's  Land. — In  Sir  George  Grey's  time  as  Governor, 
the  territory  now  known  as  Griqualand  East  was  so  called  ; 
but  in  later  times  the  designation  was  transferred  to  the 
coast  country  between  Zululand  and  Delagoa  Bay. 

"  The  country  which  is  called  No  Man's  Land  is  claimed 
by  two  powerful  governments;  and  Sir  George  Grey  has 
written  to  Adam  Kok  stating  that  in  consequence  of  the  land 
being  claimed  as  above  mentioned,  the  case  has  been  referred 
to  the  British  Government."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press," 
15  May,  1861.) 

"  There  still  remained  the  undefined  country  (still  called 
No  Man's  Land  by  the  Republic)  lying  between  Zululand 
and  Delagoa  Bay,  and  it  was  therein  that  President  Kruger 
hoped  to  secure  a  footing  on  the  sea-board."  (Robinson's 
"  Life  Time  in  South  Africa,"  p.  361,  1900.) 

Nonna  or  Nonni. — (Port,  nona,  a  nun.  Crawford  ('*  Malay 
Dictionary  ")  says  that  the  word  is  used  by  the  Malays  of  an 
unmarried  European  lady  ;  hence  most  probably  its  use  and 
application  in  South  Africa.)  A  young  European  lady,  a 
young  mistress. 

"  The  cry  of  the  young  gnu  was  sometimes  onje  ...  a 
good  deal  resembling  the  nonje  of  the  colonists  (meaning 
miss)."     (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  ii.  p.  176,  1785.) 

"  She  found  the  master  and  his  wife  dead,  but  the  nonnie 
(little  miss),  although  severely  wounded,  still  breathed." 
(Sellick's  "  Uitenhage,  Past  and  Present,"  p.  ix,  1905.) 

Nooi  or  Noi. — (?  Port,  noiva,  a  bride.)  A  young  woman  ; 
the  word  is  in  fairly  common  use  among  the  Dutch. 

"  The  kind-hearted  woe  or  lady  of  the  house,  commiserating 
my  condition  .  .  .  informed  me  that  she  had  an  excellent 
receipt  for  sun-burn."  (Gordon  Cumming's  "Adventures," 
I.  p.  54,  1850.) 

"Many  of  the  Dutch  nois  or  young  maidens  are  very 
pretty,  and  they  are  a  very  moral  set  of  people."  (Baldwin's 
"African  Adventures,"  p.  155,  1894.) 

Noois  boom. — (?  Port,  noiva,  a  bride;  boom,  a  tree.) 
Cussonia  Thyrsifiora,  a  tree  growing  something  like  a  sun- 
shade in  shape.     See  Kipper  sol,  Cabbage  tree,  Parasol  tree. 


342  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"The  Nojeboom  (Gussonia  spicata),  a  small  tree  of  very 
singular  appearance."     (Bunbury's  "Journal,"  p.  101,  1848.) 

"  In  the  huts  were  all  sorts  of  odd  things — calabashes, 
beads,  .  .  .  large  pieces  of  the  root,  of  the  noe-hoom  peeled 
for  food."    (King's  "  Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,"  p.  135, 1855.) 

"  One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the  Natal  trees  is  our 
only  representative  of  the  Ivy  family,  and  is  known  as  the 
'  Cabbage  tree '  and  to  the  Dutch  as  the  Nojes  boom 
(Gussonia)."     (Chapman's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  447,  1868.) 

Nooisborsies. — (?  Port,  noiva,  a  bride ;  borst,  the  breast.) 
A  variety  of  pear  is  so  called  by  the  Dutch. 

Noordkaaper. — (D.  noord,  north  ;  kaap,  a  cape,  promon- 
tory.) The  name  given  by  the  fishermen  to  a  variety  of 
whale ;  the  designation  has  been  taken  over  from  the  early 
Dutch  sailors,  and  applied,  without  any  appreciation  of  the 
incongruity,  to  an  animal  whose  habitat  is  the  southern 
ocean, 

"  Man  siehet  offt  in  dem  Meere  am  Vorgebiirge  in  der 
Tafelbay,  den  kleinen  Wallfisch,  Grampus  genannt.  Die 
HoUandischen  Seeleute  heissen  ihn  Noord-kaper ."  (Kol- 
ben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  367,  1745.) 

"  The  cachalot,  a  kind  of  whale  which  the  Dutch  call 
Noord-kaaper,  is  always  found  in  great  plenty  sporting  in  the 
bason."     (Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  30,  1796.) 

Noordkaaperbaard. — (D.  baard,  a  beard,  whalebone.) 
The  Western  Province  fishermen  thus  designate  whale-bone. 

"  Voor  balein  zegt  men  soms  niet  onaardig  noorkapper- 
baard."     (Mansvelt's  "  Idioticon,"  p.  113,  1884.) 

Noordkaaper  olie. — (D.  olie,  oil.)  Whale  oil,  used  in 
domestic  medicine  and  for  other  purposes. 

Noordkaaper  snot. — An  ugly  name  for  a  jelly-fish ;  in  com- 
mon use,  however,  in  the  Riversdale  District. 

Noorse-doorn. — (D.  norsch,  gruff,  disagreeable  ;  doom,  a 
thorn.)  Euphorbia  enopla,  and  one  or  two  other  species  are 
known  by  this  name,  which  refers  to  the  noli  me  tangere 
character  of  their  spines.  In  times  of  drought  these  spines 
are  burnt  off,  when  the  plant  is  not  without  value  as  a  food 
for  stock. 

The  trees  referred  to  in  the  first  quotation  I  have  been 
unable  to  identify,  but,  from  the  description  given,  they  must 
be  something  quite  different  from  the  Noorse-doorn  of  the 
Jansenville  and  Midland  Districts  of  the  Cape  Province. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  343 

"  Trees  as  high  as  fir-trees  and  much  resembling  them 
called  the  Noors-doorn  are  seen  raising  their  lofty  tops  over 
the  more  humble  trees."  (A  letter  from  Port  Natal  dated 
29  May,  1839,  Chase's  "  Natal  Papers,"  Part  ii.  p.  98, 1843.) 
"  The  milk  of  the  noorse-doorn  is  not  poisonous,  and  forms 
an  excellent  food  for  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats,  which  are  all 
extremely  fond  of  it."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  16, 
1889.) 

"  The  drought  continues  in  the  Euggens  with  unabated 
severity,  and  the  noorse-doorn  and  finger-pol  plants  are  now  in 
daily  requisition  to  keep  stock  alive."  ("  Midland  News,"  10 
November,  1898.) 

Noorse  or  Noorse=doorn  Veld. — Veld  composed  almost 
entirely  of  Noorse-doorn  ;  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  lying 
between  Jansenville  and  Pearston,  the  Noorse-doorn  is  so 
thick  as  to  be  almost  impenetrable. 

"  After  an  outspan  for  breakfast  ...  we  struggled  on- 
wards, until  presently  we  began  to  enter  upon  the  noorse-doorn 
veldt  (lit.  nurse-thorn  country),  consisting  of  bushes  of  a  tall 
cactus,  which  like  the  euphorbia  exudes  a  milky  juice  on  being 
broken."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  16,  1889.) 

Num  bosch. — (Hot.  *  num,  with  an  initial  click.)  Another 
Eiversdale  name  for  Aster  fiUformis,  D.G.  See  Draai  bosch. 
The  Grahamstown  name  is  Gom  bosch  (q.v.). 

Num=iium. — (Hot.  *  num  *  num,  each  syllable  with  an 
initial  click.)  Carissa  arduina.  The  common  name  of  shrub 
and  fruit  alike,  the  latter  being  very  small  and  without  any  dis- 
tinctive flavour ;  the  flowers  resemble  those  of  the  jessamine 
both  in  appearance  and  scent. 

"  The  Hottentots  call  this  shrub  'num  'num  (or  noom 
noom,  agreeably  to  English  orthography),  each  syllable  pre- 
ceded by  a  guttural  clap  of  the  tongue.  They  eat  the  berries, 
but  I  always  found  them  very  insipid."  (Burchell's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  192,  1822.) 

"  Various  kinds  of  sweet  grass  and  small  shrubs,  varied  with 
very  good  large  bush  and  trees,  as  .  .  .  noem  noem,  guard, 
etc."     (Du  Toit's  "  Ehodesia,"  p.  32,  1897.) 

Nutgrass. — Cyperus  bulbosus.  This  weed  with  its  nut-like 
roots  and  rapid  propagation  has  nearly  ruined  some  of  the 
gardens  in  Graaff  Eeinet. 

Nutseng  or  Nutzung. — Halleria  elliptica.  See  Kinder- 
besje,  for  which  this  is  another  name. 


344  AFBICANDEKISMS 

Nylstroom. — (D.  Nijl,  the  Nile;  stroom,  a  stream,  river.) 
This  name  was  given  by  the  Dutch  to  the  Eiver  Maghali- 
quain,  or  "  Fierce  Crocodile  Eiver,"  under  a  somewhat  curious 
misapprehension.     See  quotation. 

"  On  the  6th  we  rode  along  the  Maghaliquain  or  '  Fierce 
Crocodile  Eiver '  which  has  acquired  the  name  of  Nylstroom,  or 
the  Eiver  Nile,  in  a  somewhat  singular  manner.  It  is  well 
known  that  in  the  earliest  migrations  of  the  Dutch  Boers  from 
the  Cape  Colony  they  entertained  hopes  of  being  able  to  reach 
the  Beloofte  land,  i.e.  the  promised  land  of  Canaan.  The  heaps 
of  stones  collected  by  the  Kaffir  women  when  they  clear  a 
field  for  cultivation  and  which  remain  long  after  that  field  has 
reverted  to  its  primitive  condition  as  part  of  the  wilderness, 
were  supposed  to  be  monuments  piled  up  by  the  children  of 
Israel,  who  if  this  evidence  is  to  be  received,  must  be  sup- 
posed to  have  come  as  far  south  as  the  frontier  of  Albany 
during  the  forty  years'  wanderings.  And  when  the  avowed 
Jerusalem  trekkers  or  pilgrims  came  to  the  Maghahquain  and 
found  it  flowing  north,  they  at  once  christened  it  the  Nile, 
and  fondly  hoped  it  would  lead  them  down  into  Egypt  whence 
they  could  easily  reach  the  Beloofte  land."  (Baines'  "  Gold 
Eegions  of  S.E.  Africa,"  p.  83,  1877.) 

"  The  dream  of  the  early  voortrekkers  for  a  modern 
Palestine  has  not  been  realized."  (Distant's  "  A  Naturalist  in 
the  Transvaal,"  p.  133,  1892.) 

Oak  fern. — Pellaea  geranimfolia,  Fee.  The  name  some- 
times given  to  this  fern  in  the  neighbourhood  of  King 
William's  Town. 

"  This  is  frequently  known  as  the  oak  fern,  but  has  no 
connexion  with  the  English  Oak  fern  (Poly2)odium  dryopteris), 
nor  with  another  Polypodium  from  Natal  frequently  grown 
here  under  the  name  of  oak  fern  (P.  Plymatodes)."  (Sim's 
"Kaffrarian  Ferns,"  p.  28,  1891.) 

Oak -leaf  geranium. — Pelargonium  quercifolium. 
"  Of   this   well-known   greenhouse   shrub,    the   Oak-leaf 
geranium,  I  have  seen  no  wild  specimens,  but  those  distri- 
buted by  E.  &  Z."     ("  Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.   i.  p.  306,  1859- 
1860.) 

Oat- hay. — Oats  which  have  been  cut  while  still  slightly 
green  and  afterwards  hayed. 

"  Oat-hay  for  the  Eemount  Agency."  ("  The  Queenstown 
Free  Press,"  2  March,  1859.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  345 

Obiquas — The  Bushmen  were  known  by  this  name 
among  the  Hottentots. 

"  About  the  promontory  of  Africa,  they  (the  Bushmen) 
called  themselves,  and  were  called  by  others,  Obiquas,  Sou- 
quas ;  and  they  had,  doubtless,  other  denominations  in  parts 
farther  inland."  (Sutherland's  "  South  African  Tribes,"  ii. 
p.  589  n.,  1846.) 

Obletjes  or  Oublies. — (F.  oublie,  the  sacramental  wafer, 
a  thin  cake;  Lat.  oblata,  an  offering  cake;  from  oblatus.) 
A  kind  of  tea  cake.  The  article  and  the  name  both  go  back 
to  the  advent  of  the  Huguenots  in  South  Africa  (1688-1689) ; 
but  the  name  was  applied  in  England  to  a  biscuit  or  cake  quite 
200  years  before  that ;  for  in  "  A  Noble  Boke  off  Cookry  ffor 
a  Pry  nee  Houssolde  or  eny  other  estately  Houssolde,"  a  col- 
lection of  recipes  compiled  somewhere  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  fifteenth  century  (ed.  Napier,  London,  1882),  the  following 
recipe  is  found  :  "  Haires  in  pardolos.  To  mak  haires  in 
pardolous  tak  an  haire  and  parboille  hir  in  good  brothe 
swong  eggs  ther  to  and  hew  fleshe  smalle  and  cast  it  in  the 
sewe  and  sethe  them  well  then  tak  obleys  or  waiffurs  and 
couche  them  in  a  platter  and  salt  the  sewe  and  put  it  upon 
the  obleys  and  serve  it." 

"  Obletjes  (or  Oublies).  An  old-fashioned  recipe  for  tea 
cakes  brought  to  the  Cape  by  the  French  refugees."  (Hilda's 
"Where  is  it?  of  Recipes,"  p.  153,  1904.) 

"  The  one  word  I  feel  sure  of  is  oublietje,  that  deHcious, 
crisp,  wafer-like  pastry  to  be  invariably  found  at  bazaars  in 
the  districts  settled  by  the  Huguenots,  from  Fr.  Oublie,  thin 
pastry."     ("  The  Northern  News,"  27  August,  1912.) 

Offal. — (D.  afval,  refuse,  offal.)  Sheep's  head  and  feet, 
cleaned  and  prepared  for  cooking,  are  offered  for  sale  in  Mid- 
land towns  by  this  name,  which  is  a  corruption  of  the  Dutch 
word. 

"  The  whole  hoHday  party  had  retired  to  sleep,  after  in- 
dulging in  a  liberal  gorge  on  a  mess  of  sheep's  head  and  feet, 
called  offal,  the  signs  of  which  were  all  over  their  persons." 
(Wilson's  "  Behind  the  Scenes  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  22, 1901.) 

Off-chance. — A  chance  that  seems  scarcely  possible. 

"  They  go  to  nearly  all  the  new  rushes,  of  course,  on  the 
off  chance,  not  expecting,  nor  perhaps  wishing,  to  find." 
(Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  233, 1873.) 

Off-colour — (1)  A  diamond  slightly  tinged  with  yellow  is 


346  AFEICANDEKISMS 

said  to  be  "  off-colour  ".  (2)  The  expression  is  often  applied 
to  people  of  mixed  European  and  African  blood.  (8)  It  is 
also  used  with  the  meaning  "  out  of  sorts,"  "  not  very  well  ". 
(4)  Sometimes  it  is  employed  to  convey  the  idea  of  dubious 
morality. 

"An  off-coloured  diamond  of  115  carats  was  found  at 
Dutoitspan  yesterday  morning."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press," 
12  April,  1872.) 

"  When  in  a  general  way  one  talks  of  'yellow'  stones, 
one  means  '  coloured '  of  that  tint,  not  *  fancy  ' ;  in  the 
Fields  we  incorrectly  call  them  off-colour.  The  true  off- 
colour  has  no  distinct  tinge  at  all."  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape 
for  Diamonds,"  p.  356,  1873.) 

"Mr.  Webb  had  the  misfortune  to  possess  two  maid 
servants,  rather  off-colour,  as  diggers  say,  but  really  good 
looking."     {Ibid.  p.  146,  1873.) 

"  He  took  my  watch  last  night  because  I  was  off-colour.'' 
(Ohve  Schreiner's  "  Trooper  Peter  Halkett,"  p.  235,  1897.) 

Off-load,  To. — To  remove  the  load  from  horse,  cart,  or 
wagon  ;  to  unload. 

"  There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  off-load,  a  most  tedi- 
ous and  tiring  business."  (Churchill's  "  Men,  Mines,  and 
Manners  in  South  Africa,"  p.  221,  1895.) 

Off-saddle,  To. — To  remove  the  saddle  from  a  horse  to 
rest  it  on  a  journey,  or  at  the  journey's  end. 

Oksi  or  Okshoofd. — This  word  is  interesting  as  being  a  cor- 
ruption of  the  Dutch  okshoofd,  a  hogshead,  which  has  passed 
into  German  in  the  form  oxhoft,  a  fluid  measure  of  200-240 
litres  ;  and  into  English  in  the  form  hogshead,  52^  gallons. 
Tiedeman,  "Notes  and  Queries,"  iv.  2,  46,  says  that  the 
word  is  found  in  Dutch  as  early  as  1550,  and  suggests  that 
the  cask  may  have  been  so  named  from  having  an  "  ox-head  " 
branded  upon  it,  which  Professor  Skeat  thinks  a  not  improb- 
able origin  of  the  term.  In  South  Africa  the  word  is  appHed 
to  a  large  wine-vat. 

Old  Colony,  The. — The  Cape  Colony  is  frequently  so  de- 
signated to  distinguish  it  from  those  Colonies  and  States  of 
South  Africa  of  more  recent  origin. 

"  The  greatest  drag  to  the  commerce  of  Natal  is  its  intimate 
connexion  with,  and  almost  entire  dependence  on,  the  old 
Colony."     (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  15,  1852.) 

"  We  were  now  in  the  old  Colony,  where  we  felt  ourselves 


AFRICANDEEISMS  347 

more  at  home."  (The  Eev.  J.  Edwards'  "  Reminiscences," 
p.  81,1883.) 

Old  lands  grass. — Panicum  Icevifolium,  Hack.  A  good 
hay  grass. 

Old  man's  beard  or  whiskers. — Usnea  florida.  This  ap- 
pellation, given  in  the  West  of  England  to  the  curious  para- 
sitic growth  which  one  often  finds  there  on  rose-bushes, 
is,  in  the  Eastern  Province  of  the  Cape  Colony,  given  to  a 
greyish-coloured  parasitic  growth,  found  in  great  profusion 
in  some  parts,  upon  the  trunks  and  branches  of  trees,  and 
hanging  like  long  locks  of  grey  hair. 

"  Some  with  the  parasite  Old  mans  heard  swinging  from 
their  branches  like  grey  locks."  (Noble's  "  South  Africa,"  p. 
18,  1877.) 

"  Singular  looking  vegetable  draperies  known  as  old 
man's  whiskers."  (Burton's  "Cape  Colony  To-day,"  p.  125, 
1907.) 

Oliekoek. — (jy.olie,  oil;  koek,  a  cake.)  A  term  applied  to 
a  duffer,  nincompoop. 

Hi]  seg  maar  net — Jou  olie  koek  ! 

"  Jou  snuiter  ! "  of  "  Jou  semelbroek  I  " 

(Een  Patriot,  Eeitz's  "  Afrikaanse  Gedigte,"  p.  24,  1888.) 

Oiiepitten. — (D.  olie,  oil  ;  pit,  a  kernel,  pip.)  Another 
name  for  the  Kaambesje  (q.v.),  having  reference  to  the  oil 
that  is  extracted  from  the  kernels  of  the  berries. 

Olifant  gras. — (D,  oli/ant,  elephant ;  gras,  grass.)  Avena 
elephantina  (Thunberg's  "Flora  Capensis,"  p.  117,  1823)  = 
Danthonia  elephantina,  Nees. 

Olifant  melkbosch. — (D.  olifant,  elephant ;  melk,  milk.) 
EupJwrhia  cervicornis  —  something  like  the  finger-pol.  It 
occurs  in  Little  Namaqualand. 

"  The  local  name  is  olifant  melkhosch ;  the  roots  grow  to  a 
considerable  size,  and  the  crown  of  stems  often  exceed  a  foot 
in  diameter."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  p.  viii,  x.  Part  ii. 
1901.) 

Olijvenhout — (D.  olijf,  an  olive ;  hout,  wood.)  Olea 
verrucosa,  the  Wild  olive  of  the  English  colonist. 

Om. — (D.  om,  about ;  G.  um,  around.)  This  word  is 
employed  by  wagon-drivers  when  turning  their  oxen.  See 
Hot  en  haar. 

"  Loud  cries  of  '  Jak  '  to  start  the  oxen,  or  '  Ah  now '  to 


348  AFEICANDEBISMS 

stop  them,  or  '  Om '  to  make  them  turn  round."  (Barter's 
"The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  50,  1852.) 

Ompad. — (D.  om,  about ;  pad,  a  road,  way.)  A  round- 
about way,  the  longest  way  round. 

Omsons. — (G.  umsonst,  in  vain,  to  no  purpose.)  In  vain, 
useless. 

Onder. — (D.  onder,  under,  down.)  As  frequently  em- 
ployed this  word  means  "  up-country,"  "  the  interior  ". 

Onder  baatje. — (D.  onder,  under ;  Mai.  hadjoe,  a  jacket.) 
(1)  An  under-jacket  or  waistcoat.  (2)  The  two  rows  of  body 
feathers  from  below  the  wing  of  the  ostrich. 

Onderbosch. — (D.  onder,  under ;  hos,  a  bush.)  Trichocladus 
crinitus  and  T.  ellipticus  are  both  known  by  this  name ;  of 
the  former  the  natives  make  kiries  and  ornaments ;  the  latter 
is  largely  used  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Pirie  forest  for 
firewood. 

"  Trichocladus  crinitus  is  the  more  common  onderbosch." 
(Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  12,  1907.) 

Onderveld. — (D.  onder,  under,  down  below.)  This  word 
is  used  in  Cape  Dutch  as  the  equivalent  of  the  EngHsh  "  up- 
country,"  though  why  the  country,  which  is  so  much  higher, 
should  be  so  designated,  is  difficult  to  say.     See  Bovenland. 

"  Mar  myn  vrinde  het  my  gevraag  om  dit  in  Afrikaans  te 
doen  dan  kan  onse  Afrikaanse  Onderveldse  susters  .  .  .  oek 
nut  daarvan  he."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Resepten 
Boek,"  p.  3,  1898.) 

Ongedierte. — (D.  ongedierte,  vermin.)  (1)  In  Cape 
Dutch  this  term  is  applied  to  wild  animals  generally.  (2) 
Vermin. 

"Het  wild  gedierte  noemt  men  in  Transvaal  ongedierte, 
en  de  leeuw  wordt  gewoonlijk  met  den  naam  '  ou-baas '  of 
'de  ouwe'  aangeduid."  (Cachet's  "De  Worstelstrijd  der 
Transvalers,"  p.  345,  1882.) 

"Ik  ga  liever  in  huis  bij  eenen  blanke  dan  in  een  Kaffer 
struis  (stroohut)  met  velerlei  ongedierte."  (Hofmeyr's 
"  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  134,  1890.) 

Onweer. — (D.  onweder,  a  thunder-storm.)  Inclement 
weather. 

Onze-lieve-heers  beestje. — (D.  lit.  "  Our  dear  Lord's 
little  animal  ".)  This  designation  is  sometimes  given  to  the 
Lady-bird.  Judging  from  the  names  which  this  insect  has 
received,  it  seems  to  be  held  in  honour  in  most  countries  ;  the 


AFRICANDERISMS  349 

English  Lady-bird,  the  French  Bete  k  la  Vierge,  and  the 
German  Marien-Kafer,  all  connect  it  with  the  Blessed  Virgin  ; 
while  the  French  Bete  a  bon  Dieu  and  Bonne  vache  a  Dieu 
and  this  Dutch  name  give  it  higher  honour. 

Oom. — (D,  oom ;  G.  Oheim,  an  uncle.)  This  Dutch  word 
is  often  used  in  South  Africa  when  addressing  an  elderly 
man,  as  denoting  respect ;  e.g.  Oom  Paul,  the  ordinary  de- 
signation of  the  President  of  the  late  Transvaal  Republic. 
In  this  form  or  with  the  diminutive  suffix — Oompje — the  word 
conveys  both  affection  and  respect. 

"  Ouden  van  dagen  worden  in  het  huishouden  met  eere 
behandeld. 

"  Vandaar  ook  de  gewoonte  om  de  ouderen  oow,  '  ou- 
oom '  of  '  tante '  te  noemen,  onverschillig  of  men  van  de 
familie  is  of  niet — en  al  is  de  aangesprokene  doodarm  en  van 
den  andere  geheel  afhankelijk."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd 
der  Transvalers,"  p.  427,  1882.) 

"  Listening  to  them  and  smoking  were  several  people, 
amongst  them  Mr.  Pieter  Maynier,  familiarly  called  by 
Graaff  Reinetters  '  Oom  Piet '  (Oow,  or  uncle,  being  a  term 
of  affection  in  South  Africa)."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo," 
p.  42,  1889.) 

"Im  Afrikanischen  sind  omyi  und  tante  die  gewohnlichen 
Bezeichnungen  und  Anreden  fiir  altere  Personen,  auch 
Fremde,  neef  und  nichi  {niggi)  fiir  Jiingere.  So  stets  bei 
Farbigen."  (Meyer's  "Die  Sprache  der  Buren,"  p.  19  n., 
1901.) 

Oo'nd. — (D.  oven,  an  oven.)  The  Cape  Dutch  word  for 
oven  has  assumed  this  form. 

Oo'nd  bosje. — (D.  oven,  oven  ;  hos,  a  bush.)  Conyza  ivce- 
folia  is  so  named  because  a  besom  made  of  the  stalks  is  used 
to  sweep  out  the  ovens. 

Oorlam. — (Mai.  orang  lama,  an  old  man.)  This  word  is 
applied  variously.  (1)  As  generally  used  it  means  shrewd, 
sharp.  (2)  It  is  used  of  a  Hottentot  who  can  speak  both 
Dutch  and  Enghsh.  (3)  It  is  also  used  of  a  coloured  servant 
whose  laziness  prompts  him  to  a  variety  of  scheming  either 
to  dodge  or  to  scamp  his  work.  See  under  Baar.  But  Dr. 
Hahn,  whose  note  I  quote  in  full,  questions  the  generally  re- 
ceived etymology  of  both  of  these  words. 

"  In  this  kraal  there  are,  of  persons  who  speak  the  Dutch 
language,  and  who  are  called  orlams,  215."  (Campbell's 
"  Travels,"  p.  284,  1815.) 


350  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"  Amral  and  the  head  of  the  Buys  had  been  in  the  Colony, 
were  therefore  called  overlams  and  were  cleverer  than  the 
Namaquas  of  Kabusomop."  (Alexander's  "  Expedition,"  i. 
p.  251,  1838.) 

"  Oerlam  was  a  nickname  given  by  the  Dutch  colonists  to 
the  Hottentots  that  hung  about  their  farms ;  it  means  a 
barren  ewe,  a  creature  good  for  neither  breeding  nor  fattening, 
a  worthless  concern,  one  that  gives  trouble  and  yields  no  pro- 
fit. However,  all  things  are  relative,  and  what  these  oerlams 
were  to  the  Dutchmen,  that  the  Namaqua  Hottentots  were  to 
the  oerlams."    (Galton's  "Tropical  South  Africa,"  p.  68, 1853.) 

"  The  meaning  of  this  word  is  not  quite  clear.  At  present 
this  word  signifies  in  South  African  Dutch  a  shrewd,  smart 
fellow.  Thus  they  say,  '  Die  kerel  is  hanja  orlam '  (That 
fellow  is  very  shrewd).  Those  Hottentot  clans  who  left  the 
Colony  and  now  live  in  Great  Namaqualand  call  themselves 
Orlams  in  distinction  from  the  aborigines,  the  Namaquas, 
and  by  this  they  mean  to  say  that  they  are  no  longer  uncivil- 
ised. If,  for  instance,  they  give  a  traveller  a  man  as  a  servant, 
they  say,  '  He  is  very  orlam,  he  is  not  baar '  (He  is  very 
handy,  he  is  not  stupid).  In  the  North-western  Colony  about 
the  mission  station  Steinkopf,  lives  a  large  family  of  the 
Orlams.  They  manufacture  stone  pipes,  and  are  bastard 
Hottentots,  who  say  that  a  trader  by  the  name  of  Orlam  came 
about  a  hundred  years  ago  to  Little  Namaqualand,  and  after- 
wards stayed  amongst  the  Namaquas,  and  married  a  Hottentot 
girl.  The  truth  is  that  about  1720  there  was  a  man  at  the 
Cape  of  the  name  of  Orlam,  who  had  come  from  Batavia.  He 
was  a  trader  and  visited  chiefly  Little  Namaqualand  and  the 
Khamiesbergen."  (Hahn's  "  Tsuni  *  Goab,  the  Supreme 
Being  of  the  Khoi-Khoi,"  p.  153,  1881.) 

"  Mijn  wagendrijver,  genaamd  Paulus,  was  teruggegaan 
naar  eene  plaats,  twee  uren  te  paard  van  daar,  waar  er  vele 
oorlamschen  waren."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zout- 
pansberg,"  p.  237,  1890.) 

Oortje.— (D.  oord,  oort,  really  the  quarter  of  a  coin.  The 
name  is  derived  from  the  coins  which  were  divided  into  four 
parts— oorcZen— by  a  cross.  Cf.  Eng.  farthing,  lit.  fourth- 
ing.)    A  farthing. 

Opblas.— (D.  ophlazen,  to  blow  up,  to  puff  up.)  This 
is  the  term  apphed  in  South  Africa  to  that  inflation  of  the 
stomach  and  intestines  of  cattle  which  arises  from  imperfect 
digestion,  known  to  English  cattle  farmers  as  hoven. 


AFKICANDERISMS  351 

"  Sheep  and  cattle  turned  on  short  succulent  lucerne  are 
apt  to  get  hoven  or  opblas."  (Burton's  "  Cape  Colony  for  the 
Settler,"  p.  106,  1903.) 

Opblasers. — (D.  opblazen,  to  blow  up.)  See  Blas-op  and 
Konya. 

"  The  oppblazers  (pneumora),  a  kind  of  grasshopper,  were 
caught  in  the  evening."  (Thunberg's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  150, 
1795.) 

Opgaaf. — (D.  opgaaf,  an  account,  statement.)  In  Cape 
Dutch  certain  taxes  levied  by  the  Government  were  so 
termed. 

"  The  missionaries  are  now  ordered  to  collect,  and  be  re- 
sponsible for,  the  opgaaf  of  the  Hottentots."  (Philip's  "  Re- 
searches," I.  p.  229,  1828.) 

"  The  first  authentic  account  of  the  state  of  the  Colony 
is  furnished  by  the  oppgaaf  or  tax-lists  for  1796."  (Martin's 
"History  of  Southern  Africa,"  p.  Ill,  1836.) 

Opgeitjes. — The  fruit  of  Gardenia  neuheria,  of  which  the 
natives  and  children  are  fond.     See  Kaffir  cherry. 

Oprecht. — (D.  oprecht,  sincere,  genuine.)  Sincere,  trust- 
worthy. 

"  He  rejoiced  very  much  when  the  independence  of  the 
Transvaal  was  established,  and  from  that  day  was  a  good 
and  loyal  oprecht  burgher  of  the  State."  ("Prinsloo  of  Prins- 
loosdorp,"  p.  23.) 

Oproll  vark. — (D.  oprollen,  to  roll  up  ;  vark,  a  pig.)  A 
name  applied  in  the  Eastern  Province  to  the  hedgehog. 

Opschep. — (D.  opscheppen,  to  serve  up ;  to  scoop  up.)  To 
dish  up,  to  serve  a  meal,  to  scoop  up. 

Opscheplooper. — (D.  opscheppen,  to  serve  up  ;  looper,  a 
runner.)      One  who  sponges  upon  his  friends  for  his  meals. 

Opsit. — (D.  opzitten,  to  sit  up.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this  word 
is  descriptive  of  the  peculiar  method  of  courting  which  in 
earlier  days  was  in  vogue  among  the  Dutch  farming  popula- 
tion, the  duration  of  the  lovers'  evening  interview  being 
determined  by  the  burning  of  a  candle,  which  is  made  at 
the  same  time  to  convey  a  hint  of  the  state  of  the  lady's 
feelings  toward  her  wooer.  Should  she  favour  the  suitor  a 
long  candle  is  employed,  but  if  he  is  not  to  her  liking  she 
produces  "  ends,"  and  he  at  once  understands  that  his  room 
is  preferred  to  his  company. 

"  After  we  had  opsitted  together  several  times,  according 


352  AFRICANDEEISMS 

to  our  custom,  and  burnt  many  very  long  candles,  we  were 
married."     (Haggard's  "  Swallow,"  p.  6,  1899.) 

"  Tobias  meant  to  make  a  bit  of  a  splash  to-day, 
although  he  was  not  prepared  for  the  solemnity  of  an  opsit- 
ting  (that  all-night  form  of  courtship  dear  to  the  heart  of  a 
Boer)."    (Bryden's  "  From  Veldt  Camp  Fires,"  p.  195, 1900.) 

Opslag. — (D.  oogopslag,  a  look,  a  glance.)  (1)  In  Cape 
Dutch  this  word  retains  the  meaning  of  a  glance,  a  look. 
(2)  After  rains  a  profusion  of  various  small,  short-hved 
plants  spring  up  in  the  open  spaces  between  the  karoo 
bushes ;  this  growth  is  designated  "  opslag  ".  (3)  The  term 
is  also  applied  to  that  which  is  self-sown — oats,  barley,  etc. 

"  The  destruction  of  more  lasting  grasses,  and  the  increase 
of  what  we  call  opslag  grass,  is  accounted  for  by  over-stock- 
ing."    ("Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  iii.  p.  145,  1871.) 

"  In  Humansdorp,  where  the  burning  of  the  veld  is  gener- 
ally accused  "  (of  causing  lamziekte),  "  an  opslag  is  considered 
to  be  the  cause."  ("  South  African  Agric.  Journal,"  p. 
39,  July,  1912.) 

Opstal. — In  Cape  Dutch  this  word  is  used  collectively  of 
the  buildings  on  a  farm,  house,  stables,  etc.     See  Upstals. 

Orange-ball  tree. — Buddleia  globosa,  so  called  because  of 
its  bright  yellow  balls  of  blossom. 

Orange  creeper. — Bignoma  venusta ;  the  reference  is  to 
the  colour  of  its  profuse  flowers. 

Orange  heath. — Erica  hlenna,  Salisb.,  var.  grandiflora, 
Bolus,  is  known  by  this  name  in  the  Cape  Province.  See 
Bell  heath. 

Orange  River. — This  was  the  name  given  to  the  Gariep 
(q.v.)  in  honour  of  the  Stadtholder  Maurice,  Prince  of 
Orange.  The  river  drains  an  enormous  extent  of  country, 
and  is  twelve  hundred  miles  long,  having  its  rise  in  the 
Mont  aux  Sources  of  the  Drakensberg  range,  and  entering 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  the  west  coast  of  South  Africa. 

Orange,  Wild. — See  Kaffir  orange,  common  in  the  Trans- 
vaal, Low  country,  or  Bushveld. 

"  There  were  also  baobabs  .  .  .  and  figs,  wild  oranges 
(I  measured  one,  it  was  13^  inches  in  circumference,  and  as 
hard  as  a  cricket  ball)."  (Balfour's  "  1200  Miles  in  a  Waggon," 
p.  110,  1895.) 

Oribi. — Ourebia  scoparia.  Not  a  very  common  antelope 
of  Natal  and  the  eastern  districts  up  to  Mozambique. 


AFEICANDERISMS  363 

"  Bedunca  scoparia.  The  Ourebi.  Ditto  of  the  Cape 
Colonist.  Subokoo  of  the  Matabili."  (Harris'  "Wild 
Sports,"  p.  385,  1839.) 

"  There  were  also  great  numbers  of  the  graceful  little 
oribi  antelopes,  always  to  be  seen  in  twos  and  threes  in  this 
valley."     (Selous*  "Wanderings,"  p.  434,  1895.) 

Orleans. — (D.  olijf,  olive;  Cape  D.  oleen  hout,  olive-wood.) 
A  corruption  sometimes  heard  of  the  Cape  Dutch  name  of 
the  Wild  olive-tree. 

"  For  sale,  15,000  fencing  poles,  Orleans  and  Sneeze-wood, 
from  3  in.  to  5  in.  tops,  7  feet  long."  (Advt.  "  Eastern  Pro- 
vince Herald,"  19  January,  1899.) 

Orlosi  bloem. — (D.  horloge,  a  clock ;  Lat.  horologium,  a 
sundial  or  water-clock ;  D.  bloem,  a  flower.)  The  passion  flower 
is  so  named  by  the  Dutch,  because  the  arrangement  of  the 
stamens  is  supposed  to  resemble  the  hands  of  a  watch  or  clock, 

Os  bij. — (D.  OS,  an  ox;  bij,  a  bee.)  Trigona  sp.  Stingless 
social  bees  found  in  the  Northern  Transvaal.  The  variety 
thus  named  is  also  known  as  the  Small  Moka  bee.  There  is 
a  larger  variety  of  Moka  bee,  which,  if  not  identical  with,  is 
closely  allied  to,  Trigona  clypeata,  Friese. 

"  The  smaller  variety  of  Moka  is  known  among  Afrikanders 
as  OS  bije  (ox-bees) — why,  I  have  not  been  able  to  discover." 
("  South  African  Agric.  Journal,"  p.  794,  June,  1912.) 

Ostrich. — (Lat.  avis  struthio,  the  ostrich  bird.)  Struthio 
australis.  This  bird  has  also  been  called  the  "  Camel-bird," 
because,  like  the  camel,  it  has  a  warty  excrescence  upon  the 
breast  upon  which  it  leans ;  its  feet  too  are  not  unlike  those 
of  the  camel. 

Otje. — (1)  A  pig.  (2)  The  term  is  also  employed  through- 
out the  Midlands  much  as  the  English  word  "  piggy  "  is  used 
to,  or  of,  children. 

OtJe. — Pristipoma  bennettii.  This  seems  to  be  the  same 
as  the  preceding  word,  and  apparently  refers,  like  the  other 
popular  names  which  have  been  given  to  this  fish — Chor-chor, 
Grimter,  Varken  (q.v.) — to  the  curious  noise  which  the  fish 
makes  when  taken  out  of  the  water. 

Otter. — There  are  two  species  of  otter  in  South  Africa, 
the  larger  being  Lutra  capensis  and  the  smaller  L.  maculi- 
collis. 

Ou'dak. — (Mai.  katak,  kadok,  a  frog.)  This  seems  to 
be  a  corruption  of  the  Malay  word  for  a  frog. 

23 


354  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Oude  bosch. — Leucosidea  sericea,  a  member  of  the  RosacecB 
is  thus  named, 

"  Dense  jungles  of  Oude  bosch  (Leucosidea  sericia)  .  .  . 
made  travelling  very  difficult."  ("  Eeport  S.A.A.A.  Science," 
p.  210,  1908.) 

Oudegeluk. — (D.  oud,  old ;  geluJc,  luck,  happiness.)  The 
name  given  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Knysna  to  Halietus 
vocifer.     See  Groote  vischvanger. 

Oudehout. — (D.  oud,  old;  hout,  wood.)  This  name  is 
applied  to  several  different  trees,  among  them  being  Gordia 
caffra  and  Leucosidea  sericea.  The  name  has  reference  ap- 
parently to  the  fact  that  the  V70od  of  these  trees  is  seldom 
straight.     See  Oude  bosch. 

"Een  enkele  boschrand  .  .  .  heet  Oud-hout  nek,  naar  de 
boschjes  van  Oud-hout  waarmede  de  kloven  begroeid  zijn." 
("De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  360,  1882.) 

"  Tv70  good  bee  plants  here  (Lady  Frere)  are  the  tree 
oudenhout  and  the  wild  coffee,  both  flowering  in  the  spring." 
("  Agric.  Journ.  Union  of  South  Africa,"  p.  717,  June,  1911.) 

Oudeklip. — (D.  oud,  old ;  klip,  a  rock.)  Decomposed 
dolomite. 

Ouderling. — An  elder  of  the  Dutch  Keformed  Church. 

"  He  is  now  required  once  a  year  to  visit  the  families 
in  their  dwellings  in  company  of  an  ouderling  or  deacon." 
(Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  357,  1818.) 

"  He  holds  the  highly  honoured  and  responsible  position 
of  an  ouderling  or  elder  of  the  Church  at  Hope  Town." 
(Watkin's  "  From  Farm  to  Forum,"  p.  34,  1906.) 

Ou'Jong. — (D.  oud,  old,  ancient;  jong,  young,  junior.) 
Lit.  "  Old  young,"  a  curious  combination  applied  to  an  old 
coloured  servant.     See  Jong. 

Ou'KIong. — (D.  oud,  old,  ancient;  hlein,  small;  jong, 
young,  junior.)     See  Klong. 

Ou'lap.— (D.  oud,  old  ;  lap,  a  patch,  clout.)  (1)  A  penny 
is  often  called  an  "  ou'lap,"  as  being  a  coin  of  little  worth. 
(2)  The  word  is  also  used  as  an  adjective  in  a  disparaging 
sense. 

"  Writes  a  correspondent  (says  the  '  Worcester  Standard  ') 
from  one  of  the  ou'lap  districts  of  the  South- West."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  29  September,  1908.) 

"  Sixpenny  bits  were  a  rarity,  and  the  penny  ovoulap  was 
a  practically  useless  coin."    ("  Northern  Post,"  20  June,  1912.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  355 

Ou'meid's  snuif. — (CD.  om,  old  ;  vieid,  maid  ;  ou  meid,  a 
coloured  servant ;  D.  snuif,  snuff  powder.)  A  large  "  puff  ball  " 
fungus.     See  Devil's  snuff-box. 

Ourebi. — Ourebia  scoparia.     A  somev^^hat  scarce  antelope. 

"Another  species  of  antelope  was  here  very  plentiful, 
known  by  the  Hottentot  name  of  orabie,  which,  except  in 
colour  and  size,  being  of  a  darker  brown  and  a  little  larger, 
bore  a  considerable  resemblance  to  the  steenbok ;  it  was 
marked  down  the  face  with  two  yellow  lines."  (Barrow's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  138,  1801.) 

Ou'sanna. — (D.  oud,  old  ;  Sanna,  a  woman's  name.)  The 
Dutch  name  for  an  old  matchlock  with  a  long  barrel. 

"  De  ou-Grietjes  en  de  ou-Sannas  van  de  Transvaalsche 
Boeren  hebben  bet  volksgevoel,  de  zucht  naar  vryheid,  den 
droom  eener  Afrikaner-natie  in  duizenden  harten  doen 
ontwaken."  (Hofmeyr's  "  De  Afrikaner-Boer  en  de  Jameson- 
Inval,"  p.  290,  1896.) 

Output. — The  quantity  of  gold  or  diamonds  obtained  from 
the  mines  or  diggings  in  any  given  period. 

"  There  is  every  prospect  of  the  May  output  exceeding 
40,000  ounces."     ("  Cape  Argus,"  9  January,  1902.) 

Outspan. — (1)  At  intervals  along  the  roads  in  South  Africa 
spaces  are  beaconed  off,  some  public,  others  private,  where 
animals  may  be  outspanned  and  allowed  to  graze ;  these  spaces 
are  known  as  "outspans".  (2)  The  word  is  also  used  in 
another  sense,  and  refers,  as  in  the  second  quotation,  not  to 
the  place,  but  to  the  act  of  outspanning. 

"  He  proposed  to  ride  on  slowly  in  the  evening  to  the 
next  outspan^     (Baines'  "  Explorations,"  p.  28,  1864.) 

"  The  night  of  our  first  outspan  was  one  of  the  coldest 
we  had  experienced  in  South  Africa."  (Wood's  "  Through 
Matabeleland,"  p.  1,  1893.) 

Outspan,  To. — (G.  spannen,  to  yoke,  to  put  to.)  To  take 
animals  from  the  yoke  or  harness  for  rest  and  food. 

"  They  very  frequently  unyoke  or  outspan  ...  at  Salt 
Kiver."     (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  52, 1822.) 

Ou-vrouw-onder-de-Komberse. — (D.  lit.  "Old  woman 
under  the  blanket  ".)  This  is  the  humorous  designation 
given  by  the  Dutch  to  a  dish  consisting  of  Carbonatjes  (q.v.) 
baked  in  dough  or  batter — not  unhke  the  English  dish 
known  as  "  Toad-in-the-hole  ". 

Overberg. — (D.  over,  over,    beyond ;    berg,  a  mountain.) 

23* 


356  AFKICANDEKISMS 

In  Natal  this  term  is  applied  to  the  territories  across  its 
mountainous  borders, 

"  The  districts  situated,  with  respect  to  the  metropolis, 
beyond  these  mountains  (Hottentot  Holland),  and  also  their 
inhabitants  and  produce  are  often  distinguished  in  a  general 
way  by  the  word  overbergsch  (tramontane),"  (Burchell's 
Travels,"  i.  p,  88,  1822.) 

"  The  trade  with  the  Dutch  States  beyond  the  Drakens- 
berg,  which  is  technically  known  as  the  Overberg  trade." 
(Mann's  "  Natal,  "  p.  170,  1859.) 

"  Sir  Albert  Hime,  the  Natal  Premier,  interviewed  on  the 
question  of  congestion  of  traffic  and  stoppage  of  permits  for 
civil  trade  Overberg,  said  .  .  .  the  Government  had  taken 
action."     ("  E.  Province  Herald,"  3  March,  1902.) 

Ox- peckers. — The  common  name  of  Buphaga  africana 
and  B.  erythrorhynca.     See  Tick  birds  and  Rhinoceros  bird. 

"  During  our  stay  in  the  bush  Ox-peckers  appeared  in 
numbers  about  our  oxen,  and  actually  ate  large  holes  in  the 
fleshy  part  of  their  backs."  (Layard's  "Birds  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  419,  1875-1884.) 

"  The  eggs  of  the  red-billed  Ox-pecker  are  spotted  with 
purphsh  red."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "Sketches  iof  South 
African  Bird  Life,"  p,  118,  1908,) 

Paapies,—  (D.  paapje,  a  cocoon,  chrysahs.)  In  horses  these 
are  the  larvae  of  the  fly  Aestrus  equi  or  Gastrophilus  equi, 
and  are  known  in  Enghsh  as  "  bots  ". 

"The  papies  is  the  outcome  of  the  gad-fly  or  horse-fly 
which  deposits  its  eggs  or  larvae  on  the  quarters  of  animals 
and  underneath  the  belly  of  the  animal.  The  animal  by  bit- 
ing and  licking  itself  conveys  them  to  the  mouth  and  thence 
into  the  stomach."  ("The  Farmer's  Weekly,"  p.  767,  17 
January,  1912.) 

Paar. — (D.  paar,  a  pair,  couple,  some.  Lat.jpar,  equal, 
a  pair.)  A  curious  use  of  the  word  pair  occurs  in  the  English 
of  the  Midland  districts  due  to  the  influence  of  the  Dutch 
idiom.  To  a  boy  of  the  Midlands  a  pair  of  apples  does  not 
necessarily  imply  two  only,  nor  two  that  happened  to  be 
exactly  alike — it  is  used  in  the  sense  of  some,  a  few.  Cf.  G. 
Kommen  Sie  in  ein  paar  Tagen  ?  (Will  you  come  in  a  few 
days  ?). 

"  Ge  my  assebhef  'npaar  voorbeelde."  (Give  me,  please,  a 
few  examples.)     (Oom  William's  "  Samesprake,"  p.  7,  1885.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  357 

Paard. — (D.  paard,  a  horse.)  The  term  applied  by  the 
Namaquas  to  the  block  of  wood  which  they  employ  to  assist 
them  in  crossing  swollen  rivers.     See  River  horse. 

"  He  launched  into  the  stream  upon  a  log  of  wood  about  his 
own  length,  commonly  used  for  this  purpose,  called  a  paard 
or  horse."     (Steedman's  "Adventures,"  i.  p.  159,  1835.) 

Paarde  bos. — (D.  paard,  a  horse  ;  bos,  a  bush.)  The 
Namaqualand  name  of  a  shrub  of  which  horses  are  very  fond. 

Paarde  frutang. — Some  of  the  larger  species  of  Bomulea 
are  so  named  in  the  Riversdale  District. 

Paarde  kapok. — (D.  paard,  a  horse;  Mai.  kapas,  cotton.) 
Lanaria  plumosa,  Ait.  (See  Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis," 
p.  325,  1823.) 

"  Here,  however,  was  plenty  of  that  curious  plant  called 
by  the  Colonists  PaardeJcapok,  or  horse  cotton."  (Bunbury's 
"Journal,"  p.  105,1848.) 

Paardepis. — Clausena  incequalis,  Oliv.  The  name  has 
reference  to  the  peculiar  smell  of  the  wood  of  this  shrub. 
The  juice  of  the  leaves  of  this  plant  is  used  for  "  sore  eyes  ". 

Through  some  confusion  Eklon  and  Zeyher  give  the 
name  Hippobromus  (a  Greek  translation  of  the  Dutch  name) 
to  quite  a  different  shrub  ;  and  although  the  Government 
Forest  Lists  quote  the  Dutch  name  opposite  Hippobromus 
alata,  it  is  applied  by  the  Colonists  solely  to  Clausena 
incequalis,  the  foetid  smell  of  which  it  suits  exactly. 

"  These  two  species  bear  the  coarse  and  inappropriate  name 
of  Paard, — which  is  given  them  by  the  Colonists  of  the  S.E. 
coast  where  they  abound."  ("C.G.H.  Lit.  Gazette,"  p.  161, 
1831.) 

"Hippobromus  .  .  .  Name,  tTTTro?,  a  horse,  and  l3pcofx,o<;,  a 
smell;  colonia.! na^me  Paardepis.  ("Flora  Capensis,"  Vol.  i. 
p.  241,  1859-1860.) 

Paardepram. — (D,  paard,  a  horse ;  praam,  a  woman's 
breast.)  Xanthoxylon  capense,  Harv.  In  the  trees  of  large 
growth  the  trunk  is  covered  with  knobs  somewhat  resembling 
a  mare's  teat — hence  the  name.     See  Knob-wood. 

"  A  perfect  vegetable  cure  for  snake  bite  exists  in  the 
shape  of  the  root  of  a  tree  growing  in  most  parts  of  South 
Africa.  The  Dutch  name  spelt  phonetically  is  paraprom." 
("  Scientific  African,"  p.  60,  1896.)  (The  Editor  identifies 
"  paraprom  "  as  being  probably  Polygala  serpentaria,  but 
that  is  known  to  the  Dutch  as  the  "  Kaffir  Slangen  Wortel  ".) 


358  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Paarde  vijgen.— (D.  paard,  a  horse;  vijg,  a  fig.)  The 
name  given  to  a  variety  of  Mesemhryanthemum. 

"  The  native  plants  v^^ill  do  their  share  in  staying  the 
sands;  the  succulent  creeping  Mesembryanthemums  (T'gau- 
kum  and  Paarde  vygen)  and  Myrica  all  help  to  render  the 
sands  more  stable."  (Stoneman's  "Plants  and  their  Ways  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  97,  1906.) 

Paarde  visch.  —  (D.  paarde,  a  horse;  visch,  a  fish.) 
Agriopus  verrucorus,  G.  and  V.  The  resemblance  v^hich  the 
profile  of  the  head  of  this  fish  bears  to  that  of  a  horse,  v^^hich 
is  enhanced  by  the  mane-like  appearance  of  the  dorsal  fin, 
has  given  rise  to  this  name.     See  Horse-fish. 

Paardevoetjes. — (D. paard,  a,  hoiae;  voet,  a,  foot)  A  large 
variety  of  Patella. 

Paardeziekte. — (D.  paard,  a  horse ;  ziekte,  sickness.)  See 
Horse-Sickness. 

"  De  ' paardenziekte '  V70rdt  beschreven  als  een  acute  ont- 
steking  der  longen  met  sterke  afscheiding  van  serum,  dat  zich 
in  de  lucht-cellen  ophoopt,  en  in  ongunstige  gevallen  den  dood 
veroorzaakt  door  verstikking."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd 
der  Transvalers,"  p.  358,  1882.) 

Paarlemoer  or  Perlemoen. — (D.  paarl,  a  pearl ;  moeder, 
contr.  moer,  mother.)  (1)  Mother-of-pearl.  (2)  Several 
varieties  of  Haliotidce  are  so  called.     See  Klip-kous. 

The  form  Perlemoen  seems  to  have  arisen  from  a  mistaken 
etymology. 

"  Perlamoen  te  stoof. — Haal  di  perlamoen  uit  di  skulp," 
etc.  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Kesepten  Boek,"  p.  18, 
1898.) 

"The  Paarl  lemoe7i  (!)  or  Klip  kous  (' stone  stocking '), 
a  species  of  shell-fish  found  on  many  parts  of  the  South 
African  coast,  adhering  to  the  rocks."  (Hilda's  "  Where  is  it  ? 
of  Kecipes,"  p.  164,  1904.) 

"  The  Perlemoen  or  Klipkoes  of  South  African  seas  (Hali- 
otis)."     (Gilchrist's  "  South  African  Zoology,"  p.  192,  1911.) 

Paarl,  The. — (J),  paarl,  a  pearl.)  A  town  in  the  Western 
Province,  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  granite  ridge,  vi^hose  enor- 
mous boulders  glistening  in  the  sun  like  huge  pearls,  suggested 
the  name. 

"  Dieser  Weg  fiihret  hemach  auf  einen  Berg,  der  Perlen- 
Berg  genannt.  Nicht  als  ob  man  Perlen  auf  ihm  fande,  sondern 
wegen  eines  grossen  Felsens  auf  seinen  grossen  Gipfel,  den 


AFEICANDERISMS  359 

die  gemeinen  Leute  einer  Perle  ahnlich  halten."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  227,  1745.) 

"  The  mountain  of  the  Paarl  furnishes  a  fine  field  for  the 
botanist."     (Barrow's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  61,  1801.) 

Pacht. — (Lat.  pactus,  an  agreement,  a  pact.)  An  agree- 
ment, a  duty,  an  impost ;  as  D.  zout-pacht,  the  salt  duty. 

"  We  would  seriously  take  into  consideration  the  propriety 
of  re-estabhshing  the  old  Pacht  for  Cape  Town."  ("  C.G.H. 
Lit.  Gazette,"  p.  243,  February,  1832.) 

Pack -ox. — Oxen  were  used  in  South  Africa,  before  the 
advent  of  Europeans,  both  by  Hottentots  and  Kaffirs  for  riding 
purposes  and  for  carrying  loads,  and  are  still  so  used  by  the 
Kaffirs.  A  hole  is  bored  through  the  gristle  of  the  nose  and 
a  wooden  pin  passed  through  it,  to  each  end  a  riem  was 
fastened,  the  whole  doing  duty  as  bit,  bridle,  and  reins.  A 
sheep's  skin  is  folded  and  fastened  on  the  back  by  another 
riem  passing  quite  round  the  body  of  the  animal,  for  a 
saddle. 

"  Diese  Last  Ochsen  gebrauchen  die  Hottentotten  zum 
Wegtragen  ihrer  Hiitten  und  Gerathschafft  .  .  .  auch  setzen 
sie  die  alte  Leute,  Kranke  und  Schwachen  darauf."  (Kol- 
ben's "Beschreibung,"  p.  166,  1745.) 

"  These  oxen  are  by  the  colonists  called  pack-oxen,  they 
being  also  used  for  carrying  packs  and  burthens."  (Sparr- 
man's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  238,  1785.) 

"  It  was  curious  to  see  officers  riding  at  the  head  of  their 
men  on  pach-hullocks  guided  by  a  thong  through  the  carti- 
lage of  the  nose."  (Hoodie's  "  Battles  of  South  Africa,"  i.  p. 
370,  1888.) 

Pack,  To. — This  word  is  sometimes  used  with  the  meaning 
of  "  to  tramp,  or  tread  in  ". 

"  The  ground  all  round  was  packed  flat  with  their  spoor." 
(Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  143,  1850.) 

Padda. — (D.  pad,  a  toad ;  cf.  Eng.  pad-diOck,  a  frog,  toad  ; 
Mid.  Eng.  padde  ;  Scot,  padda.)  The  South  African  name 
for  all  varieties  of  frogs,  generally  pronounced  "  podder  ". 

"  '  It  sounds  like  treacle,'  said  Abe  with  a  puzzled  look, 
'  but  I  don't  see  what  the  podder's  got  to  do  with  it  any 
how.' "     (Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  241,  1897.) 

Padda  klauw. — (D.  pad,  a  toad  ;  klauw,  a  claw,  paw.) 
Teucriu7n  africanum.  The  flowers  of  this  plant  resemble  i  n 
shape  a  frog's  or  toad's  foot — hence  the  name. 


360  AFBICANDEEISMS 

Padda  sHjm.— (D-  pad,  a  toad;  slijm,  slime,  mucus.) 
The  fine  filaments  of  several  species  of  freshwater  algae — 
Gonfervacece — are  so  named. 

Paddavanger. — (D.  pad,  a  toad ;  vangen,  to  catch.)  This 
is  another  name  for  the  Hammerkop  (q.v.)- 

"  The  crane  put  in  a  claim  for  high  flying,  also  the  pad- 
derf anger,  and  the  owl  too ;  but  of  course  he  was  laughed  at, 
for  he  was  far  too  sleepy  to  do  anything  of  the  sort." 
("Everyday  Life  in  Cape  Colony,"  by  X.C.,  p.  42,  1902.) 

Paddawater. — {T>.pad,  a  toad.)  Water  pools  caused  by 
the  rain  in  which  frogs  breed. 

"  Some  farmers  accuse  the  so-called  padda  ivater  col- 
lecting after  the  rainfall."  ("  S.  A.  Agric.  Joum.,"  p.  40,  July, 
1912.) 

"  Water  of  whatever  description,  river  or  rain  (so-called 
padawaterjes),  could  not  be  responsible  for  the  disease  " 
(Lamziekte).     ("  S.  A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  46,  July,  1912.) 

Paddy  or  Padda. — Lophius  upsicephalus,  known  at  East 
London  as  the  devil-fish  or  angler. 

"  Known  in  several  places  in  the  Colony  as  the  Paddy, 
and  in  others  as  the  Devil  fish."  (Gilchrist's  "  History  of 
the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p.  219,  1900.) 

Padkost. — (D.  pad,  path ;  host,  food.)  Food  provided  for 
a  journey. 

Padlooper. —  (D.  pad,  path  ;  looper,  a  runner.)  (1)  A 
small  tortoise  is  so  named.  (2)  It  is  more  commonly 
applied,  perhaps,  to  a  tramp  or  vagabond. 

"  Here  I  saw  the  first  land-tortoise  of  the  species  called 
by  the  Dutch  patlooper,  from  their  generally  keeping  in  the 
pathway  or  carriage  road."  (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  57, 
1818.) 

"  Daar  leerde  ik  op  de  sporen  van  schildpadden  (padloopers) 
loopen,  tot  ik  ze  in  handen  had."  (Hofmeyr's  "  Twintig 
Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  9,  1890.) 

Padloopertje. — (D.  pad,  path  ;  looper,  runner.)  Megalo- 
phonus  cinereus,  Lay.  The  reference  is  to  the  habit  which 
this  bird  has  of  running  along  the  road.  See  Kuifkop  koes- 
koetje. 

Pagter. — (D.  pachter,  a  farmer,  tenant ;  Lat.  pactus,  an 
agreement,  bargain.)  A  tenant  farmer ;  a  hcensed  retailer  of 
spirituous  liquors. 

"  There  were  also  a  town  butcher  and  baker,  and  &  pagter 


AFEICANDEEISMS  361 

ipakter)  or  retailer  of  wine  and  brandy."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  145,  1824.) 

Paijbos. — Bhus  lucida.  This  would  appear  to  be  a  mis- 
print for  Taaibosch  (q.v.). 

"I  have  heard  of  their  {Aquila  verreauxi)  nests  in 
Paijbos  bushes  (Bhus  lucida)  along  the  Zeekoe  Eiver," 
(Layard's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  34,  1875-84.) 

Paint  brushes. — The  flowers  of  the  Hcemanthus  are 
known  by  this  name  in  the  neighbourhood  of  East  London. 

"  The  flowers  are  known  to  the  children  hereabouts  as 
paint  brushes."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  20  July, 
1909.) 

Painted  lady. — Gladiolus  debilis,  Ker.,  is  so  named  in  the 
Western  Province. 

"  Gladiolus  .  .  .  Painted  Ladies  and  '  Kalkoentjes'  belong 
here.  Eighty-one  species  of  this  large  genus  are  found  in 
South  Africa."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  198,  1906.) 

Paljas. — (Mansvelt  derives  this  word  from  the  F.  pail- 
lasse, bed-ticking,  a  clown,  one  dressed  that  is  in  toile  d  pail- 
lasse ;  but  there  can  be  little  doubt,  I  think,  that  it  is  the 
Malay  word  paliyas,  invulnerable,  charmed  against  wounds ; 
pangliyas,  weapon  proof.)  In  the  Cape  Colony  this  word  is 
used  of  (1)  a  charm  or  spell ;  (2)  a  conjuror  or  sorcerer. 

Pallah. — ^pyceros  melampus.     See  Impala  and  Kooibok. 

"  One  is  called  Paala  (Parla)  by  the  Bichuanas." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  300,  1824.) 

Palm. — An  Eastern  Province  name  for  various  members 
of  the  Cycadacece  Family.     See  Bread  palm. 

"  The  local  cycads  are  commonly  called  '  Kafiirbread,' 
.  .  .  '  bread-^aZw,'  or  simply  palm.''  ("East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  3,  24  December,  1908.) 

Palmiet. — Prionium  Palmita,  a  species  of  Juncacece,  the 
stalk  of  which  has  a  pleasant,  nut-flavoured,  edible  pith 
which  the  coloured  people  and  children  seem  to  enjoy. 

"  Sometimes  they  (Hottentots)  will  devour  bits  of  bullock's 
hide  roasted  over  the  fire  ;  at  others  they  eat  the  tender  leaves 
of  the  palmiet,  a  plant  resembling  flags,  which  grows  in  the 
river."  (Hoodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  96, 
1835.) 

"  The  flower  and  root  of  the  bulrush  as  well  as  the  .  .  . 
palmiet  {Juncus  serratus)  formed  the  main  article  of  the  diet 


362  AFEICANDEKISMS 

of  the  Makobas,  as  well  as  of  the  poorer  Bechuanas." 
(Chapman's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  193,  1868.) 

Pampelmoose. — (The  etymology  of  this  word  is  uncertain.) 
(1)  Citrus  decumana,  L.  The  forms  which  this  word  has  as- 
sumed are  not  a  little  amusing  :  e.g.  pumplenose,  pumplemuse, 
pummelnose,  pimplenoses.  See  Yule  and  Burnell's  "  Anglo- 
Indian  Glossary,"  Art.  "Pommelo".  (2)  The  fruit  of 
Physalis peruviana — the  Cape  gooseberry  is  also  known  by  this 
name  :  as  thus  employed  it  would  appear  to  be  a  corruption 
of  the  F.  pomme-d' amour,  Appeltje  der  liefde  (q.v.). 

"  The  pompelmoes  or  shaddock,  the  fruit  of  which  is  one 
of  the  most  wholesome,  on  account  of  its  refreshing  quality 
and  taste."     (Stavorinus'  "Voyages,"  i.  p.  235,  1798.) 

Pamperlang. — (Mai.  pamhujuhan,  flattery,  coaxing,  wheed- 
ling.)    To  flatter,  cajole. 

Pampoentjes. — (D.  pampoen,  a  pumpkin.)  Among  the 
Dutch  the  mumps  are  known  by  this  designation,  lit.  "little 
pumpkins  " — inflamed  and  swollen  parotid  glands.  See  Kal- 
bassies. 

Pan. — (1)  A  nearly  circular  depression,  in  which  a  sahne  in- 
crustation generally  remains  after  the  water,  which  accumu- 
lates in  it  in  the  wet  season,  has  either  evaporated  or  been 
absorbed.  (2)  The  word  is  sometimes  used  as  being  synonym- 
ous with  "Vlei"  (q.v.). 

"  The  following  morning  we  outspanned  at  a, pan  (lakelet)." 
(De  Waal's  "With  Ehodes  in  Mashonaland,"  p.  26,  1896.) 

"  Eines  Morgens  .  .  .  der  Kommandant  und  ich  .  .  .  hat- 
ten  bei  einer  kleinen  Pan  (Pfanne  d.  h.  Vertiefung,  wo 
sich  das  Wasser  ansammelt)  abgesattlet. "  (Schiel's  "  22  Jahre 
in  Sud-Afrika,"  p.  189,  1902.) 

Pan. — A  local  abbreviation  at  Kimberley  for  the  somewhat 
cumbersome  "  Du  Toit's  Pan  ". 

Pangar — Pagrus  laniarius. 

"  It  seems  probable  that  it  {panga)  may  have  been  origin- 
ally a  Malay  name ;  and  there  is  some  confirmation  of  this. 
Valentyn  in  his  'Old  and  New  East  Indies,'  mentions  a 
fish  which  the  natives  called  Ikan  Pangerang  or  Pangarang 
(literally,  prince)  which  seems  to  bear  some  resemblance  to 
the  Cape  Panga,  more  especially  in  its  having  the  protruding 
teeth.  I  have  some  confidence,  therefore,  in  ofl'ering  this 
explanation  of  the  name."  (Gilchrist's  "  History  of  the  Local 
Names  of  Cape  Fishes,"  p.  218,  1900.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  363 

"  Snoek  is  still  in  season ;  a.\so  pangar,  a  very  nice  fish  for 
frying."  (Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  142, 
1902.) 

Pangolin — (Mai.  pangguling,  the  creature  that  rolls  itself 
up,  Manis  Javanica.)  Manis  Temminckii,  a  scaled  animal 
belonging  to  the  Order  Edentata  (ant-eaters).  See  Ijzer 
magauw. 

"  Seen  from  a  distance  the  pangolin  or  Manis  might  easily 
be  mistaken  for  a  small  alligator.  .  .  .  Possessing  the  power 
of  rolling  itself  into  a  ball  like  a  hedge-hog,  this  otherwise 
defenceless  animal  is  at  once  rendered  perfectly  invulner- 
able to  the  attacks  of  its  foes."  (Harris's  "  Wild  Sports,"  p. 
301,  1889.) 

Pan  out,  To. — A  slang  phrase  derived  from  the  process 
described  below,  having  reference  to  the  result  of  a  speculation 
or  venture. 

"  There's  another  scheme  I've  been  plotting,  but  it  don't 
pan  out  overmuch."  (Mitford's  "  Luck  of  Gerard  Kidgeley," 
p.  157.) 

"  Smith  he  held  a  commission  sale  in  the  camp  every 
afternoon.  He  did  not  ^au  o?^^  much."  (Glanville's  "  The 
Fossicker,"  p.  119,  1891.) 

Pan,  To. — Part  of  the  primitive  process  adopted  by  pro- 
spectors and  diggers  in  dealing  with  gold-bearing  quartz  or 
soil ;  after  being  crushed  it  is  washed  in  a  round  dish  partly 
filled  with  water,  the  gold,  if  there  is  any,  appearing  as  a  thin 
yellow  streak  at  the  bottom. 

"It  was  amusing  to  go  to  a  digger's  encampment,  see 
him  'crush'  his  quartz,  and  then  pan  it."  ("Adventures 
in  Mashonaland  by  Two  Nurses,"  p.  168,  1893.) 

Papegaai. — (D.  papegai ;  Sp.  papagayo  ;  Ar.  babagha,  a 
parrot.)  Poicephalus.  Parrot.  The  word  is  used  by 
Chaucer : — 

The  briddes  singe,  it  is  no  nay, 
The  sparhauk  and  the  papeiay, 
That  Joye  it  was  to  here 

("  Sir  Thopas,"  11.  1556-58) 

but  had  reference  to  the  green  wood-pecker  {Gecinus  viridis). 

Papegaai  duif. — (D.  duif,  pigeon,  dove.)  Turturcena 
delagorguei.  The  crimson  winged  pigeon,  a  rather  rare 
species. 

Papegaai  visch. — (D.  papegai ;  Sp.  papagayo ;  Ar.  hah- 
agha,  a  parrot.)     Hoplegnathus  cojiwayi  has  received  this 


364  AFEICANDEEISMS 

name  on  account  of  its  hard  parrot-like  beak.  See  Parrot 
fish  and  Snoek  galjeon. 

Paper  bark. — The  Transvaal  name  of  a  species  of 
Albizzia. 

Paper  house. — A  vast  improvement  upon  the  "canvas 
house"  of  the  early  Diamond  Field  days.     See  quotation. 

"A  very  pretty  paper  house.  These  paper  houses  are 
common  in  Bulawayo — they  are  really  w^ire-wove  with 
wooden  frames,  iron  roofs,  cardboard  walls,  with  proper 
fire-places,  windows  and  verandahs,  etc.  Just  like  a  stone- 
built  house  in  appearance,  but  portable  ;  sent  out  from  Queen 
Victoria  Street  in  pieces."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland 
Campaign,  1896,"  p.  80,  1897.) 

Papier  bloem. — (D.  papier,  paper;  bloem,  a  flower.)  Stat- 
ice  purpurata.     (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  277, 1823.) 

Papies. — The  flowers  of  Gladiolus  villosus  are  so  called. 
See  Pijpies,  of  which  this  seems  to  be  a  corruption. 

"  The  pretty  httle  pink  or  reddish  papie  (gladiolus  villosus) 
is  scattered  over  flat  places."  ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  9,  14  Sep- 
tember, 1912.) 

Papkuil. — Typha  angustifolia — the  bull-rush. 

"In  the  low  swampy  parts  papkuil  and  stick  reeds." 
("Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  266,  1857.) 

Parade,  The. — A  large  open  space  adjoining  the  Castle, 
Cape  Town,  used  for  drill,  parade,  and  other  purposes. 

"  On  the  north-western  side  of  the  Castle  is  the  Parade, 
a  large  oblong  plain,  surrounded  by  a  walk,  shaded  by  pin- 
asters and  stone  pines,  and  enclosed  by  a  wall  and  a  moat." 
(Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  73,  1822.) 

Paradise  fly-catcher. — Terpsiphone  perspicillata. 

"  It  is  curious  that  our  Paradise  fly-catcher,  with  its  fine 
plumage  and  exquisite  nest,  should  have  such  a  wretched 
voice."     ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  4  December,  1908.) 

Parasol  tree. — The  Lower  Albany  name  for  Cussonia 
Thyrsiflora.     See  Noois  boom. 

Parmantig. — (Sp.  paramento,  finery,  trappings.)  Fashion- 
able, haughty,  overbearing,  impertinent. 

"  The  grass  was  too  long,  the  water  too  cold,  the  rains  too 
heavy,  the  markets  too  far,  the  money  too  scarce,  the  mer- 
chandise too  dear,  the  Kaffir  too  parmantig."  (Dower's 
"  Early  Annals  of  Kokstad,"  p.  14, 1902.) 

"  I  hear  some  of  his  Dorp  people  are  about  to  leave — he 


AFKICANDEEISMS  365 

is  so  independent  Skud permansig  in  his  doings."  (Wilmot's 
"  Life  of  Sir  Eichard  Southey,"  p.  69,  1905.) 

Parra  or  Parrak — (D.pad,  a  toad.)  A  common  corrup- 
tion of  Padda  (q.v.}. 

Parrot  fish. — In  the  Cape  Colony  this  name  is  given  to 
Hoplegnathus  conwayi.  See  Papagaai  visch.  But  in  Natal 
the  name  is  given  to  Julis  umbrostigma,  Bipp.,  the  reference 
being  to  its  gay  colouring  of  green,  blue  and  pink. 

"  The  commonest  fish  found  (at  Delagoa  Bay)  are  rock- 
cod  .  .  .  parrot  fish,  long  hnned.  dory."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 4  July,  1905.) 

"  I  secured  the  head  of  the  parrot  fish,  which  is  somewhat 
rare  on  our  coast,  in  fact  it  is  rare  anywhere,  only  one  genus  of 
this  family  being  known  to  science."  ("East  London  Dis- 
patch," 12  March,  1906.) 

Parson  crow. — Corvus  scapulatus.  Baud.  This  bird  has  a 
white  breast  and  a  white  ring  round  its  neck,  while  the  rest 
of  its  body  is  black.  See  Wit-borst  kraai.  The  Kaffir 
name  of  this  bird  is  i  Hlungulu  and  occasionally  they  designate 
ministers  ama  Hlungulu. 

Part,  For  my. — A  curious  use  of  this  phrase  prevails  in 
some  parts  of  the  Cape  Province :  e.g.  "  You  can  do  it  for 
my  part,"  meaning,  "  You  can  do  it  instead  of  me  ".  "  You 
can  go  for  my  part,"  meaning,  "  You  can  go  in  my  place  ". 

Partridge,  Bush. — Francolinus  natalensis  is  so  called  in 
Natal. 

"  The  hush  partridge  measures  13  inches  in  length." 
(Woodward's  "Natal  Birds,"  p.  162,  1899.) 

Partridge,  Cape — Francolimis  africanus.  A  bird  widely 
distributed  throughout  South  Africa  ;  it  is  not  a  true  partridge, 
but  though  a  little  smaller  not  unlike  its  English  namesake. 

"  In  the  Cape  Colony  the  two  best  known  species  are  the 
Cape  Eedwing  (Francolinus  Levaillanti)  and  the  Grey-wing 
or  Cape  partridge  (F.  africanus)."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's 
"  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  126,  1908.) 

Partridge,  Namaqua — Pterochirus  navmqua.  This  bird  is 
really  a  Sand-grouse. 

"  At  this  place  we  met  with,  for  the  first  time,  the 
Namaqua  partridge,  a  very  small  species  of  Grous."  (Bur- 
chell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  265,  1822.) 

Pasganger. — ij).  pas,  pace,  step;  gang,  gait.)  A  horse 
with  a  peculiar  gait. 


366  AFKICANDEEISMS 

"  The  performances  of  pasgangers  and  *  trippelaars  '  in 
former  days,  are  probably  lost  to  history."  (Iron's  "  Settlers' 
Guide,"  p.  159,  1858.) 

"  It  was  an  ugly  old  mare,  a  pasganger  that  used  to 
waddle  along  in  most  ungainly  fashion."  (Dugmore's  "  Ke- 
miniscences,"  p.  33,  1871.) 

Pas  op ! — (D.  oppassen,  to  wait  on,  to  take  care  of ;  cf. 
G.  aufpassen  and  Passen  Sie  auff)  A  common  expression 
in  South  Africa  equivalent  to  the  English,  "  Look  out !  " 
"  Take  care  !  "     It  is  frequently  corrupted  into  "  Boss  up  !  " 

"  The  warning  shout  of  Moritz  to  pas  op,  would  have 
rectified  it,  but  our  hunter  was  here  more  at  home."  (Dray- 
son's  "  Tales  of  the  Outspan,"  p.  122,  1862.) 

Pass,  A. — A  certificate  signed  by  a  magistrate  or  pro- 
perly authorized  person,  given  to  a  slave  or  servant  in  olden 
days,  and  in  these  days  to  native  or  Hottentot  servants  to 
estabhsh  identity  or  to  authorize  them  to  proceed  from  one 
place  to  another  with  horses  or  stock.  The  word  is  practic- 
ally equivalent  to  the  English  word  "  permit,"  a  written 
licence  or  permission. 

"  A  vagrancy  law,  the  design  of  which  is  to  commit  men 
as  vagrants  .  .  .  who  might  be  found  travelling  about,  with- 
out some  pass  or  ticket  of  permission  to  remove."  (Free- 
man's "Tour,"  p.  20,  1851.) 

Pass  system. — The  law  and  its  regulations  by  which 
passes  or  permits  were  issued  as  above. 

"  Upon  more  occasions  than  one  I  have  endeavoured  to 
bring  to  the  notice  of  the  public  the  evils  of  the  Pass  system." 
("  The  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  2  March,  1859.) 

Patrijsje. — (D.  patrijs,  a  partridge.)  A  wild  flower  in 
the  Western  Province — the  name  refers  to  its  shape. 

"  Kalkoentjes  and  patrijsjes  are  good  names  for  some 
flowers  if  one  understands  Dutch."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and 
their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  107, 1906.) 

Patrijs  kos.— (D.  patrijs,  partridge  ;  kost,  food.)  Watsonia 
spp. 

"The  bulbs  of  the  Watsonia— patrijs  kos  it  is  called 
—so  plentiful  in  some  parts  of  the  veld."  ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  6,  18  October,  1912.) 

Pauw. — (D.  pauw  ;  F.  paon ;  Lat.  pavo,  a  peacock.) 
There  are  three  varieties  of  bustard  known  by  this  name  : 
Otis  Kori,  0.  Gaffra,  and  0.  Ludivigii.  When  full  grown 
they  are  really  fine  birds  and  make  i  good  eating.     They  are 


AFRICANDEKISMS  367 

popularly  known  as  the  Gom  pauw  (from  its  supposed  fond- 
ness for  the  gum  of  the  mimosas),  the  Vlak  pauw  and  the 
Bush  pauw  (from  the  nature  of  their  respective  habitat). 
See  also  Duin  pauw. 

"  A  third  which  appeared  to  be  by  much  the  finest  bird  in 
South  Africa  .  .  .  called  here  the  wilde  pauw,  or  wild  pea- 
cock."    (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  139,  1801.) 

"On  the  higher  grounds  the^ow;  (a  large  species  of  bus- 
tard) was  frequently  seen."  (Gardiner's  "  Journey,"  p.  226, 
1836.) 

*'  There  are  two  distinct  species  of  them — the  bush  pauio 
and  the  vlakte  or  veldt  pauw."  (Clairmonte's  "  The  Afri- 
cander," p.  196,  1896.) 

Pawie  perski. — (It.  Pavia,  the  town  ;  D.  perzik,  a  peach.) 
A  white  clingstone  peach  which  originally  came  from  the 
neighbourhood  of  Pavia. 

Peach  brandy. — A  low  class  spirit  which  is  made  from 
the  yellow  or  St.  Helena  peach  (q.v.). 

"  The  yellow  peach  is  almost  the  only  kind  grown  .  .  .  the 
Boer  farmers  use  it  for  making  peach-brandy  .  .  .  anything 
more  abominable  to  a  fresh  comer  than  this  decoction  is 
difficult  to  imagine."  (Distant's  "  A  Naturalist  in  the  Trans- 
vaal," p.  17,  1892.) 

Peach  moth. — EryhoUis  Vaillantia.  The  Natal  name  of 
this  strikingly  coloured  moth,  which  is  very  destructive  to  fruit. 

Peacock  ore. — A  variety  of  copper  ore  abundant  in  the 
copper  mines  of  O'okiep  and  Concordia  in  Namaqualand,  so 
called  because  of  its  deep  peacock-blue  colour. 

"  The  ore  is  principally  bornite — peacock-ore  as  it  is  often 
called  on  account  of  its  beautiful  iridescent  colouring." 
("  The  State,"  p.  487,  November,  1911.) 

Peacock's  eyes. — In  the  Western  Province  Mar  ma  pavo- 
nia  is  so  named. 

"  Some  of  our  large  flowers,  as  Hypoxis  stellata  (pea- 
cock's eyes),  are  borne  singly  on  the  end  of  the  flower  stalk." 
(Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
Ill,  1906.) 

Peg  off,  To. — To  mark  out  by  pegs  one  or  more  "  claims  " 
on  an  area  proclaimed  by  Government  as  a  gold  or  diamond 
mining  area. 

Peg  out,  To. — An  adopted  Americanism,  meaning  "to 
die". 


368  AFEICANDEKISMS 

Pekelaar  or  Pekelaring. — (D.  pekelharing,  pickled  herr- 
ing.)    Fish  pickled  in  brine  or  salted. 

"  Snoek  pekelaar  is  the  name  we  give  to  fillets  of  snoek 
slightly  salted  and  sun-dried."  (Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a  Cape 
Housekeeper,"  p.  142,  1902.) 

Pen. — A  threepenny  piece  is  so  called  by  the  Natal  na- 
tives and  Coolies. 

"  A  Kafir  brought  me  for  sale  a  nesting  owl,  which  I  at 
once  purchased  for  &pen (threepenny  piece)."  ("  Queenstown 
Free  Press,"  29  July,  1884.) 

"  They  very  seldom  will  sell  anything  for  less  than  a 
threepenny-bit,  which  they  call  a  pen,  and  as  they  rarely 
have  change,  one  is  obliged  to  try  and  keep  a  stock  of  pens 
in  the  house."  (Eose  Monteiro's  "  Delagoa  Bay,  Its  Na- 
tives and  Natural  History,"  p.  55, 1891.) 

"  He  (the  native)  named  the  copper  penny  '  deeblish  ' 
and  the  silver  fourpenny  and  threepenny  pieces,  pen.'' 
(Eussell's  "  Old  Durban,"  p.  104,  1899.) 

Penguin,  Jackass. — (Port,  pingue,  fat ;  Lat.  pinguis.) 
Spheniscus  demersa.  These  birds  are  to  be  found  in  large 
numbers  on  some  of  the  islands  round  the  coast ;  they  nest 
in  a  burrow  sometimes  of  considerable  length,  and  are  the 
only  members  of  the  family  that  take  any  trouble  to  secure 
their  eggs  from  hurt.  They  have  received  this  name  because 
their  cry  is  ludicrously  like  the  bray  of  a  donkey. 

"  This  species  is  known  to  sea-faring  men  as  the  Jackass 
penguin ;  and  its  favourite  resorts  are  the  Ichaboe,  Mercury, 
Hollanis-bird,  and  Possession  Islands."  (Andersson's  "  Birds 
of  Damaraland,"  p.  348,  1872.) 

Penknife. — The  East  London  name  of  a  variety  of  shell- 
fish (Solenensis)  used  as  bait. 

"  Sea  lice  are  unknown  at  East  London,  but  they  have  a 
sort  of  shell-fish  called  penknife  bait."  ("Natal  Mercury 
Pictorial,"  p.  154,  1906.) 

Penny  trumpeters. — The  Pied  barbet — Tricholama  leu- 
comelas  has  a  cry  not  at  all  unlike  the  noise  made  by  a  toy- 
trumpet — hence  the  name.  The  bird  mentioned  in  the 
quotation  is  a  tinker  bird,  a  near  relative,  but  it  has  a  loud 
metallic  call. 

"  We  omitted  in  a  previous  month  to  notice  the  receipt 
from  the  Albany  Museum  of  another  of  those  elegant  little 
barbets  ca^Wedpenny  trumpeters  (Megalaimabarbatula),  among 


AFEICANDEKISMS  369 

other  specimens."  ("  South  African  Magazine,"  iii.  p.  595, 
1869.) 

Pens  en  pootjes. — (D.  pens,  paunch ;  poot,  a  foot.)  A  dish 
composed  of  sheep's  entrails  and  feet. 

"  Two  or  three  sheep  were  killed  every  day,  the  entrails 
and  feet  were  cooked  with  the  fat  of  the  tail,  after  a  fashion 
which  is  very  much  in  vogue  throughout  the  Colony,  under 
the  name  oi pens  en  pootjes.''  (Lichtenstein's  "Travels,"  ii. 
p.  355,  1814.) 

Pens  mist. — (D.  pens,  paunch  ;  mist  or  mest,  manure.) 
The  contents  of  the  first  stomach  in  ruminants. 

"  Many  farmers  had  stated  that  when  eaten  the  pens  mist 
(contents  of  the  first  stomach)  caused  the  disease  (Lam- 
ziekte)."    ("  S.A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  45,  July,  1912.) 

Peper  boschje. — (JD.peper,  pepper.)  Belhania  genistcefolia, 
and  other  species  are  so  named  in  the  Eiversdale  District. 

Peper  en  zout. — (D.  "  pepper  and  salt  ".)  A  wild  flower 
has  been  thus  named  because  of  its  colour. 

Peper  wortel. —  (D. peper,  pepper;  wortel,  a  root.)  The 
name  sometimes  given  to  "  horse-radish  ". 

Perjeel  or  Prijeel. — (D.  prieel,  a  bower,  an  arbour;  F. 
preau,  a  little  meadow ;  Lat.  pratellum,  dim.  of  pratum,  a 
meadow.)  In  South  Africa  this  word  is  applied  to  a  vine 
trellis  covering  a  pathway. 

"  Sale  of  a  fine  property.  The  attention  of  our  readers  is 
directed  to  the  sale  ...  of  the  property  in  the  estate  of  .  .  . 
There  are  also  a  large  yard,  peridels,  tanks,  etc."  ("  Graaff 
Eeinet  Budget,"  12  July,  1900.) 

"  The  recent  frosts,  though  they  dealt  havoc  to  the  stan- 
dard vines,  had  no  effect  whatever  on  the  vines  ...  on  the 
peribels  (overhead  treUises)."     (Ibid.,  6  October,  1900.) 

Persgras. — (CD.  persi,  dysentery.)  The  Western  Pro- 
vince name  of  Hydrocotyle  Centella,  a  decoction  of  the  roots 
and  stalks  of  which  is  used  in  cases  of  dysentery. 

"  Among  the  farmers  the  plant  is  known  under  the  name 
of  Persgras."  (Pappe's  "Florae  Capensis  Medicae  Prodro- 
mus,"  p.  17,  1868.) 

Peruvians  or  Peruvian  Jews. — The  Kussian  and  Polish 
Jews  are  thus  designated  in  the  Transvaal.  The  designation 
seems  to  have  been  applied  in  the  first  instance  to  certain 
Jews  from  South  America,  who  had  failed,  under  Baron 
Hirsch's  Colonization  Scheme,  to  make  a  living  there,  and 

24 


370  AFEICANDEEISMS 

who  subsequently  made  their  way  to  the  goldfields  of  South 
Africa. 

"  Behold  one  of  the  most  striking  types  of  Johannesburg 
life — the  Peruvian."     (Barry  Eoman  in  "  Kand  Daily  Mail," 

1900.) 

"  Peddling  Peruvian  Jews  were  mulcted  in  sums  from 
£10  downwards  .  .  .  and  compelled  to  contribute  to  the 
Pretorian  war-chest."  (Froes'  "  Expelled  from  the  Kandt," 
p.  14,  1899.) 

Peterselie. — (Lat.  petroselinum,  Grk.  irerpoaekwov,  rock- 
parsley,  from  'jrerpo'i,  a  rock,  and  aekivov,  a  kind  of  parsley, 
whence  Eng.  celery.)  Parsley  is  generally  known  by  this 
name  among  the  Dutch  of  South  Africa. 

Peterselie  tobacco. — A  coarse  native  tobacco  sometimes 
called  Tambookie  tobacco.  The  name  refers  to  the  parsley- 
hke  shape  of  the  leaves. 

Pheasant,  Cape. — Both  Francolinus  capensis  and  Pter- 
nistes  nudicollis  are  known  under  this  name  ;  but,  as  a  fact, 
neither  true  pheasant  nor  true  partridge  is  found  in  South 
Africa.     See  Eed-necked  pheasant. 

*' To  the  former  (Francolinus)  belong  the  'Partridges' 
and  to  the  latter  (Pternistes)  the  Pheasants,  numbering 
thirteen  species  all  told."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of 
South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  124,  1908.) 

Physic  nut. — The  fruit  of  Jatropha  Ctircas,  L.  The  oil 
of  this  nut  produces  violent  purgative  effects  like  those  of 
croton  oil. 

Piano,  Kaffir. — See  Kaffir  piano. 

Piano,  Mashona. — See  Mashona  piano. 

Picaninny. — {Cuho^n,  piquinine,  little  ;  Sp.  pequeho,  small ; 
nino,  a  child.)  Occasionally  used  in  South  Africa  of  native 
children. 

"  Allusions  to  the  artist  who  painted  on  the  rocks  in 
colours  once  that  glowed,  '  creatures  not  more  wild  than  he ' ; 
to  mothers  nursing  their  picaninies  and  maidens  listening  to 
lovers  rude  in  the  shifting  gleams  of  fires  whose  embers  have  for 
ever  gone  cold ;  the  men  fashioning  bows,  and  dipping  arrows 
in  poison  from  reptile,  insect,  and  plant  which  simmered  in 
a  pot ;  and  the  eager  feast  upon  a  freshly  killed  buck  after 
tiresome  dieting  upon  locusts,  ants'  eggs,  and  bulbs."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  24  November,  1911.) 

Pick-axe. — The  slang  name  of  a  fiery  mixture  of  Cape 


AFKICANDERISMS  371 

smoke,  pontac,  and  ginger-beer,  in  much  request  in  the 
Diamond  Fields  in  the  early  days. 

"  This  done  he  follows  the  ambulating  canteen  .  .  .  and 
cools  his  brow  and  whets  his  hopes  in  pontac  and  ginger-beer, 
pick-axe,  or  some  such  compound."  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape 
for  Diamonds,"  p.  125,  1873.) 

Pierinki. — (Mai.  piring,  porcelain,  a  saucer.)  The  Cape 
Dutch  name  for  a  saucer. 

Pietje  canarie. — Chrysomitris  totta.     See  Brown  canary. 

"  The  Pietje  and  the  *  Berg '  canary  are  not  unlike 
London  sparrows,  but  they  sing  with  great  vigour."  ("  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  222,  1870.) 

Piet-myn-vrouw. — The  onomatopoetic  name  for  both 
Cossypha  solitarius  and  G.  bicolor.  See  Mocking  bird.  The 
former  visits  the  Colony  from  November  to  Christmas.  See 
Whip-poor-will. 

"  The  laughing  epimachus  made  the  forest  echo  with  its 
screech  ;  interrupted  occasionally  by  the  Piet-myn-vrouw,  a 
bird  of  which  the  Hottentots  relate  many  amusing  stories." 
(Steedman's  "  Wanderings,"  i.  p.  189,  1835.) 

"  Its  Dutch  name  Piet-mijn-vrouw  is  obviously  bestowed 
upon  it  from  its  call,  which  sounds  not  unlike  those  words." 
(Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  266,  1889.) 

"  The  well-known  call  of  Piet-mijn-vrouw  was  heard  in 
the  park  in  the  evening  of  7  October."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  4,  9  October,  1912.) 

Piets. — (G.  Peitsche,  a  leather  whip,  a  scourge  ;  Pol.  picz.) 
A  whip  or  tough  switch. 

Pietsnot. — A  simpleton,  an  idiot. 

Pig. — Under  this  name  Queenstown  boys  eat  the  tuberous 
rootstock  of  Hypoxis  argentea,  Harv. 

Pigeon,  Cape. — See  Cape  pigeon. 

Pig  lily. — Bichardia  africana.  The  unpoetical  name 
given  in  South  Africa  to  this  beautiful  arum.  It  grows  in 
the  grandest  profusion  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town 
and  elsewhere  in  the  Colony,  covering  low-lying  moist  lands 
with  its  delicate  cream-coloured  flower.  The  pigs  dig  up  and 
eat  the  roots — hence  the  name.     See  under  Lily,  Pig. 

"  By  the  sides  of  watercourses  in  the  lower  ground  Zante- 
deschia  mthiopica,  grown  in  English  greenhouses  under  the 
name  of  Arum  and  Lily  of  the  Nile,  was  exhibiting  its  large 
white  flowers  abundantly.     As  swine  are  fond  of  its  roots  it 

24  * 


372  AFKICANDERISMS 

is  called  in  this  country  Pig-root"  (Backhouse's  "  Narrative," 
p.  73,  1844.) 

"  On  the  border  of  the  stream  grew  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  arums,  pig-lilies  as  they  call  them  in  South 
Africa."     (Haggard's  "  Jess,"  p.  48,  1887.) 

Pig-weed. — Amarantus  paniculatus,  a  common  garden 
weed. 

"  This  plant,  so  useful  to  the  early  Kimberleyites,  was,  of 
course,  the  Pig-weed  {Amarantus paniculatus),  ranging  abund- 
antly on  the  table  land  of  South  Africa  and  well  known  to 
almost  every  one  who  has  a  garden."  ("  Bloemfontein  Post," 
p.  16,  31  August,  1912.) 

PijI  staart. — (D.^*j7,  an  arrow  ;  Ija.t.  pilum,  a  javelin;  D. 
staart,  a  tail.)  Mylohatis  aquila  and  Trygon  pastinaca.  It 
will  be  seen  that  Stavorinus  gives  this  name  to  a  bird. 

"  There  is  one  sort  of  it  (Ray)  which  hath  a  small  horny 
or  bony  sting  at  the  end  of  the  tail,  which  the  Dutch  in  the 
Indies  call  Pijl  staart.  The  Japanese  believe  that  this  sting 
taken  from  a  live  fish  is  an  infallible  remedy  against  the  bite 
of  snakes,  rubbing  the  bitten  part  with  it."  (Kaempfer's 
"  History  of  Japan,"  1690-92,  Reprint,  i.  p.  229.) 

"  Many  birds  now  flew  near  the  ship,  among  which  were 
some  pijlstaarts,  or  tropic  birds  with  black  wings."  (Stav- 
orinus' "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  99,  1798.) 

"  Mr.  Duckett  presented  me  with  the  tail  of  a  pijlstort 
(arrow-tail),  a  fish  caught  in  Simon's  Bay.  The  tail  itself  is 
slender  and  about  14  inches  in  length.  From  the  upper 
part  of  its  insertion  into  the  body,  proceed  two  sharp  bones, 
serrated  on  both  sides  .  .  .  which  the  fish  can  turn  in  any 
direction,  inflicting  a  most  severe  and  dangerous  wound  on 
his  enemy.  Every  tooth  of  this  long  saw  acts  as  a  barb,  and 
if  once  inserted  cannot  be  extracted  without  great  laceration 
of  the  flesh.  It  attacks  sharks  with  impunity."  (Latrobe's 
"  Journal,"  p.  345,  1818.) 

Pijpies. — The  popular  name  of  various  species  of  Watsonia 
(aleotrides,  Ker.).  Ixia  viridifolia,  Lamb,  is  also  known  by 
this  name.     See  Papies. 

"  Watsonia.  One  of  the  commonest  plants  we  have. 
They  are  known  locally  as  pijpes."  (Burton's  "  Cape  Colony 
To-day,"  p.  250,  1906.) 

Pijp-voUtabak.— (D.  "  A  pipe-full  of  tobacco  ".)  An  ex- 
pression sometimes  employed  as  the  equivalent  of  "  half  an 


AFEICANDERISMS  373 

hour".  To  the  question,  "How  far  is  it  to  — ?"  one  will 
sometimes  get  the  answer,  "  0  een  pijp  voll  tabak  "  =  "  0, 
about  half  an  hour  ". 

Pik  or  Pek. — (D.  bepikken,  to  pick  at.)  The  darting  of  a 
snake  in  its  efforts  to  bite, 

Pikel. — (MqI.  pikul,  to  carry  on  the  back,  adman's  burthen.) 
As  used  in  South  Africa  this  word  means  to  carry  with 
difficulty. 

Pilawit. — The  Albany  name  of  Andropadus  importunus. 
See  Busch-vogel. 

"  Near  Grahamstown  ...  it  is  known  as  the  Pilawit." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life," 
p.  100,  1908.) 

Pinang. — (Mai.  pinang,  the  areca  nut  or  areca  tree.)  In 
the  Cape  Colony  this  word  is  used  of  a  fish  curry. 

"  Another  nice  way  of  cooking  fish  is  what  we  call  penang, 
a  species  of  fish  curry,  which  takes  about  half  an  hour  to  do." 
(Hilda's  "Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  66,  1902.) 

Pinang  bosje. — (D.  bos,  a  bush.)  Another  name  for  the 
Kinabosje  (q.v.). 

Pinang  frikadel. — Curried  minced  meat. 

Pinang  vieesch. — (D.  vleesch,  flesh,  meat.)     Curried  meat. 

Pinch  out,  To. — A  phrase  applied  by  miners  to  the  gradual 
working  out  of  gold-bearing  reefs,  etc. 

"  The  gold  reefs  in  the  Mazoe  valley  pinched  out  and  did 
other  disagreeable  things."  (Bent's  "Ruined  Cities  of 
Mashonaland,"  p.  294,  1893.) 

"  The  reefs  either  pinching  out  to  nothing  at  a  depth  of 
from  25  to  50  feet,  or  degenerating  into  quartz  containing 
little  gold."  (Churchill's  "Men,  Mines,  and  Animals," 
p.  234,  1895.) 

Pincushion  cactus. — The  not  inappropriate  name  given  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Queenstown  to  a  plant  which  is  not  a 
cactus  ;  in  shape  and  appearance  it  is  much  like  an  overgrown 
pincushion:  Euphorbia pulvinata,  Marloth. 

Pinoti  bosje. — (Mai.  piniti ;  Port,  alpinete,  a  pin.)  Xan- 
thium  spinosum  (q.v.).  The  name  has  reference  to  its  pin-like 
thorns.     See  Boete-bossi. 

Pink  pinkje. — Drymoica  testrix.  Onomatopoetic  name 
derived  from  the  metallic  cry  of  the  bird, 

"  The  ohtinsive pink  pinkje  was  there."  ("  Scientific  Afri- 
can," p.  76,  1896,) 


374  AFRICANDEEISMS 

Pintado. — (Sp.  pintado,  the  guinea  or  speckled  fowl.) 
A  name  occasionally  given  to  the  guinea-fowl.  See  Taran- 
tall. 

"  The  groves  about  this  place  v7Qxe  much  frequented  by 
the  birds  called  Guinea-fowls  or  piiitadoes."  (Burchell's 
"Travels,"  ii.  p.  281,  1824.) 

"  The  wild  guinea-fowl,  commonly  called  by  the  colonists 
the  Pintado  .  .  .  was  another  of  our  game  birds."  (Anders- 
son's  "  Notes  of  Travel,"  p.  36,  1875.) 

Pipe  fish. — Syngnathus  amis.  A  long  snake-like  fish  found 
in  the  rivers. 

"The pipe  fish  .  .  .  produces  its  young  alive."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  18  June,  1906.) 

Pipe.The. — It  is  generally  supposed  by  geologists  that  the 
Kimberley  Diamond  Mine  is  the  funnel  of  an  extinct  volcano  ; 
this  funnel  is  known  as  the  "  pipe,"  within  which  the  diamond 
bearing  "  blue-ground  "  is  found. 

"The  strata  .  .  .  where  cut  through  by  the  vertical  pipe 
have  their  edges  turned  sharply  upwards."  (Noble's  "  C.G.H. 
Official  Handbook,"  p.  194,  1886.) 

"  I  .  .  .  beheve  that  like  the  Kimberley  ^ipe — as  the  diggers 
call  it — the  diamondiferous  earth  had  been  shot  upwards 
funnel-wise  from  below."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo," 
p.  201,  1889.) 

Pipes,  Flogging  by. — An  inhuman  practice  existing  among 
the  Dutch  of  the  Cape  Colony  in  the  old  slave  days,  sufficiently 
explained  in  the  quotation.  So  barbarous  a  method  of  punish- 
ment could  only  have  been  practised  occasionally,  and  then  by 
those  far  resident  from  the  officers  of  justice,  and  so  beyond 
proper  and  effective  supervision. 

"  In  offences  of  too  small  moment  to  stir  up  the  phlegm 
of  a  Dutch  peasant,  the  coolness  and  tranquillity  displayed  at 
the  punishment  of  his  slave  or  Hottentot  is  highly  ridiculous, 
and  at  the  same  time  indicative  of  a  savage  disposition  to 
cruelty  lurking  in  his  heart.  He  flogs  them  not  by  any  given 
number  of  lashes,  but  by  time,  and  as  they  have  no  clocks 
...  he  has  invented  an  excuse  for  the  indulgence  of  one  of 
his  most  favourite  sensualities,  by  flogging  them  till  he  has 
smoked  so  many  pipes  of  tobacco  as  he  may  judge  the  mag- 
nitude of  the  crime  deserves.  The  Government  of  Malacca 
.  .  .  has  adopted  the  same  custom  of  flogging  by  pipes,  and 
the  fiscal  or  chief  magistrate  or  some  of  his  deputies  are  the 


AFEICANDERISMS  375 

smokers  od  such  occasions."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  145, 
1801.) 

Piquetberg. — (F.  piquet,  a  stake,  peg ;  the  sense  of  "  out- 
post," which  the  English  word  has,  is  secondary,  and  comes 
from  the  picketing  of  the  horses,  i.e.  fastening  them  to  pegs.) 
This  mountain,  situated  in  the  north-west  of  the  Colony,  is 
said  to  have  been  thus  named  from  the  fact  that  in  the  early 
days  of  the  Colony  a  picket  was  posted  there  to  keep  the 
authorities  informed  of  trouble  or  unrest  among  the  Hot- 
tentots. Wangemann's  derivation  must  be  taken  for  what  it 
is  worth. 

"  I  dispatched  my  wagon  on  the  15th  towards  the 
Piquet  Berg,  and,  together  with  my  companions,  passed  the 
day  in  this  place."     (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  75,  1789.) 

"  Der  Name  Piketberg  .  .  .  kommt  daher,  dass  eine 
Gesellschaft  Weisser  dort  einmal  bei  irgend  einer  Gelegenheit 
eine  Partie  Piquet  gespielt  hat."  (Wangemann's  "  Eine  Reise- 
Jahr  in  Stid-Afrika,"  p.  46,  1868.) 

Pisang. — (Mai.  pisang,  the  cultivated  banana  or  plantain.) 
Musa  paradisaica  and  M.  sapientum.  This  word  is  not  so  com- 
mon in  South  Africa  as  it  seems  to  have  been  at  one  time, 
though  it  is  still  in  use  among  the  Dutch. 

"  They  call  in  their  language  the  cow  Calambe,  the  plan- 
tane  Pison."  ("  Hakluyt "  (MacLehose's  Ed.),  vi.  p.  400, 
Lancaster's  "Voyage,"  1591.) 

"  The  pisang  was  to  be  met  with  in  his  garden  of  a  mag- 
nificent growth."     (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  78,1785.) 

"Two  days  without  food  in  the  Pungwe,  subsisting 
on  Pisangs  (bananas)."  (Du  Toit's  "  Ehodesia,"  p.  184, 1897.) 
Pisgoed. — Euphorbia  Genistoides,  Linn.  So  called  be- 
cause when  eaten  by  castrated  animals  it  produces  severe 
urethritis,  which  unless  treated  in  its  early  stages  results  in 
death. 

Pistol  bush. — Adhatoda  Duver7ioia,  so  called  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  King  William's  Town  from  the  noise  made  by 
its  bursting  capsules. 

Pitched  out. — A  variation  of  "  Pinched  out  "  (q.v.), 
"  They  were  surprised  on  arriving  there  to  find  the  reef 
pitched  out,  i.e.  run  to  its  end."     (De  Waal's  "  With  Rhodes 
in  Mashonaland,"  p.  237,  1896.) 

Pit. — (D.  pit,  a  kernel,  pip.)  This  word  is  in  common 
use  in  South  Africa  as  a  name  for  the  stones  of  fruit.     It  is 


376  AFEICANDEEISMS 

used  with  the  same  meaning  in  New  York,  and  is  a  remnant 
there  of  the  old  Dutch  occupation. 

Piti.— See  Ipiti. 

Pitjes. — (D.  dim.  oi  pit,  a  kernel,  pip.)  Small  kernels  or 
pips. 

Pitjies. — (M.  pitis ;  Java,  pichis,  small  coin,  money.  "It 
was  the  ancient  coin  of  Java,  and  also  the  only  one  of  the 
Malays  when  first  seen  by  the  Portuguese,"  Crawford.) 
Used  colloquially  for  money — De  pitjies  zijn  schaars — money 
is  scarce. 

Oom  Jannie  sal  ons  peetoom  maak 
Want  anders  is  de  Ou  geraak 
Syn  pitjies  in  gevaar. 

(Eeitz's  "  Afrikaanse  Gedigte,"  p.  53,  1897.) 

Pi-tjou-tjou. — The  onomatopoetic  name  of  a  bird  of  the 

titmouse  species. 

Pitso. — (Sesuto,^*^so,  call,  assembly,  gathering ;  Sechuana, 
piicho,  an  assembly,  a  council.)  The  public  deliberative 
gatherings  of  the  Chiefs  or  Councillors  of  the  Basutos  are 
thus  named. 

"  The  other  chief  said  they  should  come  to  the  peetso  all 
well  powdered."     (Campbell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  264,  1822.) 

"  The  piicho  or  assembly  remained  sitting  in  easy  con- 
versation for  nearly  an  hour  longer."  (Burchell's  "  Travels," 
II.  p.  408,  1824.) 

"  All  great  questions,  and  all  questions  relating  to  peace 
or  war,  are  decided  on  in  public  assemblies  which  are  de- 
signated in  their  language  by  the  name  of  Peetshoe." 
(Philip's  "Kesearches,"  ii.  p.  132,  1828.) 

"  The  annual  Pitso  was  held  at  Maseru  on  the  19th  in- 
stant, about  10,000  being  present."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  Sup.,  28  October,  1879.) 

Plamploet. — The  name  given  to  a  variety  of  frog. 

Plandockje. — A  variety  of  frog. 

Platanna  or  Plattie. — (Apparently  a  corruption  of  plat- 
hander,  flat-handed.)  The  name  given  to  a  variety  of  frog — 
Xenopus  Icevis — having  a  flat  back,  free  fingers,  and  webbed 
toes. 

"  It's  a  platana,  one  of  them  web-footed,  flat-backed, 
smooth-skinned,  yeller  frogs,  with  a  mouth  that  goes  all 
round  its  neck."  (Glanville's  "  Kloof  Yarns,"  "  The  Empire," 
24  September,  1898.) 


AFEICANDERISMS  377 

"It  is  not  certain  that  when  driven  by  hunger  the plattie 
does  not  revert  to  cannibalism."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  5,  23  October,  1908.) 

"The  .  .  .  Plathander  (flat  hand)  or  Clawed  toad, 
Xenopus  IcBvis,  which  occurs  in  most  pools  of  water.  .  .  . 
The  Plathander  seldom  leaves  the  water,  and  may  be  most 
easily  procured  by  a  drag-net."  (Gilchrist's  "  South  African 
Zoology,"  p.  224,  1911.) 

Platdoorn. — (D.  plat,  flat ;  doom,  a  thorn.)  Arctopus 
echinatus,  L.  This  plant  is  also  known  among  the  Dutch  as 
Ziekte  troest  (q.v.) ;  a  decoction  is  made  from  the  root  and 
used  for  all  kinds  of  cutaneous  eruptions. 

"  The  plat  doom  {Arctopus  echinatiis,  Lin.)  has  long 
been  known  to  some  of  the  surgeons  of  the  Colony." 
(Hoodie's  "Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  233,  1835.) 

Plate-glass  diamond. — This  is  the  designation  on  the 
Diamond  Fields  of  a  real  diamond  of  a  very  brittle  character, 
which  in  colour  and  appearance  is  like  a  crystal  of  glass. 

"  Strange  as  it  may  appear  a  diamond  is  not  in  reality  a 
homogeneous  substance,  but  is  laminated,  or  in  layers.  In 
some  diamonds  these  layers  can  be  easily  separated,  especially 
so  in  the  so-called  '  plate-glass '  ones.  .  .  .  These  plate-glass 
diamonds  are  very  white  and  peculiarly  clear  ones,  having  in 
reality  more  the  appearance  of  crystals  of  glass  than  of  dia- 
monds."    (Lacy's  "Pictures  of  Travel,  etc.,"  p.  164,  1899.) 

Plattekop. — (D.  plat,  flat  ;  kop,  a  head.)  Clarias  Garie- 
pensis.     See  Catfish. 

"It  has  a  smooth  and  scaleless  slimy  skin  .  .  .  and  a 
huge,  flat,  bony  head,  from  which  the  Boers  give  this  fish 
the  name  of  Platte-kop,  or  plate-head."  (Bryden's  "  Animals 
of  Africa,"  p.  197,  1900.) 

Platte  peters. — See  Boerboontjes. 

Plezierig. — (F.  ^Zamr,  pleasure,  delight ;  Ij.  placere.)  An 
idiomatic  expression  in  Cape  Dutch  equivalent  to  the  English 
"good-bye  ". 

Plover,  Horse- shoe. — Charadrius  tricollaris.  The  name 
refers  to  the  marking  on  the  bird's  neck.  The  bird  has  an 
interesting  method  of  securing  its  food  ;  a  variety  of  beetles 
and  other  insects  harbour  beneath  the  pats  of  cow-dung 
hardened  by  the  sun,  the  bird  jumps  upon  these  pats  and 
continues  jumping  till  the  disturbed  insects  try  to  escape, 
when  it  secures  them. 


378  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Pluimvee.— (D.  pluim,  a  plume,  feather  ;  vee,  cattle.) 
Poultry. 

"  So  behandeld,  is  dit  gen  wonder  dat  ons  di  uitroep  hoor  : 
'  Pluimvee  betaal  ni '."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten 
Boek,"  p.  178,  1898.) 

Plumbago. — Plumbago  capensis.  There  are  two  Cape 
varieties  of  the  leadwort,  the  flower  of  the  more  common  of 
which  is  a  very  delicate  blue.  The  other,  nearly  white,  is  P. 
zeylanica,  Linn. 

Pocket,  A. — The  holes  in  the  bed-rock,  which  have  been 
filled  by  particles  of  gold,  are  known  as  "  pockets  ". 

"  The  South  African  diamond  fields  were  henceforth 
estabhshed,  but  of  such  pockets  as  Dutoitspan  and  New  Kush 
none  yet  had  any  inkling."  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for 
Diamonds,"  p.  86,  1873.) 

"  Fossicking  with  various  success,  at  times  earning  only 
his  'tucker,'  at  others  rising  to  comparative  wealth  on  the 
discovery  of  a  rich  pocket"  (Glanville's  "  The  Fossicker,"  p. 
248,  1891.) 

Poelepetaat  or  Poelepetater. — (F.  poule,  a  hen  ;  pintade  ; 
Sp.  pintado,  a  guinea-fowl.)  A  name  sometimes  given  by  the 
Dutch  to  the  guinea-fowl.     See  Tarantall. 

"It  is  rather  interesting  to  note  that  there  are  two  names 
for  the  guinea-fowl  living  side  by  side,  Poulepetate  and  '  Tar- 
entaai,'  apparently  of  Indian  origin."  ("Northern  News," 
27  August,  1912.) 

Poeskop. — See  Koeskop. 

"Of  all  things  mind  cow  elephants  without  tusks;  they 
are  not  common,  but  if  you  do  come  across  a  poeskop  like 
this,  'pas-op'  (take care)."  (Drayson's  "  Sporting  Scenes,"  p. 
151,  1858.) 

"Poeskop,  een  groote  zeevisch ;  ook  een  rund  zonder 
horens.  Gew.  hoort  men  ook  :  poens-,  koens-,  en  koes-A;qp." 
(Mansvelt's  "Idioticon,"  in  loc,  1884.) 

Poffertjes. — (F.  pouf,  pouffer,  to  blow  up ;  Eng.pw^,  any- 
thing swollen  and  light,  as  puff-pastry,  powder-puff.)  Light 
spongy  cakes,  cooked  in  fat  and  coated  with  crushed  or 
powdered  sugar. 

"  Poffertjes  is  an  old  Dutch  pudding  recipe  worth  pre- 
serving."    (Hilda's  "  Where  is  it  ?  of  Eecipes,"  p.  196,  1904.) 

Poison  root. — See  Gift-bol. 

Poker  plant. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  the  bulrush. 


AFKICANDEKISMS  379 

"  Having  a  finger  cut  by  the  leaf  of  one  (sedge)  which  we 
had  started  to  dig  up  as  a  poker  plant.''  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  6,  18  October,  1912.) 

Pokkies. — The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  the  small-pox. 

"  The  Boers  are  of  course  withheld  from  coming  from  a 
fear  of  the  Pokkies,  the  virulency  of  which  is  greatly  exagger- 
ated."    ("  The  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  19  October,  1859.) 

"  They  cried  out,  '  But  we  are  doctors  come  to  vaccinate 
you  and  prevent  you  from  getting  the  pokkies'."  (Justice 
Cole's  "Keminiscences,"  p.  26,  1896.) 

Pompelmoosje. — Stromatus  microchinis.  One  of  the  edible 
fishes  of  the  Cape  waters,  so  called  from  some  fancied  resem- 
blance, probably,  to  the  Pampelmoose  (q.v.) . 

Pondok. — (Mai,  pondok,  a  stage  house,  a  leaf  shelter,  an 
encampment.  The  suggestion  which  Mansvelt  makes,  that 
the  word  is  a  corruption  of  the  East  Indian  pandoppo,  een 
soort  van  open  hut,  is  scarcely  necessary,  it  having  been  in 
all  probability  introduced  directly  by  the  Malays.  Latrobe 
— see  quotation — gives  the  word  a  distinctly  Dutch  appear- 
ance ;  he  was  obviously  feeling  for  a  meaning.)  In  the  Dutch 
of  South  Africa  this  word  is  applied  to  a  mean  or  shabby 
hut. 

"  The  present  dwelHng  put  up  in  the  place  of  the  house 
burnt  by  those  ferocious  invaders  (the  Caffres),  is  a  hovel, 
not  much  better  than  a  Hottentot's  bondhoek."  (Latrobe's 
"  Journal,"  p.  218,  1818.) 

"  Their  dwelling  comprises  two  separate  buildings — one  a 
mere  pondok,  which  served  as  a  kitchen."  (Noble's  "  The 
Cape  and  its  People,"  p.  50,  1869.) 

"  While  the  majority  of  the  Boers  have  grown  rich  in  the 
corruption  in  Pretoria,  the  poor  burghers  are  living  in  pan- 
dokkies  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town."  ("  Eastern  Province 
Herald,"  4  November,  1899.) 

"In  the  morning  we  found  that  a  dozen  or  more  Hotten- 
tots had  pitched  theii  pondhocks  close  to  the  wagon."  ("  The 
State,"  p.  612,  December,  1911.) 

Pont. — (D.  pont,  a  ferry-boat.)  The  name  given  to  a  sort 
of  moving  bridge  running  upon  ropes  or  chains,  by  which 
wagons,  cattle,  etc.,  are  transported  from  one  side  of  a  river 
to  the  other. 

"  Means  for  crossing  the  river  when  too  deep  to  be  forded 
have  been  provided  by  building  a  Pont  (ferry-boat)  at  a  place 


380  AFEICANDEEISMS 

a  little  farther  up  the  stream."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p. 
140,  1822.) 

Pontac. — (The  name  of  the  town  in  the  South  of  France, 
whence  the  vines  appear  to  have  been  originally  brought.) 
A  dark,  dry  wine  of  good  medicinal  qualities,  and  when  pro- 
perly matured,  nearly  equal  to  the  best  European  port. 

"  Of  the  dark  grapes  the  Pontac  is  the  most  valuable. 
With  careful  manipulation  it  will  give  a  very  fine  dark  wine 
which  equals  the  Bordeaux."  (ISToble's  "  C.G.H.  Official 
Handbook,"  p.  276,  1886.) 

"  Here  there  was  a  commissariat  store,  and  the  officers  in 
charge  .  .  .  gave  me  half  a  loaf  and  some  Pontac  wine." 
(Fenn's  "How  I  Volunteered  for  the  Cape,"  p.  100, 
1879.) 

Pontman. — The  official  who  is  responsible  for  the  working 
of  the  "  Pont  "  (q.v.). 

"We  stopped  at  the  house  of  the  ferry-man,  ot pontman 
as  he  is  here  termed."  (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  128, 
1814.) 

Poop. — (Zulu,  im  Pupa,  meal,  fine  flour.)  Mealie  meal 
porridge  is  generally  known  by  this  name  among  the  natives 
of  Natal. 

"  In  about  an  hour  a  man  came  .  .  .  and  shoved  in  another 
of  those  wooden  bowls  containing  mealie  poop.''  (Russell's 
"  Under  the  Sjambok,"  p.  176,  1899.) 

Poor. — This  word  is  in  common  use  in  South  Africa  with 
the  meaning  "  thin  "  or  "  in  poor  condition  "  ;  it  seems  to  be 
a  survival  of  the  use  of  the  word  in  various  English  dialects, 
as  applied  to  live  stock. 

"  When  Oom  Jacob  went  away  he  left  six  oxen  that  were 
too  ^oor  (thin)  to  go."     (Haggard's  "Jess,"  p.  85,  1887.) 

Poor  man's  weather-glass. — Anagallis  arvensis.  One 
form  has  pink  flowers,  the  other  blue,  the  latter  is  much  more 
frequently  met  with.     The  pimpernel. 

"  The  Poor  man's  iveather-glass  {Anagallis)  and  Hypoxis, 
split  round  the  centre  of  the  ovary  so  that  the  upper  half  falls 
off."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa," 
p.  143,  1906.) 

Poort. — (D.  poort,  gate,  gateway  ;  Lat.  porta,  a  gate,  en- 
trance, outlet,  passage.  Cf.  the  official  designation  of  the 
Turkish  Government— the  Sublime  Porte,  which  Wedgewood 
says  is  a  perverted  French  translation  of  Babi  Ali,  lit.  "  the 


AFEICANDEKISMS  381 

high  gate,"  the  chief  office  of  the  Ottoman  Government.) 
A  narrow  pass  between  precipitous  hills  or  mountains. 

"  The  poort  may  be  considered  as  the  entrance  into  Cam- 
deboo."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  109,  1801.) 

"  A  pass,  or  as  the  Dutch  call  it,  a  Poort.'''  (Baden  Powell's 
*'  Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  142,  1897.) 

Poor  whites. — A  class  of  Boer  farmer,  whose  want  of 
thrift  and  industry  has  reduced  them  to  poverty  and  to  a  style 
of  living  by  no  means  conducive  to  either  health  or  morality. 

"  The  ^oor  white  and  the  loafer,  though  perhaps  both  in- 
curable, are,  unlike  the  poet,  made,  not  born ;  they  are  the 
direct  result  of  the  circumstances  under  which  they  exist." 
("  Eeport  S.A.A.A.  Science,"  p.  484,  1907.) 

Pooties. — (Kaf.  i  Puti,  the  small  bluebuck.)  Cephalopus 
monticola. 

"1  was  Q>iiev  pooties  at  the  time,  and  got  a  rare  fright  and 
made  tracks  for  my  father's  camp."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  9,  4  October,  1912.) 

Pootje  slang. — {D.poot,  a  foot ;  slang,  a  snake.)  A  species 
of  Zonuridce  {ChamcBsaura)  with  a  body  18  to  20  inches 
long,  much  like  a  snake,  but  having  small  undeveloped 
legs.  They  bask  on  the  top  of  the  long  grass  and  are  very 
quick  in  their  movements.  They  are  fairly  common  in  Natal, 
but  the  one  mentioned  in  the  quotation  from  Anderson  was 
exceptionally  long. 

"  The  natives  mention  a  very  singular  little  snake,  about 
7  or  8  inches  long,  possessing  four  distinct  legs,  each  pro- 
vided with  toes  and  nails  like  a  lizard."  (Andersson's  "  Lake 
Ngami,"  p.  300,  1856.) 

"  At  this  outspan  I  killed  a  yellow  snake,  three  feet  in 
length,  with  four  legs.  I  heard  there  were  such  in  Natal, 
but  this  is  the  first  I  have  seen."  (Anderson's  "  Twenty-five 
Years  in  a  Waggon,"  i.  p.  38,  1887.) 

Popple-viet. — An  onomatopoetic  name  applied  in  the 
Transvaal  to  Pycnonotus  layardi.     See  Tiptol. 

"  Known  to  the  colonists  as  '  Tiptol,'  and  to  the  natives 
as  '  Kwebula '.  Both  of  these  names,  as  well  as  the  Trans- 
vaal name  of  Popple-viet,  are  attempts  to  produce  the  bird's 
song."     C  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3,  9  August,  1912.) 

Porcupine  fisli. — See  Zee  vark  and  Globe  fish. 

Porkwood. — Kiggelaria  africana,  Linn.,  the  wood  of  which 
is  soft  and  spongy. 

Portefisie  deur. — (F,  porte,  door,  gate;  Ij.  porta,  a  gate; 


382  AFRICANDEKISMS 

F.  hriser,  to  split,  fold  up.)  The  half-doors  of  old  farm- 
houses :  the  folding  doors  used  to  divide  room  from  room. 

Note  how  the  sense  of  F.  porte  having  been  lost,  it  has 
been  supplied  again  by  the  D.  deur,  a  door. 

Port  Natal. — The  name  by  which  the  Port  of  Durban 
was  known  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  Colony,  and  by  which  it 
is  still  known  to  mariners. 

"  Port  Natal  is  to  Durban  what  Port  Philip  is  to  Melbourne, 
that  is  to  say,  there  is  no  such  place  as  either  Port  Philip  or 
Port  Natal,  these  being  only  names  applied  to  the  towns  of 
Melbourne  and  Durban  considered  as  ports."  (Colenso's 
"Ten  Weeks  in  Natal,"  p.  8  n.,  1855.) 

Portuguese  man-o'-war. — Different  species  of  Velella, 
Physalia  and  Perpita  have  received  this  designation.  They 
are  far  from  pleasant  company  when  bathing. 

"  Portuguese  men-o'-war  with  their  fairy  sails  above,  and 
treacherous  feelers  below."  (Roche's  "  On  Trek  in  the 
Transvaal,"  p.  8,  1878.) 

Posteleintjes. — (D.  postelein,  porcelain,  china.)  Broken 
pieces  of  porcelain  or  earthenware,  with  which  the  children 
often  amuse  themselves. 

Post-horns. — Curiously  shaped  shells  found  in  certain 
localities  in  great  numbers ;  they  are  similar  in  structure, 
though  very  much  smaller,  to  the  shell  of  the  nautilus.  The 
living  animal,  which  is  very  much  like  the  cuttle-fish,  is 
rarely  met  with. 

Potatoes,  sweet. — See  Batatas.     Batatas  edulis,  Choisy. 

"  This  is  also  super-eminently  the  region  of  the  sweet 
potato."    (Mann's  "  Natal,"  p.  100, 1859.) 

Potatoes,  round. — Solanum  tuberosum,  the  ordinary  potato 
is  often  spoken  of  as  the  "  round  "  potato,  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  "  sweet  "  potato. 

"  The  Irish  or  round  potato  .  .  .  became  plentiful  after 
the  first  year  of  our  settlement."  (Russell's  "  Old  Durban," 
p.  95,  1899.) 

Potbrood. — (D.  brood,  bread.)     Bread  baked  in  a  pot. 

Potclay. — A  South  African  abbreviation  of  "  potter's 
clay  ".  Many  of  the  natives  of  various  tribes  are  adepts  at 
making  earthenware  pots.  Cetywayo's  Tywala  pots  would 
hold  several  gallons,  and  being  made  entirely  by  hand  were 
really  clever  productions. 

"  Their  (the  Bachapins)  manufacture  of  earthen  pots  is 


AFEICANDEKISMS  383 

not  despicable ;  they  answer  their  purpose  completely,  and 
are  neither  clumsy  nor  ill-shapen."  (Burchell's  "  Travels," 
II.  p.  594,  1824.) 

"  Een  droge  grond  was  te  verkiezen  boven  zware  potklei, 
en  moerassige  grond  was  ongeschikt."  ("  De  Worstelstrijd  der 
Transvalers,"  p.  210,  1882.) 

Potlegs. — The  pots  used  by  the  natives  for  cooking 
purposes  are  of  cast  iron,  and  stand  upon  three  long  thin  legs. 
It  was  no  uncommon  thing  in  the  earlier  Kaffir  wars  for  the 
natives  to  break  these  legs  into  pieces  of  a  suitable  size  to  use 
in  their  muzzle-loaders  as  bullets  ;  the  character  of  the  wounds 
inflicted  by  these  projectiles  can  be  imagined ;  fortunately  the 
native  has  never  distinguished  himself  as  a  marksman. 

"  A  fine  old  soldier  of  my  regiment  rushed  at  one  spot 
with  only  three  or  four  men  and  got  amongst  a  lot  of  them 
before  they  could  re-load,  for  they  used  powder-horns  in  those 
days  and  long  junks  of  lead,  or  the  legs  of  iron  pots,  and  thus 
took  a  long  time  to  load."  (Hoodie's  "  Battles  in  Southern 
Africa,"  ii.  p.  27,  1888.) 

"  One  of  these  marksmen  we  have  nicknamed  old  Potlegs 
from  the  nature  of  the  missile  (the  iron  legs  of  Kaffir  cooking 
pots)  with  which  he  treats  us."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabele- 
land  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  156,  1897.) 

Pot  River. — A  tributary  of  the  Tsitsa  River,  Griqualand 
East,  so  called  because  of  the  pot-like  holes,  large  and  small, 
which  have  been  formed  in  the  rocks  on  its  bed. 

The  deepest  pot  in  a'  the  linn 
They  fand  Erl  Richard  in. 

(Scott's  "  Minstrelsy  of  the  Scottish  Border,"  ii.  p.  188, 1861.) 

Potted. — A  slang  term  meaning  "  shot  ". 

'*  All  the  principal  officers  were  potted  by  the  first  volley 
before  they  knew  they  were  being  fired  at."  (Hobson's 
"  At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  316,  1884.) 

Pound  master. — The  official  whose  duty  it  is  to  attend  to 
the  affairs  of  the  Pound  or  Schut  (q.v.). 

"  Pound  Sale.  Whittlesea,  April  20,  1859.  1  Schimmel 
horse  ;  1  Bay  horse ;  1  do.  do. ;  no  marks.  J.  Thompson, 
Pound  master."  ("  The  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  16  March, 
1859.) 

Pram. — A  somewhat  vulgar  word  for  a  woman's  breast. 

Prambergen. — Mountains  shaped  like  a  woman's  breast. 

"  The  mountains  of  the  Karreebergen  .  .  .  among  them 


384  AFKICANDEKISMS 

one  in  the  form  of  a  depressed  cone  surmounted  with  an 
additional  summit,  was  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Fram- 
hergr     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  300,  1822.) 

Prambosch. — (D.  praam,  a  woman's  breast.)  See  Paar- 
depram. 

Prairie- pig. — In  the  north  of  Natal  in  the  earlier  days  the 
Wart-hog  (q.v.)  was  known  by  this  name. 

"  The  animal  which  is  known  in  the  Natal  uplands  as  the 
prairie-pig,  is  properly  the  African  wart-hog."  (Brooks' 
"Natal,"  p.  115,  1876.) 

Praying-insect. — The  Mantis  (q.v.)  is  so  called  from  the 
peculiar  position  in  which  it  holds  its  front  legs. 

"  The  lights  in  our  tents  at  night  attracted  the  strange 
looking  '  Mantis  religiosa  '  or  praying  ijisect,"  (King's 
"  Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,"  p.  308,  1855.) 

"Looking  at  my  feet  one  day,  I  saw.  a  large  specimen 
of  the  Praying  mantis,  vulgarly  called  the  'Kaffir  god'." 
(Tangye's  "In  New  South  Africa,"  p.  269,  1896.) 

Predikant. — (Lat,  prcedicare,  to  publish,  proclaim.)  The 
usual  title  given  to  a  clergyman  among  the  Dutch. 

"The  predicant,  who  had  unfortunately  lent  himself  to 
the  oppressions  of  the  Company,  now  plied  them  with  religious 
advice."     ("  C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette,"  iii.  p.  37,  1833.) 

Prehnite. — A  mineral  of  a  greenish  grey  colour ;  it  was 
discovered  in  South  Africa  by  a  traveller  named  Prehn,  by 
whom  it  was  taken  to  Europe,  and  after  whom  it  was  named. 

"  In  a  large  block  of  stone,  I  found  a  very  fine  prehnite^ 
which  perhaps  had  only  come  there  by  chance,  since  the 
people  of  the  country  seemed  wholly  unacquainted  with  this 
sort  of  stone."     (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  180,  1814.) 

Pretty  bird — A  name  given  by  the  sealers  to  Thalassogeron 
chlororhynchus. 

Priclcly  heat. — Lichen  tropicus.  A  cutaneous  rash,  the 
pricking  itch  of  which  is  almost  unendurable.  It  is  prevalent 
in  Natal  and  the  Eastern  Province  during  the  intense  heat 
of  the  summer. 

Prickly  pear. — Opuntia  tuna.  This  cactus,  from  the  fact 
that  any  detached  part  of  it  will  take  root,  and  also  that  its 
seeds  are  carried  everywhere  by  the  birds,  is  giving  South 
African  farmers  a  deal  of  trouble.  It  seems  to  be  almost 
the  only  imported  plant  that  is  capable  of  making  headway 
among  the  indigenous  growths  of  the  soil. 


AFKICANDERISMS  385 

"  The  Prickly  Pear  bush  or  shrub,  of  about  4  or  5  feet 
high  .  .  .  the  fruit  at  first  is  green  like  the  leaf  .  .  .  it  is 
very  pleasant  in  taste,  cooling  and  refreshing."  (Dampier's 
"Voyages,"  i.  p.  223,  1729.) 

"The  prickly  pear,  Opuntia  tuna,  has  become  one  of  the 
curses  of  large  areas  of  grazing  land."  (Wallace's  "  Farming 
Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  88,  1896.) 

Pride  of  de  Kaap. — Bauhinia  Galpini,  N.E.Br.  A 
scrambHng  leguminous  bush  or  climber,  bearing  a  profusion 
of  scarlet  flowers,  very  common  in  the  Kaap  valley,  Barber- 
ton,  is  known  by  this  name. 

Pride  of  India  or  of  China. — A  designation  sometimes 
given  to  the  Seringa  (q.v.).  See  Indian  pride  also  for  another 
application  of  this  name. 

"  M.  Azedarach,  Linn.,  the  '  Cape  lilac,'  or  Pride  of  China, 
is  cultivated  throughout  the  Colony,  and  partly  naturalized." 
(Harvey's  "The  Genera  of  South  African  Plants,"  p.  49, 
1868.) 

"  We  camped  close  by  the  river  ;  we  drew  our  wagon  and 
pitched  our  tent  beneath  a  lane  of  '  sering '  trees  {Pride  of 
India)  just  then  in  full  blossom."  (Du  Toit's  "  Rhodesia,"  p. 
102,  1897.) 

Pride  of  Table  Mountain. — The  local  name  of  the  exquisite 
Disa  uniflora  (usually  called  grandiflora).  This  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  cool  growing  orchids,  and  is  some- 
times called  "  the  flower  of  the  gods  ". 

"  Singly  or  in  masses,  the  Pride  of  Table  Mountain  fondly 
named  so  by  Capeites,  is  a  magnificent  representative  of  Flora, 
and  many  are  the  pilgrimages  made  to  her  shrine  on  the  top 
of  the  mountain  during  the  flowering  season."  (Noble's  "  The 
Cape  and  its  People,"  p.  261,  1869.) 

"  The  colour  of  the  side  sepals  is  a  brilliant  carmine,  the 
remaining  parts  blush-coloured,  with  delicate  carmine  veins 
on  the  inside  of  the  back  sepal,  and  bright  orange  tints  on  the 
upper  parts  of  the  petals.  .  .  .  This  beaytiful  flower  is  the 
object  of  universal  admiration,  and  the  name  which  has  been 
given  to  it,  the  Pride  of  Table  Mountain,  indicates  the  honour 
in  which  it  is  held.  It  is  indeed  the  queen  of  terrestrial 
orchids  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere."  (H.  Bolus,  D.Sc, 
F.L.S.,  "  Orchids  of  the  Cape  Peninsula,"  p.  147,  1888.) 

Priests. — Halicdtus  vocifer.  The  East  London  name  for 
these  birds. 

25 


386  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"  The  sea  eagles,  locally  known  as  priests  because  of  their 
black  and  white  plumage,  are  birds  I  like  to  see."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  4  August,  1906.) 

Proef  preek. — (D.  proef,  trial,  test ;  preeken  to  preach.) 
A  trial  sermon  preached  by  a  candidate  for  the  ministry  in 
the  Dutch  Eeformed  Church. 

"  The  Proef  preek  is  a  great  event.  Every  theological 
student  is  required  by  the  law  of  the  Dutch  Eeformed  Church, 
to  preach  two  trial  sermons,  one  in  English  and  one  in  Dutch, 
in  the  large  Dutch  Church,  before  the  termination  of  his  last 
year."     (Mackinnon's  "  South  African  Traits,"  p.  49,  1887.) 

Pronk  bok. — (D.  pronken,  to  make  a  parade,  to  show  off.) 
Another  name  for  the  Spring-bok  (q.v.).  The  reference  is  to 
the  peculiar  bounds  which  this  antelope  is  in  the  habit  of 
making,  during  which  it  displays  the  ridge  of  perfectly  white, 
curiously  scented  hair  which  runs  from  the  withers  to  the 
tail.  When  making  these  bounds,  pronken,  this  white  hair, 
which  at  other  times  is  well-nigh  hidden,  is  made  to  look  like 
a  large  plume  laid  along  the  back. 

"The  animals  became  disturbed,  and  began  those  extra- 
ordinary saltatory  accomplishments  (pronken  the  Boers  term 
them)  from  which  they  take  their  name."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof 
and  Karoo,"  p.  226,  1889.) 

Prospect,  To. — To  search  for  deposits  of  precious  stones  or 
metals. 

"  The  only  method  of  prospecting  is  to  dig  holes  and  see 
what  comes  of  it."    (Boyle's  "  The  Savage  Life,"  p.  17, 1876.) 

Prospector. — One  engaged  in  the  above  search. 

"  Thus  not  long  ago  a.  prospector  had  been  murdered  by 
the  Mashonas."  (Balfour's  "Twelve  Hundred  Miles  in  a 
Waggon,"  p.  182,  1895.) 

Pruimbast. — (D.  pruim,  a  prune,  plum  ;  bast,  bark.)  Col- 
poon  compressum,  the  berries  of  which  may  be  dried  like 
currants.     See  Bergbast  and  Cape  sumach. 

"  A  tariff  of  1/-  per  100  lb.  was  put  on  Pruimbast  and  some 
other  barks  at  Cedarberg  some  years  ago."  (Sim's  "  Forest 
Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  304,  1907.) 

Pruimbesjes. — (D.  pruim,  a  prune,  plum ;  bes,  a  berry.) 
A  palatable  wild  fruit  growing  on  small  trees  or  bushes  along 
the  lower  slopes  of  the  mountains  in  the  Camdeboo  and  else- 
where in  the  Karoo. 

"  In  search  of  pruimbesjes  we  made  many  delightful  excur- 


AFEICANDEEISMS  387 

sions  on  horseback  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains."  (Martin's 
"  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  230,  1890.) 

Pruimpje. — (D.  pruim,  a  quid  of  tobacco ;  cf.  the  German 
sailor's  Pruntje,  a  quid.)  A  small  quantity  of  tobacco  for 
either  chewing  or  smoking, 

"  Even  the  Sunday  school  teachers.  .  .  had  complained 
that  there  were  so  many  quids  (pruimpjes)  and  so  much  to- 
bacco spittle  on  the  floor  that  they  got  quite  a  turn  in  their 
stomachs."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  329,  1889.) 

Puff-adder. — Bitis  arietans.  A  sluggish  reptile  "  with 
flat  head,  puffy  neck,  and  a  short  thick  body,  beautifully 
marked  in  black  and  yellow  ".  The  name  refers  to  the  blow- 
ing noise  it  makes  when  disturbed.  It  is  justly  feared  on 
account  of  the  generally  fatal  character  of  its  bite. 

"  The  Puff-adder,  which  has  its  name  from  blowing  itself 
up  to  near  a  foot  in  circumference,  is  of  a  greyish  colour,  and 
about  three  feet  and  a  half  in  length ;  it  is  considerably  thicker 
than  any  I  ever  saw  in  that  country  ;  its  head  is  large  and 
flat  ;  the  poison-teeth  about  an  inch  long,  and  hooked.  The 
Puf -adder  is  extremely  dangerous  to  cattle."  (Paterson's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  164,  1789.) 

"  He  proved  to  be  a  pof-adder  as  we  believed,  one  of  the 
most  poisonous  species  that  are  found  in  this  country." 
(Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  35, 1812.) 

"  To  sit  down  upon  a  puff-adder  is  to  sit  down  for  the 
last  time."     (Drummond's  "  Tropical  Africa,"  p.  166,  1888.) 

"  The  most  common  South  African  member  of  this  family 
{ViperidcB)  is  undoubtedly  the  Puff-adder  {Bitis  arietans),  an 
ugly  brute  of  yellowish  and  orange-brown,  with  regular 
chevron  shaped  dark  markings  on  the  back ;  it  seldom  reaches 
a  length  of  more  than  four  feet,  but  is  of  very  stout  girth." 
("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  148,  1905.) 

Puku. — Cobus  vardoni.  First  discovered  by  Livingstone 
on  the  upper  Zambezi. 

"  Here  I  saw  a  small  herd  of  pookoo  antelopes,  and  after 
a  long  stalk  got  within  shot  of  them,  and  broke  the  shoulder 
of  the  ram  whose  head  I  coveted."  (Selous'  "Travel  and 
Adventure,"  p.  259,  1893.) 

Punteneurig. — (A  corruption  of  F.  Point  d'honneur.) 
Thin-skinned,  touchy. 

"Porte  Brissee,  the  half-doors  of  old  Dutch  houses, 
Puntenerig,  Fr.  Point  d'honneur,  which  some  have  thought 

25  * 


388  AFKICANDERISMS 

of  Huguenot  origin,  are  to  be  found  in  use  in  certain  localities 
in  Holland."     ("  Northern  News,"  27  August,  1912.) 

Pyp-klip. — (D.  piJP'  a  pip6>  ^^^^  '>  ^^'^P'  ^  rock.)  A  soft 
greenish  grey  rock  found  in  Namaqualand,  from  which  the 
Namaquas  make  pipe- bowls,  etc. 

"  The  Dutch  colonists.  .  .  form  the  bowls  of  their  pipes  of 
it,  and  have  therefore  given  it  the  name  of  pyp-klip  (pipe- 
stone)."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  526,  1824.) 

Python  or  Natal  Rock  Snake. — Python  sehce.  This  mem- 
ber of  the  BoidcB  is  fairly  common  in  Natal  and  Zululand 
and  in  the  low  country  of  the  Transvaal  and  Ehodesia. 

"  The  ■  largest  and  most  formidable  was  the  Python  or 
boa  constrictor  of  Natal."  (Fleming's  "Southern  Africa," 
p.  399, 1856.) 

"  Snakes  are  very  numerous  and  of  many  kinds.  The 
largest  is  the  handsome  ^?/^^on.  or  Natal  rock-snake  {Hortulia 
Natalensis),  sometimes  over  20  feet  long,  and  common 
on  the  coast."     (Russell's  "  Natal,"  p.  37,  1899.) 

Qonce  or  Iqonce. — The  native  name  for  the  Buffalo  Eiver, 
and  also  for  King  William's  Town  built  on  its  banks. 

Quagga. — Equus  quagga,  Gni.  The  name  is  onomato- 
poetic,  imitating  the  peculiar  cry  of  the  animal.  These 
animals,  which,  a  few  years  ago,  grazed  in  enormous  numbers 
on  the  plains  of  the  Karoo  and  in  the  Orange  Free  State, 
have  now  entirely  disappeared  therefrom. 

"  The  Quacha  is  striped  like  the  former  (Zebra)  on  the 
head  and  body,  but  with  fewer  lines.  The  flanks  spotted ; 
the  rump  plain  ;  the  ground  colour  of  the  head,  neck,  body 
and  rump,  a  bright  bay  ;  the  belly,  thighs  and  legs  white,  and 
free  from  all  marks.  This  species  has  hitherto  been  supposed 
to  have  been  the  female  of  the  zebra  ;  but  later  observations 
prove  that  the  male  and  female  zebra  are  marked  alike.  This 
differs  likewise  in  being  thicker  and  stronger  made,  and  in 
being  more  tractable ;  for  instance,  one  had  been  so  far  broken 
as  to  draw  in  a  cart."     (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  17, 1789.) 

"  The  Quagga  is  so  named  onomatopoetically,  the  word 
being  an  imitation  of  the  peculiar  bark  of  the  animal,  sound- 
ing like  ouog-ga,  the  last  syllable  being  very  much  pro- 
longed."    ("  Scientific  African,"  p.  72,  1896.) 

Quagga  quick. — (D.  kweek,  dogs'  grass ;  cf.  Eng.  quick- 
grass.)  The  name  given  to  a  species  of  grass  that  springs  up 
in  the  Karoo  veld  after  heavy  rains. 


AFRICANDEKISMS  389 

Queen. — (D.  kween,  a  barren  cow.)  The  term  applied  by 
hunters  to  barren  female  elephants. 

"  Old  cows  and  especially  queens  (barren  females)  will  be 
found  more  difficult  to  deal  with  than  the  bulls."  (Nicoll 
and  Eghnton's  "  Sportsman  in  South  Africa,"  p.  61,  1892.) 

Queen  moth. — Argema  mimosa.  This  beautiful  Natal 
moth  is  of  a  light  yellow-green  colour  and  attains  to  a  good 
size.  Each  of  the  four  wings  is  "  eyed  "  ;  the  underwings  are 
produced  at  the  extremities  into  tails  two  or  more  inches  in 
length  and  edged  on  both  borders  with  a  narrow  orange- 
coloured  band.  The  popular  name  is  by  no  means  inap- 
propriate. 

"  The  handsome  Queen  moth  of  Natal  {Argema  mimosce)  a 
beautiful  sea-green  insect  whose  wings  measure  when  spread 
out  more  than  5  inches  from  tip  to  tip.  .  .  .  The  silken 
cocoons  which  they  spin  are  familiar  to  all  visitors  to  Natal 
in  the  shape  of  the  rattling  anklets  worn  by  the  '  ricksha 
boys,'  who  gather  the  cocoons  after  the  moths  have  emerged, 
place  a  few  pebbles  in  them  and  close  the  holes  by  first 
moistening  and  then  twisting  up  the  loosened  strands." 
("  Natal  Official  Railway  Guide,"  p.  246,  1903.) 

Quick  grass. — Two  different  grasses  are  known  by  this 
name,  viz.  Cynodon  dactylon  (in  Bechuanaland  G.  incompletus, 
also),  which  is  commonly  known  as  "  Fine  quick  grass,"  and 
Stenotaphrum  caffrum,  which  is  known  as  "  Coarse  quick 
grass  ".  The  former  is  the  first  grass  to  show  green  after 
rains  in  the  spring,  hence  the  name. 

"  This  idea  "  (that  lamziekte  is  due  to  eating  wilted  grass) 
"  seems  to  have  originated  among  the  Batlapings,  some  of 
whom  associate  the  disease  with  the  fine  quick  grass  (Cynodon 
incompletus)."     ("  S.A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  173,  August,  1912.) 

Quick  stertje  or  Quicky. — (D.  kwikstaart,  a  wagtail ;  the 
first  syllable  means  "  lively,  full  of  motion,"  and  is  etymologi- 
cally  connected  with  both  Eng.  quick,  alive ;  and  quake,  to 
tremble.)  Motacilla  capensis.  These  friendly  little  wagtails 
are  regarded  everywhere  with  special  favour  ;  the  Dutch  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Graaff  Reinet  sometimes  speak  of  them 
as  •'  God's  kinder,"  and  caution  the  children  against  harming 
them.     See  Wagtail. 

"  The  little  Cape  wagtail  or  Quickstertje  {Motacilla  ca- 
pensis) one  of  the  tamest  and  most  familiar  birds  in  South 
Africa."     ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  139,  1905.) 


390  AFKICANDEKISMS 

"On  the  bank  are  seen  a  pair  of  those  confiding  little 
birds  the  quicTcy  of  the  Colonial,  or  the  Cape  wagtail."  ("  The 
African  Monthly,"  iv.  p.  270,  1909.) 

Quinine  berry. — The  Transvaal  name  of  the  fruit  of  Geph- 
alanthus  natalensis,  Oliv. 

Quinine  tree. — Bauwolfia  natalensis.  So  called  because  it 
is  supposed  to  have  medicinal  qualities  similar  to  those  of 
quinine. 

"Fairly  exhaustive  tests  were  applied  to  needle-shaped 
crystals  which  were  found  to  constitute  one-fifth  per  cent  of 
the  bark  of  the  '  Umjela '  or  Quinine  tree  {Taherncemontana 
ventricosa,  Hochst.).  (?)  The  tree  attains  a  height  of  50  feet  in 
the  Transkeian  forests,  with  a  diameter  of  4  feet." 
("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  500,  October,  1905.) 

Raad,  The. — (D.  raad,  a  council,  senate.)  (1)  A  council. 
(2)  The  Parliaments  of  the  Transvaal  Kepublic  and  the  Orange 
Free  State  were  so  called ;  the  buildings  in  which  they 
respectively  met  were  known  as  the  Kaadzaal. 

"  Meantime,  Mr.  Orpen  took  umbrage  at  the  Commis- 
sioners and  at  Kok,  and  his  Baad.''  (Dower's  "  Early  Annals 
of  Kokstad,"  p.  71,  1902.) 

Raak. — (D.  rakeii,  to  hit,  touch.)  This  word,  sometimes 
corrupted  into  "  rock,"  is  in  common  use  in  the  Midland 
Districts,  in  such  expressions  as  :  "  That's  raA;,"  i.e.  "  That  is 
a  hit,"  when  a  missile,  such  as  a  bullet  or  stone,  has  hit  the 
object  aimed  at. 

Raap  uyntjes. — (D.  raap,  a  turnip ;  ajuin,  onion.)  An 
edible  bulb,  having  the  flavour  and  appearance  of  the  turnip, 
is  so  named  in  Namaqualand. 

Rabbedoe  or  Robbedoe. — A  tomboy,  careless  person. 

Rabbit  fish. — Gallorhynchus  antarcticus.  This  fish  is 
known  by  this  name  at  East  London,  because  of  its  rabbit- 
like mouth.     See  Elephant  fish  and  Joseph. 

"Another  curious  fish  on  exhibit  ...  is  the  so-called 
rabbit-fish,  so  named  on  account  of  its  rabbit-like  mouth." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  24  June,  1905.) 

Ragwort. — Several  species  of  Senecio  {S.  latifolia,  etc.)  are 
thus  named  in  the  Eastern  Province;  they  are  credited 
with  giving  horses  the  disease  known  as  "  Stomach  staggers  ". 
See  Molteno  disease. 

"The  disease  which  is  met  with  in  this  district  is 
due  to  the  animals  consuming  the  plant  known,  as  Bagicort 


AFKICANDEEISMS  391 

(Senedo  Jacobea)."     ("  The  Territorial  News,"  24  December, 
1910.) 

Raid,  The. — The  armed  invasion  of  the  Transvaal  Kepublic 
by  the  troops  of  the  Chartered  Company,  under  Dr.  Jameson, 
on  29  December,  1895,  is  known  throughout  South  Africa  as 
"TheEaid". 

Rain •> bird. — A  bird  of  the  Centropodince  (CuculidcB,  sub. 
fam)  is  so  styledin  the  Eastern  Province — Centropus  Burchelli. 
See  Vlei  lory. 

"But  of  all  the  notes  to  be  heard  during  a  day  at  the 
Nahoon,  I  fancy  those  of  the  rain-bird  (one  of  our  resident 
cuckoos)  are  the  most  strange."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
4  August,  1906.) 

Rain-bird. — In  the  Native  Territories  the  Turkey  buzzard — 
Bucorax  cafer — is  so  named  by  the  colonists,  because  in  times 
of  drought  the  natives  try  to  drive  these  birds  into  the  water 
to  drown  them,  thinking  thus  to  secure  rain — the  superstition 
being  that  while  the  body  of  the  bird  remains  in  the  water 
the  rain  will  continue.  Incessant  rain  means  that  one  or 
more  of  these  drowned  birds  has  been  everlooked  and  must 
be  sought  for  and  withdrawn  from  the  water. 

Rain  maker. — A  Witch  doctor  (q.v.)  among  the  Kaffirs  who 
has  added  to  his  other  accomplishments  the  special  function 
of  bringing  the  rain ;  he  is  known  as  Umnini  wemvula — 
"  master  of  the  rain  ". 

Ramasammy. — (A  corruption  of  Bamaswdmi,  "Lord 
Kama".)  In  Natal  and  the  Cape  this  word  is  used  as  a 
generic  name  for  Indian  coolies. 

Ramenas. — (D.  rartienas,  the  black  radish.)  Baphanus 
Baphanistrum — Wild  mustard  is  known  by  this  name  in  the 
Western  Province. 

"  Charlock,  wild  mustard,  or  romines,  Sinapis  arvensis,  L., 
is  a  widely  prevalent  weed  of  the  corn-fields  of  Cape  Colony." 
(Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  117, 
1896.) 

Ramki. — A  primitive  stringed  instrument  used  by  the 
Bushmen  and  Hottentots. 

"  The  ramkee  is  constructed  on  the  same  principle  as  the 
guitar  by  stretching  six  strings  along  a  flat  piece  of  thin  board, 
with  the  half  of  a  gourd  or  '  calabash '  at  one  end,  over 
which  a  piece  of  dried  string  is  strained,  on  which  the  bridge 
is  placed."  (Moodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  i.  226, 
1835.) 


392  AFEICANDEBISMS 

Rand.— (D.  rand,  edge,  brink.)  (1)  The  bridge  or  high 
ground  overlooking  the  valley  of  a  river,  as  the  Fish  Eiver 
Eand,  etc.  (2)  When  used  absolutely  the  word  refers  to  the 
well-known  gold  fields  along  the  Witwatersrand  in  the  Trans- 
vaal. 

"  A  few  minutes  more  and  he  stood  at  the  top  of  the 
randt  for  a  brief  blow  after  his  exertions."  (Mitford's 
"  Eomance  of  the  Cape  Frontier,"  p.  23,  1891.) 

"When  will  .  .  .  publish  the  correspondence  re  the  .  .  . 
dispute  ?  Has  it  not  already  appeared  in  the  Band  papers  ?  " 
("Cape  Eegister,"  13  November,  1897.) 

Rapuis  bosje  or  Rapuis. — See  Harpuis  bosje. 

"  Mr.  Moffatt  (Tarka)  brought  up  the  question  of  the 
noxious  rapuis  which  had  hitherto  baffled  their  efforts." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  22  August,  1912.) 

Ratel. — Mellivora  ratel.     See  Cape  badger. 

"  From  its  size,  peculiar  rattling  cry,  and  general  appear- 
ance, I  at  first  thought  it  was  a  ratel,  which  is  now  well 
known  to  naturahsts."  (Moodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South 
Africa,"  ii.  p.  190,  1835.) 

"  Once  on  this  farm  a  Hottentot  caught  the  ratels  .  .  . 
with  the  broken  ends  of  porcupine  quills  still  in  their  face 
and  jaws."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  16  August,  1907.) 

Raw  Englishman. — A  recent  arrival  from  the  old  country. 

"  Only  a  raw  Englishman  as  the  Boers  define  a  recent 
importation."  (Mitford's  "  Eenshaw  Fanning's  Quest,"  p. 
62,  1894.) 

Raw  native. — A  native  untouched  by  any  civilizing  or 
elevating  influence. 

"  Yes,  it  is  here  that  you  will  find  him,  in  Natal,  the  raw 
native."  (Statham's  "  Blacks,  Boers  and  British,"  p.  135, 
1881.) 

Ray  fungus  disease. — Actinomycosis.  A  disease,  affecting 
cattle,  caused  by  specific  organisms  technically  known  as 
Streptothrix  bovis  .commu7iis  and  S.  actinomyces.  The  name 
refers  to  the  rosette-like  appearance  of  the  organism  which 
radiates  from  a  central  mass,  and  is  not  unlike  the  head  of  a 
daisy  in  appearance.  See  Big  jaw.  Lumpy  jaw,  and  Wooden 
tongue. 

Rds.,  Sks.,  Sts. — Abbreviations  for  rix-dollars,  skillings, 
and  stuivers,  the  coinage  of  the  old  Dutch  regime. 

"  Aye,  there  are  men  in  whose  hearts  the  shady  woods 


AFEICANDEBISMS  393 

that  clothe  the  foot  of  Table  Mountain  and  Duivels  Berg  to 
the  East,  never  excited  a  thought  unconnected  with  the  rds., 
sks.,  and  sts.  they  might  produce."  ("  C.G.H.  Lit.  Gazette," 
15  March,  1834.) 

Rechte  geelhout. — (D.  recht,  straight,  even,  true  ;  geel, 
yellow ;  hout,  wood.)     See  Yellow- wood. 

Recht  op  Jakob. — (D.  oprecht,  sincere,  upright.)  The 
popular  name  of  a  wildflower  with  a  singularly  straight  stem 
— the  Zinnia. 

Recifs. — (F.  recif,  a  reef,  shelf  of  rocks  ;  Port,  recifd;  Ar. 
rasif.)     Bars  or  reefs  running  parallel  with  the  shore. 

"  Passing  northward,  the  coast  runs  almost  in  a  straight 
line,  free  of  caves,  creeks,  or  indentations  of  any  kind,  until 
the  21°  of  E.  lat.  when  there  commences  a  series  of  bays, 
reefs,  rocks  and  recifs  or  bars,  which  extend  as  far  as  25 
miles."     (Andersson's  "  Okovango  Eiver,"  p.  301,  1861.) 

Red -bill. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  the  Kabeljauw 
(q.v.). 

Red  bishop  bird. — Pyromelana  oryx.  The  plumage  of 
the  male  bird  during  the  breeding  season  is  very  fine,  the 
upper  parts  are  of  a  brilliant  orange-scarlet,  while  the  lower 
parts  are  of  a  velvety  black.  When  the  breeding  season  is 
over  the  male  assumes  the  sober  brown  of  his  mate. 

"  One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  many  kinds  of  weaver 
birds  in  Africa  is  the  splendid  red  Kaffir  finch,  the  rooi 
fink  of  the  Dutch  colonists,  sometimes  also  called  the  Bed 
bishop  bird."     (Bryden's  "  Animals  of  Africa,"  p.  160,  1900.) 

Red  clay  or  Ochre. — The  fine  clay  used  by  the  natives 
mixed  vTith  fat  to  smear  their  persons  and  rub  into  their 
blankets. 

"  Selecting  two  of  his  smartest  detectives  he  directed  them 
to  assume  the  red  clay  and  blanket  of  the  raw  Kafir." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  19  February,  1884.) 

Red  cluster  disa. — Disa  ferruginea,  Swtz. 

Red  coral. — Gorgonia  flammea  is  sometimes  so  called  by 
the  colonists.     See  Zee-tak. 

"  In  some  localities  the  sea  bottom  seems  to  be  clothed 
with  extensive  growths  of  the  red-coral  or  '  zee-tak  '  {Gor- 
gonia flammea)  so  frequently  thrown  up  on  the  shore." 
("  The  S.  A.  Journal  of  Science,"  vii.  p.  216, 1911.) 

Red  currant. — Bhus  Icevigata.     See  Bosch  taaibosch. 

"  Among  hard-woods,  black  ironwood  (Olea  laurifolia)  .  .  . 


394  AFEICANDEKISMS 

Bed  currant    (Rhus    IcBvigata)    prevail."     (Sim's    "  Forest 
Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  3,  1907.) 

Red  dagga. — See  Dagga. 

Red  disa. — Disa  uniflora,  Berg.  See  Pride  of  Table 
Mountain. 

Red  ebony  or  Red  ivory. — Kiggelaria  africana.  A 
beautifully  coloured,  close  grained  wood  growing  somewhat 
sparsely  along  the  coast  of  Natal,  where  it  is  known  by  several 
names  :  Eed  ivory,  Koyal  red-wood  (q.v.),  Natal  mahogany.  In 
the  Transvaal  Rhamnus  Zeyheri,  Sond.,  is  known  as  Eed  ivory. 

"  The  beautiful  giraffe  tree,  elephant's  thorn,  and  the  red- 
ebony  tree.  The  wood  of  the  latter  is  the  hardest  and  finest 
of  any  tree  in  this  country  next  to  the  giraffe  tree.  ...  In 
its  specific  weight,  closeness  and  hardness,  it  far  exceeds  the 
black  ebony."     (Lichtenstein's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  339,  1814.) 

"  Royal  red  wood,  this  beautiful  wood  is  known  in  Natal 
as  red-ivory."     (Haggard's  "  Nada  the  Lily,"  p.  55.) 

"  This  shows  it  to  be  possessed  of  higher  properties  than 
any  other  South  African  timber,  and  to  be  the  heaviest,  with 
the  exception  of  Red  ivory,  of  those  weighed  by  him."  (Sim's 
"  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  203,  1907.) 

Red  fire-fish. — Pterois  volitans  is  so  named  in  East 
London. 

"  A  very  fine  specimen  of  the  Red  fire-fish  {Pterois 
volitans)  was  caught  at  East  London  .  .  .  and  is  on  view." 
("  Queenstown  Eepresentative,"  p.  4,  25  July,  1910.) 

Redfox. — Another  name  given  to  Canis  mesomelas.  See 
Jackal. 

"  There  are  parts  of  the  Orange  Free  State,  Cape  Colony 
and  Transvaal,  still  very  much  infested  with  the  so-called 
Redfox  {Rooi  Jakals)."  ("  Bloemfontein  Post,"  p.  6,  22 
June,  1912.) 

Red  gills. — Diagramma  Durbanense.     A  Natal  fish. 

Red  grenadier  grosbeak. — Pyromelana  oryx  is  known  by 
this  name.     See  Eed  bishop  bird. 

"  Presently  we  saw  and  shot  the  red  fink,  sometimes 
called  the  red-grenadier  grosbeak,  Ploceus  oryx."  (Bryden's 
"  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  15,  1889.) 

Red-tieaded  wren. — Dryadromas  fulvicapella,  is  so  called 
in  Natal. 

"  This  little  grass-bird  is  called  the  red-headed  wren." 
(Woodward's  "  Birds  of  Natal,"  p.  27,  1899.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  395 

Red-hot  poker. — Kniphofia  alooides.  The  Eastern  Pro- 
vince name  of  this  handsome  plant.  The  lower  flowers  of 
the  raceme  are  yellow,  the  upper  crimson  like  a  red-hot  poker. 

"  A  genus  of  handsome  African  plants  with  a  short  root- 
stock,  long,  narrow  radicle,  leaves  and  scapes  bearing  dense 
racemes  of  yellow  or  scarlet  flowers.  K.  alooides,  the  Bed 
hot  poker  ia  the  most  familiar."  (Stoneman's  "Plants  and 
their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  186,  1906.) 

Red  Kaffir  fink. — Pyromelana  oryx.  See  Red  bishop 
bird  and  Eed  grenadier  grosbeak. 

"  The  Bed  Kaffir  fink  though  not  an  uncommon  bird  is 
certainly  a  very  local  one."  (Layard's  "  Birds  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  185,  1867.) 

Red  Kaffir  or  Reds. — The  Kaffir  in  his  native  state  is  so 
called  because  of  the  red-clay  or  ochre  with  which  he  smears 
his  person  and  his  clothing — i  Qaba,  one  who  smears. 

"  This  red-Kaffir  is  in  truth  a  savage."  (Ballantyne's 
"  Six  Months  at  the  Cape,"  p.  44,  1879.) 

"  Red  ochre  and  oil  are  rubbed  into  the  skin  and  frequently 
into  the  blanket.  When  this  is  done  by  a  tribe  the  people 
are  called  Bed-Kaffirs,  or  simply  '  Reds  '."  (Eadd's  "  Es- 
sential Kaffir,"  p.  31,  1904.) 

Red -lipped  snake. — Leptodira  hotamhoeia.  See  Herald 
snake.     The  upper  lip  of  this  snake  is  a  bright  red  colour. 

Red  mangrove. — See  Mangrove. 

Red  milkwood. — Mimusops  ohovata  and  M.  caffra  are  so 
named.     See  Waterboom. 

Red  necked  pheasant. — Pternistes  nudicoUis,  not  a  com- 
mon species  ;  found  in  Pondoland  and  Natal. 

"  Bed-necked  partridge  ...  in  the  up-country  districts 
this  large  francolin  .  .  .  alights  in  the  trees,  and  is  called  a 
pheasant:'     (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  163,  1899.) 

Red  pear. — The  Transvaal  name  of  Scolopia  Ecklonii, 
Warb.,  S.  Mundtii,  is  so  named  in  the  Western  Province. 

Red  spider. — A  minute,  scarlet-coloured  mite — Tetra- 
rhynchus — which  has  given  some  trouble  to  the  tea-planters 
of  Natal,  attaching  itself  to  the  leaf  of  the  tea-plants  at  times 
in  such  numbers  as  to  give  the  shrub  a  reddish  tinge. 

"  The  principal  disease  found  in  the  tea-plant  is  what  is 
commonly  called  Bed  Spider."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa," 
p.  442,  1906.) 

Red  stinkwood. — Pygeum  africanum.     A  fine  tree  known 


396  AFBICANDEEISMS 

for  many  years  by  this  name,  but  only  recently  botanically 
identified. 

Red  water. — A  disease  due  to  the  presence  of  a  parasite 
in  the  blood — Piroplasma  bigeminum.  "  As  it  is  understood 
in  the  Cape  Colony,  red  water  is  not  the  non-contagious 
derangement  known  by  the  name  in  Great  Britain,  but  is 
identical  with  the  highly  communicable  disease  called  '  Texas 
fever'  in  the  United  States  of  America"  (Wallace).  This 
disease  is  transmitted  by  the  common  blue  tick  of  South 
Africa — Bhipicephalus  decoloratus.     See  Rooi  water. 

"  The  Bed  Water.  This  dreadful  cattle  disease  is  said  to 
be  steadily  but  surely  approaching  the  Colonial  Frontier." 
("Queenstown  Free  Press,"  15  July,  1873.) 

"  He  left  Pietermaritzburg  on  27  May,  1873,  and  reached 
Lydenburg  in  twenty-nine  days,  with  the  loss  of  only  one 
ox  by  red  water  and  a  couple  knocked  up."  (Baines'  "  Gold 
Regions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  132,  1877.) 

Red  water  (human). — A  peculiar  form  of  Hoematuria,  due 
to  a  parasite  known  as  Distoma  hcematohium.  It  is  supposed 
to  be  introduced  into  the  system  by  bathing  in  or  drinking 
impure  water.  It  was  prevalent  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Durban,  Natal,  in  the  eighties. 

"  The  principal  diseases  of  importance  being  dysentery, 
low  malarial  fever  (bilio-remittent),  and  a  peculiar  form  of 
hoematuria,  due  to  a  parasite  named  Distoma  hcematohium, 
introduced  into  the  system  by  the  drinking  of  impure  water." 
(Matthews'  "  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  15,  1887.) 

"It  appears  that  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  boys  suffer 
from  red  water  as  the  result  of  bathing  in  the  Buffalo  River. 
No  girl  bathes  there,  and  no  girl  suffers  from  the  disease." 
("The  C.G.H.  Education  Gazette,"  p.  220,  1  November, 
1906.) 

Redwing. — Francolinus  Levaillanti  is  known  by  this 
name  in  the  Cape  Colony  and  in  Natal.  In  the  Transvaal 
and  Bechuanaland  the  name  is  applied  to  F.  Gariepensis. 

"Perhaps  the  commonest  of  our  partridges  is  the  well- 
known  Bedwing."    (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  161, 1899.) 

"  North  of  this  dividing  line  (the  Orange  River)  the  Cape 
Bedwing  is  replaced  by  the  closely  allied  Orange  River  Fran- 
colin  {F.  Gariepensis)  known  to  the  Boers  as  the  Booivlerk 
Patrijs."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "Sketches  of  South  African 
Bird  Life,"  p.  126,  1908.) 


AFEICANDEKISMS  397 

Redwood. — Ochna  arborea.     See  Cape  plane. 

Reed  dance. — A  dance  in  vogue  among  the  Bechuanas, 
in  which  each  man  blows  upon  a  reed  flute,  or  whistle  of  very 
small  compass,  two  notes  at  most.  The  men  dance  in  a  circle 
stamping  the  time,  while  the  women  move  round  the  outside 
of  the  circle  clapping  their  hands. 

"  When  the  dancers,  who  were  all  men,  had  tuned  their 
reeds,  they  formed  themselves  into  a  ring.  .  .  .  The  ring  was 
drawn  as  closely  together  as  their  number  would  conveni- 
ently allow,  but  each  person  danced  separate."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  411,  1824.) 

"  A  native  reed-dance  was  going  on  in  the  '  stadt '  (as 
they  call  the  native  town)."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabele- 
land  Campaign,"  1896,  p.  14,  1897.) 

Reed  sparrow. — (1)  Hyphantornis  subaureus — the  Yellow 
finch  is  sometimes  so  called.  (2)  Burchell  applies  the  name, 
apparently,  to  Sylviella  rufescens. 

"  I  here  met  with,  for  the  first  time,  an  interesting  species 
of  Beed  Sparroiv  inhabiting  the  reeds  by  the  river  side." 
(Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  440,  1822.) 

"Like  the  canaries,  the  yellow  finch  {Hyphantornis 
olivaceous)  or  reed  sparrow  as  it  is  commonly  called  in  this 
country,  has  the  same  habit."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  i. 
Part  2,  p.  30,  1879.) 

Reef,  The. — All  ground  in  the  mines  that  differs  from  the 
diamondiferous  earth,  has  been  called  by  the  diggers,  and  is 
now  generally  spoken  of  as  "  the  reef  ". 

"  The  encasing  rock  of  the  mine,  or  the  reef  a,s  the  diggers 
call  it."    (Noble's  "  C.G.H.  Official  Handbook,"  p.  188,  1886.) 

Regen  padda. — (D.  regen,  rain;  padda,  a  toad,  frog.) 
Breviceps  gibbosus.  The  name  refers  to  the  habit  of  this 
animal  of  emerging  from  its  hole  and  croaking  before  or 
during  rain. 

"The  commonest  representative  of  the  curious  digging 
family  of  EngistomatidcB  is  Breviceps  gibbosus,  commonly 
known  as  the  regen  padda."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
149,  1905.) 

Regenworm. — (I),  regen,  rain;  worm,  a  worm.)  (1)  Ac- 
cording to  Burchell  this  name  was  applied  by  the  Hottentots 
to  a  variety  of  Julus  which  emerges  from  the  ground  only 
after  heavy  rains,  his  description  points  to  J.  teri'estris,  the 
Songalolo  (q.v.)  of  the   Kaffirs.     (2)   In  the  neighbourhood 


398  AFEICANDEEISMS 

of  Uitenhage  this  name  is  given  to  a  species  of  earth-worm 
which  attains  to  an  enormous  length,  and  occasionally  ap- 
pears above  ground  after  heavy  and  continuous  rains. 

"Large  worms  about  six  inches  long  and  nearly  three 
quarters  of  an  inch  thick  were  observed  crawling  along  the 
ground,  drawn  out  of  their  holes  by  the  rain.  .  .  .  The 
Hottentots  call  it  the  Begenwerm  (rain-worm),  a  name  so 
perfectly  appropriate  that  I  have  adopted  it  in  the  specific 
name  pluvialis.  It  is  nearly  the  largest  species  of  Julus." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  449,  1822.) 

"The  Eev.  G.  E.  Fisk  then  read  a  portion  of  a  letter 
.  .  .  from  the  Prosector  of  the  Zoological  Society  of  London 
regarding  the  alleged  existence  of  earth-worms  six  feet  in 
length.  Prof.  Guthrie  stated  that  he  had  seen  at  Paarde 
Poort  earth-worms  four  feet  long."  ("Trans.  S.A.  Phil. 
Soc,"  III.  Part  2,  p.  Ixv,  1885.) 

Reijer. — (D.  reiger,  a  heron.)     A  heron. 

"Here  come  old  Oom  Reijer.  He  is  a  kind  old  bird 
though  he  holds  his  neck  so  crooked  and  looks  like  there 
was  nothing  to  smile  at  in  the  whole  wide  world."  ("The 
State,"  p.  640,  December,  1911.) 

Rekkertje. — (D.  rekken,  to  stretch.)  A  boy's  catapult. 
See  Schietertje. 

Request  Farm. — In  the  early  days  in  the  Orange  Free 
State  and  South  African  Eepublic,  farms  not  exceeding  3000 
morgen  were  granted  to  applicants  who  signed  their  names 
in  the  Field  Cornet's  Eegister  and  undertook  to  remain  per- 
manently in  the  country.  The  application  or  "  rekwest  "  being 
registered  the  applicant  could  choose  a  vacant  site,  and  at 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Land  Commission  the  grant  would 
be  confirmed.  Farms  granted  thus  were  known  as  Eequest 
Farms. 

"  Prior  to  the  fixing  of  the  Vetberg  boundary,  and  also 
subsequently,  Cornelius  Kok  and  his  people  sold  lands  to 
Orange  Free  State  subjects  within  the  country  bounded  by 
the  Vaal  Eiver  on  the  north  and  the  Vetberg  line  on  the 
South.  On  the  purchase  of  these  lands  from  the  natives  the 
O.F.S.  Government  issued  titles  to  those  who  had  acquired 
them  in  the  form  of  requests  or  '  certificates  '."  ("The  Dia- 
mond Fields  Advertiser,"  p.  7,  2  September,  1912.) 

Rescue  grass.— Bromus  unioloides,  H.B.K.,  an  introduced 
grass  that  promises  to  be  useful. 


AFKICANDERISMS  399 

Reserve,  The. — A  tract  of  country  set  apart  for  occupa- 
tion by  the  Fingos,  was  known  as  the  "  Reserve  ". 

"  They  fell  upon  two  Fingo  kraals  in  the  Reserve  and  com- 
pletely destroyed  them."  (Godlonton's  "  Kaffir  War,  1850-1," 
I.  p.  348,  1852.) 

Reun. — (D.  ruiji,  a  gelding  ;  reu,  a  male  dog.  In  Cape 
Dutch  these  two  words  seem  to  have  been  combined  in  this 
form  and  used  of  either  object.)  A  gelded  horse,  a  male 
dog. 

Rhebok. — (D.  ree,  a  roe,  hind  ;  reebok,  a  roebuck.)  Cervi- 
capra  fulvorufula  is  known  as  the  Rooi  rhebok  and  Pelea 
capreola  as  the  Vaal  rhebok. 

"  As  I  lay  on  the  ground  smoking  I  saw  four  rheahok  of 
the  grey  species  .  .  .  making  for  the  river."  (Clairmonte's 
"  The  Africander,"  p.  225,  1906.) 

Rhebok  haas. — (D.  haas,  a  hare.)  Lepus  saxatilis,  the 
habitat  of  this  animal  is  the  higher  hills  of  South  Africa. 
See  Rock  hare. 

Rhenoster  bosje. — (CD.  rhenoster,  a  rhinoceros  ;  D.  hos, 
a  bush.)  The  common  designation  of  Elytropappus  rhino- 
cerotis,  Less. 

"  A  neat,  pale,  bushy  shrub,  of  the  height  of  3  or  4 
feet  called  Rhinoster  bosch  (Rhinoceros  hush)  and  said  to 
have  formerly  been  the  food  of  the  huge  rhinoceros,  till  those 
animals  fled  before  the  colonists."  (Burchell's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  101,  1822.) 

Rhinoceros. — This  animal  is  to  be  found  now  only  in  one 
or  two  out  of  the  way  places  in  South  Africa. 

"  Vorstellung  eines  rhinoceros  und  elephanten."  (Table 
XXXII,  p.  319,  Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  1745.) 

Rhinoceros,  or  Tick  bird. —  Buphaga  africana.  The 
strong  sharp  claws  possessed  by  these  birds  enable  them  to 
cling  securely  to  an  animal,  while  they  relieve  it  of  the  ticks 
and  other  iparasites  with  which  it  may  be  infested.  See 
Oxpecker. 

"  On  nearing  the  bush,  the  rising  of  some  rhinoceros  (also 
known  as  tich)  birds,  with  their  shrill  peculiar  shriek,  warned 
me  that  the  beast  was  near."  (Schulz  and  Hammar's  "  New 
Africa,"  p.  130,  1897.) 

Rhodes  grass. — Ghloris  Gayana,  Kunth.  A  native  grass 
which  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  late  Hon.  Cecil  Rhodes 
while  on  a  visit  to  the  Queenstown  District,  as  a  valuable 


400  AFEICANDEKISMS 

fodder  plant,  and  sent  by  him  to  his  farm  in  the  Matopos,  is 
now  generally  known  as  Khodes  grass. 

Ribbon  fish. — The  Natal  name  for  a  somewhat  rare  fish, 
a  species  of  Lophotes. 

"  A  very  fine  specimen  of  a  ribbon  fish.  It  was  about  4-^ 
feet  long,  like  a  flattish  eel,  with  a  very  blue  fringe-like  fin 
the  whole  length  of  its  body,  a  sharp  nose,  and  a  jaw  fitted 
with  sharp,  long,  curved  teeth."  ("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial," 
p.  526,  1906.) 

Ride,  To. — A  common  South  African  colloquialism  uses 
this  verb  somewhat  peculiarly,  e.g.  "  He  is  riding  wood,  for- 
age, etc.,"  meaning  "  He  is  carting  wood,  forage,  etc.,"  from 
one  place  to  another. 

"  I  want  you  to  ride  a  load  of  wood  to  the  house." 
(Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  26,  1897.) 

"  We  ought  surely  to  have  called  upon  them  to  replant 
the  deforested  areas  in  their  own  reserves,  the  wood  of  which 
they  have  ridden  to  Kimberley."  (Macnab's  "  On  Veldt  and 
Farm,"  p.  152,  1897.) 

Ride  and  Tie,  To. — Two  persons  sharing  one  horse  on  a 
journey,  one  riding  the  horse  a  stage  will  fasten  it  up  and  then 
walk  on,  the  other  on  reaching  the  horse  will  ride  on  till  he 
overtakes  the  first,  and  so  on  to  the  journey's  end. 

"  Ride  and  tie  is  the  rule  with  all  but  myself."  (Koche's 
"  On  Trek  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  222,  1878.) 

Riem. — (D.  riem,  a  tie,  string.)  Long  strips  of  untanned 
hide,  exceedingly  tough  and  supple,  very  generally  take  the 
place  in  South  Africa  of  rope,  and  are  called  "  riems  ". 

"  Thongs  made  of  the  hides  of  animals  were  everywhere 
used  by  the  farmers  instead  of  cords,  and  ropes  both  for  the 
tackling  of  wagons  and  other  purposes."  (Thunberg's  "  Tra- 
vels," II.  p.  52,  1796.) 

"  Many  of  the  straps  or  rie7ns  by  which  they  had  been 
dragged  to  the  place  of  slaughter,  were  found  still  adhering 
to  the  bones  of  the  arms  and  legs."  (Holden's  "Natal,"  p. 
93,  1855.) 

Riemhoogte. — (D.  riem,  a  tie,  thong  ;  D.  hoogte,  a  height.) 
The  designation  applied  to  a  steep  hill,  the  descent  of  which 
by  wagons  was  accomplished  in  the  early  days  by  the  use  of 
riems,  attached  like  the  man-ropes  of  a  field  gun,  and  for 
a  hke  purpose. 

Riemland. — The  name  by  which  Kroonstad,  a  district  of 


AFEICANDERISMS  401 

the  Orange  Free  State,  used  to  be  known.  This  district  was 
frequented  not  so  many  years  ago  by  large  herds  of  blesbok, 
thousands  of  which  were  shot  by  the  Boers  and  their  skins 
cut  into  "  riems  "  hence  the  name. 

Riemlander. — A  nickname  jokingly  applied  to  the  people 
of  the  above  district. 

Riempje. — Dim.  of  rie7n.  Thongs  made  from  the  soft 
skins  of  antelopes  and  used  as  string. 

"  Just  slip  off  these  bits  of  riempje,  Tambusa,and  give  me 
an  assegai  or  stick  or  something,"  (Mitford's  "  A  Romance 
of  the  Cape  Frontier,"  p.  419,  1891.) 

Riemschoen  or  Remschoen. — (D.  rem,  a  brake ;  schoen,  a 
shoe.)  A  lock  shoe  for  wagon  wheels,  largely  used  before  the 
introduction  of  the  patent  screwbrake.  Sparrman  ("  Voyage," 
I.  p.  124, 1785)  describes  the  contrivance.  In  the  former  part 
of  the  word  there  is  a  confusion  between  rem  and  riem. 

"  On  regaining  the  track,  we  found  the  riemschoen,  or 
iron  slipper,  which  had  fallen  from  the  wagon,  lying  in  the 
road."     (Steedman's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  121,  1835.) 

"  The  perpendicular  character  of  the  bank,  rendered  a 
skid,  or  as  it  is  termed  by  the  colonists  a  remscoon,  necessary 
upon  each  hind  wheel  in  addition  to  the  drag-chains."  (Harris' 
"Wild  Sports,"  p.  299,  1839.) 

Riemschoen  party. — The  name  applied  a  few  years  back 
to  that  party  in  Cape  politics  which  appeared  to  be  averse  from 
progress  ;  the  word  Riemschoen  is  apphed  in  other  direc- 
tions with  the  same  meaning,  e.g.  "  Riemschoen  Districts  ". 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  2  May,  1912.) 

"  I  am  pleased  to  find  that  my  frequent  allusion  to  the 
backward  element  in  the  Legislative  Council  as  a  riemschoen 
party  has  gone  home."  ("The  Cape  Argus,"  Weekly  Ed., 
p.  36,  2  February,  1898.) 

Rietbok. — (D.  riet,  a  reed ;  hok,  a  goat.)  Cervicapra 
arundinum — reedy  marshes  are  the  favourite  haunt  of  this 
antelope.     It  is  found  all  along  the  eastern  coast  districts. 

"  Here  we  also  met  with  the  reithok  {antilope  eleotragus), 
the  first  I  had  seen.  It  is  found  generally  in  a  marshy 
soil  among  reeds,  from  whence  the  colonists  have  given  it  the 
name  of  reithok.''  (Steedman's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  308, 
1835.) 

Rietkwartel. — (D.  riet,  a  reed  ;  kwartel,  a  quail.)  Turnix 
Hottentotta. 

26 


402  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  This  handsome  little  bird  {Biet  qwartel  and  Sand-quail 
of  the  colonists)  is  found  sparingly  throughout  the  Colony." 
(Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  607,  1875- 
84.) 

Riet  muis. — (D.  riet,  a  reed  ;  muis,  a  mouse.)  See  Cane 
rat. 

Rijstbrensi. — (D.  rijst,  rice  ;  Mai.  Srang'sangf,  a  stimulant, 
provocative.)     Bice  coloured  with  turmeric. 

Rijstkluitjes. — (D.  rijst,  rice;  CD.  Jcluitje,  3,  dumpling.) 
Dumplings  or  rolls  made  of  rice. 

RiJst  mieren. — (D.  rijst,  rice ;  7nier,  an  ant ;  cf .  Eng.  mire 
in  pis-w*Ve,  the  old  name  of  the  ant.)  The  bodies  of  the 
Termites,  which  are  so  named,  are  not  unlike  a  grain  of  rice, 
while  their  eggs  resemble  it  more  closely  still.  See  Bushman 
rice. 

"  The  officials  .  .  .  would  require  a  little  elementary 
knowledge  of  natural  history,  so  as  to  be  able  to  distinguish 
between  the  genuine  article  Gocusts'  eggs)  and  other  things 
approaching  it  in  likeness,  such  as  rice-ants,  or  rijst-mieren, 
tampans,  ticks,  or  KafSr-corn."  ("  The  Cape  Argus,"  Weekly 
Ed.  p.  46,  27  September,  1899.) 

Ring  horses,  To. — This  is  accomplished  by  passing  a  rope 
or  a  riem  through  the  snaffles  of  a  number  of  horses  and  join- 
ing the  ends,  the  propensity  of  any  one  of  them  to  stray  is  thus 
counteracted. 

"  Blankets  were  unstrapped,  the  horses  tied  together  by 
a  rope  running  through  their  snaffles,  in  colonial  parlance 
called  ringing ;  no  saddles  were  removed."  (Montague's 
"Campaigning  in  South  Africa,"  p.  323,  1880.) 

"  In  the  police  force  the  horses  were  always  rung  at 
nights."  (Ex.  C.M.K.'s  "  With  the  Cape  Mounted  Eifles," 
p.  63, 1881.) 

Ringhals. — (D.  ring,  ring,  circle ;  hals,  the  neck.)  Sejpe- 
don  hcBmachcetes.  A  snake  of  the  cobra  species,  with  a  dis- 
tinctly marked  ring  round  the  neck.  It  is  hooded  and  is 
capable  of  ejecting  a  very  acrid  saHva  to  some  distance.  Its 
bite  is  exceedingly  dangerous.      See  Spuug  slange. 

"A  ' cobra-di-capell '  or  hooded  snake,  called  by  the 
colonists  the  Bi?igeaault/'  (Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa," 
p.  400,  1856.) 

"  I  think  the  species  is  called  ringhals  (or  ringed  throat) 
in  the  Colony."     (Baines'  "  Explorations,"  p.  449,  1864.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  403 

Ringhals  kraai. — (D.  kraai,  a  crow.)  Corvultur  alhicollis. 
This  bird,  which  is  really  a  raven,  is  so  called  because  of  the 
white  ring  which  runs  round  the  lower  part  of  its  neck. 

"  This  large  raven,  which  goes  by  the  name  in  the  Colony 
of  the  Binghals  (ring-neck),  is  abundant  throughout  the 
Colony."  (Layard's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  417,  1875- 
84.) 

"  The  Bing-hals  is  usually  resident  in  Cape  Colony  and 
Natal,  and  roosts  all  the  year  round  in  or  near  its  nests." 
(Stark's  "  Fauna  of  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  11,  1900.) 

Ringed,  To  be. — Zulu  men  are  distinguished  from  boys  by 
a  head-ring.  The  head  is  shaved  all  but  a  narrow  strip  quite 
round,  the  hair  along  this  strip  is  worked  up  vnth  gum,  etc., 
into  a  black  polished  ring  called  isi  Coco  (q.v.).  The  ring 
indicates  that  the  wearer  has  attained  to  the  dignity  of  man- 
hood. The  sanction  of  the  chief  is  required  before  a  man 
can  become  a  Kehla  (q.v.)  or  "ringed  "  man. 

"  Both  man  and  woman  shave  their  heads  close,  the  former 
leaving  only  sufficient  to  attach  the  isigoko  or  ring,  and  the 
latter  a  small  tuft,  called  embeeti,  on  the  crown  .  .  .  strange 
to  say  the  will  of  the  king  is  as  necessary  for  the  adoption  of 
either  of  these  badges,  as  in  any  other  of  his  despotic  acts, 
a  whole  regiment  being  sometimes  ordered  to  adopt  the  ring." 
(Gardiner's  "Journey,"  p.  100,  1836.) 

"  Let  me  have  your  old  men ;  they  are,  as  I  see  by  those 
who  are  ringed,  about  a  hundred."  (Glanville's  "  The  Fos- 
sicker,"  p.  196,  1891.) 

Rispers  or  Ruspers. — (D.  rups,  a  caterpillar.)  The  cater- 
pillars of  several  small  moths,  which  in  some  seasons  are  so 
numerous  as  to  destroy  large  areas  of  Karoo  veld,  are  so  called 
in  Cape  Dutch. 

"  The  caterpillars,  which  are  very  Hke  the  destructive 
rispers  famihar  to  residents  in  the  Karoo,  have  already  killed 
a  large  number  of  trees  in  this  neighbourhood."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  26  June,  1906.) 

Rissies. — Cayenne  pepper  is  so  called  by  the  Malays ; 
among  the  Dutch  of  South  Africa  chillies  are  also  thus  de- 
signated. 

"  \  t^lepel  wit  peper,  klein  knypi  rissiis,  4  eetlepels 
room  van  melk."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten 
Boek,"  p.  92,  1898.) 

"  Gooi  peper,  sout,  'n  stukki  rooi  rissi  en  asyn  by  di  uie, 

26  * 


404  AFEICANDEBISMS 

maak  goed  deurmakaar."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek  en 
Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  30,  1898.) 

Rissingibosch.— In  the  July  No.  (1912)  of  the  "South 
African  Agricultural  Journal,"  Mr.  Burtt  Davy  gives  this  as 
a  Bechuanaland  name  appHed  to  Grewia  cana,  Sond.  The 
fruits  are  eaten  by  the  Bechuanas  who  also  make  a  kind  of 
beer  from  them. 

River  boils. — A  cutaneous  eruption  from  which  the  diggers 
suffered  in  the  early  days  at  the  river  diggings. 

"  The  sleeves  of  his  flannel  shirt  were  rolled  up  to  the 
shoulder,  displaying  arms  seamed  and  livid  with  the  skin 
disease  we  call  river  or  Hebron  boils."  (Boyle's  "  The  Savage 
Life,"  p.  28, 1876.) 

River  bream. — Chrysophrys  estuarius,  a  Natal  fish. 

River-horse. — The  block  of  wood  employed  by  the 
Namaquas  to  assist  them  in  swimming  across  swollen  rivers. 
See  Paard. 

"  Alte  und  Junge,  Greise  und  Kinder  kamen  iiber  den 
Strom  geschwommen  (mit  Hiilfe  eines  Holzblocks)  nur  um 
mir  die  Hand  zum  Gruss  zu  reichen."  (Wangemann's  "  Ein 
Keise-Jahr  in  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  351,  1868.) 

"  Being  now  assembled  amongst  the  tribes  at  the  water- 
side, the  men  prepared  their  river-horses  for  mounting,  i.e., 
each  man  taking  the  pole  he  carried,  inserted  a  peg  of  wood 
in  a  hole  bored  for  the  purpose  about  three  feet  from  the 
upper  end,  then  striding  across  the  pole  .  .  .  and  grasping 
the  peg  with  his  left  hand  to  prevent  the  pole  rolling,  he 
launched  forth,  swimming  with  his  right  hand  and  his  feet." 
(Kidsdale's  "  Scenes  and  Adventures  in  Great  Namaqualand," 
p.  44,  1883.) 

River  otter. — Lutra  inunguis.     See  Otter. 

"  We  obtained  also  in  the  way  of  trade,  some  good  curios, 
handsome  skins  of  the  river  otter  {Lutra  inunguis) ."  (Bry- 
den's  "Gun  and  Camera  in  South  Africa,"  p.  360,  1893.) 

River  steenbras. — Gheilodactylus  grandis.  An  East 
London  name  for  this  fish,  also  known  as  the  Bank  steenbras 
and  Tiger-fish  (q.v.). 

"  I  notice  under  the  heading  of  '  Eemarks,'  upon  the  bank 
steenbras,  tiger-fish,  or  river  steenbras  the  following :  '  Ab- 
undant all  through  the  year.  Black  transverse  stripes, 
thick  hps,  and  grunts  when  caught '."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 31  October,  1905.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  406 

Road  party. — A  gang  of  labourers  employed  to  repak  the 
roads. 

Roan  antelope. — Hippotragus  equinus  does  not  occur  south 
of  the  Orange  Eiver,  but  is  not  uncommon  in  the  Eastern 
Transvaal  and  Khodesia. 

"  I  have  tvi^ice  met  vi^ith  the  roan  antelope  to  the  south  of 
Bamangwato.  A  few  roan  antelopes  are  still  to  be  found  in 
Griqualand  West."  (Selous'  "  Wanderings  in  South  Africa," 
p.  213,  1895.) 

Robbe. — (D.  rob,  a  seal.)  Arctocephalus  pusillus,  a  fur 
seal  and  the  only  member  of  the  marine  carnivora  haunting 
the  shores  of  South  Africa. 

Robben  Island. — (D.  rob,  a  seal.)  An  island  lying  in  the 
entrance  to  Table  Bay,  so  named  because  at  one  time  it  was 
a  favourite  haunt  of  seals.  Compare  Robin's  Reef  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Kills  off  Staten  Island,  which  really  means 
Seal's  Reef,  and  was  so  called  in  early  days  by  the  Dutch  for 
the  same  reason.  (Bryant  and  Gay's  "  History  of  the  United 
States,"  I.  p.  353.) 

Robber  flies. — The  AsilidcB,  a  division  of  the  Diptera. 
They  are  fierce  insects,  preying  upon  other  insects,  the  juices 
of  which  they  extract  with  their  powerful  sucker. 

"Very  abundant  are  the  Bobber  flies,  AsilidcB,  and  much 
varied  are  their  forms ;  butterflies  or  wasps  on  the  wings  are 
mastered  with  incredible  facility  by  these  insect-devourers." 
("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  172,  1905.) 

Rock. — This  word  is  frequently  used  in  the  Midland  dis- 
tricts where  the  word  "  stone  "  would  be  employed  in  Eng- 
land, e.g.,  "  He  threw  me  over  the  hedge  with  a  rock  "  (stone). 
This  expression  contains  another  peculiar  Cape  usage,  viz., 
the  omission  of  the  preposition  before  the  indirect  object  of 
the  verb. 

Rock  baager. — A  fish  caught  in  the  Orange  River. 

It  is  universally  known  as  the  Bock  baager,  because,  un- 
like its  much  larger,  mud-loving  congener,  it  chiefly  haunts 
rocky  spots."  ("  Trans.  S.  A.  Phil.  Soc,"  p.  xcviii,  viii, 
Part  I,  1893.) 

Rock  bait. — See  Eooi  aas. 

"  The  blue  fish  ...  so  far  as  I  know,  is  only  caught  with 
ascidian  {rock  bait)  upon  our  part  of  the  coast."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  7  August,  1905.) 

Rock   cod. — Epinephelus  gigas   is   so   called   at   Mossel 


406  AFKICANDEBISMS 

Bay  and  at  Delagoa  Bay.  See  Garoupe  and  Koning  klip- 
visch. 

"  The  rock  cod  are  especially  good."  (Monteiro's  "  Delagoa 
Bay,"  p.  151, 1891.) 

"  A  second  rock  cod,  of  proportions  excelling  the  dreams  or 
even  the  tales  of  local  fishermen,  was  caught  off  Inyack  on 
Thursday  and  exhibited  in  the  market  on  Friday  morning." 
("Lorenzo  Marques  Guardian,"  25  June,  1906.) 

Rock  eagle. — Halietus  vocifer. 

"Mr.  Eickard  notes  it  from  East  London,  where  it  is 
called  the  Bock  eagle.''  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "Birds  of 
South  Africa,"  p.  46,  1875-84.) 

Rock  fish. — The  East  London  name  for  Cantharus  blochii. 
See  Hottentot. 

Rock  grunter. — See  Chor-chor. 

Rock  hare. — See  Ehebok  haas. 

Rock  pigeon. — Columha  phceonota  is  so  called  in  the  Mid- 
land Districts  of  the  Cape  Colony. 

Rock  rabbit — Another  name  for  the  Dassie  (q.v.). 

'Tis  a  true  mountain  home,  laid  in  nest  of  small  hills, 
Where  naught  that  has  life,  but  the  rock-rabbit  dwells. 

(Hudson's  "  Features  in  South  African  Frontier  Life,"  p.  74, 
1852.) 

Rock  salmon. — Lutianus  salmonides,  a  fine  fish,  reddish- 
purple  above  and  red  beneath. 

"  I  also  noticed  .  .  .  two  of  the  finest  rock-salmon  I  have 
ever  seen.  This  is  one  of  the  best  table  fishes  we  have." 
("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  334,  1905.) 

Rock  snake. — The  Natal  python.     See  Python. 

"  The  markings  of  the  Natal  python  are  very  beautiful, 
the  colours  being  dark  olive  brown,  with  purpHsh  white  under 
parts.  ...  In  South  Africa  this  species  is  often  called  the 
Rock-snake."     (Bryden's  "  Animals  of  Africa,"  p.  182, 1900.) 

Rock,  To. — (D.  raken,  to  hit,  touch.)  To  hit  with  a  mis- 
sile; the  word  is  also  used  by  children  for  a  hit  when 
playing  at  marbles.  See  Eak,  of  which  this  is  the  English 
corruption. 

Roer. — (D.  roer,  a  tube;  G.  Bohr,  a  tube,  a  gun-barrel.) 
The  old-time,  heavily  metalled,  elephant  guns,  used  by  the 
Dutch  voortrekkers. 

"  Two  rifles,  four  double-barrelled  guns,  and  a  large  Dutch 


AFEICANDEEISMS  407 

piece  or  roer."     (Barter's  "The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  47, 
1852.) 

Roerdomp. — (D.  roer-domp,  the  bittern.)  Botaurus  capen- 
sis.  One  of  the  designations  given  to  this  bird  by  the  Dutch. 
See  Brul-vogel, 

"  The  hammerkop  {Scopus  umbretta),  the  bittern  {Botaurus 
stellaris)  called  by  the  Boers  roerdomp,  are  seen  pretty  fre- 
quently."    (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  93,  1889.) 

Roer  dragers.  —  (D.  drager,  a  carrier,  bearer.)  Gun- 
bearers. 

"  Kreli  was  to  have  been  vt'ith  the  Kaffir  division,  having 
a  body  guard  of  Kaffir  {roer-dragers)  musket  bearers."  (God- 
lonton's  "  Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  i.  p.  170,  1852.) 

Roer-mij-niet  or  Truitje  roer-mij-niet.  —  (D.  roeren,  to 
touch;  lit.  "  Touch  me  not  ".  Truitje  is  the  shortened  form 
of  Gertrude.)  This  appellation  is  given  (1)  to  two  plants 
whose  leaves  when  touched  emit  a  very  unpleasant  odour — 
Melianthus  major  and  M.  camosus,  Vehl. ;  and  (2)  to  a  very 
thorny  plant  the  spines  of  which  do  more  than  suggest  cau- 
tion. 

"  A  few  nests  of  the  Nectarina  famosa  were  discovered 
among  the  roer-mij-niet  bushes."  {"  Scientific  Africa,"  p.  76, 
1896.) 

Rog. — (D.  rog,  a  thornback.)     Baja  maculata.     See  Skate. 

Rogge  Veld. — (D.  rogge,  rye.)  Rye-land — the  name  given 
to  a  part  of  the  Fraserburg  and  Sutherland  Districts. 

"  An  opinion  that  many  of  the  plants  of  the  Boggeveld  are 
sufficiently  hardy  to  bear  the  winters  of  England,  is  not  alto- 
gether speculative."     (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  255,  1822.) 

"  Many  a  treasure  did  the  eagle  eye  of  the  botanist  discern 
as  we  jogged  along  through  the  Bogge-veld."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  10,  27  July,  1912.) 

Rog,  Wilde. — (D.  rogge,  rye  ;  wilde,  wild.)  Secale  africa- 
num. 

Ro!  plek. —  (D.  rollen,  to  roll;  plek,  place,  spot.)  The 
curious  formations  known  as  Kommetjes  (q.v.)  are  sometimes 
so  called — the  idea  being  that  they  were  formed  by  the  wal- 
lowing of  buffalos  or  elephants. 

"  Those  saucer-like  depressions  so  numerous  in  some  parts 
of  our  veld  are  rather  fancifully  accounted  for  at  times.  We 
have  heard  them  described  as  pits  dug  by  Kaffirs  in  days  of 
tribal  warfare,  from  whence  ambushes  were  made  good  or 


408  AFKICANDEEISMS 

that  they  were  the  rol  plehs  of  big  game."     ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  6,  18  October,  1912.) 

Roman. — (D.  rood,  red;  man,  man.)  Chrysophrys  cristi- 
ceps,  Cuv.  One  of  the  prettiest  and  most  dehcious  of  the  South 
African  fishes.  It  has  given  its  name  to  the  Eoman  Kock  in 
False  Bay,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  the  fish  abounded. 
The  name,  which  is  a  corruption  of  "roodman,"  "rooiman," 
has  reference  to  the  deep  orange  colour  of  the  fish. 

"  The  finest  fish  are  caught  here,  and  particularly  the 
rooman,  that  gives  its  name  to  a  rock  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  which  it  is  found  in  great  abundance."  (Le  Vaillant's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  80,  1796.) 

Roman  Rock. — The  rock  in  False  Bay  referred  to  above. 

"A  large,  round  rock  in  the  harbour  went  by  the  name 
of  the  Ark,  another  was  called  the  Bomance-rock."  (Thunberg's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  269,  1795.) 

Rondavel. — (D.  rondeel,  a  tower.)  As  used  now  it  means 
a  poor  sort  of  round  hut,  but  appears  to  have  been  used  origin- 
ally of  the  loop-holed  places  built  by  the  Boers  to  protect  their 
kraals  and  stock. 

"  Ook  thans  nog  is  de  rondavel,  van  15  tot  20  voet  in  door- 
snede,  of  het,  soms  30  tot  40  voet  lange  '  hartebeesthuis,'  het 
gewone  verblijf  van  den  Boer,  die  een  nieuwe  plaats  aanlegt, 
en  voor  zich  en  zijn  huisgezin  geen  ander  onderkomen  heeft." 
(Cachet's  "De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  422,  1882.) 

"At  present  the  Landrost  lies  in  a  Rondavel  of  reeds  and 
mud."    (Wilmot's  "  Life  of  Sir  Richard  Southey,"  p.  69, 1905.) 

"  These  rondables  (round  towers)  as  they  were  called,  are 
still  to  be  seen  on  the  oldest  farms  in  the  Longkloof  and  in 
other  parts  of  the  country."  (Sellick's  "  Uitenhage  Past  and 
Present,"  p.  viii,  1905.) 

Rondebosje. — (D.  rond,  round ;  bos,  bush.)  A  variety  of 
Protea. 

Rond  looper. — (D.  rond,  around,  about;  loopen,  to  run; 
rondloopen,  to  gad  about.)     A  gad  about,  a  tramp. 

The  Kaffir  when  engaged  had  no  pass  whatever  in  his 
possession — he  was  what  I  may  term  a  rotid-looper." 
("Queenstown  Free  Press,"  3  March,  1863.) 

Roodebek.— (D.  rood,  red  ;  bek,  a  beak,  bill.)  Vidua  prin- 
cipalis, the  Widow  bird.     See  also  Eooibekje. 

Roode  besje.  —  (D.  rood,  red ;  bezie,  a  berry.)  Olinea 
cymosa. 


AFEICANDEKISMS  409 

Roode  blad. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  hlad,  a  leaf.)  Comhretum 
erythrophyllum.  This  name  refers  to  the  autumn  tints  of  the 
foliage.     See  Bush  willow. 

Roode  els. — (D.  rood,  red ;  els,  alder  tree.)  Gunonia  capen- 
sis.     The  flowers  have  a  strong,  sweet  scent. 

Roode  haas. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  haas,  a  hare.)  Lepus  crassi- 
caudatus.     See  Klip  haas  and  Eooi  stert. 

"  The  hares  known  as  the  Vlackte  haas  {Lepus  capensis), 
Rhebok  haas  (L.  saxatilis)  and  Roode  haas  {L .  crassicaudatus) 
.  .  .  are  spread  all  over  the  country."  ("  Science  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  134,  1905.) 

Roodehout. — (D.  rood,  red;  hout,  wood.)     See  Cape  plane. 

Roode  melkhout. — Mimusops  obovata.     See  Eed  milkwood. 

Roode  peer.  —  (D.  rood,  red ;  peer,  a  pear.)  Scolopia 
mundii,  but  in  Pondoland  the  name  is  given  to  a  euphorbi- 
aceous  tree. 

Roodepoot  elsje. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  poot,  a  foot ;  els,  an  awl.) 
Himantopus  candidus,  Bonn.  "  This  bird  may  be  distinguished 
from  all  our  waders  by  the  disproportionate  length  and  slender- 
ness  of  its  legs,  which  are  of  a  bright  red  colour."  (Layard.) 
"  Els  "  refers  to  the  shape  of  its  bill. 

"  Breeds  in  September,  and  is  called  Roodepoot  elsje,  lit. 
*  red-legged  cobbler's  awl '.  The  likening  of  the  bills  of  these 
two  birds  (see  Bonte  elsje)  to  an  awl  is  not  bad."  (Layard  and 
Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  675,  1875-84.) 

Roode  rabassam. — Pelargonium  anceps.  Ait.  This  plant 
is  used  by  the  Malays  to  promote  parturition. 

Roode  trewa. — (D.  rood,  red.)  Satyrium  cucullatum. 
(Thunberg's  "Flora  Capensis,"  p.  17,  1823.)  =  5^.  corii- 
folium,  Sw. 

Roode  zaad  gras. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  zaad,  seed,  spawn.) 
The  Cape  Province  name  of  Tristachya  leucothrix,  Trin. 

Roof  of  Africa,  The. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  the 
great  Drakensberg  range  of  mountains.     See  Drakensberg. 

"  The  Drakensberg  range  has  been  aptly  called  the  Roof  of 
Africa.''    ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  9,  28  September,  1912.) 

Rooi  aas. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  aas,  carrion.)  The  name  given 
to  the  fleshy  part  of  an  Ascidian,  which,  when  removed  from 
its  cartilaginous  envelope,  is  largely  used  for  bait  all  round 
the  coast.     See  Rock-bait. 

"  Of  the  baits  available  .  .  .  rooi-aas  .  .  .  is  given  the  pre- 
ference, because  ...  far  more  are  taken  upon  rooi-aas,  and 


410  AFBICANDEBISMS 

the  jBsh  bite  upon  it  more  freely."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
30  May,  1905.) 

"  One  of  the  features  of  the  rocky  parts  of  the  coast  line 
from  Cape  Point  eastwards  is  the  clusters  of  rooias  or  '  red- 
bait '  (a  large  Ascidian  which  covers  the  rocks)  ".  ("  Science 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  192,  1905.) 

Rooi  baatje. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  Mai.  badjoe,  a  jacket.)  The 
Cape  Dutch  name  for  the  English  soldiers ;  this  has  been 
largely  supplanted  in  recent  years  by  the  term  "  Khakies,"  both 
names  having  reference  to  the  colour  of  the  soldier's  uniform. 

"  And  how  Umhala  would  laugh  at  the  Boed  vatjes." 
(Ward's  "Five  Years  in  Kaffirland,"  i.  p.  164,  1848.) 

"  The  border  colonist  would  have  held  his  ground  against 
the  native,  without  the  aid  of  a  single  Boode-haatje  (red-coat)." 
(Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  171,  1852.) 

"  The  Bode  bashees  of  the  party,  as  the  Kaffir's  denomin- 
ate our  gallant  red-jackets."  (Drayson's  "  Sporting  Scenes," 
p.  22,  1858.) 

"  After  that  tale  I  think  I  may  ask  the  Boe  bargie  officer  to 
tell  us  a  story."  (Drayson's  "Tale  of  the  Outspan,"  p.  79, 
1862.) 

"  Sonny,  them  rooibaaitjes  can  fight,  but  they're  foolish." 
(Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  206,  1897.) 

Rooibaatje. — Acridium  purpuriferum.  A  large  red  and 
green  locust  is  so  named  ;  but  the  term  is  also  applied  to  the 
red-striped  Voetgangers  (q.v,). 

"The  young  locusts  are  partly  red  and  partly  black. 
The  Dutch  call  them  vootgangers,  that  is  footmen,  or  goers 
on  foot.  Sometimes  they  are  called  rooibatjes,  that  is  red- 
coats, in  allusion  to  the  soldiers."  (Calderwood's  "  Gaffers," 
p.  157,  1858.) 

"  The  young  of  the  migratory  one  :  Pachytilus  migratorius 
are  so  gaily  coloured  as  to  have  earned  for  them  the  local 
name  of  rooi  batjes  or  redcoats."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc," 
IX.  p.  xlv,  1902.) 

Rooibekje.— (D.  rood,  red  ;  bek,  a  beak,  bill.)  (1)  Estrilda 
astrilda,  a  well  known  Cape  bird  with  red  beak  and  pretty 
plumage.  See  King  of  six.  (2)  In  Natal  the  name  is  also 
given  to  Vidua  principalis. 

"  The  roodbeckjes  {Loxia  astrild)  made  great  havock  in  the 
gardens,  where  they  devoured  both  blossoms  and  seeds." 
(Thunberg's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  23,  1796.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  411 

"Flocks  of  the  charming  wee  Booibekje."  ("Scientific 
African,"  p.  88,  1896.) 

"  This  bird  (V.  principalis)  derives  its  name  from  its  pretty 
wax-hke  red  bill,  which  resembles  that  of  the  estrilda,  and  in 
common  with  them  it  is  called  roibek."  (Woodward's  "  Natal 
Birds,"  p.  66,  1899.) 

Rooi  bles  riet  haan. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  bles,  a  blase  ;  riet,  a 
reed  ;  haan,  a  cock.)  Gallinula  chloropus.  The  Moorhen, 
sometimes  called  by  the  Dutch  Rooi  bles  hoender  (D.  hoen,  a 
hen)  is  a  familiar  English  bird. 

Rooibloem. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  bloem,  a  flower.)  The  para- 
sitic Striga  lutea,  Lour.,  which  attaches  itself  to  the  roots  of 
wild  grasses  and  also  to  cultivated  crops  of  the  grass  family, 
especially  mealies  ;  by  absorbing  the  juice  of  the  plant  it 
prevents  its  maturing.  The  plant  is  also  called  Booi  bosje, 
Mealie  gift,  Witch  weed. 

"The  plant  disease  ...  is  that  known  as  witch- weed  or 
rooi-bloemtje."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  13  April, 
1911.) 

Rooi-bok. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  bok,  goat,  antelope.)  Another 
name  for  the  Pallah  (q.v.). 

Rooi-bosje. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  bos,  a  bush.)  A  species  of 
Borbonia.     See  also  Eooibloem. 

Rooibos  tea. — This  is  prepared  from  a  species  of  Borbonia. 

"  Cape  rooibos  tea."  ("  The  S.A.  Journal  of  Science," 
VII.  p.  374,  1911.) 

Rooi  gras. — Anthistiria  imberbis,  Betz.  This,  perhaps 
the  most  valuable  of  the  indigenous  grasses,  derives  its  name 
from  the  brownish-red  colour  which  it  assumes  in  winter. 
It  is  common  throughout  the  Cape  Province.  In  Bechuana- 
land  Themeda  Forskalii,  var.  Burchellii,  Hack.,  is  known  by 
this  name. 

"  The  Stormberg  region,  where,  within  my  own  short  ex- 
perience, miles  of  rooi-grass  have  given  place  to  the  diminu- 
tive Quagga-couch  grass,  while  what  used  to  be  vleys  of  reeds 
or  rushes  are  now  drained  by  recently  formed  dongas,  and  the 
rushes  have  given  place  to  rooi-grass."  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora 
of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  37,  1907.) 

Rooihond. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  hofid,  a  dog.)  The  Cape  Dutch 
name  for  the  scarlet-fever  or  scarlatina, 

Rooi  hout. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  hout,  wood.)  Ochna  arborea, 
one  of  the  forest  trees  reserved  by  Government, 


412  AFRICANDEEISMS 

"  A  flock  of  long-tailed  mouse-birds,  called  finks  (!)  would 
dash  past  to  settle  in  a  rooihout  tree."  (Clairmonte's  "  The 
Africander,"  p.  2,  1896.) 

Rooi  jakhals. — (D.  rood,  red.)  Canis  mesomelas — some- 
times called  the  Silver  jackal  (q.v.). 

"  There  are  parts  of  the  Orange  Free  State,  Cape  Colony 
and  Transvaal,  still  very  much  infested  with  the  so-called 
red  fox  (Booi  jakals)."  ("  Bloemfontein  Post,"  p.  6,  22 
June,  1912.) 

Rooi  kat. — Felis  caracal.  The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  this 
animal.     See  Lynx. 

"  Boode  katt  is  the  name  here  given  to  a  kind  of  red  lynx, 
with  long  locks  of  hair  at  the  extremities  of  its  ears,  and  the 
top  of  its  tail  black."  (Thunberg's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  182, 
1796.) 

"  Lynxes,  or  as  the  Dutch  call  them,  rooikats."  (Martin's 
"  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  217,  1890.) 

Rooiman. — A  species  of  Solpuga  found  in  the  Karoo  ;  it  is 
a  reddish  colour  and  has  claws  not  unlike  those  of  a  lobster. 
See  Jaag-spinnekop. 

"  The'large  nocturnal  yellow  and  black  species  of  Solpuga 
.  .  .  are  variously  known  locally  by  the  name  of  Romans, 
Jadg-spinnekoppen  (hunting  spiders)  or  Haar-scheerders  (hair- 
cutters)."     ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  178,  1905.) 

Rooi  meerkat. — Cynictis  penicillata  ;  the  bushy-tailed 
meerkat. 

Rooi  mier. — (D.  mier,  an  ant.)     A  species  of  red  ant. 

Rooinek. — Originally  a  jocose  Dutch  name  for  an  English- 
man, subsequently  used  somewhat  contemptuously,  and 
occasionally  preceded  by  a  vigorous  adjective.  The  follow- 
ing amusing  mistake  with  reference  to  this  epithet  is  worthy 
of  preservation  :  "  A  '  Pali-Mall '  correspondent  has  discovered 
an  amusing  blunder  in  Mr.  Bryce's  book.  Mr.  Bryce  takes 
the  Boers  to  task  for  speaking  of  an  Englishman  as  '  rotten 
eggs'."  ("Impressionsof  South  Africa,"  p.  509, 1898.)  The 
truth  is,  as  the  correspondent  correctly  points  out,  that,  in 
South  Africa,  Englishmen,  owing  to  their  more  rosy  com- 
plexion, as  compared  with  other  white  men  hving  there,  are 
jocosely  spoken  of  as  "red  necks"  (rooinek  in  Transvaal 
Dutch,  rood  nek  in  the  Dutch  of  Holland).  This  expression 
Mr.  Bryce  has  misinterpreted  as  "  rotten  eggs ".  ("  The 
Empire,"  29  January,  1898.) 


AFEICANDERISMS  413 

"  Eooineky  once  a  term  of  bantering  endearment,  has  un- 
fortunately lost  its  charm,  since  it  has  been  converted  into  a 
term  of  dislike  by  the  Boers  for  the  foreigner."  (Schuiz  and 
Hammar's  "  New  Africa,"  p.  397,  1897.) 

Rooi  rhebok. — See  Rhebok. 

Rooi  schimmel. — See  Blauw  schimmel. 

"  He  rides  a  horse  about  fourteen  hands  high,  which  he 
calls  a  red-schimmel  but  which  you  would  term  a  roan." 
(Cole's  "  The  Cape  and  the  Kaffirs,"  pp.  51-52,  1852.) 

"  There  was  plenty  to  do  if  one  looked  about,  but  there 
was  nothing  crying  out  to  be  taken  in  hand ;  and  I  saddled 
the  rooi-schimmel."  (Glanville's  "Kloof  Yarns,"  "The 
Empire,"  30  July,  1898.) 

Rooi  staart- — (D.  rood,  red ;  staart,  a  tail.)  See  Klip 
haas  and  Roode  haas. 

Rooi  steenbras. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  brasem,  a  bream.)  De^itex 
rupestris.  A  much  esteemed  Cape  fish,  often  exceeding  3-^ 
feet  in  length  and  14  inches  in  depth. 

"  Die  beeden  letztern  Arten  von  Brassen  am  Vorgebiirge 
nennen  die  Colonisten  Jacob-Evertsen  ;  sonsten  heissen  sie 
rothe  Steinhrassen,  auf  Franzosisch  Breme  rouge."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  368,  1745.) 

Rooi  stompneus. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  stomp,  blunt ;  neus, 
nose,  snout.)     Chrysophrys  gibbiceps.     See  Jakob  zwart. 

Rooi  taal. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  taal,  language,  tongue,  speech.) 
The  English  language  is  sometimes  so  designated  by  the 
Dutch. 

"  They  are  usually  glib-tongued,  speak  the  taal  and  the 
rooi-taal  with  equal  readiness,  and  are  well  versed  in  that 
sophistry  which  misleads  the  man  in  the  street."  ("  The 
Graaff  Reinet  Advertizer,"  18  December,  1898.) 

Rooitje. — The  name  sometimes  given  to  the  Silver  fish 
(q.v.). 

Rooi  trewa. — Safyrium  coriifolium.  See  Geele  trewa  and 
Ewa  trewa.     Another  name  for  this  orchid. 

Rooi  valk. — (D.  valk,  a  hawk,  falcon.)  A  small  hawk 
Tinmmculus  riipicohis. 

"  Einer  der  kleinsten  der  siidafrikanischen  Tagraubvogel." 
(Holub  und  Petzeln's  "  Ornithologie  von  Siidafrika,"  p.  29, 
1882.) 

Rooi  vink. — (D.  vink,  a  finch.)     The  Red  Kaffir  finch. 

Rooi  vierk. — (D.  vlerk,  a  wing.)     Amydras  morio — it  de- 


414  AFEICANDEEISMS 

stroys  large  numbers  of  caterpillars  and  insects,  but  is  also 
partial  to  fruit. 

"  Am.  rudipennis  (Shaw).  Booivlerk  Sprejki  der  Boers." 
(Holub  und  Petzeln's  "  Ornithologie  von  Siidafrika,"  p.  112, 
1882.) 

Rooivlerk  karper.— (D.  rood,  red  ;  vlerk,  a  wing ;  harper, 
a  carp.)     Barbus  Burchellii,  Smith. 

"  The  karper  or  carp  {Booivlerk  karper,  red-finned  carp,  of 
the  Dutch  colonists,  Barbus  (Pseudobarbatus)  Burchellii  of  Dr. 
Andrew  Smith,  first  identified  as  its  name  imphes  by  the 
traveller  Burchell,  circa  1812)  is  a  handsome  Httle  fish,  not 
unlike  a  perch  in  shape."  (Bryden's  "  Gun  and  Camera  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  461,  1893.) 

Rooi  wangetjes. — (D.  rood,  red;  wang,  a  cheek.)  An 
appropriate  name  for  a  variety  of  pear  which  has  a  bright 
red  spot  on  a  yellow  surface.  The  word  "  wang  "  for  cheek 
occurs  in  the  York  Mystery  Plays,  ed.  Smith.  "  Thy  wordis 
makis  me  my  wangges  to  wete — (Thy  words  make  me  wet 
my  cheeks),"  (p.  64,  1.  275,  Oxford,  1885). 

Rooi  water. — See  Ked  water. 

"  Wij  hebben  dit  jaar  hier  aan  de  Zoutpansberg  vele 
beesten  verloren  aan  die  vreeselijke  ziekte  genaamd  rooiwater." 
(Hofmeyr's  "Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  288, 1890.) 

Rooi  wortel. — (D.  rood,  red  ;  wortel,  a  root,  carrot.)  Bul- 
bine  latifolia.  The  root  of  this  plant,  which  is  orange  yellow 
in  colour,  is  used  at  a  certain  stage  for  rheumatism ;  it  is 
scraped  and  steeped  in  brandy,  the  taste  being  intensely  bitter. 

Rooster  koekjes. — (D.  rooster,  a  gridiron,  grate;  koek,  a 
cake.)  Cakes  of  unleavened  bread  cooked  on  a  gridiron  over 
the  coals  of  a  wood  fire.  Called  also  Veld  bricks,  Doughboys, 
and  sometimes  Dood-gooi. 

"I  had  meal  to  fall  back  upon  with  which  to  make 
rooster-kookies,  that  is,  cakes  without  leaven  baked  on  the 
gridiron."     (Edward's  "  Eeminiscences,"  p.  53,  1883.) 

"  So  one  day  Mr,  Herbert  taught  me  how  to  make  roster 
cakes  (a  roster  means  a  gridiron)."  (Hobson's  "At  Home  in 
the  Transvaal,"  p.  79,  1884.) 

Root  gall  worm. — See  Eel-worm. 

Rorke's  Drift — A  commissariat  and  hospital  post  on  the 
Buffalo  Eiver,  Natal,  gallantly  defended  during  the  Zulu  War 
by  a  handful  of  British  soldiers  under  Lieutenants  Chard  and 
Bromhead,  against  4000  Zulus,  on  22  January,  1879. 


AFRICANDEKISMS  415 

Setting  Rorke's  Drift  till  now  unhonoured  name, 
By  Plassey  and  Assays,  and  fights  of  fame. 

Rose  apple. — Jambosa  vulgaris,  of  little  worth  as  a 
fruit. 

"  Jambosa  vulgaris,  the  rose  apple,  of  the  East  Indies, 
reaches  the  height  of  30  feet  in  its  native  woods,  and  is  pretty 
common  in  Cape  gardens."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i. 
p.  90,  1857.) 

Rosinbosch. — This  hybrid  word  is  heard  in  some  localities 
instead  of  Harpuisbosch  (q.v.). 

"  Many  of  the  Camdeboo  mountain  farms  .  .  ,  have  had 
a  large  portion  of  their  veld  ruined  by  the  spread  of  the 
rhenosterbosch  and  the  rosinbosch  (or  haarpisbosch)."  ("  The 
Queenstown  Daily  Eepresentative,"  p.  7,  9  April,  1912.) 

Rossignol. — (F.  rossignol,  a  nightingale.)  Saxicola  pile- 
ata,  Gmel.,  has  been  thus  designated.  See  Nachtegal  and 
Schaapwachtertje. 

"  It  has  also  the  more  local  name  of  '  Nagtgaal,'  and 
Bossignol,  from  a  habit  it  is  said  to  have  of  singing  by  night." 
(Andersson's  "  Birds  of  Damaraland,"  p.  108, 1872.) 

Rottang. — (Mai.  rotan,  Calamus  rotang.)  The  name 
given  to  several  species  of  tough  and  strong  East  Indian 
climbing  plants  of  the  genus  Calamus  and  its  allies.  The 
stem,  cut  into  walking  sticks,  is  known  by  the  same  name  in 
South  Africa. 

Rotte  kruid. — (D.rot,  a  rat;  kruid,  powder.)  An  earlier 
Dutch  name  for  arsenic. 

"As  for  poisons  arsenic  (then  called  rotte  kruid,  rat 
powder)  was  used,  but  not  very  successfully."  ("  C.G.H. 
Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  691,  1904.) 

Round  potato. — See  Potato,  round. 

Round  tailed  meerkat. — Suricata  tetradactyla.  See 
Meerkat. 

Royal  heath. — Erica  regia,  Bartl. 

Royal  red  wood. — See  Eed  ebony,  and  quotation  2. 

Rozijntjes. — (D.  rozijn,  a  raisin.)  The  small  fruit  of 
Grewia  cand.,  Bond. 

"  An  old  woman  kindly  refreshed  us  with  sour  milk,  and 
gave  the  people  plenty  of  rozijntjes,  little  raisins."  (Back- 
house's "Narrative,"  p.  548,  1844.) 

Rozijntjes  bosch. — See  above. 

"  The  banks  of  the  river  produce  lofty  trees  .  .  .  such  as 


416  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Mimosa,  Salix,  and  species  of  Bhus,  called  by  the  Dutch 
Bezyne  hoiid."     (Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  p.  113,  1789.) 

Rub-rub  berries. — The  name  given  to  the  berries  of  Bhus 
obovata  in  Lower  Albany. 

Ruggens. — (D.  rug,  back;  cf.  Eng.  ridge.)  Hills  or 
ridges,  vv^hich,  like  the  arched  backs  of  closely  packed  animals, 
run  side  by  side  as  in  the  Winterhoek,  Caledon,  and  Bredas- 
dorp  Districts  m  the  Cape  Colony,  are  thus  designated. 

"In  the  Bredasdorp  District  .  .  .  the  real  lamziekte  veld 
is  said  to  lie  between  the  dunes  and  the  ruggens.  The  disease 
is  not  known  in  the  ruggens,  where  the  veld  is  sweet." 
("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  35,  July,  1912.) 

Ruggi. — Dim.  of  the  above  is  employed  of  a  series  of 
smaller  ridges. 

Rush,  A. — A  taking  possession,  by  force  of  numbers,  of 
property  which  is  supposed  to  be  gold  or  diamond  bearing. 
A  "  canteen-rush  "  is  one  that  has  had  its  origin  in  canteen 
talk  and  gossip,  and  is  sometimes  engineered  and  worked  for 
purposes  sufficiently  obvious. 

"Hitherto  a  rush  had  been  held,  and  actually  upheld  by 
argument,  as  a  superior  right  to  any  mere  private  claims. 
The  Free  State  distinctly  admitted  this,  and  enjoined  it  by 
law."     (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  143,  1873.) 

"  I  don't  think  many  people  believed  in  this  last  of  our 
countless  alarms.  It  was  pooh-poohed  on  every  side  as  a 
'  canteen-rws^ '.  Some  man  who  wanted  to  be  rid  of  his  bar 
stores  had  got  up  the  excitement  by  nods  and  winks."  {Ibid. 
p.  142.) 

Rush,  To. — (1)  To  take  possession  by  force  of  numbers  as 
above.  (2)  The  word  has  acquired  a  wider  meaning,  and  is 
now  often  used  in  the  sense  of  suddenly  inducing  one  to  do  a 
thing  that  in  calmer  moments  he  would  perhaps  decline  to 
do — taking  him  unawares. 

"About  that  time  the  farm  was  rushed,  an  expressive 
word  though  sinister  to  the  ears  of  a  landed  proprietor  now- 
adays. It  signifies  that  diggers  swarmed  to  the  spot  in  such 
numbers  as  to  render  merely  foohsh  any  resistance  a  pro- 
prietor might  meditate."  (Boyle's  "To  the  Cape  for  Dia- 
monds," p.  90,  1873.) 

Rustbank.— (D.  rusten,  to  rest ;  bank,  a  bench.)  A  rough 
wooden  couch,  the  seat  of  which  is  often  made  by  weaving 
in  and  out  hide  thongs  or  riems. 


AFRICANDERISMS  417 

"  A  rust-hank,  a  rude  sofa  of  wood,  covered  with  skins, 
stands  against  the  wall  facing  the  entrance."  (Bryden's 
"  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  268,  1889.) 

"  The  few  very  rough  seats  and  the  rust  banken  .  .  .  were 
occupied  by  the  men,  the  women  sat  on  the  floor."  (Dower's 
"  Early  Annals  of  Kokstad,"  p.  25,  1902.) 

Rustland. — (D.  rusten,  to  rest.)  Land  that  is  allowed  to 
rest,  to  lie  fallow  for  a  time. 

Rye,  Saldanha  Bay. — Secale  africanum,  a  variety  of  rye, 
which,  on  rich  soil,  grows  to  5  feet  and  sometimes  to  7  feet 
high,  and  has  been  known  to  yield  as  much  as  fifty-fold. 

Saam. — (D.  samen,  together.)  This  word  is  often  used  by 
English-speaking  colonists  in  a  somewhat  peculiar  way,  e.g. 
"  Can  I  come  saam?  "  "  He  went  saam  "  ;  meaning  "  Can  I 
come  with  you  ?  "  "  He  went  with  them."  This  is  an  imi- 
tation of  the  Dutch  idiom,  and  is  current  in  the  Midland 
Districts  of  the  Cape  Colony.  Cf.  "  Thenne  comen  clerkus 
to  comfortye  hure  samen  ".  (Langland's  "Piers  the  Plow- 
man," 4,  27.     Skeat  Ed.) 

Sable  antelope. — Hippotragus  niger.  The  first  specimen 
of  this  handsomest  of  the  South  African  antelopes  submitted 
to  naturalists,  was  procured  by  Major  Harris  in  the  Magalies- 
berg.     See  Harris  buck  and  Zwaart-wit-pens. 

"  It  were  vain  to  attempt  a  description  of  the  sensations  I 
experienced  when  ...  I  at  length  found  myself  in  actual 
possession  of  so  brilliant  an  addition  to  the  riches  of  natural 
history.  The  prize  evidently  belonged  to  the  Aigocerine 
group,  and  was  equal  in  stature  to  a  large  galloway."  (Har- 
ris's "Wild  Sports,"  p.  263,  1839.) 

Sack  milk. — (D.  zak,  a  bag,  pocket.)  The  earlier  colonial 
name  for  what  is  now  known  as  Sour  milk  or  Amasi  (q.v.).  It 
was  commonly  prepared  in  a  bag  made  of  the  skin  of  a  goat 
or  sheep — hence  the  name. 

"  A  community  of  Hottentots  .  .  .  received  us  very 
friendly,  and  invited  us  to  drink  some  of  their  sack  milk" 
(Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  239,  1785.) 

Sacred  jackhanger. — The  common  name  of  Tarsiger  silens. 
The  male  bird  in  its  flight  strongly  resembles  the  male 
Butcher  bird  (q.v.). 

"  This  bird  is  known  as  the  Sacred  jackhanger  to  the 
colonial  schoolboy."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South 
African  Bird  Life,"  p.  103,  1908.) 

27 


418  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Saddle,  The.— This  term  is  applied  to  a  saddle-like  for- 
mation somewhat  frequent  in  South  Africa,  by  which  two 
mountains  are  joined  together. 

"  The  police  turned  out  smartly,  and  off  we  went  up  the 
rocks  to  the  Saddle.  .  .  .  Just  at  the  saddle  foot  we  came  upon 
a  wounded  man,  assegaied  in  ten  places,  and  flung  over  the 
kranz  by  the  enemy."  (Barkley's  "Among  Boers  and 
Basutos,"  p.  99,  1893.) 

"  By  eleven  o'clock  the  party  had  climbed  to  the  summit 
of  a  saddle  overlooking  Umbunda's  Pass,  and  was  able  to  dis- 
tinguish its  future  route  lying  in  the  gorge  some  hundreds  of 
feet  below."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  21  June,  1912.) 
Saddle  off,  To. — See  Off-saddle,  Dutch  afzadelen. 
"  He  asked  us  if  we  would  saddle  off  our  horses  and  enter 
his  habitation."  (Hoodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  i. 
p.  65,  1835.) 

Saddle  up,  To. — A  colloquialism  common  throughout  the 
whole  of  South  Africa;  it  is  the  English  rendering  of  the 
Dutch  opzadelen,  to  saddle  a  horse. 

"The  tractable  steeds  were  without  difficulty  caught  and 
saddled  up."     (Napier's  "  Excursions,"  ii.  p.  17,  1849.) 

"At  five  o'clock  we  commenced  to  saddle  up  again." 
(Godlonton's  "Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  i.  p.  397,  1852.) 

Saffraan  hout. — (D.  saffraan,  saffron  ;  Jiout,  wood.)  Elcco- 
dendron  croceum ;  this  tree  has  a  whitish  bark  with  a  yellow 
sub-cuticle  which  shows  through,  hence  the  name. 

"A  tree  20  to  40  feet  high,  2  to  4  feet  in  diameter. 
Wood  hard,  yellow,  Saffranhout."  ("  Flora  Capensis,"  Vol. 
I.  p.  468,  1859-60.) 

Sage  wood. — Buddleia  salviafolia.  See  Salie  hout  and 
Salie  tree.  A  strongly  scented  plant,  a  native  of  the 
Transvaal. 

Sail,  A. — (D.  zeil,  as  in  dekzeil,  a  tilt.)  The  canvas  cover 
stretched  over  the  strong  frame  of  a  buck-wagon. 

"  The  wagon  in  which  I  was  had  seventy-two  stabs  in 
the  sail."     (Bird's  "  Annals  of  Natal,"  i.  p.  240,  1888.) 

Saint. — A  term  sometimes  applied  to  an  inhabitant  of 
Grahamstown — the  City  of  the  Saints  (q.v.). 

"  The  older  generation  of  Grahamstown's  citizens  regarded 
Mr.  Sheffield's  book  ('  The  Story  of  the  Settlement ')  as  one 
which  no  loyal  Saint  should  be  without."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  4,  14  August,  1912.) 


AFEICANDEKISMS  419 

Saint  Barnaby's  thistle. — Centaurea  solstitialis — this 
plant  retains  in  South  Africa  the  trivial  name  which  it  has 
received  in  England. 

"  By  proclamation  in  the  Government  Gazette  saltwort 
{Salsola  kali)  and  S.  Barnaby's  thistle  {Centaurea  solstitialis) 
are  declared  noxious  weeds  in  the  Division  of  Bedford." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  5  January,  1912.) 

Saint  Helena  peach. — A  variety  of  peach  the  flesh  of  which 
is  yellow. 

"  One  kind  of  peach,  known  as  the  St.  Helena  peach  ...  is 
in  such  incredible  abundance  that  in  some  places  pigs  are  fed 
on  the  ripe  fruit."     (Brook's  "  Natal,"  p.  293,  1876.) 

"  Probably  the  yellow  St.  Helena  is  the  best  self  stock  to 
graft  on."  (Wallace's  "Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  189,  1896.) 

Saint  Monday. — Monday  is  generally  observed  as  a  holi- 
day by  the  Malays  of  the  Cape  Peninsula,  hence  this  designa- 
tion. 

"  It  is  quite  a  common  sight,  especially  on  Saint  Monday, 
to  see  eight,  ten,  or  twelve  people,  crammed  into  one  "  (a 
Cape  cart).     (Cole's  "Eeminiscences,"  p.  68,  1896.) 

Saint  Peter's  fish. — An  east  coast  name  for  Dentex 
rupestris.     See  Kooi  steenbras. 

"  On  each  side  is  a  fairly  large  vertical  black  mark  .  .  . 
this  marking  is  responsible  for  the  fish  being  sometimes 
called  St.  Peter  s  fish,  the  idea  being  that  the  marks  were 
caused  by  St.  Peter  seizing  one  of  these  fish  to  extract  the 
coin  from  its  mouth  with  which  to  pay  tribute."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  29  July,  1905.) 

Sakabula. — (Zulu,  i  Sakabulo,  the  large  Kaffir  finch.) 
Goliopasser  procne.  '  This  name  is  in  general  use  all  over  Natal. 
It  is  one  of  the  very  few  polygamous  passerine  birds. 

"  This  bird  is  well  known  in  the  Colony  by  its  Kaffir 
name  '  isakubula ' ."  (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds,"  p.  67, 
1899.) 

"They  bartered  the  highly  prized  tail  feathers  of  the 
sakaboola  bird,which  they  were  adepts  at  catching,  for  food 
and  other  commodities."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3, 
20  July,  1912.) 

Salamander. — (Grk.  aaXafxavpa,  an  animal  of  the  lizard 
kind  that  was  supposed  to  be  able  to  extinguish  fire.)  This 
name  is  applied  by  the  Dutch  to  lizards  generally. 

27  * 


420  AFRICANDEEISMS 

"  These  stones  and  the  cavities  among  them  serve  as  a 
retreat  for  .  .  .  serpents,  salamanders,  lizards,  mice,  and 
moles."     (Latrobe's  "Journal,"  p.  45,  1818.) 

Saldanha  Bay. — A  bay  situate  on  the  west  coast  of  the 
Cape  Colony,  it  is  named  after  Antonio  de  Saldanha,  the 
Portuguese  Commander  who  visited  the  Cape  in  1503.  This 
name  seems  to  have  been  used  occasionally  by  early  writers, 
of  Table  Bay. 

"  The  ships  which  were  lying  in  Table  Bay  should  im- 
mediately take  shelter  in  that  of  Saldanha."  (Le  Vaillant's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  28,  1796.) 

Saldanha  Bay  rye. — See  Rye,  Saldanha  Bay. 
Saldanier. — A  Hottentot  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Sal- 
danha Bay  was  so  called  by  the  early  Dutch  colonists. 

"  The  Ottentoo  Herry  .  .  .  coming  with  two  Saldanier s 
before  the  gate,  and  requested  to  be  admitted."  (Hoodie's 
"  Records,"  p.  16, 1841.  Van  Riebeeck's  "  Journal,"  9  October, 
1652.) 

Salie. — (D.  salie,  sage.)  The  numerous  species  of  Salvia 
found  in  South  Africa  are  known  by  this  name  among  the 
Dutch ;  but  beside  these  Chilianthus  olaceus,  Brachylena  el- 
liptica,  Tarchonanthus  camphoratus,  and  Buddleia  salvice- 
folia^  all  share  this  name  with  the  true  Salvice. 

Salie  hout. — (D.  salie,  sage;  hout,  wood.)  See  Sage 
wood. 

Salie  tree. — (D.  salie,  sage.)  See  Sage  wood  and  Salie 
hout. 

"Wild  willows  and  feathery-flowered  zalie  trees  grew  in 
dehghtful  profusion."  (Slater's  "  The  Sunburnt  South,"  p. 
11,  1908.) 

Salmon,  Cape. — This  name  seems  to  be  applied  somewhat 
variously  along  the  coast;  at  Durban  it  is  given  to  the 
Kabeljauw  (q.v.)  ;  at  East  London  and  Port  Elizabeth  it  is 
given  to  a  large  kind  of  herring,  Elops  saurus ;  and  at  Cape 
Town  to  the  Geelbek  (q.v.) ;  this  is  the  cause  of  considerable 
confusion. 

Salt,  To. — (1)  To  salt  a  mine  or  reef  is  to  adopt  some 
device  which  will  deceive  a  possible  investor  into  believing 
that  that  which  is  worthless  contains  precious  minerals  in 
paying  quantity.  Gold,  for  example,  has  been  fired  from  a 
gun  on  to  the  exposed  quartz,  visible  gold  being  the  result. 
(2)  To  give  an  animal  immunity  from  any  disease  by  inocu- 


AFRICANDEKISMS  421 

lation  or  some  other  means.  The  peculiar  use  of  the  word 
in  the  last  quotation  should  be  noted. 

"  They  certainly  are  the  genuine  article,  and  if,  as  some 
people  say,  the  fields  are  salted,  there  must  be  a  precious  fine 
mine  of  rock  gold  somewhere  to  supply  the  nuggets." 
("Queenstown  Free  Press,"  21  October,  1873.) 

"  In  accordance  with  the  use  of  the  word  salt  in  the  South 
African  language,  we  subsequently  employ  the  term  salted 
beast  to  denote  those  animals  which  have  withstood  rinderpest, 
and  through  this  are  not  liable  to  contract  the  disease.  Thus 
the  expression  to  salt  a  beast  means  to  render  the  animal  im- 
mune to  the  disease,  to  immunize  him."  ('*  C.G.H.  Agric. 
Jour.,"  p.  6,  9  January.  1898.) 

"All  farmers  agree  that  cattle  which  recover"  (i.e.  from 
lamziekte)  "  do  not  salt  from  the  disease,  in  other  words,  there 
is  no  immunity."     ("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  54,  July  1912.) 

Salted. — (1)  At  first  the  word  appears  to  have  been  em- 
ployed of  animals  which  had  been  inured  by  exposure,  either 
to  climate  or  to  some  certain  disease.  (2)  Now  it  means  that 
the  animal  has  actually  had  a  usually  fatal  disease,  either  by 
inoculation  or  otherwise,  and  has  recovered  therefrom — with 
reference  to  that  particular  disease  the  animal  is  said  to  be 
"salted"  and  is  regarded  as  being  proof  against  a  fresh 
attack. 

"The  only  thing  I  had  was  my  salted  riding  horse." 
(Baines'  "  Gold  Regions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  27,  1877.) 

"  This  lot  were  thoroughly  salted,  that  is  they  had  worked 
all  over  South  Africa,  and  so  had  become  proof  (comparatively 
speaking)  against  'red-water '."  (Haggard's  "King  Solomon's 
Mines,"  p.  42,  1887.) 

"  Inoculating  unsalted  horses  with  some  of  the  blood 
serum  of  salted  ones  in  order  to  protect  them  from  horse-sick- 
ness poison."     ("Scientific  African,"  p.  42,  1896.) 

Salt-lick. — An  American  name  given  by  hunters  to  those 
localities  the  soil  of  which  was  largely  impregnated  with 
various  saline  minerals ;  and  which,  on  this  account,  were 
much  frequented  by  wild  animals.  After  rains  the  saline 
crystals  formed  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  would  be  eagerly 
licked  off  by  them. 

"  These  pans  or  salt  licks  are  met  with  in  several  parts  of 
South  Africa."  (Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  135, 
1850.) 


422  AFKICANDEKISMS 

"  During  my  peregrinations,  however,  I  have  seen  some- 
thing of  every  kind  of  sport,  whether  at  night  by  the  side  of  the 
mirrored  water,  or  the  salt  lick,  or  by  day  on  foot  or  on  horse- 
back, and  I  must  conscientiously  declare  that  in  my  opinion  a 
midnight  ambush  by  a  pool,  well  frequented  by  animals,  is 
worth  all  the  other  modes  of  enjoying  a  gun  put  together." 
(Andersson's  "Okovango  Eiver,"  p.  85,  1861.) 

Salt  pan. — An  anglicized  form  of  the  Dutch  "  zout-pan  ". 
See  Pan. 

"  It  was  one  of  those  salt  water  lakes  which  abound  in 
South  Africa,  where  they  are  called  zout-pans  by  the  colonists." 
(Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  123,  1801.) 

"  The  country  where  these  lakes,  or  salt  pans  as  they  are 
styled,  are  situated."  (Fleming's  "Southern  Africa,"  p.  76, 
1856.) 

"  I  walked  to  see  those  wonderful  Salt  pans.  .  .  .  The 
salt  and  soda  brine  is  perpetually  oozing  from  the  bottom, 
and  is  continually  being  scraped  up  with  a  sort  of  wooden 
scraper  into  heaps,  where,  after  a  time,  by  the  action  of  the 
atmosphere, lit  becomes  crystaUized.  .  .  .  These  salt  pans  a.re 
the  property  of  the  Transvaal  Government. "  (Sir  F.  Young's 
"A  Winter  Tour  in  South  Africa,"  pp.  67-68,  1890.) 

Salt-wort. — Salsola  kali,  found  on  sandy  sea-shores. 

"  By  proclamation  in  the  '  Government  Gazette  '  saltwort 
{Salsola  kila)  and  S.  Barnaby's  thistle  {Centaurea  solstitialis) 
are  declared  noxious  weeds  in  the  division  of  Bedford."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  5  January,  1912.) 

Sambal. — (Mai.  "  Samhal,  a  spiced  condiment  in  general 
use."  Crawford.)  Finely  shredded  onions,  quinces,  cucum- 
bers, etc.,  prepared  with  vinegar  and  various  spices,  and  used  as 
a  relish  with  meat.    A  favourite  salad  with  the  Dutch  colonists. 

"  The  most  common  seasoning  employed  to  give  a  rehsh 
to  their  insipid  food  is  the  lombock  (i.e.  red  pepper)  ;  triturated 
with  salt  it  is  called  sambel."  (Raffles'  "  History  of  Java,"  i. 
p.  98,  1817.) 

"  There  are  recipes  for  quince  jam  and  jelly  .  .  .  and  for 
a  quince  Sambal  (i.e.  green  chutney),  a  Malay  recipe." 
(Hilda's  "Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  84,  1902.) 

Sambalbroek. — (D.  broek,  trousers.)  A  humorous  name 
for  the  very  wide  trousers  worn  by  the  Malays. 

Sambriel. — (Port,  sumbriero,  that  which  shades.)  An 
umbrella. 


AFRICANDEKISMS  423 

"  Close  behind  it  followed  the  heir  apparent,  on  foot,  under 
a  samhreel,  or  sunshade  of  state."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages,"  i. 
p.  87,  1798.) 

Sambriel  or  Samareel  boom. — (Port,  sumhriero,  that 
which  shades ;  boom,  a  tree.)  Another  name  for  Cussonia 
spicata.     See  Cabbage  tree. 

"  Harvey  says  :  '  Tree  15  feet  high,  with  the  aspect  of  a 
palm,  called  by  the  colonists  Samareelboom,  Nojesboom '. 
Samareelboom  means  umbrella  tree."  (Sim's  "Forest  Flora 
of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  230,  1907.) 

Sambrieltje. — (Dim.  of  above.)     A  parasol,  sun-shade. 

Sambriero. — (Port,  sumbriero,  that  which  shades.)  A 
broad-brimmed  straw  hat. 

"  I  had  just  fallen  down  a  sand-bank  while  running  after 
a  large  butterfly,  when  I  heard  Lulu  shout  for  me,  but  I  did 
not  take  any  notice  until  I  had  secured  the  specimen  under 
my  broad-brimmed  sombrero."  (Farini's  "Through  the 
Kalahari  Desert,"  p.  334,  1886.) 

Sammy. — See  Eamasammy,  of  which  this  is  an  abbrevia- 
tion. 

Sampan. — Ornithodorus  savignyi,  var.  ccecus.  A  particu- 
larly poisonous  member  of  the  Tick  ilxodidce)  Family.  See 
Tampan  tick. 

"  Omab,  subst.  samban  (bunte,  giftige  Buschlaussorte)." 
(Kronlein's  "Wortschatz  der  Khoi-Khoin,"  p.  271,  1889.) 

"The  ground  beneath  is  full  of  the  dreaded  sampans, 
which  bury  themselves  in  his  flesh  and  cause  serious  injury." 
(Scully's  "  Between  Sun  and  Sand,"  p.  8,  1898.) 

Sancord. — Sebastes  maculatus.  Known  also  as  the  bastard 
Jakob  Evertsen. 

Sandalwood. — Exccecaria  africana.  The  natives  make 
necklaces  and  charms  of  the  scented  wood  of  this  tree. 

Sand  hoppers. — Small  Crustacece  {Orchestiida)  found  in 
the  sand  of  the  sea-shore,  they  move  by  springing. 

"  Their  stomachs  were  filled  with  small  sand-hoppers 
(Crustacea)."  (Layard's  "Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  705, 
1875-84.) 

Sand  mole. — See  Duin  mole  and  Cape  mole. 

"  The  sand  mole  inhshits  the  dunes,  flats,  and  other  sandy 
localities  along  the  coast,  throwing  up  the  sand  at  intervals 
in  hills  a  foot  high."    ("  The  State,"  p.  231,  September,  1912.) 

Sand  quail. — Turnix  Hottentotta.     See  Eietkwartel. 


424  AFBICANDEKISMS 

Sand  quick. — A  Bechuanaland  name  for  Schmidtia  hul- 
bosa,  Stapf.     (Burtt-Davy,  "  S.A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  July,  1912.) 

Sand  river. — A  river  the  water  of  which  runs  under  the 
sand  and  can  be  obtained  by  digging  to  a  slight  depth. 

"  The  Setlagoli  is,  however,  a  sand  river,  water  flows 
beneath  the  sand  ;  and  even  in  time  of  drought  pools  of  water 
are  to  be  found  here  and  there  over  its  course."  (Bryden's 
"  Gun  and  Camera  in  South  Africa,"  p.  21,  1893.) 

Sand  shark. — See  Viool  visch  and  Zand-kruiper. 

Sand  smelt. — Percis  nebulosa,  C.  and  V.,  is  so  named  in 
Natal. 

Sand  worm. — A  minute  parasite,  probably  of  fungoid 
character,  which  burrows  along  under  the  skin  of  the  foot, 
causing  almost  intolerable  itching  and  inflammation. 

"  The  next  visitation  was  caused  by  the  absence  of  shoe 
leather  and  the  practice  of  going  bare-footed,  especially  by 
young  people,  it  was  popularly  known  as  Sand-worm."  (Rus- 
sell's "  Old  Durban,"  p.  504,  1899.) 

Sarani. — (Mai.  nasrani,  sarani,  a  corruption  of  Nazarene, 
a  Christian.)  In  some  parts  of  the  Western  Province  this 
term  is  applied  to  professing  Christians  of  coloured  blood. 
The  Patriot- Woordeboek  derives  this  word  from  Saracene  (!). 

"  Orang  Sirani  or  Nazarenes,  is  the  name  given  by  the 
Malays  to  the  Christian  descendants  of  the  Portuguese." 
(Wallace's  "The  Malay  Archipelago,"  p.  311,  1872.) 

Sardine. — A  small  species  of  herring — Clupea  ocellata — 
very  abundant  on  the  coast  at  times,  is  so  called.     See  Sussie. 

Saroet  or  Seroet. — (Tamil,  shuruttu,  a  roll  of  tobacco.) 
In  the  Cape  Colony  this  word  retains  its  older  meaning  of 
"  cigar,"  but  it  is  also  used  of  Manilla  and  Natal  cigars  cut 
off  at  both  ends.     See  Serootje. 

Sassaby. — (Sech.  Tsessebe.)  Damaliscus  lunatus,  found 
in  the  low  country  of  the  Transvaal,  Southern  Rhodesia,  etc. 

"  There  were  standing  within  shot  of  me  at  once  about 
three  hundred  pallahs,  about  twelve  sassaybys,  and  twenty 
zebras."    (Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adventures,"  ii.  p.  119, 1850.) 

Sassatjes. — (Mai.  sisate,  minced  meat,  meat  chopped.) 
Veal  or  mutton  cutlets  curried  slightly  and  cooked  on  a 
wooden  skewer  over  a  clear  wood  fire.  They  are  quite  as 
toothsome  as  a  "Wiener  schnitzel". 

"  Sasaitie,  or  cabobs,  is  really  no  despicable  eating." 
("C.G.H.  Lit.  Gazette,"  p.  138,  2  September,  1833.) 


AFRICANDEKISMS  425 

"A  Hittite  .  .  .  with  along  spear  and  a  very  pronounced 
intention  to  spit  you  on  it,  like  a  sassatje."  ("  Cape  Argus,"  22 
December,  1894.) 

Sausage  tree,  or  Bologna-sausage  tree. — Kigelia  pinnata 
is  known  by  this  name  in  Rhodesia,  etc.  The  reference  is  to 
the  appearance  of  the  fruit. 

"  It  {Hyphantornis  xanthops,  Hartl.)  was  procured  by  Mr. 
Jameson  on  the  Umvuli  River  on  11  September,  where, 
however,  it  was  not  very  common,  feeding  among  the  blossoms 
of  the  sausage  tree.''  (Layard's  "Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p. 
438,  1875-84.) 

Saw-fish. — At  the  Cape  this  name  is  given  to  Prisiophorus 
cirrhatus. 

Scab. — See  Black  spot. 

Scab. — A  disease  among  stock  called  by  the  Dutch 
"  Brand-ziekte "  (q.v.)  ;  it  is  the  result  of  an  abnormal  and 
unhealthy  condition  of  skin,  due  to  irritation  caused  by 
myriads  of  microscopic  mites  or  acari,  of  which  there  appear 
to  be  several  varieties. 

"Scab,  or  brand-ziekte  of  the  Angora  goat,  is  not  nearly 
so  difficult  to  cure  as  that  of  the  Boer  goat."  (Wallace's 
"  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  329,  1896.) 

Scab  Act. — An  Act  passed  by  the  Cape  Parhament  having 
for  its  object  the  prevention  of  the  spread  of  scab  in  the 
Colony,  and  its  ultimate  eradication. 

"  The  Chief  Scab  Inspector  is  nominally  in  control  of  the 
working  of  the  Scab  Act."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries 
of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  369,  1896.) 

Scabbard  fish. — Lepidopus  argyreus.     See  Kalk  visch. 

Scab  inspector. — An  official  appointed  under  the  above 
Act  to  examine  flocks  for  scab. 

Scald,  To. — To  wring  a  horse's  back. 

"  Horse  blankets  .  .  .  very  often  had  the  effect  of  scalding 
a  horse's  back,  making  it  soft  and  causing  .  .  .  sore  backs." 
(Fenn's  "  How  I  volunteered  for  the  Cape,"  p.  194,  1879.) 

Scavenger. — Lethrinus  scoparius.  A  Natal  name  for  this 
fish. 

*' Among  other  sorts  I  noticed  .  .  .  scavengers,  h\ue-hsh." 
("Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  719,  1906.) 

Scavenger  beetle. — ScarabcBus.  The  designation  some- 
times given  to  the  Mistkruier  or  Tumble-bug  (q.v.), 

"  The  Scavenger  beetle  is  often  seen  and  sometimes  may  be 


426  AFBICANDEBISMS 

found  in  the  act  of  rolling  a  spherical  mass  of  dung  into  a 
satisfactory  place,  where  it  may  sink  it  into  the  ground  and 
lay  its  eggs  in  the  warmth-producing  mass."  (Tangye's  "  In 
New  South  Africa,"  p.  270,  1896.) 

Schaapboer. — (D.  schaap,  a  sheep ;  boer,  a  farmer.)  A 
sheep  farmer. 

"  These  plants  were  known  to  the  veeboer  or  schaapboer 
as  the  cause  of  the  troubles  they  produce,  long  before  any 
scientific  investigation  of  their  properties  had  been  made." 
("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  61,  July,  1912.) 

Schaapbosjes. — (D.  schaap,  a  sheep ;  bos,  a  bush.)  Pent- 
zia  virgata  is  known  by  this  name. 

"  Besides  the  many  kinds  of  sweet  grass,  we  also  saw 
many  kinds  of  small  shrubs  resembling  our  schaapboschjes." 
(Du  Toit's  "Khodesia,"  p.  120,  1897.) 

Schaapendrolletjes. — Plectronia  ventosa   and  P.   ciliata. 

"Serissa?  capensis.  (Thunberg's  '  Flora  Capensis,  Burm. 
Afr.,'  p.  257,  Table  94.)  (Vulgo)  schaapdrolletjes."  (Burc- 
hell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  31,  1822.) 

Schaapsteker. — (D,  schaap,  a  sheep  ;  steken,  to  sting.)  Tri- 
merorhinus  rhombeatus.  A  snake  which  does  not  kill  sheep 
as  its  popular  name  would  seem  to  imply ;  nor  is  it  the  ex- 
cessively poisonous  snake  which  it  has  the  reputation  of 
being. 

"  The  Scarpsticker  of  the  Dutch,  or  night  adder,  a  small, 
dingy -brown  adder,  spotted  with  black,  about  eighteen  inches 
long."     (Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  406,  1856.) 

"  The  farmer,  or  his  herdsman,  comes  along,  finds  the 
dying  sheep,  and  seeing  Schaapstekers  about,  immediately 
concludes  that  they  are  the  guilty  parties,  hence  the  name 
Schaapsteker,  which  me&ns  *  sheepsticker '."  (Fitzsimon's 
"  Snakes  of  South  Africa,"  p.  130,  1912.) 

Schaapwachter. — (D.  schaap,  a  sheep  ;  wacht,  a  guard.) 
A  shepherd. 

"  A  few  slight  instructions  from  a  schaapwagter  (shep- 
herd) whom  we  met  with  were  considered  sufficient." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  236,  1822.) 

Schaapwachtertje. — (Dim.  of  above.)  Saxicola  pileata. 
This  favourite  among  the  birds  is  so  styled  because,  posses- 
sing great  powers  of  mimicry,  it  not  only  imitates  other  birds, 
but  whistles  exactly  as  the  shepherd  does  when  driving  his 
sheep.     See  Nachtegaal  and  Kossignol. 


AFKICANDEBISMS  427 

"  The  Schaaptvagtertje  (little  shepherd)  so  called  from  its 
familiarity  in  approaching  the  Hottentots,  while  attending 
their  sheep,  is  a  bird  common  to  all  the  open  country  of  this 
part  of  South  Africa."    (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  270, 1822.) 

"  The  Schaapwachter  (shepherd)  of  the  Boers,  a  Saxicola 
.  .  .  was  often  seen  and  heard."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and 
Karoo,"  p.  54,  1889.) 

Schai. — (Mansvelt  says,  "  warsch,  een  afgesleten  vorm 
van  schaden,  benadeelen,"  but  is  it  not  an  attempt  to  repro- 
duce the  Hottentot  *d,  (dental  click)  to  steal,  quietly  to  re- 
move ?)     To  steal,  "  to  jump  "  (q.v.). 

Schanz. — (D.  schans,  a  redoubt ;  G.  Schanze,  a  trench, 
bulwark.)  A  protection  or  defence  made  of  stones,  earth, 
thorn-bushes,  etc.  The  Basutos  are  very  clever  at  building 
these. 

"  Anfanghch  baueten  sie  an  dem  Salz-Flusse  (Zout  Eivier) 
eine  Schanze  von  Holz  und  Erde,  und  hielte  eine  Wache  zur 
Sicherheit  ihrer  Heerden  darinnen."  (Kolben's  "  Beschrei- 
bung,"  p.  200,  1745.) 

" '  Lucky  I  took  the  precaution  of  building  a^lschanz,  eh  ?  ' 
said  Eenshaw."  (Mitford's  "Kenshaw  Fanning's  Quest," 
p.  177,  1894.) 

Schanz,  To. — To  fortify  a  place  by  means  of  schanzen, 
as  the  Basutos  did  when  besieged  by  the  colonial  forces  on 
Thaba  Bosigo,  1880. 

"  The  top  of  this  mountain  was  about  a  mile  long,  and 
about  a  half  a  mile  broad,  and  was  completely  schanzed  in 
every  direction."     (Hoodie's  "  Battles,"  ii.  p.  185,  1888.) 

Schanz  wache. — (D.  schans,  a  redoubt ;  wacht,  a  guard.) 
The  men  set  to  man  and  guard  these  fortifications. 

"  The  line-guard,  also  called  the  schanz  wache,  or  foot- 
guard."     (Bamberger's  "  Travels,"  p.  8  n.,  1801.) 

Schei. — (D,  schei,  a  transom,  cross-bar.)  Sometimes  they 
are  called  "  yoke-scheis  " — flat,  wooden  pegs  passing  through 
the  yoke  on  each  side  of  the  neck  of  the  ox,  from  the  lower 
ends  of  which  a  thong  passes  just  below  the  throat  of  the 
ox,  securing  the  yoke  in  position. 

"  At  each  end  of  it  (the  yoke),  the  trek-chain  being  fastened 
to  the  middle,  is  a  pair  of  notched  slips  of  wood,  called  skeis, 
let  into  holes  in  the  yokes  at  a  sufficient  distance  apart  for 
the  neck  of  an  ox  to  fit  in  between  them."  (Balfour's 
"  Twelve  Hundred  Miles  in  a  Waggon,"  p.  72,1895.) 


428  AFRICANDEEISMS 

Schelm. — (D.  schelm,  a  rascal,  rogue.  The  word  was 
used  by  English  writers  of  the  seventeenth  century,  as 
Pepys,  Taylor  the  Water  Poet,  etc.  ;  and  Burns,  in  his 
immortal  "  Tarn  o'  Shanter,"  makes  Tarn's  wife  address 
him  thus  : — 

She  tauld  thee  weel  thou  wast  a  skellum, 
A  bletherin',  blusterin',  drunken  blellum.) 

The  word  is  used  all  over  South  Africa  for  (1)  A  thievish 
ne'er-do-well ;  (2)  a  bad-tempered  animal. 

"  1654,  6  August.  These  schelms  give  us  nothing  but 
such  affronts  as  they  can  or  may."  (Riebeeck's  "  Journal," 
Hoodie's  "  Records,"  p.  53,  1841.) 

"For  the  bold  skelm-hesiat  is  preparing  to  fight." 
(Pringle's  "  Poems,"  p.  114, 1828.) 

"  It  is  my  belief  that  a  thorough  Cape  schelm  would  give 
at  least  two  points  in  the  rubber  of  roguery,  and  beat  the  best 
English  swindler  living."  (Drayson's  "  Sporting  Scenes,"  p. 
314, 1858.) 

Schep. — (D.  scheppen,  to  scoop,  to  dip  out.)  To  schep 
water  is  to  dip  it  up  with  a  small  vessel  into  a  larger  one. 
Opschep  is  the  order  to  dish  up  for  the  table,  and  a  schepje  is 
a  small  portion  from  one  of  the  dishes  on  the  table. 

"  The  farmer  gave  the  order  to  '  schenk  een  zoopje ' 
(pour  out  a  dram),  and  then  to  skep  op  (set  the  victuals  on 
the  table)."     (Alexander's  "Expedition,"  i.  p.  50,  1838.) 

Schepsel. — (D.  schepsel,  a  creature.)  A  creature,  a  cowardly 
rascal,  applied  to  natives  or  coloured  people. 

"  The  coloured  (people)  who  are  generally  styled  heathen, 
or  schepsels,  creatures."  (Backhouse's  "Narrative,"  p.  620, 
1844.) 

"Die  farbige  Race,  die  er  nicht  als  Menschen,  sondern  als 
schepsels  (Geschopfe)  betrachtet."  (Kranz's  "  Siid-Afrika," 
p.  53,  1880.) 

Scherm. — (D.  scherm,  a  screen,  fence;  G.  Schirm,  screen, 
shade.)  A  screen,  or  ambush,  generally  made  of  branches  of 
trees. 

"  Two  or  three  scherms  for  night  shooting  had  been  thrown 
up."     (Baines'  "  Explorations,"  p.  131,  1864.) 

"  The  bed-room  is  generally  the  lee  side  of  a  bush  or  scherm 
of  cut  branches."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Cam- 
paign," 1896,  p.  169,  1897.) 


AFRICANDEEISMS  429 

Schietertje. — (D.  schieten,  to  shoot.)  A  boy's  catapult. 
See  Eekkertje. 

Schildpad. — (D.  schild,  a  shield  ;  pad,  a  toad ;  schildpad, 
a  tortoise,  a  turtle.)  (1)  A  tortoise.  (2)  It  is  also  a  term  of 
contempt  applied  to  a  lazy  person. 

"  Tortoises  of,  various  species  are  also  numerous,  their 
colonial  name  is  skilpot,  which  is  a  corruption  of  Schildpat, 
shield-toad."     (Backhouse's  "Narrative,"  p.  489,  1844.) 

"The  skelpot,  he's  got  a  head  like  a  puff-adder."  (Glan- 
ville's  "Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  43,  1897.) 

Schildpad  besjes. — (D.  bes,  a  berry.)  The  fruit  of  Mundtia 
spinosa,  D.G.,  which  is  slightly  astringent. 

"  The  fruit  ...  is  eaten  by  the  children  and  Hottentots 
who  call  them  skildpatbesjes,"  (Pappe's  "Florae  Capensis 
MedicaB  Prodromus,"  p.  2,  1868.) 

"  Eatable  berries  occur,  among  others,  on  Mundtia  spinosa 
{schildpad  besjes)."  (Marloth's  "  Annual  Address,  S.A.  Phil. 
Soc,"  p.  11,  29  August,  1894.) 

Schildpad  bos. — The  name  given  in  Namaqualand  to  a  bush 
the  seed-pods  of  which  are  not  unlike  a  tortoise's  head  in  shape. 

Schildpaddop. — (D.  dop,  shell,  pod.)  The  shell  of  the 
tortoise. 

Schildpadje. — A  species  of  Coccinellida  with  semi-trans- 
parent elytra. 

Schildpad  trick. — A  game  in  which  two  boys  fasten  them- 
selves together  with  a  riem  round  the  waist  or  neck,  then 
turning  their  backs  to  each  other  and  going  upon  all  fours, 
the  riem  passing  between  their  legs,  each  tries  to  pull  the 
other,  the  one  who  succeeds  in  pulling  his  opponent  after  him, 
does  the  trick,  or  trek. 

"  Two  of  the  drivers,  Jan  and  Harry,  performed  the 
schildpat  (toitoise)  trick."  (Baines'  "Explorations,"  p.  386, 
1864.) 

Schild  slang. — (D.  schild,  a  shield ;  slang,  a  snake.)  As- 
pidelaps  scutatus — found  in  Natal,  Orange  Free  State,  Trans- 
vaal, etc. 

Schimmel. — (D.  schimmel,  a  grey  horse.  Sanders,  the 
great  German  lexicographer,  says :  The  name  (Schimmel) 
probably  means  the  shimmering  one  {das  schimmernde  Boss).) 
A  grey  horse  ;  these  however  are  further  distinguished  by  the 
predominant  colour;  e.g.  "  blauw-schimmel,"  a  blue-grey 
horse  ;  "  rooischimmel,"  a  red  or  iron-grey  horse.  These  are 
the  favourite  colours  for  horses  among  colonists. 


430  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  I  was  brusquely  informed  that  if  I  wanted  to  purchase 
the  schimmel  (roan),  I  must  return  in  the  evening."  (Napier's 
"Excursions,"  i.  p.  295,  1849.) 

"This  feat  was  performed  ...  by  one  horse,  a  large 
grey  or  schimmel,  the  favourite  colour  in  South  Africa." 
(Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  109,  1852.) 

"  A  '  hlaauw  schimmel  paard  '  is  a  dappled  grey,  and  others 
are  distinguished  as  red  or  brown  according  to  their  colour." 
(Baines'  "  Gold  Kegions  of  South-east  Africa,"  p.  66,  1877.) 

Schimmel  day — An  expression  meaning  "early  dawn." 
This  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  Schemer  dag  (D.  schemer, 
twilight,  dusk),  when  the  light  first  shimmers.  See 
Schimmel. 

"  I  may  as  well  explain  that  schimmel  means  mottled,  or 
dappled.  Schimmel  day  is  when  the  Hght  clouds  begin  to  be 
dappled  with  the  tints  of  early  dawn,  but  the  word  is  gener- 
ally used  to  imply  the  time  of  dawn,  even  though  there  are 
no  clouds."  (Baines'  "Gold  Kegions  of  South-east  Africa," 
p.  66,  1877.) 

Schlenter. — (1)  A  slang  word  meaning  dubious,  untrust- 
worthy, make-believe  ;  it  was  in  use  in  this  sense  on  the 
Diamond  Fields.  (2)  The  word  then  came  to  mean  an  imi- 
tation, a  counterfeit ;  as  a  singular  noun  it  was  used  to  de- 
signate imitation  gold,  while  as  a  plural  noun  it  was  applied 
to  imitation  diamonds,  some  of  which,  made  of  glass,  were 
such  close  and  clever  imitations  as  to  deceive  even  those  who 
were  regarded  as  experts. 

" '  Of  course,'  whispers  the  seller  who  had  pushed  his  way 
to  the  side  of  the  buyer,  'this  sale  was  only  schlenter'." 
(Comtesse  de  Bremont's  "The  Gentleman  Digger,"  p.  99, 
1891.) 

"Numerous  were  the  offers  to  subscribe  handsomely  to  the 
stakes  in  event  of  the  challenge  being  no  schlenter  one." 
(Couper's  "Mixed  Humanity,"  p.  384.) 

"  Eosseau  took  the  detectives  to  a  plantation  at  Belgravia, 
where  he  showed  them  a  small  sack  containing  bars  of  gold 
or  schlenter."  ("Cape  Argus,"  Weekly  Edition,  p.  35,  16 
March,  1898.) 

"Good  Lord,  man,  can't  you  see  they're  all  schlenters." 
(Griffith's  "Knaves  of  Diamonds,"  p.  35,  1899.) 

Schoenlapper. — (D.  schoonlapper,  a  cobbler ;  lappen,  to 
patch,  botch,  mend.)    In  South  Africa  this  word,  which  in 


AFEICANDEKISMS  431 

Holland  seems  to  be  applied  to  one  species  only,  is  used  by 
the  Dutch  for  butterflies  generally. 

Schoff.— See  Skoff. 

Schoffel. — (D.  schoff elen,  to  hoe,  to  clear  of  weeds  ;  cf. 
Eng.  sJiovel.)     A  hoe  ;  a  weeding  tool. 

Schoffel,  To. — To  clear  the  ground  of  vegetable  growth 
with  a  hoe  or  spade  ;  sometimes  corrupted  to  "  scuffle  ". 

"  In  old  lands  no  kmd  of  preparation  keeps  the  annual 
weeds  down,  and  annual  schoffeling  must  be  practised  for 
several  years."     ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  339,  1897.) 

"  The  flowering  of  the  wild  chestnut  .  .  .  and  the  ripen- 
ing of  the  fruit  on  the  Kaffir  plum,  show  that  it  is  time  to 
scuffle."  (A.  Smith's  "  Short  Papers  on  South  African  Sub- 
jects," p.  42, 1893.) 

Schoff ler. — One  who  clears  the  ground  by  "schoffeling  ". 

"  In  the  native  lands,  where  the  owner  cannot  rise  to  a  75, 
the  scoffler  is  busy  with  the  hoe."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 16  September,  1904.) 

Schoft. — (D.  schoft,  a  quarter  of  a  day.)  (1)  In  the  South 
African  vernacular  this  term  is  applied  to  the  wagon  journey 
from  one  outspan  to  another,  covering  a  period  that  varies 
from  four  to  six  hours.  (2)  It  also  means  part  of  a  working 
day ;  a  job. 

"  Four  such  hours  with  a  horse  or  with  eight  oxen  are  reck- 
oned to  make  one  skoft."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  137, 
1785.) 

"  Each  day's  journey  is  called  a  skoff  and  the  length  of 
these  is  generally  regulated  by  local  circumstances,  being 
from  five  to  fifteen  hours."  (Barrow's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  55, 
1801.) 

"  It  was  seventy  days'  journey  with  an  ox  wagon  (schoften) 
from  Kuruman  to  the  Zambezi  without  delay."  ("Queens- 
town  Free  P?-ess,"  6  February,  1861.) 

Schoolmaster. — Schoolmastering  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Colony  was  the  resort  of  those  whose  expedients  for  securing 
a  livelihood  were  wellnigh  exhausted.  Deserted  sailors,  dis- 
charged soldiers  and  others,  whose  attainments  were  of  a 
very  elementary  character,  would  journey  from  farm  to  farm 
teaching  (?)  a  few  weeks  at  each  place,  with  what  result  can  be 
imagined.  The  Educational  Department  has  succeeded  in 
producing,  even  on  the  farthest  outlying  farms,  a  vastly  better 
condition  of  things,  and  a  good  education  is  now  within  reach 
ofaU. 


432  AFRICANDEEISMS 

"  The  Cape  Schoolmaster  is  an  institution  of  the  land.  .  .  . 
The  pedagogue  is  a  circulating  creature  who  rides  from  farm 
to  farm,  taking  his  pupils  in  such  order  as  he  can."  (Boyle's 
•'  Chronicles  of  No  Man's  Land,"  p.  88,  1880.) 

*'  Among  wealthy  Boers  .  .  .  the  Schoolmaster  is  an  ofiScer 
of  the  household  as  one  may  say.  .  .  .  The  Schoolmaster  is  in 
fact  half -secretary,  half -steward,  and  all  servant."      {Ihid., 

p.  89.) 

Schoorsteen  veger. — (D.  schoorsteen,  a  chimney ;  vegen,  to 
sweep  ;  veger,  a  brush.)  Ihis  jEthiopica,  Lath.  The  Sacred 
ibis,  which  ranges  throughout  the  whole  of  Africa. 

"A  few  specimens  of  the  Sacred  ibis  or  Schoorstein  veger 
(lit.  chimney-sweep)  as  it  is  called  by  the  colonists,  have 
come  under  our  notice."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "Birds  of 
South  Africa,"  p.  736,  1875-84.) 

Schotel. — (D.  schotel,  a  dish ;  Lat.  scutella ;  cf.  Eng. 
scuttle.)     A  dish  whether  of  earthenware  or  tin. 

Schrik. — (D.  schrik,  fright,  terror.)  A  start,  a  fright. 
The  word  is  in  common  use,  both  as  a  noun  and  as  a  verb, 
all  over  South  Africa. 

"  But,  lor'  bless  yer,  the  schreik  he  gave  me."  (Glanville's 
"Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  173,  1897.) 

"  The  oxen  skreeked  in  a  bunch."  (Haggard's  "  Nada  the 
Lily,"  p.  2.) 

Schrikkeljaar.— (D.  schrikkelen,  to  spring,  jump.)  Leap 
year  is  so  termed,  because  at  one  time,  instead  of  adding  a 
twenty-ninth  day  to  February  {Schrikkelmaand)  every  fourth 
year,  a  day  was  interjected  between  the  23rd  and  24th  of  the 
month — men  schrikkelt  een  dag  over.  The  same  method  was 
employed  in  Germany,  hence  the  terms  :  Schaltjahr,  Schalt- 
tag,  from  schalten  to  insert.  Hij  komt  alle  Schrikkeljaar  kerk 
toe,  lit.  "  He  comes  to  church  every  leap-year,"  i.e.  very  seldonL 
Schuins  pad. — (D.  schuinsch,  sloping,  aslant ;  pad,  path, 
road.)  A  road  on  the  side  of  a  hill  with  a  slope  across  it 
towards  the  fall  of  the  hill. 

"  The  road  ran  round  a  projecting  swell  of  the  ground, 
which  descending  almost  abruptly,  left  no  level  space  for  the 
wheels,  and  made  what  the  Dutch  call  a  scuinsch  pad,  and  a 
very  squint  path  it  was  certainly."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp 
and  the  Veld,"  p.  79,  1852.) 

Schurvejantje. — (D.  schurft,  scurvy,  scab ;  Jantje,  Johnny.) 
The  name  given  to  a  rough  scaled  variety  of  lizard. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  433 

Schurvepadda. — (D.  schurft,  scurvy,  scab;  pad,  a  toad.) 
A  rough  skinned  frog  or  toad. 

Schut. — (D.  schut,  a  fence,  screen.)  The  common  name 
in  South  Africa  for  what  is  known  in  England  as  the 
"pound";  an  enclosure  for  strayed  animals.  It  is  often 
spelled  and  generally  pronounced  "  Skit  "  (q.v.). 

Schut  hocks. — (D.  schut,  a  fence,  screen ;  hok,  a  pen,  en- 
closure.)    Sheds  or  outbuildings  for  animals. 

"  The  party  off-saddled  here  .  .  .  stowed  away  a  part  of 
the  unbroken  furniture  in  the  schut-hocks  around  the  dwelling 
.  .  .  saddled  up  and  went  down  to  Mr.  Temple  Nourse's 
farm."     (Godlonton's  "  Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  p.  253,  1852.) 

Schut  kraal. — A  kraal  employed  as  a  schut  or  pound. 
See  Skit  kraal. 

"  On  calling  for  the  horses  I  had  engaged,  found  they  had 
been  put  in  the  schut-kraal,  or  pound."  (Thomson's  "  Travels," 
p.  26,  1827.) 

"  A  cherished  institution  of  the  Boers,  by  whom  it  is  known 
throughout  South  Africa  as  the  Schut  kraal."  (Russell's 
"  Old  Durban,"  p.  151,  1899.) 

Schut  meester. — (D.  meester,  master.)  The  official  in 
charge  of  the  pound.     See  Skit  master. 

Schut  vee. — (D.  vee,  cattle.)  Impounded  cattle.  See  Skit 
cattle. 

Schut  verkoping. — (D.  verkooping,  sale,  auction.)  The 
public  sale  by  auction  of  impounded  stock.     See  Skit  sale. 

Scissor  grinder. — Platypleura  capensis.  The  name  given 
to  this  Cicada,  because  its  deafening,  unmusical  (the  ancients 
notwithstanding)  noise  is  supposed  to  resemble  that  made  by 
a  scissor  grinder.     See  Singertje. 

Scorpion  spider. — Phrynus  reneformis.  This  Arachnid  is 
so  named  in  Natal. 

Scotch. — A  common  South  African  term  denoting  certain 
brands  of  whisky. 

Scotch  cart. — A  strongly  built,  springless  cart  in  use  on 
nearly  every  farm  in  the  country. 

"Performing  their  pilgrimage  by  every  means  of  locomo- 
tion from  the  bipedal  shank's  mare,  or  scotch-cart  drawn  by 
two  oxen,  to  the  spanking  turnout  of  the  wealthiest  farmer." 
("  Cape  Illustrated  Magazine,"  p.  90,  1892.) 

Scotchman. — This  is  the  peculiar  designation  given  by  the 
natives  to   a  florin  ;   it  is  said  to  have   originated    thus :  a 

28 


434  AFEICANDEBISMS 

certain  Scotchman  employed  a  number  of  natives  at  half  a 
crown  a  day.  at  the  end  of  the  engagement  he  palmed 
off  upon  the  unsophisticated  labourers  a  number  of  florins 
as  half-crowns,  it  was  not  until  they  tried  to  pass  them 
as  half-crowns  that  they  discovered  how  they  had  been 
"  had  ".     See  also  Ama-German. 

"In  dealing  with  Kaffirs  I  frequently  heard  the  term 
Scotchman  applied  to  a  two-shiUing  piece."  (Atcherley's 
"A  Trip  to  Boerland,"  p.  55,  1879.) 

"  Jantjis  touched  his  hat;  spat  on  the  Scotchman  as  the 
natives  of  that  part  of  South  Africa  call  a  two-shilling  piece." 
(Haggard's  "Jess,"  p.  93,  1887.) 

Scotchman. — Dentex  prcBorbitalis,  Giinther,  is  known  by 
this  name  in  Natal. 

Sea  bamboo,  or  Trumpets. — Eklonia  buccinalis.  This 
large  marine  alga  is  thus  designated  in  the  Cape  Peninsula. 

"  On  10  November  we  saw  for  the  first  time  trumpets,  or 
sea-bamboo,  floating  on  the  ocean."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages," 
I.  p.  25,  1798.) 

"  The  Dutch  call  this  plant  Zee-bambos  (sea-bamboo),  and 
boys  after  cutting  its  stem  to  a  convenient  length  when  dry, 
sometimes  amuse  themselves  in  blowing  as  a  horn  or  trumpet, 
but  the  sound  thus  produced  is  very  hollow  and  dull."  (Bur- 
chell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  28,  1822.) 

"  The  gigantic  stems  of  the  Sea-trumpet  (Ecklonia 
buccinalis,  Horn)."  (Pappe's  "  Florse  Capensis  Medicae  Pro- 
dromus,"  p.  45,  1868.) 

Sea-cow — Hippopotamus  amphibius^  L.  It  would  seem 
that  the  Dutch  name — Zee-koe — of  which  this  is  the  angli- 
cized form,  is  due  to  a  striving  after  meaning  on  the  part  of 
the  early  Dutch  colonists.  The  latter  half  of  the  name  ap- 
pears to  be  a  corruption  of  the  Hottentot  name  of  the  animal 
*  gao  (with  an  initial  palatal  chck).  In  the  first  place,  support- 
ing this  suggestion,  the  Dutch  name  is  applied  to  both  sexes 
alike.  Then  there  is  nothing  in  the  outward  appearance  of  the 
animal  to  suggest  the  name  koe  or  cow  ;  and  there  is  on  the 
other  hand,  in  the  colonial  pronunciation  of  the  above  name, 
a  distinct  approximation  to  the  sound  of  the  Hottentot  name 
as  pronounced  by  the  Hottentots  themselves.  The  new  sense 
having  crept  into  the  Hottentot  word,  the  Dutch  word  zee 
(sea,  lake)  would  have  to  be  prefixed  to  distinguish  the 
animal  from  the  ordinary  cow. 


AFRICANDEEISMS  436 

"  In  the  great  rivers  there  is  a  Monstrous  Creature  which 
they  call  a  Sea-cow,  the  Flesh,  or  to  say  better,  the  Lard  of 
it  is  good  to  eat,  and  hath  a  very  pleasant  taste."  ("  A  Voyage 
to  Siam,"  by  six  Jesuits,  p.  74,  1688.) 

"  The  huge  animal  has  doubtless  obtained  its  present 
name  of  hippopotamus,  which  signifies  '  river-horse '  merely 
in  consequence  of  the  neighing  sound  it  makes,  as  otherwise 
in  its  form  it  bears  not  the  least  resemblance  to  a  horse,  but 
rather  to  a  hog.  Neither  does  it  in  the  least  resemble  an  ox  ; 
so  it  could  only  be  the  different  stomachs  of  this  animal  which 
could  occasion  it  to  be  called  sea-cow  at  the  Cape  ;  and  per- 
haps it  is  for  the  same  reason  that  the  Hottentots  call  it  t'gao, 
which  nearly  approaches  to  t'kau,  the  name  by  which  the 
buffalo  is  known  among  these  people."  (Sparrman's 
"  Voyage,"  ii.  p.  290,  1785.) 

"  Nor  can  anything  be  more  inapplicable  than  the  colonial 
name  of  Zeekoe  {Sea-cow),  to  which  animal  I  never  could  per- 
ceive that  it  had  in  any  respect  the  slightest  similitude." 
(Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  412,  1822.) 

"  The  hippopotamus  is  termed  by  the  colonist  Zehoe  or 
Sea-cow,  the  least  applicable  designation  perhaps,  not  except- 
ing that  of  the  river-horse,  that  could  have  been  conferred." 
(Harris's  "  Wild  Sports,"  p.  220  n.,  1839.) 

"  In  order  that  I  may  not  appear  paradoxical,  I  must  ex- 
plain that  in  alluding  to  a  sea-cow  as  '  him,'  I  used  the 
generic  term  sea-cow  by  which  this  animal  is  spoken  of  in 
South  Africa."     (Moodie's  "  Battles,"  ii.  p.  450,  1888.) 

Sea-devil — See  Devil  fish. 

"  This  evening  several  Sea-devils  or  Rays  passed  by  our 
ship,  being  flat  fishes,  two  or  three  fathom  long,  of  an  ugly 
figure."  (Kaempfer's  "History  of  Japan,"  p.  90,  Reprint, 
Vol.  I.  Orig.  pub.,  1727.) 

"  A  few  days  ago  one  of  the  local  shops  had  on  exhibition 
a  very  bizarre  form  of  fish  in  the  angler,  fishing  frog,  or  sea- 
devil  (Lophius  piscatorius)."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
24  June,  1905.) 

Sealice. — One  or  more  varieties  of  small  crustaceans, 
found  in  the  sand  and  used  as  bait,  are  so  named  in  Natal. 

"  Natal  boasts  a  very  fine  bait  unknown  to  us  at  East 
London.  It  is  known  as  sea-lice."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 9  January,  1907.) 

Sea  snake. — Hydrus  platurus — not  uncommon   on   the 

28* 


436  AFEICANDEKISMS 

South  African  coast  and  very  poisonous;  the  flat  tail  and 
body  enable  them  to  swim  actively.     See  also  Zee  slang. 

"  The  only  species  of  Sea  snake  which  inhabits  the  ocean 
about  the  coasts  of  South  Africa  is  the  black  and  yellow 
species."  (Fitzsimon's  "  Snakes  of  South  Africa,"  p.  159, 
1898.) 

Secretary  bird. — Serpentarius  secretarius.  A  well-known 
South  African  bird,  somewhat  unduly  esteemed  as  a  snake 
and  vermin  destroyer.  It  has  a  curious  crest  of  feathers 
which  it  can  raise  or  depress  at  will,  not  unlike  in  appearance 
pens  stuck  behind  the  ear,  to  which  it  is  indebted  for  its 
popular  name.     See  Slang  vreeter. 

"  The  Secretaries  bird  though  it  has  already  been  brought 
alive  to  Europe  ...  is  too  remarkable  among  the  feathered 
kind  to  be  left  unnoticed."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i. 
p.  153,  1785.) 

"The  Secretary  bird  {Serpentarius  secretarius),  though 
very  unlike  one's  idea  of  a  hawk,  is  undoubtedly  an  aberrant 
member  of  the  Accipi trine  Order."  ("  Science  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  142,  1905.) 

Semtnels. — (D.  zemelen,  bran;  F.  semoule ;  It.  semola, 
bran ;  Lat,  simila,  finest  wheat  flour.)  (1)  Bran.  (2)  The 
Dutch  have  applied  this  term  to  a  substance  not  unlike  bran 
in  appearance,  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jagersfontein. 

"A  quantity  of  simmels  (coarse  bran)  also  lay  on  the 
ground."     (Kay's  "  Eesearches,"  p.  503,  1833.) 

"At  Jagersfontein  there  is  a  substance  of  a  singular 
character,  which  from  its  appearance  has  been  named  by  the 
Boers  semmels  (bran).  This  is  a  fine  clayey  debris,  glistening 
with  talc,  and  is  undoubtedly  the  detritus  from  the  talcose 
clay  stone  or  clayey  schist."  ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine," 
II.  p.  359,  1871.) 

Sens. — (G.  Sense,  a  scythe.)  The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  a 
scythe. 

Serang. — (Pers.  sarhang,  a  commander  or  overseer.)  Ac- 
cording to  Yule  and  Burnell,  in  Anglo-Indian  usage,  "a 
native  boatswain,  or  chief  of  a  lascar  crew ;  the  skipper  of  a 
small  native  vessel,"  is  so  called  ;  in  Cape  Dutch  it  is  applied 
to  the  overseer  of  a  gang  of  labourers. 

"  From  Malay  or  Indian  sources  we  have  pisang,  penang 
(curry),  blatjang  (sauce),  serang  (leader  of  a  gang)." 
("Northern  News,"  27  August,  1912.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  437 

Sergeant-major. — Sargus  cervinus  has  been  thus  desig- 
nated at  East  London,  because  of  its  "  stripes  ". 

"  Sargus  cervinus,  our  very  common  Zebra,  or  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  the  sergeant  major,  on  account  of  its  very 
distinct  stripes."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  26  June,  1906.) 

Seringa. — (D.  sering,  lilac.)     Melia  azedirach. 

"  The  watercourses  .  .  .  along  v^hich  we  had  sown  the 
seeds  of  the  sering a-hoomy  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  103,1852.) 

"  Seringa  trees  are  planted  along  the  sides  of  the  streets." 
(Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  109,  1859.) 

Serootje. — See  Saroet. 

"  As  Mr.  Baxter  has  finished  his  cherootje,  we  had  better 
all  go  to  bed."  (Watkin's  "From  Farm  to  Forum,"  p.  32, 
1906.) 

Settlers. — In  1820  a  number  of  emigrants  were  brought 
out  to  South  Africa  under  a  scheme  of  State  Aided  Emigra- 
tion, and  were  located  principally  in  the  district  of  Albany ; 
these  emigrants  are  spoken  of  throughout  South  Africa  as  the 
Settlers. 

"  A  sober  and  dispassionate  observer  will  fully  acquit  the 
Settlers  of  any  share  in  provoking  the  late  war."  (Boyce's 
"  Notes  on  South  Africa,"  p.  27,  1838.) 

"  The  charge  respecting  commandos  does  not  in  the  least 
affect  the  British  Settlers  in  Albany."     (Ibid,  viii.) 

"Abundant  evidence  will  be  adduced  to  show  that  the 
Kaffirs  acted  in  the  offensive,  the  Settlers  on  the  defensive 
throughout."  (Godlonton's  "Kaffir  War,  1850-1851,"  I. 
p.  5,  1852.) 

Settlers'  Bible. — The  designation  sometimes  given  to  the 
"  Grahamstown  Journal ". 

"  Time  was  when  the  Settlers'  Bible,  the  '  Graham's  Town 
Journal,'  was  the  paper  of  the  Colony."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  23  October,  1861.) 

"The  'Journal'  was  known  as  'the  Settlers'  Bible,'  and 
the  Settlers  swore  by  it."  (Murray's  "  South  African  Re- 
miniscences," p^  126,  1894.) 

Seur. — (F.  sieur,  seigneur,  the  lord  of  a  manor,  a 
nobleman  ;  Lat.  senior.)  A  form  of  address  frequently  em- 
ployed by  Dutch-speaking  coloured  servants  when  speaking 
to  or  of  their  master. 

"I  will  go  first,  sieur.     If  there  are  Kaffirs  this  old  Hot- 


438  AFRICANDERISMS 

tentot  will  smell  them."  (Glanville's  "  The  Kloof  Bride," 
p.  174,  1898.) 

Seventy-four. — Dentex  rupestris,  Guv.  A  delicious  table- 
fish;  it  has  received  its  name,  so  tradition  says,  "from  its 
having  been  caught  from  a  ship  of  the  line  of  that  number  of 
guns,  on  dropping  anchor  in  Simon's  Bay  ".  ("  Cape  Monthly 
Magazine,"  iv.  p.  354,  1873.)  Dr.  Gilchrist  favours  another 
derivation,  see  below.     See  Streep-visch. 

"Day  by  day  I  .  .  .  tasted  all  the  edible  treasures  ex- 
tracted from  the  depths  of  the  seas,  such  as  seventy-fours^ 
("Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  Xi.  p.  25,  1875.) 

"  This  derivation  "  (that  is  the  one  referred  to  above) 
"  may  be  correct,  but  another  naturally  suggests  itself  to 
those  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  this  fish.  The  Seventy- 
four  is  charactised  by  several  very  distinct  bright  blue  bands 
running  along  the  body,  not  unlike  the  rows  of  guns  of  an 
ancient  man-of-war,  one  carrying  seventy-four  guns  being 
considered  a  well-equipped  vessel  in  those  days."  (Gilchrist's 
"  History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fishes,"  p.  221 
(XI.  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc),  1902.) 

Seven-weeks'  fern. — See  Thirty-day  fern. 

Seven-years'  flowers. — The  name  given  by  the  earher 
colonists  to  the  flowers  of  Helichrysum  vestitum.  See  Ever- 
lastings and  Zevenjaartjes. 

"  Several  sorts  of  elichrysum  .  .  .  the  colonists  call  all  this 
species  seven-years'  flowers,  because  if  gathered  when  in  full 
bloom,  they  will  last  a  long  time  with  their  beauty  unim- 
paired ;  seven  years  according  to  the  popular  belief."  (Lich- 
tenstein's  "Travels,"  ii.  p.  121,  1815.) 

Shad. — Temnodon  saltator.  So  called  in  Natal,  this  fish 
is  known  in  the  Cape  Colony  as  the  Elft  (q.v.),  and  at  East 
London  as  the  Chad  (q.v.). 

"  The  photo  this  week  is  that  of  the  fish  known  locally  as 
the  Shad.  It  arrived  here  in  large  shoals  in  August." 
("Natal  Mercury  Pictoral,"  p.  251,  1905.) 

Shad  or  Shaddock. — Citrus  decumana,  L.  The  name  is 
said  to  have  been  given  to  the  fruit  in  the  West  Indies  from 
that  of  the  English  captain  who  introduced  it  there  from  the 
East. 

"  The  Shaddock  (Citrus  decumanus)  is  a  large  lemon  of 
the  size  of  a  child's  head,  with  a  moderately  acid  and  refresh- 
ing juice."     (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  278,  1796.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  439 

"  We  were  informed  that  it  was  the  Shaddock,  also  called 
vulgarly  'Eve's  apple,'  or  'forbidden  fruit'.  By  what 
authority  the  latter  names  were  given  we  cannot  tell." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  19  June,  1861.) 

Shake-down,  A. — In  the  language  of  South  Africa  this 
is  a  rough  and  ready  arrangement  for  sleeping,  when  a  proper 
bed  is  not  available. 

"  Though  it  was  not  likely  they  would  be  able  to  sleep 
much,  went  through  the  form  of  preparing  shake-downs  for 
them  in  the  dining-room."  (Prichard's  "  Friends  and  Foes 
in  the  Transkei,"  p.  188,  1880.) 

Shank-end,  The. — A  humorous  name  applied  to  the 
Cape  Peninsula. 

"  In  the  '  Cape  Monthly  Magazine  '  I  also  contributed  the 
'  Shank  end  shindy,'  commemorative  of  a  meeting  held  in 
Cape  Town  to  condemn  the  proceedings  of  the  Parliament 
sitting  for  the  first  and  last  time  in  Grahamstown."  ( Jus- 
tice Cole's  "Reminiscences,"  p.  120,  1896.) 

Shankender. — An  inhabitant  of  the  Cape  Peninsula. 

"  On  the  26th  inst.  Messrs.  .  .  ,  will  sell  the  Round  House 
Hotel,  which  is  a  popular  resort  for  Shankenders."  ("East 
Province  Herald,"  20  August,  1901.) 

Sheep,  Cape. — See  Cape  sheep. 

Sheep  fish. —  The  name  given  to  a  fish  at  Knysna. 

Sheep's  ears. — Helichrysum  appendiculatum,  Less.  The 
plant  is  so  called  because  of  the  close  resemblance  which  the 
woolly  leaves  bear,  when  lying  flat  upon  the  ground,  to  sheep's 
ears. 

Sheep's  tail. — An  abbreviation  of  "sheep's  tail  fat." 

"  And  then  they  did  not  take  kindly  to  mealie  bread  and 
pumpkin  fritters,  even  when  fried  in  sheep's  tail"  (Moodie's 
"  Battles,"  I.  p.  215,1888.) 

Sheep -tail  fat. — The  heavy  tails  of  the  South  African  or 
Cape  sheep  are  composed  almost  entirely  of  pure  fat,  which 
is  in  great  request  for  cuhnary  purposes  in  most  households. 

"  The  usual  way-side  meal  of  greasy  mutton-chops  floating 
about  in  a  liquid  sea  of  sheep-tail  fat."  (Ellis's  "  South 
African  Sketches,"  p.  6,  1887.) 

Sheep-tail  fat  honey. — A  pure-white  honey  obtained  in  the 
Northern  Transvaal. 

"An  absolutely  white  honey — white  as  driven  snow  with 
a  flavour  and  fragrance  peculiarly  Its  own.    When  expressed 


440  AFEICANDEKISMS 

from  the  comb  it  almost  immediately  solidifies  to  the  con- 
sistency of  vaseline.  In  this  state  no  one  would  imagine  it 
to  be  anything  but  pure  lard.  It  is  known  amongst  the  Boers 
as  Sheep  tail  fat  honey."  ("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  790,  June, 
1912.) 

Shell. — (D.  geel,  yellow.)  A  corruption  of  the  Dutch 
word  geel,  applied  in  the  neighbourhood  of  King  WilHam's 
Town  to  the  Sijsje  (q.v.). 

Shell-tick. — The  name  given  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Port  Elizabeth  to  what  was  thought  to  be  a  distinct  species 
of  tick,  but  which,  it  now  appears,  is  the  male  of  the, great 
cattle  tick — Amblyomma  Hehrmum. 

Shepherd's  delight. — The  occasional  designation  of  Aden- 
andra  uniflora  and  other  species. 

Shepherd's  tree. — Capparis  albitrunca.  A  white-barked 
tree  growing  in  the  Karoo,  it  affords  good  shade,  and  is 
much  appreciated  by  the  native  herds.     See  Wit-gat  boom. 

"  The  root  of  the  wit-gat  or  shepherd's  tree  are  other 
favourite  foods  "  (of  the  porcupine).  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 16  August,  1907.) 

Shepstone's  hen. — In  former  days  Shepstone  was  a  name 
to  conjure  with  among  the  natives  of  Natal.  Theophilus 
Shepstone  in  the  early  days  of  the  Colony  was  the  representa- 
tive among  them  of  the  Government,  the  taxes  of  which  were 
met  by  the  produce  of  a  few  fowls,  these  were  spoken  of  as 
"  Shepstone's  hens  ". 

"  In  former  years  a  particular  fowl,  dubbed  Shepstone's 
hen  would  be  set  apart  for  the  satisfaction,  by  the  sale 
of  its  eggs  or  chicken,  of  the  yearly  tax-gatherer  ".  (Eobin- 
son's  "A  Lifetime  in  South  Africa,"  p.  317,  1900.) 

Shimyaan. — The  name  given  in  Natal  to  a  powerful  in- 
toxicant, made  of  treacle  and  water  fermented  in  the  sun. 

"  Shimyan  and  jwarlar  were  produced  for  our  consump- 
tion, and  we  were  invited  to  witness  the  usual  dancing  per- 
formances at  the  kraal  after  dark."  (Lindley's  "After 
Ophir,"  p.  306,  n.d.) 

"  For  many  years  much  trouble  was  caused  by  the  manu- 
facture in  the  coast  districts  of /S/izmi/aaw.  ..."  This  bever- 
age was  maddening  in  its  effects,  and  the  parent  of  much 
crime.  (Kobinson's  "  A  Lifetime  in  South  Africa,"  p.  307, 
1900.) 

Shiners.— (1)  Many  farms  in  the  Karoo  have  kraals  or  walls 


AFKICANDEEISMS  441 

built  of  "  packed  "  stones,  i.e.  without  mortar  ;  a  stone  built 
into  such  a  wall  with  its  thickest  side  outward  is  known  as  a 
"  shiner,"  and  is  objected  to  because  of  the  ease  with  which 
such  stones  may  be  pressed  out  by  the  weight  above.  (2)  A 
slang  word  for  a  diamond. 

"  The  great  thing  to  look  out  for  is  that  the  men  do  not 
put  in  shiners,  that  is  stones  showing  their  longest  way  to 
the  front."     (Douglass'  "Ostrich  Farming,"  p.  39,  1881.) 

"  When  they  dug  it  up  they  at  once  came  to  the  conclu- 
sion it  was  a  real  shiner,  and  delighted  with  the  discovery 
they  took  saddle  and  posted  to  Imvani."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  15  January,  1884.) 

Ship  of  the  desert. — The  designation  sometimes  given  to 
the  South  African  buck-wagon. 

"  Our  lady  passengers,  two  in  number,  we  assisted  into 
the  '  cartel,'  a  sort  of  arbour,  constructed  for  their  benefit,  at 
the  stern  of  this  ship  of  the  desert"  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  12  February,  1884.) 

"  Nowadays  every  one  knows  all  about  the  Ship  of  the 
desert — that  wonderful  product  of  the  despised  Boer  mind." 
(Lacy's  "Pictures,"  p.  223,  1899.) 

Shooting  the  corn  off. — (D.  de  koren  afschieten.)  Part  of 
the  merry-making  at  a  Western  Province  harvest-home  ;  it 
consists  in  the  firing  of  guns. 

"  Powder  is  given  them  to  enable  them  to  carry  out  what 
is  known  in  the  vernacular  as  shooting  the  corn  off."  (Noble's 
"  C.G.H.  Official  Handbook,"  p.  229,  1886.) 

Shope. — The  Eastern  Province  name  for  the  fruit  of  the 
Waterboom — Eugenia  cordata. 

Shovel-nosed  skate. — A  species  of  Bhinobastus  is  thus 
designated. 

"A  spotted  sand  shark,  the  large  variety.  Its  proper 
name  is  shovel-nosed  skate,  and  it  is  common  along  our 
coast."     ("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  588,  1906.) 

Shrimpi. — See  under  Swempi. 

Shropes. — The  edible  orange-red  fruits  of  Mimiisops  caffra, 
Sond.  are  known  by  this  name.  It  is  a  common  shrub  on  the 
sand  hills  along  the  sea  beach  at  East  London  and  Port 
Alfred. 

Sick. — In  most  parts  of  South  Africa — due,  perhaps,  to  the 
infiuence  of  the  Dutch  ziek,  sick,  diseased — this  word  is  not 
restricted  to  the  idea  of  "  nausea,"  but  retains  its  older  and 


442  AFEICANDEEISMS 

wider  meaning,  and  is  applicable  to  any  kind  of  disease ;  as  in 
Matthew  viii.  14,  "  Sick  of  a  fever  ".  The  word  "  ill "  is  but  a 
poor  substitute  for  this  old  word. 

Signal  hill. — A  part  of  the  mountain  to  the  right  of  Cape 
Town  from  the  sea,  so  called  because  a  signalling  station  is 
placed  upon  the  top  of  it,  from  which  approaching  or  passing 
vessels  are  signalled  to  the  port  authorities.  It  is  also  called 
the  Lion's  Eump,  and  at  one  time  was  known  as  King  James' 
Mount. 

"A  long,  unbroken  hill  of  moderate  height  is  King 
James's  Mount  (the  Lion's  Eump  of  the  Dutch)."  (Bar- 
row's "  Travels,"  i.  p.  14,  1801.) 

"  On  the  Lion's  Eump  is  a  signal  station  and  look-out 
post,  where  by  hoisting  certain  numbers  of  black  balls,  im- 
mediate notice  is  given  of  all  ships  seen  in  the  offing."  (Bur- 
chell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  74,  1822.) 

Sijbok. — (D.  sijd,  silk  ;  bok,  a  goat.)  The  angora  goat  is 
so  called  because  of  its  long  silky  hair. 

"  Dis  differente  soorte  van  Brandsiekte — insektes  wat 
skape,  boerbokke  en  sybokke  antas."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook, 
Koek  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  170,  1898.) 

Sijsje. — (D.  sijsje,  a  linnet ;  G.  Zeisig,  a  green  finch.) 
Fringilla  Butyracea,  Linn.  The  name  appears  to  be  ono- 
matopoetic  in  its  origin,  and  to  be  connected  with  the  Dutch 
sissen,  to  hiss.  About  King  William's  Town  it  is  known  as 
the  Grinnet  and  Shell  (q.v.). 

Sikkel  bosch. — (D.  sikkel,  a  scythe,  sickle.)  Dichrosta- 
chys  nutans  bears  this  name  in  the  Transvaal. 

Silk  bark. — See  Zijdebast. 

"  In  the  gorge  beneath  the  fall  an  indigenous  thicket, 
yellow-wood,  Hottentot  cherry,  silk  hark,  has  been  allowed  to 
remain."     ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  9,  12  October,  1912.) 

Silver  bark. — The  name  given  in  the  Eastern  Province 
to  Ochna  atropurpurea.     See  Cape  plane. 

"  The  favourite  blossoms  of  the  Ochna  or  silver  bark." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  3  July,  1909.) 

Silver  bream. — Ghrysophrys  Natalensis,  Cart.  A  Natal 
fish. 

Silver  fish. — (1)  Dentex  argyrozona.  The  Western  Pro- 
vince name  of  this  fish,  which  shows,  when  fresh,  a 
beautiful  silver  sheen,  though  the  fish  is  a  delicate  pink.  (2) 
Dentex   rupestris  is  known  by  this  name  in  the  Eastern 


AFEICANDEEISMS  443 

Province.  See  Seventy-four.  (3)  It  also  appears  to  be 
applied  to  a  freshwater  fish  up  country.  See  the  quotation 
from  Bryden.  (4)  This  name  is  also  given  to  Lepisma  sac- 
charina.     See  Silver  moth  and  Fish  moth. 

"  A  very  common  representative  of  the  order  (Aptera)  is 
Lepisma,  a  small  silvery  grub-like  animal  v^hich  runs  with 
great  rapidity.  It  is  commonly  known  as  the  Silver  fish." 
("Gilchrist's  South  African  Zoology,"  p.  108, 1911.) 

"  Speaking  of  the  silver-fish,  as  they  are  called,  there 
are  numbers  of  them  to  be  found,  curiously  enough,  in  a 
huge,  rock-encircled  tarn  of  very  deep  water  about  fifteen 
miles  from  Mafeking.  This  tarn  lies  just  over  the  Trans- 
vaal border  in  Marico,  and  is  well  known  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood by  its  Boer  name  of  '  Wonder-gat  '  (wonder- 
hole)."  (Bryden's  "  Gun  and  Camera  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
462,  1893.) 

Silver  Jackal. — Canis  mesomelas.  The  fur  of  this  animal 
has  quite  a  silvery  appearance,  arising  from  the  white  hairs 
which  in  summer  are  very  numerous.  See  Fox  and  Vos, 
The  name  is  also  appHed,  and  perhaps  more  appropriately,  to 
Vulpes  chama  on  account  of  its  silvery  grey,  soft,  thick  fur. 

"  The  Silver  jackal,  which  is  the  largest  and  most 
common  of  the  South  African  jackals,  is  distributed  in  more 
or  less  quantities  all  over  South  Africa,  but,  as  may  be 
imagined,  it  is  far  more  numerous  in  the  Interior."  (NicoU 
and  Eglington's  "  The  Sportsman  in  South  Africa,"  p.  95, 
1892.) 

Silver  moth. — (1)  Lepisma  saccharina,  is  sometimes  so 
called  because  of  the  silvery  scales  with  which  it  is  covered. 
See  Fish  moth  and  Silver  fish  (4). 

Silver  moth. —  (2)  Leto  Venus,  a  large,  beautiful  fawn- 
coloured  moth,  elegantly  marked  with  silver;  it  is  found  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Knysna. 

"  Mr.  E.  Trimen  exhibited  specimens  of  the  Silver  moth 
{Leto  Venus)  from  the  Knysna  district  of  the  Cape  Colony." 
("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Society,"  p.  xlvi. ;  V  Part  II,  1893.) 

Silver  tree. — Leucadendron  argenteum,  B.  Br.  This  beauti- 
ful tree  with  its  silvery  leaves  grows  abundantly  on  the 
mountain  slopes  of  the  Cape  Peninsula,  which  seems  to  be 
its  native  habitat.  The  silver  sheen  of  the  leaves  is  due  to  a 
dense  down  of  silky  white,  unbranched,  unicellular  plant  hairs. 

"  Silber-baum  ...  die  Blatter  scheinen  als  ob  sie  aus 


444  AFKICANDEEISMS 

Seide  und  Silber  bereitet  waren."  (Kolben's  "  Beschreibimg," 
p.  410,  1745.) 

"  The  Protea  argentea  or  Silver-tree,  as  it  is  called,  ex- 
hibited the  whole  year  throughout  its  glossy  white  or  silver 
grey  leaves."     (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  32,  1785.) 

"  The  celebrated  silver  tree  .  .  .  produced  only  in  this 
small  peninsula,  and  in  no  other  part  of  the  world."  (Lich- 
tenstein's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  116,  1815.) 

Singer,  or  Singertje. — A  popular  designation  of  the  Cicada. 
See  Scissor-grinder. 

"  The  day  had  been  very  hot  and  the  singers  in  the  trees 
had  kept  up  their  incessant  drone."  ("  The  Methodist  Church- 
man," p.  5,  21  December,  1904.) 

Sinkings. — Toothache  and  neuralgia  are  often  spoken  of 
by  this  name,  as  is  also  an  acute  form  of  rheumatism.  See 
also  Zinkins. 

"  The  present  seemed  a  case  of  sinkings  only  ...  a  com- 
plaint so  universally  known  and  dreaded  in  this  country." 
("  C.G.H.  Literary  Gazette,"  iii.  p.  116,  1833.) 

"  The  changeableness  of  the  temperature  in  the  spring 
and  autumn,  renders  a  kind  of  rheumatism  common,  which 
is  here  called  sinkings."  (Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  84, 
1844.) 

Sirie  hout. — See  Camphor  hout. 

Sit,  to. — A  curious  use  of  this  word — arising,  apparently, 
from  a  Cape  use  of  the  Dutch  zetten,  to  set,  in  the  sense  of 
liggen,  to  lie,  to  rest — is  often  heard  in  the  Midland  districts, 
in  which  it  is  employed  as  if  it  were  synonymous  with  "  to 
hang,"  "  to  lie,"  etc. ;  e.g.  an  apple  is  said  to  sit  on  a  branch, 
and  a  stone  is  said  to  sit  on  the  ground. 

Sit  still,  to. — The  natives  are  said  to  "sit  still"  when 
there  is  no  war  movement  or  agitation  among  them. 

•'  The  Governor  then  .  .  .  said  that  he  had  come  up  ex- 
pecting to  have  to  move  his  troops,  but  that  now  all  must 
sit  still  and  plough.  He  would  only  punish  the  bad."  (God- 
lonton's  "Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  p.  25,  1852.) 

Sitting  up.— (D.  opzitten,  to  sit  up.)     See  Opsit. 

Sit  up,  to  make  one. — A  slang  expression  in  common  use 
meaning  to  make  one  bestir  oneself,  to  set  one  thinking,  to 
surprise  or  astonish  one ;  the  metaphor  is  obvious. 

"The  Reverend  Jan  had  great  faith  in  his  own  ideas 
upon  the  subject  which  he  meant  to  expound  on  this  Sabbath 


AFRICANDEKISMS  445 

morn,  and  expound  he  did.  In  brief  he  aroused  the  sleepy 
sons  of  the  land  and  made  them  sit  up."  {"  The  State," 
p.  510,  November,  1911.) 

Sjambok. — (Pers.  chabuk — through  the  Malays — a  whip.) 
A  strip  of  dried  giraffe  or  hippopotamus  hide  used  as  a 
whip,  and  in  the  hands  of  a  powerful  man  a  most  formidable 
weapon.  The  word  appears  to  be  of  oriental  origin,  "  Chaw- 
buck  "  being  the  name  given  to  a  similar  article  in  India, 
while  in  Java  it  assumes  the  form  "  Chabuk  ".  The  Achter- 
os  sjambok  (hinder-ox  sjambok)  is  a  short,  thick  instrument 
of  the  same  material,  with  which  the  oxen  nearest  the  wagon 
are  quickened,  the  ordinary  whip  being  too  long  to  be  effec- 
tive at  such  close  quarters. 

"  Poor  and  little  thieves  are  flogged  with  a  great  whip 
(called  Siamhack)  several  days  in  succession."  ("  Van 
Twist,"  p.  29,  1645.) 

"  Chanhocks  are  a  sort  of  whips  or  switches,  made  of  the 
skin  of  the  rhinoceros  or  hippopotamus."  (Le  Vaillant's 
"  Travels,"  II.  p.  226  n.,  1796.) 

"  These  sort  of  whips  which  they  call  Shambos  are  most 
horrid  instruments."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  145,  1801.) 

"  The  skin  (of  the  rhinoceros)  is  the  only  thing  valuable 
to  the  colonists  to  cut  into  strips  for  making  the  driving 
whips,  known  here  by  the  Malay  name  Shamboks."  (Lichten- 
stein's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  98,  1812.) 

"We  saw  a  snake  evidently  too  large  to  be  hurt  by  a 
zamboze."     (Baines'  "  Explorations,"  p.  30,  1864.) 

"The  agter-os-sjambok  (a  tremendous  whip  of  rhinoceros 
hide)."     (Pringle's  "  Narrative,"  p.  77,  1840.) 

Sjambok  stroop. — (D.  stroop,  treacle,  syrup.)  A  humour- 
ous name  for  a  beating. 

"  The  donkeys  have  fallen  into  a  brown  study,  for  which 
the  only  remedy  is  repeated  applications  of  sjambok  stroop." 
(Du  Plessis'  "In  the  Heart  of  Africa,"  p.  99,  1905.) 

Sjambok,  to. — To  thrash  with  the  above  terribly  cruel 
instrument. 

"  As  for  the  husbands  he  sjambokked  them  nearly  to  death 
for  letting  their  wives  go."  (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo," 
p.  379,  1889.) 

Skate — Baja  maculata,  a  near  relative  of  the  English  skate. 

Skilpad. — The  ordinary  colonial  form  of  the  D.  schildpad. 

Skey. — The  ordinary  colonial  form  of  the  D.  schei. 


446  AFKICANDEKISMS 

Skip  jack. — (1)  El&ps  saurus  is  sometimes  so  called  at 
East  London  and  Port  Alfred.  See  Cape  Salmon.  (2)  The 
name  appears  to  be  given  also  at  some  places  on  the  coast  to 
the  fish  known  in  Natal  as  the  Garfish  (q.v.) 

"  The  '  Cape  salmon,'  Skip  j-ack,  '  Victoria  trout,'  and 
other  aliases."  (**East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  3  March, 
1909.) 

"  The  fish  was  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  elongated  body, 
and  its  long,  narrow  and  slightly  turned  up  beak,  was  a  Saury 
pike,  known  here  as  a  '  Greenback  '  and  in  some  places  as 
the  Skipper  or  Skipjack,  from  its  habit  of  jumping  out  of  the 
water.  It  is  fairly  common  hereabout  and  has  often  been 
known  to  leap  into  a  "  grainer's  "  boat,  attracted  by  the  light," 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  26  September,  1912.) 

Skipper. — See  Skip-jack  and  quotation. 

Skit — The  ordinary  colonial  form  of  the  D.  schut 

Skit-cattle. — Impounded  cattle.     See  Schut-vee. 

Skit- kraal. — See  Schut-kraal. 

"  The  oxen  he  was  seeking  were  safely  lodged  in  the  skit- 
kraal  or  pound."  (Gordon  Cumming's  "Adventures,"  i.  p. 
21,  1850.) 

Skit- master. — See  Schut-meester. 

Skit-sale. — Sale  of  impounded  stock.  See  Schut  ver- 
koping. 

Skoff. — (D.  schofttijd,  breakfast,  or  meal -time.)  In  Natal 
this  word  is  used  of  the  food  itself,  but  with  exclusive  refer- 
ence to  the  food  of  the  natives.  The  recent  war  seems  to 
have  widened  its  application. 

"  He  promises  them  plenty  of  cattle  and  cows,  meal,  milk, 
and  scq^  (food)  if  only  they  remain  faithful  to  him."  (Flem- 
ing's "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  269,  1856.) 

"  Food  with  the  colonials  was  always  skoff;  a  malingerer 
was  never  anything  but  a  skrimshanker."  ("  A  Subaltern's 
Letters  to  his  Wife,"  p.  108,  1901.) 

Skoff,  to. — A  slang  word  meaning  to  eat  voraciously  or 
greedily. 

"  In  some  parts  the  lions  are  simply  awful,  and  scoff  fifty 
per  cent  of  the  men  who  have  gone  down  and  ninety  per 
cent  of  the  donkeys."     ("  A  Nobody  in  Mashonaland,"  p.  184.) 

Skorrie-morrie. — (German- Jewish,  soerrer-e-morrie,  a 
rogue,  knave,  good-for-nothing ;    Heb.  H'^.'lDI  '\')b,  the  wil- 


AFRICANDEKISMS  447 

ful  and  refractory  (son),  Deut.  xxi.  18;  from  "^"\D,  to  be  re- 
fractory, and  rrip,  to  be  contumacious.)  In  Holland  the 
expression  is  used  collectively,  but  in  South  Africa  it  is  also 
employed  of  one  person  with  the  meaning  rogue,  rascal,  knave. 

Skrim-shanker. — A  malingerer,  one  who  feigns  sickness 
to  escape  work. 

"  Food  with  the  colonials  was  always  '  skoff ' ;  a  malingerer 
was  never  anything  but  a  skrivishanker."  ("  A  Subaltern's 
Letters  to  his  Wife,"  p.  108,  1901.) 

Slaai  bosch. — (D.  sla,  salad ;  bos,  a  bush.)  Several  varieties 
of  Mesembryanthemum  are  so  called.     See  Ice  plant. 

"  One  kind  of  slaai  bosch  with  a  very  large  fleshy  leaf, 
seems  even  during  the  greatest  heat  of  the  day,  to  be  literally 
covered  with  sparkling  dew-drops,  but  on  feeling  for  the 
moisture  you  are  soon  undeceived,  and  what  appeared  dew 
on  the  surface  is  firmly  secured  under  a  thin  transparent 
film,  which  is  raised  throughout  the  surface  of  the  leaf,  in 
small  and  brilliant  globular  blisters  that  are  pleasing  to  be- 
hold."    (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  375,  1868.) 

Slaap  gerust. — (D.  slapen,  to  sleep;  gerust,  peacefully.) 
The  usual  "  good  night "  wish  among  the  Dutch. 

"  Well,  good  night,  slaap  gerust."  (Slater's  "  The  Sunburnt 
South,"  p.  25,  1908.) 

Slaappapawer. — (D.  slapen,  to  sleep  ;  Lat.  papaver,  a 
poppy.)  The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  the  poppy ;  in  Holland 
it  is  known  as  the  "  slaapbol  ". 

Slaap  willem. — (D.  slapen,  to  sleep;   Willem,  William.) 

"  A  slaap  willem  with  large,  red  beak,  lazily  moving  from 
bush  to  bush."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  Christmas  Number, 
p.  38,  1907.) 

Slachters  Nek. — (D.  slachten,  to  slaughter ;  CD.  nek,  a 
narrow  ridge  connecting  two  hills  or  mountains.)  As  the 
result  of  a  feeble  attempt  in  the  year  1815,  on  the  part  of  a 
few  dissatisfied  Boer  farmers,  to  defy  the  authorities,  six  of 
them  were  tried  and  condemned  to  death,  and  on  the  very 
spot  where  they  had  exacted  an  oath  from  their  followers  to 
exterminate  the  English,  they  were  hanged,  and  from  that 
day  the  place  has  borne  the  name  of  Slachters  Nek.  To 
this  unfortunate  occurrence,  the  first  instance  of  colonists 
of  European  stock  suffering  death  for  treason  in  South 
Africa,  is  to  be  traced  very  much  of  the  bad  blood  which 


448  AFKICANDEEISMS 

has  existed  between  the  Dutch  and  the  English  in  South 
Africa  since. 

Slag  ijzer. — (D.  slag,  stroke,  blow ;  ijzer,  iron.)  A  gin, 
springtrap. 

"  Eesorting  to  the  use  of  strychnine,  or  otherwise  the 
springtrap  {slagt  ijzer) ;  the  former  effective  to  a  certain 
extent,  the  latter  hardly  ever  so."  ("  The  Bloemfontein 
Post,"  p.  6,  22  June,  1912.) 

Slamaier. — (This  word  seems  to  have  originated  in  a  con- 
fusion of  the  two  words  Islam  and  Maleier.)  A  term 
applied  to  a  Malay,  a  follower  of  Mahomet. 

Slang  bosch. — (D.  slang,  a  snake;  hos,  a  bush.)  The 
name  given  to  Elytropappus  glandulosus,  Less. 

Slangen  wortel. — (D.  wortel,  a  root.)  Polygala  serpent- 
aria,  E.  and  Z.  The  root  of  this  plant  is  used  by  the  natives 
as  a  remedy  in  cases  of  snake  bite. 

"  Another  specific  has  been  lately  found  called  the  slangen- 
wortel  {Gatula  capensis  and  anthemoides)."  (Moodie's  "  Ten 
Years  in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  234,  1835.) 

Slangetje. — Clinus  anguillaris,  G  and  V.  The  name  has 
reference  to  the  snake-like  shape  of  the  fish. 

"Another  species,  G.  biporosus,  is  not  often  met  with,  it 
is  an  eel-like  fish  closely  resembling  the  Slangetje."  {"  The 
S.A.  Jour,  of  Science,"  vii.  p.  223,  1911.) 

Slangkop,  Cape. — (D.  Kop,  a  head.)  Ornithoglossum 
glaucum,  Sal.     The  local  name  of  a  poisonous  bulb. 

"  Slangkop.  {Ornithoglossum  glaucum,  Sallis.)  This  is 
another  bulbous  plant,  which  is  found  over  a  large  area  of 
South  Africa.  When  eaten  by  stock  it  produces  effects  similar 
to  those  produced  by  '  Tulp  '."  ("  Science  in  South  Africa," 
p.  3.55,  1905.) 

"  About  two  years  ago  some  specimens  of  the  plant  slang- 
kop were  forwarded  through  the  Government  authorities  to 
the  Imperial  Institute,  London,  for  experiments  as  to  their 
toxic  properties.  The  results  went  to  show  that  the  plant  is 
highly  poisonous,  and  further  investigation  has  been  directed 
towards  testing  the  physiological  effects."  ("East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  4,  21  June,  1912.) 

Slangkop,  Transvaal.  —  Urginea  Burkei,  Baker.  The 
flower-stalk  and  the  leaves  of  this  plant  are  particularly  danger- 
ous to  the  small  stock  of  the  farmer.  The  name  refers  to  the 
resemblance  which  the  early  flower-spike  bears  to  a  snake's  head. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  449 

"With  some  poisonous  plants  trouble  is  experienced 
mainly  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year;  this  is  particularly 
the  case  with  the  tulps  (species  of  Homeria  and  Moraea)  and 
slangkop  {Urginea  Burkei),  and  usually  also  Chailletia  or 
Gift-blaar  (Dichapetalum  cymosum)."  ("  Agric.  Jour,  of  the 
Union  of  South  Africa,"  p.  88,  January,  1912.) 

Slangkos. — (D.  kost,  food,  victuals.)  Toadstools  are  so 
named. 

Slang  muishond. — (D.  slang,  a  snake.)  Poecilogale  albi- 
nucha. 

Slang  verklikker. — (D.  verklikken,  to  disclose,  discover.) 
The  Dutch  name  for  Erythropygia  coriphaeus.  See  Kat- 
lachter. 

Slang  vreeter. — (D.  vreten,  to  eat  ravenously,  to  swallow  ; 
cf.  Eng.  fret — "  like  a  moth  fretting  a  garment "  ;  Ps.  xxxix. 
12,  Prayer  Book  Version.)  The  Dutch  name  for  the  Secretary 
bird  (q.v.). 

Slangwyte. — Parus  afer,  the  Grey  tit. 

"  Mr.  Ortlapp  sends  it  from  Colesberg,  where  he  says  it 
is  called  Slangwyte  by  the  Dutch  colonists."  (Layard  and 
Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  330,  1875-84.) 

Slaughter  cattle. — Cattle  intended  for  the  butcher,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  trek  or  draught  cattle. 

"If  the  Kaffirs  had  only  advanced  .  .  .  they  would  have 
taken  guns,  slaughter-cattle^  (Ex  C.M.K.'s  "With  the  Cape 
Mounted  Eifles,"  p.  71,  1881.) 

Slijm  uyntje.  —  (D.  slijm,  slime ;  ajuin,  an  onion ;  F. 
oignon.)  A  bulbous  plant,  bearing  a  primrose-coloured  flower, 
is  so  named  in  Namaqualand ;  the  bulb  contains  a  large 
quantity  of  a  viscid  fluid. 

Slim. — (D.  slim,  sly,  cunning,  bad.)  As  used  in  South 
Africa  this  word  means  smart,  cunning. 

"  A  man  who  in  his  dealings  can  cheat  his  neighbour  is 
considered  as  a  slim  mensch,  a  clever  fellow."  (Barrow's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  103,  1804.) 

"  I  am  too  slim  for  them,  believe  me."  (Couper's  "  Mixed 
Humanity,"  p.  77.) 

Slimes. — The  fine  grey  matter  which  under  the  old  gold- 
winning  process  used  to  run  away  from  the  battery  as  waste, 
but  which  now  under  the  new  processes  yields  a  good  per- 
centage of  gold. 

"  A  coloured  man  was  to-day  sentenced  .  .  .  for  being  in 

29 


450  AFEICANDEKISMS 

the  unlawful  possession  of  a  quantity  of  slimes."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  10,  25  June,  1912.) 

Slimness. — (D.  slim,  sly,  cunning,  bad.)  Smartness, 
craftiness,  slyness. 

"  It  is  said  that  South  Africa  does  not  bear  a  high  reputa- 
tion for  honesty  amongst  the  nations  of  the  world.  Slimness 
has  become  characteristic,  in  a  minor  degree,  of  the  whole 
community."     ("The  State,"  p.  518,  November,  1911.) 

Slimy. — Equula  edentula,  Bl.   The  Natal  name  of  this  fish. 

Sling. — In  various  parts  of  South  Africa  a  catapult  is  so 
named. 

"Catapults  or  slings  as  they  used  to  call  them."  ("A 
South  African  Boy,"  p.  42,  1897.) 

Slinger. — Ghrysophrys  puniceus  is  so  called  in  East  Lon- 
don and  Natal. 

"  Catching  ten  fish,  all  sling ers,  totalling  25  lb.  weight,  in 
under  two  hours."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  21  November, 
1905.) 

Slinger-om-di-smoel. — (D.  slingeren,  to  sling,  toss  ;  smoel, 
G.  Maul,  muzzle,  chops.)  A  jocular  name  for  Boer-meal 
porridge. 

"  Dan  had  ik  misschien  gewaagd  van  zekere  meelspijs,  die 
sling er-om-den-smoel  genoemd  wordt,  en  van  andere  aardig- 
heidjes."  (Changuion's  "  De  Nederduitsche  Taal  in  Zuid- 
Afrika  hersteld  ".  "  Proeve  van  Kaapsch  Taaleigen,"  p.  v, 
1844.) 

Slop. — Spatula  capensis.  The  Cape  shoveller,  a  rather 
rare  bird. 

Sluit. — (D.  sloot,  a  ditch.)  A  narrow  channel,  natural  or 
artificial,  through  which  water  flows.  The  spelling  of  this 
word  seems  to  have  been  assimilated  by  false  analogy  to  that 
of  Spruit  (q.v.). 

"  It  has  water  in  abundance  brought  by  a  slote,  or  canal 
from  a  considerable  distance,  and  lying  so  high  that  all  the 
grounds  may  be  irrigated  with  ease  ;  and  a  mill  supplied  by 
it."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  187, 1818.) 

"  Going  one  dark  night  to  a  friend's  house,  and  keeping 
in  the  middle  of  the  road  to  avoid  the  sloots,  I  stumbled  over 
...  an  ox."     (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  33, 1852.) 

"  The  surface  has  become  considerably  drier  since  it  was 
stocked  with  sheep,  owing  to  the  formation  of  sluits  and  even 
rivers  by  the  washing  of  escaping  rain  water."  (Wallace's 
"  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  38,  1896.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  451 

Slump. — A  word  imported  from  the  United  States  of 
America,  used  to  express  a  downward  run  of  prices  in  the 
share  market,  or  a  depressed  condition  of  things  generally. 

Smalblad. — (D.  smal,  small ;  hlad,  a  leaf.)  Maba  natal- 
ensis.  The  leaves  of  this  tree  are  little  more  than  half  an 
inch  in  length,  and  the  branches  are  very  densely  covered 
with  them. 

Small  stock. — Sheep  and  goats  are  so  designated. 

Smasher. — A  soft  felt  hat  with  a  broad  brim,  made 
familiar  to  the  people  in  England  first  by  the  Rhodesian 
troops  at  the  Jubilee  festivities,  1887. 

"A  wide-awake,  called  in  South  Africa  a  smasher." 
(Couper's  "  Mixed  Humanity,"  p.  4.) 

"  The  Dutchmen  stared  at  him  from  under  the  brims  of 
their  felt  *  smashers,'  and  puffed  at  their  pipes."  (Glanville's 
"  The  Fossicker,"  p.  156,  1891.) 

Smear,  to. — A  process  that  does  not  appear  to  be  peculiar 
to  South  Africa.  The  earthen  floors  of  many  farmhouses 
are  smeared  over,  at  regular  intervals,  with  a  mixture  of  cow- 
dung  and  water;  when  dry  this  makes  a  good  surface,  and  is 
by  no  means  so  unpleasant  as  some  would  imagine.  See 
Uitsmeer. 

"  The  space  was  smeared  with  mud  and  cow-dung,  re- 
sembling that  used  in  all  parts  of  India  for  the  same  purpose." 
(Harris's  "Wild  Sports,"  p.  143,  1839.) 

"  We  were  unsuited  physically  for  such  work  as  daghering 
huts  or  smearing  floors."  ("  Adventures  in  Mashonaland  by 
Two  Nurses,"  p.  32, 1893.) 

Smee  eendtje. — (D.  smient,  halve  eendvogel,  a  widgeon  ; 
of.  provincial  Enghsh  (Norfolk)  smee,  a  widgeon ;  smee,  small ; 
eend,  a  duck.)    Poecilonetta  erythrorhynca,  the  Redbilled  Teal. 

"  A  small  brown  duck  which,  according  to  Spielman,  is 
called  by  the  colonists  Smi-eendje  (widgeon)."  (Burchell's 
"Travels,"  i.  p.  283,  1822.) 

"  The  Smee-eendtje  is  common  and  very  generally  distri- 
buted." (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p. 
351,  1875-1884.) 

Smeergoed. — (D.  smeer,  fat,  tallow;  goed,  stuff.)  An 
ointment  or  liniment. 

"  'n  Kruie,  genoem  Koverbos  (bekend  an  Montague)  .  .  . 
Di  selfde  bos  met  bokvet  angemaak,  is  goed  ver  smeergoed." 
(Dijkman's  "Kook,  Koek  en  Resepten  Boek,"  p.  130,  1898.) 

29  * 


452  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Smeer  lap.— (D.  smeren,  to  smear;  lap,  a  patch,  rag.) 
(1)  The  clout  or  lapje  used  in  the  process  of  smearing  de- 
scribed above.  (2)  A  dish  clout.  (3)  A  term  of  abuse  in- 
dicating something  very  degraded. 

"  *  Oh,  thanks,'  I  said  ;  '  look  here,  you've  been  kicking  up 
all  this  trouble  because  you  wanted  me  to  v^ait  fourteen 
years  for  burgher  rights,  and  now  that  you  want  my  assist- 
ance, you're  willing  to  make  me  a  burgher  on  the  pop.  No, 
my  friend,  give  your  burgher  rights  to  Hollanders  and  other 
schmeerlaps,  but  not  for  me,  thanks.'"  ("Cape  Times," 
Weekly  Edition,  p.  22,  25  October,  1899.) 

"Now,  Mr.  Editor,  the  name  he  called  the  Dutch  is  just 
what  he  is — *  Een  eerste  klas  smeerlap'."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  7,  4  September,  1912.) 

Smeer  winke  — (D.  smeer,  fat,  tallow ;  winkel,  a  shop.) 
A  grocer's  shop. 

Smellers. — Several  varieties  of  elegant  metallic-green  and 
copper-coloured  coleoptera,  with  a  peculiarly  penetrating 
though  not  unpleasant  odour.  Musk  beetles  have  received 
this  name  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Port  Elizabeth  and 
Uitenhage ;  and  sometimes,  but  not  with  so  much  reason, 
they  are  called  "  Spanish  flies  ". 

"  I  found  a  large  number  of  longhorns  commonly  termed 
'  Spanish  flies  '.  These  are  readily  discovered  as  they  diffuse 
a  strong  and  not  unpleasant  odour  of  lasting  power.  An 
Africander  youngster  who  accosted  me  one  day,  gave  them  the 
name  of  Smellers,  and  he  was  not  far  wrong."  (Bairstow's 
"  Nat.  Hist.  Notes  from  South  Africa,"  p.  6.  Eeprint  from 
"  The  Naturalist,"  1883.) 

Smelling  out. — The  operations  of  the  Kaffir  witch-doctor 
in  order  to  the  detection  of  evil  doers — i.e.  often  enough 
those  who  have  incurred  the  displeasure,  or  whose  increasing 
cattle  have  excited  the  cupidity  of  the  chief — are  known  to 
the  colonists  as  "  smelling  out".  The  expression  is  a  literal 
translation  of  the  Kaffir  uku  Nuka,  to  smell  out,  to  find  out 
by  sagacity. 

"I  could  not  help  smiling  at  them  and  at  their  solicitude 
to  know  the  result  of  her  smelling."  (Shooter's  "  Kaffirs  of 
Natal,"  p.  175,  1857.) 

"Their  mode  of  proceeding  in  smelling  out  witches  and 
wizards,  for  females  as  well  as  males  are  concerned." 
(Holden's  "  Kaffir  Eaces,"  p.  301,  1866.) 


AFKICANDERISMS  453 

"  The  family  of  the  native  who  has  escaped  to  our  camp 
had  been  sTnelt  out,  and  if  his  brother  were  not  rescued,  he 
would  be  condemned  to  some  horrible  death."  ("Adven- 
tures in  Mashonaland  by  Two  Nurses,"  p.  258,  1893.) 

Smelt. — (1)  Silago  Sihama  is  known  by  this  name  in  Natal. 
(2)  At  Struis  Bay  the  name  is  apphed  to  Atherina  breviceps. 

Smilax. — A  name  often  given  to  the  thornless  varieties  of 
asparagus. 

Smoel. — (D.  smoel,  muzzle,  chaps.)  Hon'  jou  smoel, 
"  Hold  your  jaw,"  was  the  phrase  applied  by  the  Boers  to  an 
Act  passed  immediately  after  the  annexation  of  the  Trans- 
vaal by  Sir  T.  Shepstone  in  1877,  which  made  it  high  treason 
for  anyone  to  discuss  the  annexation  ;  it  was  called  the  hou' 
jou  smoel  law. 

Smoke  bird. — Dicrurus  afer  is  known  by  this  name  in 
Natal ;  the  reference  is  to  the  way  in  which  the  bird  seeks  its 
prey  in  the  thick  smoke  of  the  grass  fires.     See  Bijvanger. 

"  In  districts  where  the  grass  is  periodically  burnt  these 
birds  flock  from  all  quarters  at  the  first  sign  of  a  fire,  and 
display  the  greatest  intrepidity  in  dashing  through  the  smoke 
and  flames  in  pursuit  of  the  insects  that  are  driven  out." 
(Stark's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  266,  1901.) 

Smoor. — (D.  smoren,  to  smother,  stifle.)  As  used  in  South 
Africa  this  word  means  "  to  stew  ".  Smoorvlees{ch),  stewed 
meat. 

Smoorfish. — (D.  smoren,  to  smother,  stifle.)  A  Malay 
preparation  making  a  very  appetizing  dish, 

"  I  am  often  asked  for  the  recipe  for  smoorfish,  so  I  will 
write  down  once  for  all  the  way  we  ourselves  do  it."  (Hilda's 
"  Diary  of  a  Cape  Housekeeper,"  p.  65,  1902.) 

Smoorkos. — (CD.  smoor,  to  stew ;  kost,  food,  victuals.) 
Anything  that  is  stewed. 

Smouse  or  Smouser. — (This  word  appears  to  be  a  corrup- 
tion of  the  name  of  Moses,  brought  over  from  Holland  in  the 
Dutch  E.I.  Company's  days.  The  corruption  arose  from  the 
manner  in  which  the  Dutch  Jews  themselves  pronounced  the 
name  (?).  Is  this  the  origin  also  of  the  Dutch  smousen,  to 
cheat  ?  Cf.  the  Enghsh  slang,  "  to  Jew  a  man  ".  So  far, 
however,  as  I  have  been  able  to  trace  the  word  in  South 
African  use,  it  is  generally  applied  to  those  not  of  African 
birth,  but  not  to  Jewish  pedlars  exclusively,  for  when  used 
of  them  it  is  usually  in  the  form,  "  A  Jew  smouse  ".)     One 


454  AFEICANDEKISMS 

who  visits  farms,  outlying  villages,  and  Kaffir  kraals,  on  foot 
or  otherwise,  for  the  purpose  of  retailing  various  wares. 

"  There  is  at  the  Cape  a  species  of  old-clothes  men  .  .  . 
who  from  their  enormous  profits  and  the  extortion  they  prac- 
tise have  obtained  the  name  C&Tpse-Smouse,  or  Cape  Jews." 
(Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  55,  1796.) 

"  From  the  Bechuanas  we  learned  that  the  proprietors  of 
the  wagons  were  smouses  (traders),  and  that  they  had  been 
several  weeks  among  the  Bergenaars,  carrying  on  a  contra- 
band trade  with  that  people."  (Philip's  "Researches,"  ii. 
p.  96,  1828.) 

"  T  dare  say  .  .  .  you  have  heard  that  I  have  turned  a 
regular  smoutch"     (Napier's  "  Excursions,"  ii.  p.  391, 1849.) 

"I  was  not  a  smouser,  the  term  applied  to  those  who 
went  about  the  country  in  wagons  to  sell  and  buy." 
(Anderson's  "  Twenty-five  Years  in  a  Waggon,"  i.  p.  40, 1887.) 

"  The  life  of  a  smouser  is  as  healthy  and  interesting  as  it 
is  adventurous."  ("  Graaff  Eeinet  Advertiser,"  23  August, 
1897.) 

Smouse,  To. — To  engage  in  the  method  of  trading  above 
described. 

"  That  kind  of  thing  soon  knocked  the  smousing  man 
over."     ("  Graaff  Eeinet  Advertiser,"  23  August,  1897.) 

Snaaks. —  (D.  snakerij,  drollery.)  Droll,  strange,  pe- 
culiar :  e.g.  snaaks  loeer,  peculiar  weather. 

Snake. — The  name  given  by  the  Kimberley  miners  to  a 
dyke  of  igneous  rock,  because  of  its  serpentine  course  across 
the  mine. 

"It  therefore  impresses  upon  one's  mind  that  the  snake 
is  a  younger  eruption  formation  coming  from  the  same 
volcanic  source  as  the  blue-ground."  ("  Science  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  320,  1905.) 

Snake-berry — See  Bitter-apple. 

"The  stink-blaar  and  the  snake-berry  are  among  the  first 
large  plants  to  take  possession  of  waste  ground,  and  are  often 
found  as  weeds  in  cultivated  lands."  ("East  London  Dis- 
patch," 31  August,  1911.) 

Snake  bird. — (1)  Pycnonotus  Layardi.  So  called  in 
Natal  from  the  habit  of  these  birds,  when  alarmed  by  tree 
snakes  (or  even  by  hawks),  of  attacking  them  in  a  mob. 
(2)  In  the  Cape  Colony  this  name  is  given  to  the  African 
darter — Anhinga  rufa — because  of  its  long  snake-like  neck. 


AFEICANDEKISMS  455 

"  Pycnonotus  Layardi. — It  is  a  bold  bird,  and  if  it  sees  a 
snake  or  anything  to  disturb  it,  sets  up  a  loud  chattering." 
(Woodward's  "Birds  of  Natal,"  p.  21,  1899.) 

"  The  Darter  snake-bird  or  Fresh-water  duiker,  named  by 
Temminck  Plotus  Levaillanti,  belongs  to  one  of  the  lowest 
forms  of  Aves,  termed  by  ornithologists  the  Pelecanidae,  viz. 
Pelecans,  Cormorants,  etc."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  ii. 
Part  2,  p.  85,  1881.) 

Snake  flower. — The  orange-coloured  Ornithogalum  flavis- 
simum  is  so  named  in  Namaqualand.  The  outside  of  each 
alternate  petal  is  marked  by  a  black  spot,  and,  when  the 
flower  is  closed,  it  is  not  unlike  a  snake's  head  in  shape,  the 
black  spots  representing  the  eyes  and  mouth — hence  the  name. 

Snake  root. — Garuleum  bipinnatum,  Less. 

"Among  the  medical  indigenous  plants  of  the  Cape,  the 
present  deserves  particular  notice.  It  is  well  known  to 
almost  every  resident  as  the  Snake-root,  having  acquired  its 
vernacular  name  from  its  effects  as  an  antidote  against  the 
bites  of  venomous  snakes  with  which  the  country  abounds. 
The  root  of  this  plant  which  is  a  native  of  the  Eastern 
Districts,  where  it  grows  in  the  deserts  of  the  Karoo,  has  a 
great  similarity  to  the  Eadix  Senegas  of  the  pharmacopoeia. 
It  is  bitter  and  acrid  and  contains  a  good  deal  of  a  resinous 
substance,  almost  homogeneous  to  that  which  we  observe  in 
the  root  of  Polygala  Senega.  In  the  form  of  decoction  or 
tincture,  this  root  is  a  great  favourite  with  the  colonial  farmer, 
in  various  diseases  of  the  chest,  asthma,  and  such  affections 
where  a  free  secretion  of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  lungs 
and  bronchiae  is  desirable.  It  also  promotes  perspiration, 
and  acts  as  a  diuretic  in  gout  and  dropsy.  This  valuable  root 
ought  to  have  a  place  in  the  'Materia  Medica  '."  (Pappe's 
"  Florae  Capensis  Medicae  Prodromus,"  p.  21,  1868.) 

Snake  stone. — A  piece  of  bone  rubbed  down  into  an  oval 
shape  and  burnt  at  the  edges,  used  to  be  sold  to  the  country 
people  as  a  remedy  for  snake-bite.  It  was  supposed  by  the 
purchaser  to  be  a  stone  taken  out  of  the  head  of  a  certain 
species  of  snake,  and  also  to  be  a  specific  for  snake-bite. 

"The  Hottentots  are  acquainted  with  several  vegetable 
antidotes  against  the  poison  of  serpents ;  but  the  most  ap- 
proved remedy  amongst  the  Dutch  is  the  slange-steen  or 
snake-stone,  which  they  hold  to  be  infallible."  (Barrow's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  140,  1801.) 


456  AFKICANDERISMS 

Snap  haan. — (D,  snaphaan,  firelock,  gun.)  An  earlier 
name  for  the  old-fashioned  muzzle-loading  musket,  subse- 
quently known  as  a  Babiaan  bout  (q.v.). 

"  Every  morning,  after  prayers  and  coffee,  the  first  thing 
that  occupied  attention  was  the  snap-haan,  or  as  it  later 
grew  to  be  called,  baviaan  bout."  (Sellick's  "  Uitenhage, 
Past  and  Present,"  p.  v,  1905.) 

Snapper. — Chrysophrys  gibbiceps  is  so  called  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  East  London.  It  is  also  called  the  Eed  stump-nose. 

"We  caught  a  great  many  red  snappers,  but  had  much 
difficulty  in  saving  the  bait  and  the  game  from  the  hungry 
jaws  of  the  sharks ;  as  soon  as  a  snapper  was  hooked  dozens 
of  these  voracious  monsters  commenced  disputing  the  prize 
with  each  other  and  with  the  captor."  (Owen's  "  Narrative," 
II.  p.  177,  1833.) 

Sneeze  Hottentots. — (D.  Sina,  China.)  The  epithet  Si- 
nese  was  applied  to  a  tribe  of  Bushmen  living  to  the  north  of 
the  Great  Fish  River,  whose  light  yellow  complexions  re- 
sembled those  of  the  Chinamen  seen  at  the  Cape.  The 
country  occupied  by  them  was  known  as  the  Sneeze  Vlakten, 
or  Chinese  Plains. 

"  The  Sneeze  Vlakten,  Cineeze,  Cineese  or  Chinese,  from 
the  appearance  of  the  Bushmen  living  upon  them."  (Stow's 
"Native  Races  of  South  Africa,"  p.  128  n.,  1905.) 

Sneeze vrachje. — (D.  Sina,  China  ;  vracht,  freight,  cargo, 
burden.)  A  load  of  mixed  merchandise ;  the  term  is  probably 
derived  from  the  mixed  character  of  the  old  time  cargoes 
from  China  and  the  East. 

Sneeze  wood. — Pteroxylon  utile.  This  wood  is  of  great 
value,  being  one  of  the  most  durable  grown  in  any  part  of 
the  world.  The  presence  in  the  wood  of  pungent,  essential 
oil  which  irritates  the  nostrils  and  induces  violent  sneezing 
when  the  wood  is  being  worked,  helps  largely  to  preserve  the 
timber.  The  English  name  is  simply  a  translation  of  the 
Dutch  Niez-hout.  Note  neese  is  an  old  English  form  of  the 
word  sneeze. 

"  This  vale  is  called  Niez-hout  Kloof,  from  a  kind  of  tree 
which  is  said  to  excite  sneezing  if  it  be  rubbed  and  then 
smelled."     (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  ii.  p.  75,  1785.) 

"  The  wood  known  in  the  Colony  as  Sneeze-wood  is  also 
the  produce  of  an  evergreen  which  grows  to  a  large  size." 
(Mann's  "Natal,"  p.  155,  1859.) 


AFEICANDERISMS  457 

Snelders. — (G.  Schneller,  spring,  trigger.)  See  quota- 
tion. 

"  They  much  annoyed  and  harassed  the  infantry,  by  dis- 
mounting, laying  their  snelders  (long  guns  with  hair-triggers) 
across  the  saddle  on  their  horses,  firing,  reloading,  and  re- 
mounting to  gallop  out  of  range  of  our  Brown  Bessies." 
(Hoodie's  "  Battles,"  i.  p.  597,  1888.) 

Snijsel  or  Snippertje. — (D.  snijden,  to  cut ;  snipperen,  to 
cut  into  small  pieces.)  A  preparation  of  flour  somewhat  like 
macaroni,  cut  into  short  lengths  and  used  to  thicken  soup, 
etc. 

Snoek. — (D.  snoek,  a  pike.)  Thyrsetes  Atun,  Cuv.  A 
scaleless  voracious  fish,  caught  at  times  in  enormous  num- 
bers round  the  Cape  peninsula  ;  it  is  salted  and  dried  as  an 
article  of  trade.  In  Australia  and  New  Zealand  the  same 
fish  is  known  as  the  Barracouta. 

"  Two  kinds  of  fish,  the  Hottentot  and  the  snook,  &ie  split 
open,  salted,  and  dried  in  the  sun  in  large  quantities,  princi- 
pally for  the  use  of  the  slaves."  (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p. 
300,  1804.) 

Snoek-galjeon. — The  Hoetje's  Bay  name  of  the  fish  else- 
where known  as  the  Papegaai  visch. 

Snoek  pekelaar. — (CD.  pekelaar  or  pekelaring  seems 
to  be  a  corruption  of  D.  pekelharing,  pickled  herring ;  it  was 
apparently  applied  to  pickled  fish  generally,  until  its  original 
meaning  had  disappeared.)     Snoek  sliced,  salted  and  dried. 

"  ^noek  pekelaar  is  the  name  we  give  to  fillets  of  snoek, 
shghtly  salted  and  sun-dried."  (Hilda's  "  Diary  of  a  Cape 
Housekeeper,"  p.  142,  1902.) 

Snoep. — (D.  snoepen,  to  pilfer  dainties.)  To  eat  dainties 
in  secret,  to  enjoy  forbidden  things  in  secret.  Among  the 
descendants  of  the  Dutch  in  New  York,  the  word  is  also  used 
with  the  same  meaning ;  to  snoop  meaning  to  eat  stealthily. 

Snot  sickness  or  Snotziekte. — The  term  is  applied  by 
farmers  to  any  disease  of  animals  which  is  accompanied  by 
a  large  mucous  discharge  from  the  nostrils. 

"  A  horrible  and  very  fatal  illness,  called  by  the  Boers 
snot  sickness,  which  cattle  are  very  liable  to  from  pasturing 
on  ground  frequented  by  black  wildebeests."  (Gordon  Cum- 
ming's  "  Adventures,"  ii.  p.  373,  1850.) 

"  The  term  snotziekte  does  not  describe  any  particular  or 
specific  disease  ;  it  is  a  term  applied  when  excessive  mucous 


458  AFBICANDEEISMS 

discharge  is  observed  to  run  from  the  nose,  such  discharge 
being  seen  in  different  diseases,  in  different  species  of  animals, 
and  is  due  to  many  different  causes."  ("Agric.  Jour.  S.A. 
Union,"  p.  139,  January,  1912.) 

Snowball.  —  The  name  given  in  South  Africa  to  the 
Viburnum. 

Snowball  shrike. — Dryoscopus  cuhla  has  received  this 
name  in  Natal ;  it  refers  to  the  puff  of  soft,  white  feathers  with 
which 'the  back  of  this  bird  is  garnished,  which  the  bird  can 
erect  and  depress  at  will ;  the  Lesser  puff-backed  shrike. 

"In  Natal  it  is  sometimes  called  the  Snowball  shrike." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life," 
p.  97,  1908.) 

Snowdrop. — (1)  In  the  neighbourhood  of  King  William's 
Town  Ornithogalum  thyrsoides  is  known  by  this  name.  See 
also  Chinkering  ching  and  Viooltjes.  (2)  It  is  also  pretty 
generally  apphed  to  the  flower  commonly  known  as  the  Snow- 
flake  (q.v.). 

"  Chinkerinch  e  (or  as  it  is  locally  known,  Snowdrop)." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  30  March,  1909.) 

Snowflake. — A  flower  somewhat  like  the  English  snowdrop, 
sometimes  called  the  African  snowdrop — Leucojum  vernum. 

"  The  snowdrop  {Galanthus  nivalis)  and  the  snowflake 
{Leucojum  vernum)  are  admired  for  the  gracefulness  of  their 
flowers,  and  the  latter  for  its  scent  also."  (Wood's  "  Hand- 
book to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  131,  1907.) 

Snow  in  summer. — The  South  African  trivial  name  of  the 
imported  Ozothamnus  rosmarinifolius. 

"  The  flowers,  which  are  white  and  daisy-like  in  appear- 
ance, are  produced  in  such  wonderful  profusion,  that  the  plant 
has  become  popularly  known  as  Snow  in  summer."  ("  South 
African  Gardening,"  p.  333,  August,  1912.) 

Snyde  diamonds. — This  is  another  name  given  to  the 
imitation  diamonds  that  were  occasionally  employed  for  iUicit 
purposes  in  the  early  days  of  the  Diamond  Fields.  See 
Schlenter.    The  word  is  also  applied  to  counterfeit  gold  coins. 

"  It  is  certainly  a  curious  phase  in  this  glass,  or  in  thieves' 
Latin  snyde  diamond,  question  .  .  .  that  .  .  .  neither  the 
manufacturer  nor  the  possessor  of  these  spurious  articles  can 
be  brought  to  justice."  (Mathew's  "  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  198, 
1887.) 

"A  brief  examination  satisfied  the  disgusted  inspector 


AFRICANDEKISMS  469 

that  the  astute  Yankee  had  once  more  turned  the  laugh  against 
him.     The  things  were  '  schlenters  '  or  snyde  diamonds.'' 

"A  'mint'  which  has  its  headquarters  in  Germany,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  and  conveying  snide  gold  coins  to 
Africa."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  29  July,  1909.) 

Soap  bush. — See  Gona  and  Kannabosch.  This  name  is 
also  applied  to  Noltea  africana ;  after  macerating  the  sapo- 
naceous leaves  of  this  bush  the  natives  use  them  for  washing. 

"  I  found  his  three  fresh  and  strapping  daughters  boiling 
soap,  prepared  with  fat  and  the  branches  of  the  soap-bush." 
(Alexander's  "Expedition,"  i.  p.  83,  1838.) 

Sobosobo. — (Kaf.  um  Sobosobo.)  The  fruit  of  Solanum 
nigrum,  Linn.  The  small  black  berries  make  a  jam  not  un- 
like that  of  the  real  blackberry  in  flavour.  This  plant  is 
known  in  England  as  the  "  Garden  night-shade  ". 

"  Mention  may  be  made  of  the  well-known  weed  common 
in  old  lands,  Umsobosobo  {S.  nigrum).  In  the  old  country  it 
is  undoubtedly  poisonous,  but  here  in  South  Africa  its  little 
black  berries  are  eaten  with  impunity  and  are  even  made 
into  jam."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  10  November, 
1911.) 

Soetjes. — (D.  zoetjes,  softly,   gently.)     Gently,  slowly. 

" '  Suitjes,  baas,  suitjes.  If  we  miss  the  spoor  we  lose 
time  and  all.  Here  is  a  stone  turned,  and  there  a  toe  dug  in, 
and  here,'  he  was  following  the  trail  like  a  pointer,  '  is  a  bit 
of  dry  skin  of  biltong.'  "  (Glanville's  "  The  Kloof  Bride," 
p.  275,  1898.) 

Soggens. — (D.  's  ochtends,  of  the  morning ;  this  appears 
to  be  the  origin  of  this  word.)     In  the  morning. 

Solder. — (D.  zolder,  a  garret,  loft ;  Lat.  solarium,  a  flat 
house-top  exposed  to  the  sun.)  Up- stairs,  an  upper  story. 
See  Brandzolder  and  Zolder. 

Soldier. — (1)  Dentex  miles  is  so  named  in  Natal.  (2)  In 
the  Cape  Colony  this  name  is  given  to  a  bright  red  member 
of  the  bug  family — Scantius. 

Sole. — See  Tong-visch.  These  fish  are  generally  known 
as  soles  at  Port  Ehzabeth  and  East  London. 

So  long. — This  expression  is  in  constant  use  all  over  South 
Africa,  with  several  slightly  varying  significations  ;  sometimes 
it  means  "  for  the  present,"  at  other  times  "  meanwhile  ". 
At  parting  it  is  used  as  a  form  of  farewell,  and  then  it  seems 
to  suggest  a  wish  for  a  future  meeting,  like  the  German  auf 


460  AFBICANDEKISMS 

Wiedersehen.  The  origin  of  the  phrase  has  still  to  be  ascer- 
tained. 

"  Men  came  tumbling  out  of  the  swing-doors  in  twos  and 
threes,  wiping  their  lips,  and  then  separating  with  a  '  So 
long,  old  man,  see  you  at  tiffin '."  ("  I.D.B.,"  by  W.  T.  E.,  p. 
221,  1887.) 

'"Going?  Well,  so  long  /  '  '  So  long,  Abe.' "  (Glanville's 
"  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  222,  1897.) 

Somar  or  Somarso. — (D.  zoo-maar-zoo,  so  so.)  Tolerably, 
neither  good  nor  bad,  after  a  fashion,  in  a  way. 

"  The  Dutch  word  somar  ...  is  also  a  word  to  which  I 
think  I  could  challenge  the  most  learned  schoolmaster  in  the 
Colony  to  attach  any  definite  meaning.  It  is  used  by  both 
Boers  and  Hottentots  in  almost  every  sentence  ;  it  is  an 
answer  to  every  question ;  and  its  meanings  are  endless." 
(Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  27,  1850.) 

Somerhuis. — (D.  zomer,  summer;  huis,  a  house.)  (1)  A 
small  house  in  town,  occupied  by  a  farmer  of  the  district  with 
his  family  at  Nachtmaal  time,  or  during  a  brief  visit.  (2)  It 
is  also  used,  as  is  its  English  equivalent,  of  an  arbour  in  a 
garden,  a  summer-house. 

Somtseu. — A  Sechuana  word  meaning  a  "  Nimrod,"  a 
mighty  hunter.  This  name  was  given  by  the  natives  to 
Mr.  Gordon  Gumming.  It  was  afterwards  applied  by  the 
natives  of  Natal  to  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  Theophilus  Shepstone 
on  the  occasion  of  his  first  visit  with  Major  Charters  to  occupy 
Port  Natal.  There  is  either  a  bold  "  striving  after  meaning  " 
in  Barter's  use  of  the  word  "  Samson  "  (see  quotation),  or  an 
entire  misunderstanding. 

"  Such  was  the  appearance  of  the  great  T' Somtseu" 
(Mr.  Gordon  Gumming).  (Napier's  "  Excursions,"  ii.  p.  391, 
1849.) 

"  Mr.  T.  Shepstone,  the  diplomatic  agent,  whose  influence 
over  the  natives  is  universally  acknowledged,  and  who  is 
looked  up  to  by  them  as  the  great  Samson  or  '  Sagem '  of 
their  tribe."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  134, 
1852.) 

"  When  the  mission  first  arrived  at  Pretoria,  a  message 
came  from  Cetewayo  to  the  effect  that  he  had  heard  that  the 
Boers  had  fired  at  Sompseu  (Sir  T.  Shepstone)  and  announc- 
ing his  intention  of  attacking  the  Transvaal  if  '  his  father  ' 
was  touched."    (Haggard's  "  The  Last  Boer  War,"  p.  60, 1900.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  461 

Sons^alolo. — (Kaf.  i  Songololo,  a  species  of  Myriapoda 
common  in  South  Africa ;  uku  Songa,  to  roll  up.)  Julus 
terrestris  bears  this  name  in  the  Eastern  Province  ;  it  refers 
to  its  habit  of  curling  up  into  a  coil  when  disturbed.  See 
Eegen  wurm. 

Soopje. — (D.  zoopje,  a  dram  ;  zuipen,  to  tipple  ;  cf.  Scotch, 
sowp,  a  spoonful,  a  small  quantity  ;  Eng.  sup.)  The  quantity 
of  spirit  which  goes  to  make  a  soopje  is  variable,  one  man's 
soopje  would  be  another  man's  overthrow.  The  term  seems 
to  have  been  appHed  also  to  brandy  in  quantity.  See  last 
quotation. 

"  Those  who  enter  a  house  are  always  presented  with  a 
sopi,  that  is  to  say,  a  glass  of  rack  or  gin,  or  rather  of  French 
brandy.  .  .  .  Before  they  sit  down  to  talk,  etiquette  requires 
also  that  they  should  be  ofifered  a  sopi.'^  (Le  Vaillant's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  76,  1796.) 

"  In  the  morning  after  breakfast  he  takes  his  sopie,  or  glass 
of  brandy."    (Barrow's  "  Travels."  i.  p.  83,  1801.) 

"  The  poorest  peasant  .  .  .  never  fails  to  lay  in  ...  a 
cask  of  sopie."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  375,  1801.) 

Sooty  albatross. — Phoebetria  fuginilosa.     See  Blue  bird. 

Sore- back. — Applied  to  horses  when  their  backs  have  been 
scalded  through  wearing  the  saddle-cloth  too  long,  or  wrung 
by  an  insufficiently  padded  saddle. 

"Not  one  of  our  stud  had  an  abrasion  of  the  skin,  let 
alone  a  sore  back."  (Gilmore's  "Days  and  Nights  in  the 
Desert,"  p.  195,  1888.) 

Sore-eye  flower. — Gyrtanthus  obliquus  is  so  named  at 
East  London.  See  Zeer-oog  bloemetje.  The  name  is 
commonly  applied  to  the  various  .  species  of  Brunsvigia 
also. 

"  A  large  Gyrtanthus  or  sore-eye  flower  (though  why  so 
called  we  have  yet  to  learn)."  ("East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  5,  27  May,  1910.) 

Sorrel. — Hybiscus  subdariffa,  L.  The  fleshy,  acid-flavoured 
calyx  of  this  plant,  which  is  grown  in  Natal,  is  there  known 
by  this  name.  A  decoction  makes  a  very  refreshing  summer 
drink.     Among  Anglo-Indians  it  is  known  as  Eoselle. 

Sort,  To. — To  cull  over  diamondiferous  material  in  the 
search  for  gems. 

"  Then  lonely  little  camps  occurred.  .  .  .  These  are  mostly 
occupied  by  Boers,  who  carry  their  stuff  home  for  wives  and 


462  AFEICANt)EKISMS 

children  to  sort"  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds," 
p.  Ill,  1873.) 

Sorter. — One  who  performs  the  above  process. 

"  When  nothing  is  left  but  the  dry  little  lumps  like  fine 
gravel,  and  the  diamonds,  he  unhooks  the  sieve  and  carries 
its  contents  to  a  neighbouring  table  on  which  it  is  poured 
before  the  panting  sorter^  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Dia- 
monds," p.  127,  1873.) 

Sortings. — The  refuse  material  after  it  has  undergone  the 
above  process.  Occasionally  a  small  diamond  would  be  over- 
looked by  the  "  sorter"  ;  the  "  sortings  "  were  eagerly  "  re- 
sorted "  by  others  in  the  hope  of  finding  some  such  overlooked 
stone. 

"  The  mounds  of  sortings  are  now  close  by  thronged  with 
busy  men,  black  and  white."  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for 
Diamonds,"  p.  Ill,  1873.) 

Sorting  table. — The  table  on  which  the  diamondiferous 
material  is  sorted. 

"  Here  and  there  is  a  '  canteen '  of  dirty  canvas,  or  a 
plank-built  '  store  '  with  roof  of  corrugated  iron.  But  such 
habitations  are  rare.  Karer  still  is  the  sorting  table.'' 
(Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  79,  1873.) 

Sour  grass. — The  terms  "  sour  "  and  "  sweet  "  as  thus 
employed  refer  to  the  nature  and  quality  of  the  plant  growth 
of  a  given  area  ;  on  poor  soil  it  is  very  woody,  and  defective 
in  some  essential  plant-ash  constituent,  and  is  known  as 
"  Sour  grass  "  or  "  Sour  veld  ". 

"  But  this  fine  territory  is  not  considered  so  valuable  for 
grazing  as  much  of  that  within  the  Colony,  for  the  grass  is  in 
general  what  is  called  sour,  that  is  rank  and  unwholesome  for 
'  cattle  '."     (Bunbury's  "  Journal,"  p.  159,  1848.) 

Sour  veld. — See  Sour  grass. 

"  The  whole  veldt  on  either  side  of  the  road  is  what  is 
called  sour  veldt  (that  is,  coarse,  hard,  dry  grass),  distasteful 
to  the  animals,  especially  to  oxen,  perfectly  unnourishing." 
(Churchill's  "  Men,  Mines,  and  Animals  in  South  Africa," 
p.  197,  1895.) 

"  The  veld  is  famiHarly  classified  into  sweet  (zoet)  or  good 
veld,  sour  (zuur)  or  poor  veld,  and  half-and-half  (gebroken) 
veld."     (Burton's  "  Cape  Colony  for  the  Settler,"  p.  8,  1903.) 

South  African  peat. — Another  name  for  Mist  (q.v.). 

South  African  siskin. — Chrysomitris  totta. 


AFEICANDERISMS  463 

South-easter. — See  The  Doctor  and  Black  south-easter. 

**  Algoa  Bay  is  not  much  of  a  shelter,  and  it  is  always  a 
chance  whether  a  sudden  South-easter  may  not  come  tearing 
down  upon  the  shipping."  (Barker's  "  A  Year's  Housekeeping 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  23,  1877.) 

"  South-casters  .  .  .  are  of  three  kinds — (1)  '  Table-cloth  ' 
south-easters,  (2)  '  Blind  '  south-easters,  (3)  '  Black  *  south- 
easters."  ("  Addresses,  etc.,  British  and  SouthAfrican  Assoc," 
I.  p.  287,  1905.) 

Sovereignty,  The. — This  was  the  former  designation  of 
the  territory  that  has  again  come  under  the  British  flag  in 
the  Orange  River  Colony  and  the  Transvaal. 

"  The  Sovereignty,  as  it  is  now  constituted,  comprehends 
a  large  tract  of  territory  situated  to  the  north  of  the  Great 
Orange  and  Vaal  Rivers,  and  stretching  out  to  the  east  as 
far  as  the  north-west  of  Natal."  (Fleming's  "  Kaffraria," 
p.  120,  1853.) 

Spaanspek. — (D.  spaansche,  Spanish ;  spek,  bacon,  fat.) 
Melo  Hispanicus,  the  sweet  or  musk  melon,  apparently  known 
to  the  Dutch  through  the  Spaniards.  It  is  called  "  spek  " 
from  the  bacon-like  colour  of  the  fruit  when  cut. 

"  Just  then  Mr.  Bartlett  came  and  asked  if  I  would  like 
to  buy  any  musk  melons  (sponspeck),  figs,  pomegranates,  or 
mealies."  (Farini's  "  Through  the  Kalahari  Desert,"  p.  61, 
1886.) 

Span  of  oxen. — (D.  span,  a  team.)  A  team  of  oxen  yoked 
in  pairs  for  cart,  wagon,  or  plough ;  the  number  varies  from 
two  to  twenty-two,  but  generally,  for  wagon  work,  runs  to 
fourteen  or  sixteen. 

"  Such  a  carriage  is  commonly  drawn  by  a  team  or  span, 
as  it  is  termed  in  the  Colony,  of  ten  or  twelve  oxen." 
(Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  55,  1801.) 

Span,  To.— (D.  spannen,  to  put  horses  to  a  wagon  or 
carriage.)  To  yoke  or  harness  animals  to  a  vehicle.  "  To 
inspan  "  is  now  more  commonly  used. 

"  Meanwhile  we  prepared  the  apparatus  ioi  spanning  oxen 
before  the  wagon."     (Moodie's  "  Records,"  p.  33,  1841.) 

Spandau  kop. — (G.  Spandau,  the  great  military  stronghold 
and  prison  a  few  miles  from  Berlin.)  A  curiously  formed 
mountain  of  the  Sneeuwberg  range,  near  Graaff  Eeinet.  Its 
crown  is  a  curious  formation  resembling  the  steep  sides  and 
rounded  top  of  a  hay-stack.     Locally  the  name  is  pronounced 


464  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Span-touw,  and  according  to  the  folk  etymology  of  the 
neighbourhood  is  derived  from  the  span-touw,  the  riem  with 
which  the  legs  of  a  cow  are  fastened  which  has  the  habit  of 
kicking  when  being  milked.  But  if  Lichtenstein's  account 
of  the  origin  of  the  name  is  correct,  and  there  seems  to  be  no 
reason  to  doubt  it,  then  the  popular  etymology  affords  another 
instance  of  "  striving  after  meaning  ".  Lichtenstein's  Work 
(i.  p.  367)  contains  a  very  good  plate  of  this  curiously  shaped 
mountain. 

"  At  break  of  day  we  saw  the  Spandau  mountain,  in 
Graaff  Eeinet,  before  us.  This  mountain,  Hke  many  others  in 
the  country,  till  within  a  few  years  had  no  name.  An  old 
Prussian  soldier,  by  name  Werner,  who  Hved  at  Graaff  Reinet 
gave  it  that  which  it  now  bears,  as  a  remembrance  of  his 
native  country."     (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  367,  1812.) 

To  our  left  were  Zwart  Ruggeus,  our  right  Zwager's  Hoek, 
While  in  front  we  on  Spontouw  and  Tandje's  Berg  look. 

(Hudson's  "  A  Feature  in  South  African  Frontier  Life,"  p. 

70,  1852.) 

Spanish  flies. — See  Smellers. 

"  A  large  number  of  long-horns  commonly  termed  Spanish 
flies.  (A  weak  provincialism.)"  (Bairstow's  "Nat.  Hist. 
Notes  from  South  Africa,"  p.  6,  1883.) 

Sparrow  rooibek. — (D.  rood,  red ;  bek,  a  beak,  bill.)  A 
Natal  name  for  Spermestes  nigriceps. 

"  It  is  a  neat  httle  bird,  and  its  plumage  and  manner  re- 
mind one  of  the  English  cock-sparrow,  from  which  we  call 
it  the  Sparrow  roibek"      (Woodward's  "  Birds  of  Natal,"  p. 

71,  1899.) 

Spek. — (D.  spek,  bacon,  fat.)  Hippopotamus  fat  was  in 
the  early  days  spoken  of  as  "  spek  ". 

"  The  flesh  of  the  hippopotamus  is  highly  esteemed  .  .  . 
and  the  fat  (speck,  as  it  is  called  by  the  colonists)  is  very 
excellent."     (Andersson's  "  Lake  Ngami,"  p.  517,  1856.) 

Spek-boom. — (D.  spek,  bacon,  fat ;  boom,  a  tree.)  Portu- 
lacaria  afra,  Jacq.  The  plant  is  also  known  as  "  Elephant's 
food  "  (q.v.) ;  it  grows  large  and  succulent,  with  small,  fleshy, 
sourish  leaves,  and  panicles  of  small  flowers  of  several  shades 
of  pink. 

"  Thick  Hedges  of  a  kind  of  Laurel,  which  they  call  Speck, 
always  green,  and  pretty  hke  the  Filaria."  ("A  Voyage  to 
Siam  by  Six  Jesuits,"  p.  51,  1688.) 


AFEICANDERISMS  465 

"  A  small  succulent  shrub  called  speck-boom  .  .  .  affords 
excellent  food  for  sheep  and  goats."  .(Fleming's  "Southern 
Africa,"  p.  125,  1856.) 

Spekboschje. — (D.  spek,  fat ;  bosch,  bush,  shrub.)  Zygo- 
phyllum  fiexuosum,  E.  and  Z.  and  other  species  are  so  called 
in  the  Riversdale  District. 

Spekhout. — Kiggelaria  africana,  Linn.     See  Porkwood. 

Spekvet. — (D.  s^e^,  bacon,  fat ;  ■ye^,  fat.)  A  term  applied 
to  both  men  and  animals  when  very  fat. 

Spek  vreter. — -.(D.  spek,  bacon,  fat;  vreten,  to  eat.)  Saxi- 
cola  familiaris.  This  bird  is  accused  of  picking  the  grease 
out  from  the  boxes  of  cart-wheels — hence  the  name. 

"  The  familiar  Chat  {S.  familiaris),  the  Spek  vreter  (bacon- 
eater)  of  the  Boers  ...  is  well  distributed  throughout  South 
Africa."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African 
Bird  Life,"  p.  19,  1908.) 

Spelonken. — (D.  spelonk ;  Lat.  spelunca ;  Gk.  aTrrjXvy^, 
a  cave,  cavern,  den.)  An  exceedingly  mountainous  district 
in  the  north  of  the  Transvaal,  in  the  caves  of  which  the 
natives  were  wont  to  hide  in  times  of  war. 

Men  bi  hem-selue 

In  spekes  and  spelonkes.  .  .  . 

(Langland's"  Piers  the  Plowman,"  6, 15,  270,  Skeat's  Ed.) 

"  Fand  ich  in  dem  dortigen  Distrikt,  den  die  Boeren  wegen 
seiner  vielen  Berge  die  Spelonken  nennen,  nur  wenige  weisse 
Familien  vor,  aber  viele  verfallene  Wohnstatten  und  Ansie- 
delungen."     (Schiel's  "  23  Jahre  in  Stid-Afrika,"  p.  349, 1902.) 

Spens. — See  Dispens. 

Spervel. — (D.  sperwer,  a  sparrow-hawk.)  Falco  minor,  the 
South  African  Peregrine,  is  known  by  this  name  among  the 
Dutch  ;  it  is  not  a  common  bird. 

"Eggs  of  the  Spervel  {Falco  minor)  also  appear  in  the 
collection.  These  are  new  to  us,  and,  as  may  be  imagined, 
are  those  of  the  larger  F.  Peregrinus  in  miniature."  ("  South 
African  Magazine,"  iii.  p.  127,  1912.) 

Spider,  American. — A  light,  strong,  four-wheeled  carriage, 
for  one  horse  or  a  pair.  The  name  indicates  the  attenuated 
appearance  of  the  vehicle. 

"  He  had  actually  ventured  to  drive  in  a  spider,  apparently 
a  kind  of  buggy,  from  the  Tugela  to  Gingihlovo."  ("  Spec- 
tator," 24  May,  1879.) 

"  One  afternoon,  therefore,  I  drove  over  in  the  spider  and 

30 


466  AEEICANDEEISMS 

found  him  busily  engaged  waxing  a   stout   fishing   line." 
(Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  25,  1897.) 

Spider,  German. — A  heavy,  home-made  wagon  with  solid 
discs  of  wood  for  wheels,  common  in  earlier  days  among  the 
Germans  on  the  Frontier,  and  still  seen  occasionally.  The 
name  is  a  humorous  reference  to  the  clumsy  appearance  of 
these  lumbering  vehicles. 

"  Like  the  wheels  of  a  so-called  German  spider,  made  out 
of  one  block."  (Kropf's  "  Kaffir  English  Dictionary,"  under 
i  Gidiva,  1899.) 

Spider  Orchid. — Bartholina pectinata,  R.  Brown.  A  fairly 
common  orchid  of  the  Cape  Peninsula.  The  name  refers  to 
the  somewhat  fanciful  resemblance  of  the  lip-segments  to  a 
spider's  legs. 

Spiering. — (D.  spiering,  smelt — Salmo  eperlanus.)  Ather- 
ina  breviceps,  a  fish  not  unlike  the  English  smelt. 

Spill. — (1)  A  word  in  general  use  throughout  South  Africa 
for  a  fall  from  horseback,  the  upsetting  of  a  cart  or  wagon, 
and  indeed  any  like  accident.  (2)  It  is  also  employed  of  the 
financial  failure  of  a  man  or  firm. 

"  You  think  the  spill  has  come  at  last."  ("  The  Great  Gold 
Lands  of  South  Africa,"  p.  49,  1891.) 

Spinnekop. — (D.  spinnekop,  a  spider.  The  word  is  a 
pleonastic  compound,  spin,  a  spider,  and  kop,  etymologically 
one  with  the  English  cob  in  co6web,  and  cop  in  attercqp.)  (1) 
A  spider  of  any  kind.  (2)  The  name  was  at  one  time  applied 
by  the  Dutch  to  the  British  flag,  the  rays  of  the  double  cross 
being  suggestive  of  a  spider's  legs. 

"  The  Spinnekop  or  spider  legs,  as  they  called  the  British 
ensign."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  138,  1804.) 

Spitzkopje. — (D.  spits,  pointed,  sharp.)  A  sharp-pointed 
hill.     See  Compass  berg. 

"  The  headquarters  of  'Kausopp  were  at  the  two  spitz- 
kopjes  to  the  left  of  'Gumaap  and  opposite  Koedoesberg." 
(Stow's  "  Native  Eaces  of  South  Africa,"  p.  396,  1905.) 

Splint. — The  term  applied  on  the  Diamond  Fields  to  a 
fractured  diamond. 

"In  those  halcyon  days  ...  the  natives,  who  are  often 
unjustly  accused  of  naturally  possessing  thievish  propensities, 
established  the  falsehood  of  the  charge  by  .  .  .  faithfully 
carrying  out  their  master's  behests,  and  never  robbing  him  of 
a  single  spli?it"     (Mathew's  "Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  415, 1887.) 


AFKICANDEEISMS  467 

Splinter  new. — (D.  splinternieuw ,  brand-new.)  Quite 
new. 

"  Those  are  his  '  bles '  (white-faced)  horses  ;  but  where 
has  he  come  by  a  splijiter  new  spider  hke  that  ?  "  (Watkin's 
"  From  Farm  to  Forum,"  p.  55,  1906.) 

Spogh,  To. — (D.  pochen,  to  boast,  to  vaunt  one's  self.)  To 
show  off,  to  make  a  display. 

"  There  were  many  handsome,  high-fed  horses  on  the 
commando,  taken  from  the  Grahamstown  stables ;  and  many 
a  youth  spogh'd  dashingly  enough  upon  them  at  starting." 
(Dugmore's  "  Keminiscences  of  an  Albany  Settler,"  p.  33, 
1871.) 

Sponsziekte. — (D.  spons,  a  sponge ;  ziekte,  sickness,  dis- 
ease.) A  disease  affecting  cattle  known  in  England  as  black 
quarter  or  quarter  evil.  The  South  African  name  refers  to 
the  swellings  which  are  characteristic  of  the  disease ;  when 
examined  after  death  they  are  found  to  be  spongy  (and  dark 
red  in  colour).  (See  "  C.G.H.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  152,  August, 
1909.) 

"  Mr.  .  .  .  has  cured  sponse-ziehte  among  calves  and  lung 
sickness  among  cattle."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  3  Febru- 
ary, 1863.) 

Spook. — (D.  spook,  a  ghost,  haunting  spirit.)  A  ghost  or 
apparition. 

"  At  another  time  I  met  the  spook  (ghost)  in  the  form  of 
a  very  tall  black  man."  (Andersson's  "Lake  Ngami,"  p.  344, 
1856.) 

Spook  vogel. — (D.  spook,  a  ghost ;  vogel,  a  bird.)  (1) 
Laniarius  Starki  is  known  by  this  name  among  the  Dutch. 
The  weirdness  of  its  mournful  note  while  the  bird  remains 
hidden  has  given  rise  to  this  name.  (2)  Gallinago  nigripennis 
is  also  so  called. 

"Dr.  Exton  says  that  the  'drumming'  noise  made  by 
this  bird  in  its  morning  and  evening  flights  have  earned 
for  it  the  name  of  Spook  vogel  (ghost-bird)  among  the  Boers 
of  the  far  interior."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's  "Birds  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  676,  1875-84.) 

Spoor. — (D.  spoor,  trace,  track,  footprint.)  Footprints, 
wheelmarks,  or  any  other  trace  of  man,  animal,  or  vehicle. 
The  natives  are  often  exceedingly  expert  at  detecting  these 
traces,  and  can  often  see  them  where  the  inexperienced  eye 
can  see  nothing. 

30* 


468  AFBICANDEKISMS 

"Native  policemen  .  .  .  were  to  assist  the  colonists  and 
follow  the  spoor  or  traces  of  cattle."  (Boyce's  "Notes  on 
South  Africa,"  p.  76,  1838.) 

"  New  comers  take  time  to  learn  the  value  of  spoor.  Show 
them  fresh  spoor  and  they  will  scarcely  beheve  that  it  is  that 
of  the  enemy."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign, 
1896,"  p.  351,  1897.) 

Spoor,  To. — (D.  sporen,  to  trace,  to  track.)  To  follow  up 
by  means  of  footmarks  or  other  traces. 

"  After  about  an  hour's  search  and  spooring  we  at  length 
came  upon  its  object."  (Fleming's  "Southern  Africa," 
p.  368,  1856.) 

Spoorweg. — (D.  spoorweg,  railroad,  railway.)  The  rail- 
way. 

"  Truly  the  spoorweg  is  a  great  institution."  (Statham's 
"Blacks,  Boers  and  British,"  p.  68,  1881.) 

Spot. — (D.  spotten,  to  mock,  to  jeer.)  To  poke  fun  at,  to 
make  game  of. 

"'Foei,  Mr.  Baxter,'  expostulated  the  Boer,  'it  isn't 
right  to  spot  at  (make  fun  of)  Bible  things.'  "  (Watkin's 
"  From  Farm  to  Forum,"  p.  36,  1906.) 

Spreuw. — (D.  spruiv,  a  thrush.)  Spreo  bicolor,  Gm. 
One  of  the  most  widely  distributed  and  most  numerously 
represented  of  the  Cape  birds. 

"  Thrushes  are  known  in  the  Colony  under  the  general 
name  oi  sprew."     (Barrow's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  224,  1801.) 

Spring- bok. — Antidorcas  euchore.  Sometimes  they  are 
called  "Springers,"  but  "Spring-buck"  is  now  almost  uni- 
versal. The  manner  of  leaping  of  this  beautiful  animal  is 
peculiar;  it  is  not  a  bound  forward,  but  straight  upward  from 
6  to  9  feet.  These  saltatory  performances  are  called  by  the 
Dutch  "pronken,"  showing  off;  at  each  bound  the  animal 
displays  a  broad  plume  of  pure  white  hair  along  the  ridge  of 
the  back  which  at  other  times  is  scarcely  seen. 

"  This  evening  a  herd  of  about  2000  spring-hoks  coming 
to  drink  out  of  the  well,  made  a  halt."  (Sparrman's  "Voy- 
age," II.  p.  82,  1785.) 

"Being  covered  with  grass,  it  .  .  .  harboured  a  consider- 
able number  of  Springers."     {Ibid.,  ii.  p.  139.) 

Springers. — (1)  Mugil  multilineatus,  A.  Smith.  A  species 
of  mullet  that  leaps  with  considerable  vigour ;  a  light  at  night 
in  a  low  boat  on  the  water  will  sometimes  bring  them  leaping 


AFEICANDEEISMS  469 

on  board.  (2)  In  Natal  this  name  is  given  to  Elops  saurus. 
See  Cape  salmon. 

"  Tobiwo  is  what  the  Dutch  call  a  Springer  (flying-fish) 
because  it  leaps  out  of  the  water."  (Kaempfer's  "History 
of  Japan,"  1690-92,  Eeprint,  i.  p.  233.) 

"  The  springer  is  esteemed  for  the  thick  fat  coating  that 
lines  the  cavity  of  the  abdomen."  (Barrow's  "Travels," 
I.  p.  30,  1801.) 

"  Our  springer  they  call  '  Cape  salmon  '."  ("  Natal  Mer- 
cury Pictorial,"  p.  154,  5  December,  1906.) 

Springhaan. — (D.  sprinkhaan,  grasshopper,  locust.)  A 
common  name  in  South  Africa  for  all  varieties  of  Locustidce. 

"  They  had  not  arrived  at  a  sufficient  state  of  maturity 
to  fly,  but  sprang  with  great  agility,  deriving  from  this  cir- 
cumstance the  Dutch  name  of  spring-haan."  (Steedman's 
"Adventures,"  i.  p.  125,  1835.) 

Springhaan  vogel. — See  Locust  bird. 

"  Prodigious  swarms  of  locusts  .  .  .  followed  by  such 
dense  flights  of  birds  as  almost  to  darken  the  air.  The 
Springhaan-vogel  as  the  latter  is  called  by  the  colonists  is 
about  the  size  of  the  swallow."  (Harris's  "Wild  Sports," 
p.  81,  1839.) 

Spring  hare. — Pedetes  caffer,  a  curious  animal,  of  nocturnal 
habits,  with  long  and  strong  hind-legs,  the  fore-legs  being 
diminutive  ;  its  mode  of  progression  when  pressed  is  a  series 
of  great  bounds  like  a  kangaroo. 

"  By  the  colonists  it  is  called  Berg-haas  or  Springhaas  (the 
mountain  or  bounding  hare)."  (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  ii. 
p.  195,  1785.) 

"  The  spring-hare,  as  the  Dutch  call  it,  is  a  creature  about 
2  feet  long,  shaped  like  a  kangaroo  in  body  and  in  tail,  but 
with  a  different  head ;  it  burrows  and  lives  in  holes  all  day, 
but  at  night  it  frisks  about  and  grazes."  (Galton's  "  Tropical 
South  Africa,"  p.  281,  1853.) 

Spruit. — (D.  spruit,  a  sprout,  offshoot.)  Throughout  South 
Africa  this  word  is  used  of  those  somewhat  deep,  naturally 
worn  channels  by  which  the  rain-water  finds  its  way  to  the 
rivers.  Cf.  the  analogous  use  of  the  English  word  "  branch  " 
for  a  tributary  of  a  river. 

"  We  had  to  get  through  one  or  two  ugly  spruits.'' 
(Colenso's  "Ten  Weeks  in  Natal,"  p.  83,  1855.) 

"  About  half  a  mile  from  the  site  of  the  outspan  ran  a 


470  AFEICANDEEISMS 

spruit    or    water    course."      (Mitford's    "Luck   of    Gerard 
Eidgeley,"  p.  100.) 

Spuug  kapell. — (D.  spuwen  or  spugen,  to  spit;  Port. 
capello,  hood.)  The  hooded,  spitting  snake— i^am  flava. 
See  Cape  cobra. 

Spuug  slange. — (D.  spuwen  or  spugen,  to  spit;  slang,  a 
serpent,  snake.)  Sepedon  hcemacJiates.  This  snake,  which 
is  able  to  eject  a  venomous  fluid  to  a  distance  of  three  or  four 
paces,  is  allied  to  the  cobras  or  hooded  snakes.     See  Einghals. 

"  The  Spoog  slang,  or  Spitting  snake,  has  been  mentioned 
to  me  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  who  say  it  will  throw 
its  poison  to  the  distance  of  several  yards ;  and  that  people 
have  been  bHnded  by  them ;  but  this  never  came  under  my 
own  inspection."     (Paterson's  "Narrative,"  p.  163, 1789.) 

"  The  other  was  a  very  rare  sort  of  serpent  called  here  the 
spuug-slang  (the  spurting  snake) ."  (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  95,  1812.) 

Square,  To. — A  process  intimately  connected  with  "  palm 
oil";  to  induce  one  by  financial  or  other  considerations,  to 
forego  hesitancy  or  opposition  to  some  particular  scheme. 

"  As  a  sop  to  the  officers  of  the  force,  they  had  altered 
their  titles  into  captains  and  lieutenants  and  thus  squared 
them."  (Ex  C.M.E.,  "With  the  Cape  Mounted  Eifles,"  p. 
156,  1881.) 

"  They  provided  the  motive  power  by  which  the  press 
might  be  suborned,  opponents  squared.''  (Eobinson's  "  Life 
Time  in  South  Africa,"  p.  370,  1900.) 

Square-face. — A  slang  name  for  gin ;  it  refers  to  the 
square  bottles  in  which  it  was  retailed  in  all  parts  of  South 
Africa. 

"  Square-face  is  the  invariable  stuff,  and  you  take  as 
much  as  you  like  for  a  glass,  though  it  is  thought  bad  taste  to 
fill  up  above  the  '  pretty  '."  (Montague's  "  Campaigning  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  98,  1880.) 

"  A  httle  hollands  (out  here  called  square-face).''  (Bry den's 
"  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  60, 1889.) 

Squatter. — One  who  settles  on  unoccupied  land  without 
title. 

Squat,  To. — To  settle  on  unoccupied  land. 

"  The  main  body  of  the  farmers  went  on  into  Natal,  but 
some  squatted  along  the  Vaal,  the  Vet,  and  the  Modder 
Rivers."     (Eussell's  "  Natal,"  p.  67,  1891.) 


AFBICANDEEISMS  471 

Squeaker. — (1)  The  name  given  to  a  fish  common  in  the 
Crocodile  and  Marico  Kivers.  (2)  It  is  also  given  by  Natal 
boys  to  the  cicada. 

"  The  youthful  genius  who  brought  two  squeakers — tree 
cicadas — before  school  hours  and  released  one  in  each  room." 
("  A  South  African  Boy,"  p.  76,  1897.) 

Squint-path. — See  Schuins  pad. 

"  The  difficult  spot  which  the  Dutch  call  a  squint-path, 
was  passed,  and  the  wagon  gained  the  top  of  the  height." 
(Kingston's  "Hendricks  the  Hunter,"  p.  67,  1894.) 

Squirrel,  Ground. — Xerus  capensis,  which  lives  in  burrows 
in  the  open  ground  of  the  Karoo. 

"  There  were  numbers  of  little  squirrel-like  creatures  there 
too.  Our  fellows  used  to  call  them  ground  squirrels  and  '  tree- 
rats,'  they  were  little  fellows  like  meerkats,  with  bushy  tails 
ringed  in  brown,  black,  and  white,"  (Fitzpatrick's  "  Jock  of 
the  Bushveld,"  p.  338,  1907.) 

Staanplek. — (D.  staan,  to  stand  ;  plaats,  place  ;  plek,  a 
spot.)  A  place  by  the  roadside  where  riding  or  draught 
animals  are  allowed  a  short  rest  for  breathing,  generally  on 
the  top  of  a  steep  rise,  or  after  a  heavy  piece  of  road. 

"  De  ezels  waren  echter  gebleven  bij  onze  staanplek  zoo 
gingen  Andries,  P.  Dempers  en  ik  hen  opzoeken."  (Hof- 
meyr's  "  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  47,  1896.) 

Staartriem. — (D.  staart,  tail,  rear  ;  CD.  riem,  a  thong  of 
untanned  hide.)  (1)  A  crupper.  (2)  The  name  given  by  the 
Dutch  to  an  article  of  Hottentot  attire  which  consists  of  a 
triangular  piece  of  hide  about  a  foot  long,  2  inches  wide  at 
the  top  where  it  joins  the  girdle,  and  widening  to  4  inches. 
It  is  not  of  the  least  use,  and  may  be  compared  in  that  respect 
to  the  tails  of  a  modern  dress  coat,  being  worn  in  exactly  the 
same  place. 

"  When  speaking  in  Dutch  they  call  this  a  Staart-riem, 
which  in  English  may  be  rendered  by  the  word  tail-piece." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  397,.  1822.) 

"  Here  we  find  in  the  Ovaherero,  a  tribe  of  men  wearing 
the  staart-riem."  (Stow's  "  Native  Kaces  of  South  Africa," 
p.  266,  1905.) 

Staat. — The  English  word  "  State "  means  the  body 
politic ;  the  word  "  Staat  "  in  South  Africa  seems  to  refer,  as 
"  State  "  does  in  America,  to  the  territory — as  Orange  Free 
State — Oranje  Vrij  Staat. 


472  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Staatmaker. — (D.  staatmaken,  to  rely  upon.)  A  mainstay, 
used  of  either  a  person  or  animal  that  can  be  depended  upon 
in  an  emergency. 

Stad. — (D.  stad,  a  city,  town.)  (1)  A  town,  as  Kaap  Stad. 
(2)  The  term  is  also  employed  of  a  native  town  in  Bechuana- 
land  and  elsewhere. 

"A  native  'reed-dance'  was  going  on  in  the  ' stadt,'  as 
they  call  the  native  town."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland 
Campaign,  1896,"  p.  14,  1897.) 

"  As  the  light  grew  and  we  began  to  smoke,  we  could  see 
our  scouts  .  .  .  riding  toward  a  large  Kaffir  stadt  between  us 
and  the  fires."     (Stuart's  "  Pictures  of  War,"  p.  314,  1901.) 

Stampblock. — The  wooden  mortar  in  which  grain  stamp- 
ing is  done. 

"  A  section  of  a  tree-trunk  about  a  yard  high  has  a  hollow 
made  in  the  top,  like  a  deep  basin,  into  which  the  corn  is 
poured."  (Lownde's  "  Every-day  Life  in  South  Africa,"  p.  87, 
1900.) 

Stamped  mealies. — Mealies  that  have  been  subjected  to 
the  process  of  being  stamped. 

Stamper. — The  wooden  pestle  employed  in  stamping. 

"  The  stampers  are  pieces  of  round  wood  about  half  a  yard 
in  length,  bluntly  pointed  at  the  ends  and  thinner  in  the 
middle."  (Lownde's  "  Every-day  Life  in  South  Africa,"  p.  87, 
1900.) 

Stamper  wood. — Ehretia  Hottentotica. 

Stampkar  or  Skamelkar. — (D.  stampen,  to  jolt,  toss  ; 
schommel,  a  swing  ;  CD.  schommelen,  to  shake  about ;  kar,  a 
cart.)     A  cart  without  springs  is  so  called  by  the  Dutch. 

Stamps  or  Stampers. — The  crushing  machines  employed 
in  the  gold  mining  industry. 

"  Ten  heads  of  stampers,  driven  by  a  12-inch  cylinder 
engine,  would  put  through  150  tons  per  week."  (Mather's 
"Golden  South  Africa,"  p.  340,  1888.) 

"  The  Golden  Quarry  proved  the  pick  of  the  bunch,  and 
at  the  commencement  of  operations  there  was  sufficient 
quartz  in  sight  to  keep  100  stamps  going  for  twenty  years, 
yielding  ^  ounces  to  the  ton."  (Wilson's  "Behind  the 
Scenes  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  53,  1901.) 

Stamp,  To. — (D.  stampen,  to  ram,  pound ;  G.  stamp/en,  to 
crush,  pound.  Minsheu,  "  Guide  to  the  Tongues,"  1617,  has 
"Stampe.    To  bray  or  beat  small.")    The  process  by  which  the 


AFRICANDEKISMS  473 

outer  skin  is  removed  from  mealies.  The  term  is  also  applied 
to  the  ore-crushing  process  employed  in  the  gold-mining  in- 
dustry. Cf.  Chaucer's  use  of  the  word  in  the  same  sense  of 
"  to  bray  in  a  mortar  ". 

"  Thise  cokes,  how  they  stampe,  and  streyne,  and  grinde." 

("  The  Pardoner's  Tale.") 

"  The  stamping  of  it  in  small  is  performed  in  the  following 
manner.  A  block  of  wood  is  hollowed  out,  and  this  cavity  is 
filled  with  rice,  which  they  pound  with  a  wooden  pestle,  till 
it  separates  from  the  husk.  In  the  great  this  stamping  is 
performed,  not  only  by  means  of  a  machine,  consisting  of  a 
number  of  pestles,  which  are  set  in  motion  by  a  water-wheel, 
but  likewise  by  a  similar  machine  which  a  man  treads  with 
his  foot,  and  during  the  stamping  stirs  with  a  stick  in  the 
hopper,  so  that  the  grain  can  run  down."  (Thunberg's 
"  Travels,"  iv.  p.  85,  1796.) 

Stam-vruchte. — (D.  stam,  trunk;  vriicht,  fruit.)  The 
fruit  of  Chrysophyllum  magalis-montayium,  Sond.  ;  an  edible 
berry  common  on  the  kopjes  around  Johannesburg,  Pretoria, 
Barberton,  etc.,  so  called  because  its  flowers  and  fruits  are  borne 
on  very  short  stalks  on  the  thick  stem  of  the  shrub,  and  not 
at  the  ends  of  the  twigs.     It  has  a  pleasantly  acid  flavour. 

Stands. — Building  plots  in  new  towns,  like  Johannesburg 
and  Buluwayo,  are  .advertised  and  sold  as  "  stands  "  ;  "  busi- 
ness stands  "  being  positions  specially  suitable  for  shops  or 
stores. 

"  Real  estate  has  already  reached  a  considerable  value,  as 
may  be  gauged  from  the  fact  that  in  July,  1893,  348  stands  or 
town-lots  were  sold  for  £17,786."  (Wills  and  ColHngwood's 
"  Downfall  of  Lobengula,"  p.  312,  1894.) 

"  Town  lots,  or  stands  as  they  are  called  in  South  Africa, 
had  gone  up  to  prices  which  nothing  but  a  career  of  swift  and 
brilliant  prosperity  could  justify."  (Bryce's  "  Impressions," 
p.  274,  1898.) 

Star  apple. — Royena  lycioides,  a  creeper  bearing  deep 
yellow,  scented  flowers,  and  a  fruit  dividing  into  five  sections. 
The  fruit  is  not  edible. 

Star  of  Bethlehem. — In  the  Eastern  Province  this  name  is 
given  to  the  flower  of  Ornithogalum  thyrsoides.  See  Chinker- 
ing  ching.  In  Tusser's  "  Fiue  Hundred  Pointes  of  Good 
Husbandrie,"  0.  umbellatum  is  spoken  of  by  this  name. 
(43,  34.) 


474  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Steekgras. — (D.  steek,  point,  sting.)  Aristida  barbicollis, 
Trin.  and  Rupr.  The  seeds  of  this  grass  have  sharp  barbed 
awns  attached  to  them  by  which  they  cling  to  the  wool  of 
sheep,  work  their  way  through  the  skin,  and  set  up  consider- 
able irritation.  Andropogon  contortus,  mentioned  by  Wallace, 
is  also  a  steekgras,  but  it  is  not  the  common  one. 

"Andropogon  contortus,  Willd.,  the  sharp  seeds  of  which, 
with  their  twisted  awns,  easily  pierce  the  skin."  (Wallace's 
"Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  99,  1896.) 

Steenbok. — (D.  steenhok,  the  Alpine  ibex.)  Raphicerus 
campestris.     The  word  is  frequently  corrupted  to  Stembok. 

"  There  are  several  other  small  antelopes,  as,  for  example, 
the  steenbok,  rhebok,  and  bush-buck,  which  are  holding  their 
own  and  rather  tending  to  increase  since  a  close  time  has 
been  instituted."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  246,  1896.) 

Steenbrasem. — (D.  steen,  a  stone ;  brasem,  a  bream.) 
Pagellus  lithnognathus.  See  Varkbek  and  Mussel-cracker. 
The  name  is  often  corrupted  to  Stembras. 

"  Fish  are  very  abundant  at  the  Cape,  among  those  most 
esteemed  are .  .  .  the  steenbrassen."  (Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  18,  1796.) 

"  The  red  and  white  steenbrassems  or  stone  breams,  two 
species,  or  perhaps  varieties  only,  of  perches."  (Barrow's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  30,  1801.) 

Steenje. — (D.  steen,  stone.)     Cantharus  emarginatus. 

Steenklaver. — (D.  steen,  a  stone ;  klaver,  clover.)  Meli- 
lotus parvijiorus.     The  leaves. are  applied  to  sores  as  poultices. 

Steen  klip  visch. — (D.  steen,  stone ;  klip,  a  rock ;  visch, 
fish.)     Chilodactylus  brachydactylus. 

Steen  visch. — Chilodactylus  fasciatus.  This  fish  is  some- 
times called  by  the  preceding  pecuHarly  redundant  name. 

Stekeltliee. — (D.  s^eA;eZ,  prickle ;  thee,  tea..)  Borboniapar- 
viflora,  Lamk.    Used,  apparently  with  good  effect,  in  asthma. 

Stel. — (D.  stellen,  to  place.)  (1)  A  place,  a  stand.  (2)  The 
meaning  which  the  word  has  in  the  quotations  is  derived  from 
the  plan,  so  frequently  adopted  in  South  Africa,  of  placing 
traps,  or  setting  spring-guns,  for  the  destruction  of  beasts  of 
prey  ;  the  meaning  has  been  transferred  from  the  place  to  the 
trap  itself. 

"  As  soon  as  he  (the  wolf)  has  seized  the  bait  and  begins 
to  pull  it  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  he  tightens  the 


AFEICANDEEISMS  475 

string,  releases  the  trigger,  and,  if  the  stel  is  properly  set, 
receives  the  bullet  in  his  head."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and 
the  Veld,"  p.  116,  1852.) 

"  De  'tijger'  (luipaard)  wordt  er  meestal  met  een  stel 
gevangen  en  dan  gedood,  daar  hij  zich  zelden  of  nooit  op  de 
vlakte  waagt."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers," 
p.  845  n.,  1882.) 

"  The  lions  had  killed  two  zebras  close  to  where  we  out- 
spanned,  and  we  made  a  strong  kraal,  expecting  a  visit  from 
them,  and  I  set  a  stell  (spring-gun)  for  them,  by  the  remains 
of  one  of  the  zebras."  (Baldwin's  "  African  Hunting,"  p.  358, 
1894.) 

Stellasi. — (D.  stellage,  a  scaffolding,  platform.)  Low  plat- 
forms, generally  made  of  open  reed-work,  upon  which  fruit  is 
dried  ;  a  somewhat  similar  arrangement  for  the  protection  of 
young  tobacco  plants  is  also  known  by  the  same  name. 

Stellenboshed,  To  be. — To  be  relegated,  as  the  result  of  in- 
competence, to  a  position  in  which  little  harm  can  be  done. 
Julian  Ealph  gives  the  origin  of  the  expression. 

"  It  had  long  been  noticed  that  whenever  an  officer  was 
prominently  connected  with  a  losing  battle  or  exhibited  marked 
incompetence  in  any  field  of  military  work,  he  got  a  billet  at 
Stellenbosch.  .  .  .  The  name  therefore  obtained  a  deep  signifi- 
cance and  common  usage  in  the  Colony,  and  to  say  that  a  man 
had  been  Stellenbosched  was  but  the  ordinary  polite  mode  of 
mentioning  what  might  otherwise  have  had  to  be  said  in  many 
harsher  sounding  words."  (Ealph's  "  War's  Brighter  Side," 
p.  106,  1901.) 

"  In  fact  they  are  more  probably  stellenbosched  to  the  depot, 
owing  to  an  absence  of  any  special  quality."  ("  The  Army 
from  Within,"  p.  59,  1901.) 

Stell-roer. — (D.  roer,  a  tube,  pipe.  In  South  Africa  applied 
to  a  gun.)     A  spring-  or  trap-gun.     See  Stell. 

"  The  animal  had  been  shot  through  the  body  by  a  stell- 
roer,  or  trap-gun,  set  by  a  Hottentot."  (Barrow's  "Travels," 
I.  p.  360,  1801.) 

Stick  away,  To. — A  common  South  African  expression 
meaning  to  hide  an  object  or  to  get  into  hiding  oneself. 

"  According  to  the  children  '  when  Alfred  was  "  bang  "  and 
sticking  away,  he  had  to  watch  the  roostekoeks '."  (Hicks' 
"  The  Cape  as  I  Found  It,"  p.  170,  1900.) 

Stick  insect. — Various  members  of  the  Phasmidce  family 


476  AFEICANDEKISMS 

are  popularly  known  by  this  appropriate  name.  In  appear- 
ance they  resemble  sticks  or  twigs,  sometimes  reaching  10  or 
12  inches  in  length ;  so  close  is  the  resemblance  that  they  are 
only  to  be  distinguished  in  their  native  haunts  by  a  trained  eye, 
and  not  always  by  that. 

"Besides  the  insects  which  imitate  grass,  another  large 
class  imitate  twigs,  sticks,  and  the  smaller  branches  of  shrubs. 
The  commonest  of  these  is  a  walking  twig,  3  or  4  inches  long, 
covered  with  bark  apparently  and  spotted  all  over  with  mould 
like  the  genuine  branch.  The  imitation  of  bark  here  is  one 
of  the  most  perfect  delusions  in  nature."  (Drummond's 
"  Tropical  Africa,"  p.  173,  1888.) 

Stick  of  peace. — The  name  given  to  a  baton,  or  staff,  which 
Sir  Harry  Smith  carried  when  formally  meeting  the  Kaffir 
chiefs.    The  purpose  of  this  staff  is  set  forth  in  the  quotation. 

"  His  Excellency  (Sir  Harry  Smith)  holds  in  his  hands  a 
cane,  surmounted  by  a  brass  knob,  which  is  called  the  Stick 
of  peace.  The  kissing  of  this  stick  is  a  declaration  of  allegi- 
ance."    (Godlonton's  "Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  p.  23,  1852.) 

Sticks. — (The  CD.  word  is  steeks,  which  seems  to  be  de- 
rived from  steken,  as  used  in  the  phrase  blijven  steken,  G. 
stecken  bleiben,  to  stick  fast ;  but  in  ordinary  usage  it  has 
come  to  mean  obstinate,  perverse ;  cf.  G.  stockisch,  stubborn, 
obstinate.)  (1)  Horses  that  will  not  pull  or  start.  (2)  The 
word  is  also  applied  to  persons  who  are  obstinate  or  obstructive, 
and  is  in  common  use  in  the  Western  Province  and  Midland 
Districts. 

"  There  we  stand  at  the  bottom  of  a  steep  hill,  struggling 
with  our  horses,  who  have  taken  it  into  their  heads  not  to 
move  an  inch  further — they  have  become  steeks,  as  the  Boers 
say."     (Mackinnon's  "  South  African  Traits,"  p.  163,  1887.) 

"  The  horses  of  this  country  are  mostly  sticks,  i.e.  they  get 
sulky  at  times  and  will  not  move  when  they  are  put  into  a 
cart."    (Warren's  "  On  the  Veldt  in  the  Seventies,"  p.  92, 1902.) 

Stick,  To. — (1)  To  jib  or  refuse  to  start ;  to  be  obstinate, 
sulky.  (2)  The  word  is  used  also  of  a  wagon  or  cart  that  has 
got  into  a  mudhole  or  that  has  met  with  some  other  obstruc- 
tion. 

"  Sticks  was  his  horse.  That  estimable  quadruped  had  at 
one  time  been  addicted  to  sticking,  an  inconvenient  vice  of 
which  his  present  owner  had  thoroughly  cured  him."  (Mit- 
ford's  "Romance  of  the  Cape  Frontier,"  p.  23,  1891.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  477 

"  For  the  first  week  the  roads  were  muddy,  and  our  buck- 
wagon  got  stuck  several  times — once  for  about  eight  hours." 
(Balfour's  "  1200  Miles  in  a  Waggon,"  p.  84,  1895.) 

Stijfziekte. — (D.  stiff,  stiff;  ziekte,  sickness.)  (1)  Dr.  A. 
Theiler,  C.M.G.,  Acting  Director  of  Veterinary  Research,  says 
that  there  are  three  diseases  which  go  under  this  name,  which 
he  specifies  as  follows :  (i)  The  Stijfziekte  caused  by  the 
Stijfziekte  boschje  {Crotolaria  hurkeana)  ;  (ii)  Stijfziekte  not 
caused  by  Croio^an'a, frequently  complicated  with  joint  lesions; 
(iii)  The  Lamziekte  form  of  Stijfziekte.  (2)  The  name  has  also 
been  given  to  the  cattle  disease  known  as  "  Three  days'  sick- 
ness ".  The  word,  Dr.  Theiler  says,  "describes  an  affection 
of  the  locomotory  organs  embracing  almost  anything  inter- 
fering with  the  normal  movement  of  the  Hmbs  up  to  complete 
paralysis".     ("  S.A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  June,  July,  1912.) 

"  Apoplexy  in  sheep.  .  .  .  This  sickness  is  known  to  be 
very  fatal  among  sheep  and  is  what  the  Dutch  usually  call 
Styff  ziekte,  for  after  a  few  fits  the  animal  always  dies." 
("Queenstown  Free  Press,"  3  February,  1863.) 

"  In  this  Colony  the  genera  Crotalaria,  Lessertia,  Indigo- 
fera,  and  Tephrocia  are  under  suspicion  of  producing  the  le- 
guminous poisoning  of  cattle  known  locally  as  stijfziekte." 
(Sim's  •'  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  202  1907.) 

"  The  above  facts  appear  to  me  to  indicate  that  the  dis- 
eased condition  termed  stijfziekte  is  due  to  defective  nutrition 
of  the  bones  of  the  affected  animal,  and  that  this  arises  from 
the  absence  of  a  sufficiency  of  phosphates  in  the  vegetation 
upon  which  the  animal  feeds."  ("  Agric.  Journ.  S.A.  Union," 
p.  13,  February,  1911.) 

Stijfziekte  bosje. — (D.  stijf,  stiff;  ziekte,  sickness;  bos,  a 
bush.)  Crotolaria  hurkeana,  the  eating  of  which  is  known 
to  induce  one  form  of  the  above  disease.     See  Klappers. 

"  The  cause  of  this  stiff-sickness  has  been  experimentally 
established  by  feeding  of  the  so-called  stijfziekte  boschje  {Cro- 
tolaria burkea?ia)."  ("S.A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  780,  June, 
1912.) 

Stingray. — Trygon pastinaca,  L.,  but  the  name  appears 
to  be  apphed  also  to  one  of  the  Eagle  rays  or  Sea  devils — 
Myliobatis  aquila,  L. 

Stink  ants. — I  have  not  been  able  to  identify  these  insects. 

"I  don't  think  I  have  ever  mentioned  the  stink-ants  to 
you  .  .  .  it  is  said  that  if  you  annoy  them  in  any  way,  as,  for 


478  AFBICANDEKISMS 

instance,  by  treading  on  them,  or  unwittingly  burning  them 
in  the  camp  fire,  they  emit  a  most  horrible  odour."  (Bal- 
four's "  1200  Miles  in  a  Waggon,"  p.  225,  1895.) 

Stink  blaar. — (D.  blad,  a  leaf.)  Datura  stramonium, 
Linn.     This  plant  has  an  exceedingly  disagreeable  smell. 

"  The  soil,  which  is  not  deep,  is  light  and  red  in  colour, 
growing  ...  a  plant  called  stink-hlaar,  Stramonium^  which 
poisons  ostrich  chicks."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of 
the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  37,  1896.) 

Stink  bosch. — The  name  giv^n  to  Azima  tetracantha,  Lam. 
A  plant  of  the  Order  Salvadoracece,  having  a  very  disagree- 
able odour. 

Stink -bull  giraffe. — An  old  bull  giraffe  has  a  strong  musk 
scent. 

"  The  giraffe  Witboy  had  shot  .  .  .  was  an  old  bull, 
known,  from  its  peculiarities  amongst  hunters,  as  a  stink- 
hull."     (Schulz  and  Hammar's  "New  Africa,"  p.  331,  1897.) 

Stink  cat. — Zorilla  striata.  This  by  no  means  pretty 
name  is  sometimes  given  to  the  Muishond  (q.v.). 

"I  have  shammed  dead  like  a  stink-cat  when  dogs  are 
about."     (Haggard's  "  Swallow,"  p.  50,  1899.) 

Stinker. — Another  of  the  rather  numerous  names  given 
by  sealers  ani  whalers  to  Majaqueus  aequinoctialis.  See 
Black  haglet. 

Stink  fish. — Box  salpa.  The  marine  vegetation  upon 
which  this  fish  lives,  gives  to  it  at  times  a  peculiar  and  not 
agreeable  smell — hence  this  name.     See  Bamboo  fish. 

"  Many  of  the  Cape  fish  are  endowed  with  the  quaintest 
Dutch  names.  Here  are  a  few  of  them  :  Kabeljouw,  .  .  . 
Stinkvisch,  .  .  .  and  others."  (Bryden's  "  Gun  and  Camera 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  449,  1893.) 

Stinkhout. — (D.  hout,  wood.)  Ocotea  hullata,  E.  Mey. 
This  tree,  which  has  been  called  the  South  African  teak,  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  of  our  forest  trees ;  when  freshly 
worked  the  wood  emits  a  somewhat  disagreeable  odour, 
which,  however,  soon  passes  off.  The  wood  is  grained  very 
much  like  French  walnut. 

"  Stink-hout  (stink-wood)  which  resembles  the  walnut 
tree,  is  a  tall  tree,  and  is  used  for  making  writing-desks  and 
chairs."     (Thunberg's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  169,  1795.) 

Stink  muishond. — See  Muishond  and  Stink  cat. 

"  I  rushed  up  and  saw  the  dog  had  hold  of  a  stink-mais- 


AFEICANDEEISMS  479 

hand,  and  had  already  to  all  appearances  killed  it."  (Brown- 
ing's "Fighting  and  Farming  in  South  Africa,"  p.  37,  1880.) 

Stinkpot. — (1)  This  name  is  given  by  sailors  to  the  Sooty 
albatross  (q.v.).  (2)  It  is  also  applied  to  the  bird  known  as 
the  Cape  hen  (q.v.).  Those  who  know  what  a  stinkpot  is 
will  appreciate  the  forcefulness  of  the  name.  Stinkpots 
were  used  in  days  past  to  throw  on  an  enemy's  deck  at  close 
quarters,  and,  being  filled  with  offensive  and  suffocating 
combustibles,  were  fairly  effective  within  their  sphere  of 
action.     They  are  still  used  by  eastern  pirates. 

Stink  vliegen. — (D.  vlieg,  a  fly.)  Among  the  Dutch  the 
malodorous  members  of  the  bug  family  are  known  by  this 
name.  These  insects — Scutelleridce — are  sometimes  very 
attractive  in  appearance,  being  adorned  with  the  most  brilliant 
colours,  but  the  odour  which  they  exhale  is  repellent. 

"  Stink-vliegen  appears  to  be  the  term  among  our  farmers 
for  those  insects  to  which  entomologists  assign  the  English 
term  bug."  ("C.G.H.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  224,  September, 
1897.) 

Stippel  slang. — (D.  stippel,  speckle,  spot,  dot  ;  slang,  a 
snake.)  Rhamphiophis  multimaculatus.  Amplorhinus  mul- 
timaculatus  is  known  as  the  Kaapsche  stippel  slang.  The 
reference  is  to  the  spots  with  which  they  are  marked. 

Stock. — The  cattle  on  a  farm.     See  Small  stock. 

Stock-farm. — A  farm  specially  suited  for  rearing  and 
fattening  stock,  as  distinct  from  an  agricultural  farm. 

Stock-fish. — Merlucius  vulgaris,  known  at  Port  Elizabeth 
as  the  Hake. 

Stock  rose. — Sparmannia  a/ricana;  the  fibre  of  this  plant 
is  of  commercial  value. 

"  The  supply  till  then  had  come  from  an  area  of  about  25 
morgen,  naturally  covered  with  Stock  rose."  (Sim's  "  Forest 
Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  149,  1907.) 

Stoep. — (D.  stoep,  the  steps  before  a  house.)  In  South 
Africa  the  word  is  applied  to  a  stone  or  brick-built  platform, 
running  along  the  front,  and  sometimes  round  the  sides  of 
the  house.  These  "  stoeps  "  are  the  favourite  resort  in  the 
cool  of  a  summer's  evening. 

"  In  front  of  each  house  .  .  .  is  a  paved  platform,  usually 
8  or  10  feet  wide,  and  raised,  commonly,  from  2  to  4  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  street.  .  .  .  This  platform  is  called  the 
Stoep  (step)."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  71,  1822.) 


480  AFRICANDEKISMS 

Stoep  rooms. — Eooms  built  as  wings  to  a  house,  but  with 
entrance  and  exit  opening  on  to  the  "  stoep "  only ;  some- 
times they  are  merely  the  "  stoep  "  ends  walled  off. 

"  Two  very  miniature  stoeprooms  as  they  are  called  at  the 
Cape.  (Small  rooms  stolen  out  of  each  end  of  the  verandah.)  " 
(Prichard's  "Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei,"  p.  122, 
1880.) 

Stomach  staggers. — A  disease  from  which  horses  suffer, 
the  cause  of  which  appears  to  be  the  eating  of  the  plant 
known  as  "Ragwort  " — Senecio  Burchellii  and  S.  latifolius. 
"  The  animal  becomes  sleepy,  staggers  in  its  walk,  bores  its 
head  against  the  wall  or  similar  obstruction.  This  is 
followed  by  delirium."  (Hutcheons.)  See  also  Molteno  dis- 
ease. 

"  Stomach  staggers,  as  it  is  called,  may  however  arise  from 
an  engorged  stomach,  quite  independent  of  hepatic  cirrhosis." 
("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  360,  1905.) 

Stompneus. — (D.  stomp,  blunt ;  ne^ls,  nose,  snout.)  See 
Stumpnose. 

Stomp  staart. — (D.  stomp,  stump  ;  staart,  a  tail.)  As 
the  result  of  inoculation  colonial  cattle  sometimes  lose  their 
tails ;  it  is  to  this  disfigurement  that  the  name  refers. 

"  But  never  mind,  Jafta,  you  can  keep  your  old  stomp-staart 
this  time."  (Mitford's  "  Romance  of  the  Cape  Frontier,"  p. 
57,  1891.) 

Stomp  stertje. — (D.  stertje,  dim.  of  staart.)  Sylviella 
rufescens,  a  pretty  little  bird  is  thus  designated. 

"  The  Crombec  {Sylviella  rufescens)  known  to  the  Boers 
as  Stomp-stertje  (stump-tail)  is  ash-grey  above  and  tawny-buff 
below."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African 
Bird  Life,"  p.  80,  1908.) 

Stone  fish  or  Stone  bream. — Scorpis  lithophilus,  a  Natal 
fish. 

"  I  found  two  or  three  coolies  fishing  .  .  .  they  were 
hauling  out  large  numbers  of  stone-fish  averaging  1^  lb." 
("  Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  588,  1906.) 

Stones. — A  slang  term  sometimes  employed  when  speak- 
ing of  diamonds.     See  Klip. 

Well,  last  night  from  my  tent,  there  was  taken 
A  small  parcel  of  stones — just  a  few. 

(Ellis's  "  South  African  Sketches,"  p.  133,  1887.) 


AFRICANDERISMS  481 

"  The  cooling  mud  has  closed  round  the  stones  taking  the 
impress  of  every  angle  and  facet."  (Glanville's  "  The  Fos- 
sicker,"  p.  292,  1891.) 

Stootwagen. — (D.  stooten,  to  push.)  A  hand-cart,  per- 
ambulator. 

Store. — This  word  is  in  general  use  throughout  South 
Africa,  and  is  applied  to  the  small  shop  of  the  general  dealer 
as  well  as  to  the  more  pretentious  buildings  of  the  large 
wholesale  firms. 

"  There  are  many  stores — not  shops  ;  and  many  store- 
keepers— not  shopkeepers.  People  stand  on  their  dignity 
here."     (Lindley's  "  After  Ophir,"  p.  14,  n.d.) 

"  The  term  store  which  I  have  just  used  requires  some 
explanation  ...  a  sort  of  primitive  '  general  shop '  which 
some  trader  has  established  to  supply  the  wants  of  those  who 
live  within  fifty  miles,  or  who  pass  along  the  road."  (Bryce's 
"Impressions,"  p.  290,  1898.) 

Store  clothes. — Clothes  bought  ready-made,  as  distinct 
from  those  made  to  measure. 

"  Altogether  a  very  or'nary  performance,  especially  as  all 
were  dressed  in  European  store-clothes."  (Baden  Powell's 
*' Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  14,  1897.) 

Store- keeper. — The  proprietor  or  person  in  charge  of  a 
store.  Store  and  store-clothes  seem  to  be  importations  from 
America;  but  store-keeper  appears  to  be  of  South  African  birth. 

"  Hither  the  store-keeper  brings  the  least  saleable  though 
not  the  worst  part  of  his  stock."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and 
the  Veld,"  p.  40,  1852.) 

"  I  found  a  solitary  Jewish  store-keeper  faithfully  holding 
the  Passover."     (Trotter's  "  Old  Cape  Colony,"  p.  221, 1903.) 

Stormjagers. — Dumplings  cooked  in  fat  ;  they  can  be 
quickly  prepared,  and  are  often  made  by  men  living  in  the 
veld.  The  name  and  the  thing  were  both  well  known  before 
De  Wet's  men  prepared  them. 

"  The  burghers  utilized  the  flour  supplied  to  them  in 
making  cakes ;  these  they  cooked  in  boiling  fat  and  called  them 
storm  jagers  or  maagbommen."  (De  Wet's  "  Three  Years' 
War,"  p.  11,  1903.) 

Strand. — (D.  strand,  a  shore,  as  in  English.)  A  sandy 
beach  ;  e.g.  Somerset  Strand. 

Strandjut. — (D.  strandjut  or  strandjutter,  a  beach  thief,  a 
wrecker.)    Another  name  for  Hycena  hrunnea.     See  Strand 

81 


482  AFEICANDERISMS 

wolf.  At  one  time  it  was  mistakenly  supposed  that  this 
animal  was  to  be  found  only  on  the  sea-coast. 

"From  Mr.  Flashman,  Queenstown,  the  skin  oi  a, Strand- 
jut  {Hymna  fusca)."  ("  South  African  Magazine,"  iii.  p. 
596,  1869.) 

Strandloopers.— (D.  loopen,  to  run.)  (1)  Hottentots  who 
had  their  abodes,  and  picked  up  such  living  as  they  could, 
along  the  sea-shore.  (2)  The  name  is  also  given  to  JEgialitis 
tricollaris,  the  treble-collared  sand-plover. 

"  For  a  little  tobacco  the  Strandloopers  will  always  fetch 
fire-wood  for  the  cooks."  (Sutherland's  "  South  African 
Tribes,"  ii.  p.  29,  1846.) 

"  This  pretty  little  plover,  the  Strandlooper  of  the  colonists, 
is  common  throughout  the  Colony."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's 
"Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  662,  1875-84.) 

Strand  veld. — (D.  strand,  shore.)  Coast  lands,  south  of 
Bredasdorp  and  Eiversdale. 

"While  on  a  visit  to  Mr.  John  Van  der  Byl's  farm, 
Nacht-wacht,  in  the  Strandveldt  we  found  a  young  bird  just 
shot  {Halietus  vocifer) y  (Layard's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa," 
p.  47,  1875-84.) 

"  In  the  Bredasdorp  district  it  ('  lamziekte ')  occurs  on 
the  flats  of  the  strand  veld  and  is  prevalent  along  the 
mountain  ranges  in  the  strand  veld.''  ("  S.A.  Agric.  Journ.," 
p.  35,  July,  1912.) 

Strandveld  locust. — A  variety  of  locust  generally  found 
along  the  coast. 

"  The  variety  is  usually  termed  the  Strandveldt  locust 
(sea-coast),  but  whether  it  is  entirely  confined  to  the  sea- 
board regions  I  have  not  for  a  certainty  ascertained." 
("Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  i.  Part  3,  p.  196, 1880.) 

Strand  wolf. — Hycena  hrunnea.  Its  popular  name  refers 
to  "  its  habit  of  preying  upon  the  refuse  thrown  up  along  the 
shore".     See  Strandjut. 

"  From  its  pecuHar  habit  of  frequenting  the  sea-coast,  the 
Dutch  colonists  have  given  this  animal  the  name  of  Strand 
wolf,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  tiger  wolf,  or  spotted  hyaena, 
and  the  Aard-wolf  or  Proteles  of  zoologists."  (Steedman's 
"  Adventures,"  ii.  p.  112,  1835.) 

Strawberry,  Everlasting. — Helipterumeximium,D.G.  An 
appropriate  name  because  of  the  resemblance  which  the 
scarlet  capitula  bears  to  this  fruit.     (Riversdale  District.) 


AFBICANDEKISMS  483 

Strawberry  grape. — Sometimes  called  the  Catawba  grape, 
but  whether  it  is  identical  with  the  American  Catawba  grape 
or  not  seems  to  be  uncertain.  It  has  a  peculiar  strawberry- 
like flavour  and  is  not  in  great  demand. 

"I  am  told  that  another  sort,  the  strawberry  grape,  grows 
and  bears  in  Uitenhage."  ("  The  South  African  Exhibition," 
p.  175,  1885.) 

Strawberry  tree. — Arbutus  unedo.  This  plant,  which  has 
been  imported  from  the  Mediterranean,  bears  edible,  but  not 
very  palatable  fruits,  not  unlike  strawberries  in  appearance. 

"  There  are  several  species  of  Arbutus,  but  the  only  one  in 
general  cultivation  is  the  strawberry  tree."  ("  S.A.  Gardening 
and  Agriculture,"  p.  143,  1  February,  1912.) 

Streak  away.  To. — A  slang  expression  meaning  to 
slink  off,  to  sneak  away  quickly. 

"  Very  soon  their  firing  ceased  and  we  saw  them  streaking 
away  over  the  next  hill."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland 
Campaign,  1896,"  p.  243,  1897.) 

Streak  down,  To. — A  slang  phrase  meaning  to  slip  or  slide 
down  rapidly. 

"  The  amusing  part  of  the  performance  was  the  way  those 
monkeys  streaked  down  the  trees  and  vanished."  (Bryden's 
"  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  24,  1889.) 

Streepkoppie. — (D.  streep,  a  streak,  stripe  ;  kop,  a  head.) 
(1)  Fri7igillaria  capensis.  The  name  refers  to  two  black 
stripes  which  this  bird  has  upon  each  side  of  the  head,  one 
passing  through  the  eye,  the  other  beneath  it.  (2)  The  name 
is  also  given  in  the  Eastern  Province  to  Emberizaflaviventris. 

"  Occasionally  the  streep-koppie  knew  what  it  was  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Ahwal  boys."  ("  Scientific  African," 
p.  88,  1896.) 

Streepkop  sijsje. — (D.  sijsje,  a  linnet.)     Poliospiza  gularis. 

Streep-visch. — (D.  streep,  a  streak,  stripe.)  See  Seventy- 
four. 

Street -keeper. — A  municipal  official  appointed  in  most 
South  African  towns  whose  duty  it  is  to  report  the  condition 
of  the  streets  to  the  Town  Council,  to  impound  straying 
cattle,  etc. 

"  A  friend  of  ours  says  he  intends  writing  ...  to  ask  the 
town  clerk  to  send  the  street-keeper  to  ask  .  .  .  when  we  are 
to  have  a  new  gaol."  ("  The  Queenstovra  Free  Press,"  Sup., 
23  February,  1859.) 

31  * 


484  AFRICANDEEISMS 

Strelitzia. — A  genus  of  the  banana  family,  natives  of 
South  Africa.  The  name  is  derived  from  the  late  Queen 
Catherine,  vi'ho  was  a  princess  of  the  house  of  Mecklenljurg- 
Strelitz.     See  Wild  banana. 

Strelitza  here  in  bufi  and  blue  appeared  in  stateliest  pride, 

Whilst  pendant  flowers  of  different  hues  hung  from  the  round  bush  side. 

("  C.G.H.  Lit.  Gazette,"  i.  p.  97,  1831.) 

"We  slept  well  under  the  shade  of  some  strelitza  trees 
(very  similar  to  wild  bananas)."  (Gardner's  "Journey," 
p.  17,  1836.) 

Striped  grunter. — Ghilodactylus  grandis.  This  is  the 
Natal  name  for  the  fish  known  at  East  London  as  the  Eiver 
Steenbras  or  Tiger-fish  (q.v.). 

"  The  striped  grunter,  which  is  occasionally  found  in  the 
bay  ...  is  the  '  River  steenbras  '  of  the  Cape  Colony." 
("Natal  Mercury  Pictorial,"  p.  668,  1906.) 

Striped  karanteen. — Box  salpa,  L.  The  Natal  name  for 
the  fish  known  at  the  Cape  as  the  "  Bamboo  fish  "  (q.v.). 

Strop  Bill,  The. — (D.  strop,  halter,  rope.)  The  popular 
designation  of  a  bill  introduced  into  the  Cape  Parliament, 
which  had  it  passed  would  have  allowed  a  farmer  to  punish 
his  servants  for  misconduct  by  flogging. 

Struis. — A  not  infrequent  contraction  in  the  Transvaal  of 
stroohuis,  a  straw-house. 

"  Ik  ga  ook  liever  in  huis  bij  eenen  blanke,  dan  in  een 
Kaffer  struis  (stroohut)  met  velerlei  ongedierte."  (Hofmeyr's 
"  Twintig  Jaren  in  Zoutpansberg,"  p.  134,  1890.) 

Stuiver. — (D.  stuiver,  a  penny.)  A  coin  of  the  old  Dutch 
currency.     See  Eds.,  sks.,  sts. 

Stuk. — (D.  stuk,  a  piece.)  This  word  is  sometimes  used 
as  an  equivalent  for  "  breakfast  ".  Cf.  Eng.  "  bite,"  hght  re- 
freshment. 

Stumpnose. — Chrysophrys  globiceps,  Guv.  A  favourite  fish 
caught  in  great  abundance  round  the  Cape  during  summer. 

"  Fish  are  very  abundant  out  at  the  Cape,  among  those 
most  esteemed  .  .  .  are  .  .  .  the  stomp-neus,  and  other  fish." 
(Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  18,  1796.) 

"  The  harbour  abounds  in  fish,  amongst  which  stump  nose 
and  others  strangely  named,  but  well-flavoured  fish  are  pro- 
minent." (Lucas's  "  Camp  Life  and  Sport  in  South  Africa," 
p.  30,  1878.) 

Sucker  fish. — Chorisochismus  dentex.     See  Klip-zuiger. 


AFEICANDEKISMS  485 

"  A  curious  genus  of  these  fish  has  the  ventral  fins  modi- 
fied into  an  adhesive  disk,  by  which  it  attaches  itself  firmly 
to  rocks,  etc.,  and  is  therefore  known  as  the  sucker-fish.'' 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  11  September,  1905.) 

Sugar  birds. — This  name  is  shared  by  the  Pronieropidce 
and  the  NectarmiidiB,  Sun-birds  (q.v.). 

"  You  ever  and  anon  startle  from  its  resting-place  the  rich 
plumed  sugar-bird."  ("  C.G.H.  Lit.  Gazette,"  p.  138,  2  Sep- 
tember, 1833.) 

"  The  long-tailed  Sugar  birds  (Promerops),  two  species  of 
which  are  generally  recognized,  form  a  distinct  family,  the 
range  of  which  is  confined  to  South  Africa."  ("  Science  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  139,  1905.) 

Sugar  bush. — Protea  mellifera  and  other  species  of  Protea. 
They  grow  in  great  abundance  on  the  slopes  of  Table 
Mountain ;  a  syrup  is  obtained  from  the  flowers.  See 
Bosjestroop. 

"  Here  and  there  we  come  upon  knolls  covered  with  the 
evergreen  Suiker-bos,  a  graceful  shrub."  (Barter's  "  The 
Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  74,  1852.) 

"  The  Protea  {Sugar  bush)  and  the  wild  citron  grow  here." 
(Wood's  "  Through  Matabeleland,"  p.  41,  1893.) 

Sugar  flowers. — The  flowers  of  the  above  shrub. 

Sugar  tree. — The  same  as  the  sugar  bush. 

"  Of  these,  one  called  here  Sugar-tree,  from  the  great 
quantity  of  saccharine  juice  in  the  bottom  of  its  vase-shaped 
flowers."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  62,  1801.) 

Suiker  bos. — See  under  Sugar  bush. 

Suiker  vogel. — (D.  suiker,  sugar;  vogel,  a  bird.)  See 
Sugar  birds. 

Sun  birds. — Various  birds  of  the  Nectariniidce  are  thus 
named.     See  Honey  eaters  and  Sugar  birds. 

"  Honey  suckers  or  sun-birds  that  flit  like  living  gems  from 
flower  to  flower."      (Eussell's  "  Natal,"  p.  36,  1891.) 

Sunday  River. — This  river  has  its  source  in  the  Sneeuw- 
bergen  and  runs  into  the  sea  at  Algoa  Bay. 

"  Our  journey  occupied  six  successive  days.  On  the 
second,  we  forded  the  Sunday  Kiver.  .  .  .  The  name  was 
given  to  it  by  the  old  Dutch  colonists,  because  beyond  its 
eastern  bank  the  sabbath  was  unknown."  (Smith's  "  South 
Africa  Delineated,"  p.  7,  1850.) 

Sundew. — Various  species  of  Drosera  are  thus  named. 


486  AFRICANDEKISMS 

"  The  Sun  dew  (Drosera)  obtains  its  nitrogen  from  insects 
which  the  plant  catches  and  digests  by  means  of  the  sticky 
tentacles  which  are  borne  on  their  leaves  and  stems." 
(Stoneman's  "Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  73, 
1906.) 

"  Droseracece. — An  order  of  which  we  have  in  Natal  one 
genus  only,  the  well-known  Sundew.  In  the  Cape  Colony 
another  genus  is  found  (Roridula),  a  much  larger  plant  than 
the  Sundew,  which,  the  Dutch  are  said  to  hang  in  their  houses 
to  catch  flies."  (Wood's  "  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal," 
p.  46,  1907.) 

Sun-fish. — Orthagoriscus  mola,  Bl.     See  Maan-fish. 

Sun  under. — The  moment  of  sun-set.     See  Zon-onder. 

"I  could  creep  on  after  him  from  sun-up  to  sun-under.'' 
(Glanville's  "  The  Fossicker,"  p.  94,  1891.) 

Sun-up. — (1)  The  moment  of  sun-rise.  (2)  This  phrase 
is  also  used  with  the  meaning  of  "  eastward,"  e.g.  rivers  or 
streams  flowing  eastward,  or  into  the  Indian  Ocean,  are  said 
to  flow  sun-up.     See  Zon  op. 

"  Will  you  consent  to  marry  me  to-morrow  morning  at 
sun-up,  or  am  I  to  be  forced  to  carry  the  sentence  on  your  old 
uncle  into  effect  ?  "     (Haggard's  "  Jess,"  p.  304,  1887.) 

"  Then  suddenly  the  huge  burning  disc  itself  is  thrust  upon 
the  sky-line,  and  it  is  in  South  African  parlance  sun-up." 
(Bryden's  "Tales  of  South  Africa,"  p.  107,  1896.) 

Surf  boat. — The  heavy  decked  boats  used  at  the  various 
South  African  ports  for  landing  cargo  through  the  surf. 

"Party  after  party  were  conveyed  safely  and  rapidly 
through  the  breakers  by  the  surf  boats  managed  by  seamen 
from  the  sloop  of  war."     (Pringle's  "  Narrative,"  p.  9,  1835.) 

Surgeon. — In  Natal  the  fish  Acanthurus  maloides,  C.  and 
V.  has  received  this  name. 

Sussie. — The  Hout  Bay  name  for  Clupea  ocellata.  See 
Sardine. 

Swaai.— (D.  zwaaien,io  sway,  to  swing.)  A  swing;  to 
swing. 

Swaap. — (G.  Schwabe  or  Schwab,  an  inhabitant  of  the  old 
Duchy  of  Swabia ;  these  are  sometimes  spoken  of  by  other 
Germans  as  being  not  specially  quick-witted;  e.g.  Mit  den 
Schwaben  Mug  werden,  to  become  wise  late  in  life ;  and  a 
piece  of  folly  perpetrated  by  a  grown-up  man  is  termed  a 
Schwabenstreich,   a  Swabian's   trick ;    personal    intercourse 


AFRICANDEKISMS  487 

with  the  Swabians  proves  the  assumption  underlying  these 
expressions  to  be  false  now,  even  if  there  were  any  truth  in  it 
in  the  past.)     A  simple  person,  one  not  quick-witted,  an  idiot. 

Swan  orchid. — Cynorchis  compacta.  The  popular  name 
of  this  pretty  little  terrestrial  orchid,  which  is  peculiar  to 
Natal  and  somewhat  rare. 

"  Though  our  epiphytal  orchids  are  not  very  showy,  many 
of  the  terrestrial  ones  are  exceedingly  so.  They  commence 
flowering  when  the  spring  has  set  in,  and  the  different  species 
flower  in  succession  until  about  the  end  of  March,  an  excep- 
tion being  the  pretty  little  Swan  orchid  {Cynorchis  compacta) 
which  flowers  in  July  and  August,"  ("Natal  Official  Rail- 
way Guide,"  p,  233,  1903.) 

Swazies. — This  designation  has  superseded  that  by  which 
this  people  was  known  to  the  early  missionaries,  viz.  the 
Baraputse  (q.v.). 

"  The  independence  of  the  Swazies  within  the  boundary 
line  of  Swaziland,  as  indicated  in  the  first  article  of  this  con- 
vention will  be  fully  recognized,"  ("  The  Times'  History  of  the 
War  in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  388,  1900.) 

Swee. — (Kaf,  um  Swi.)  Estrilda  dufresnii.  It  owes  its 
popular  name  to  its  cry  of  "  swee-swee  ". 

"  The  Swee  waxbill  {E.  dufresnii)  is  the  best-known 
species  in  the  south-eastern  province  of  Cape  Colony  from 
Uitenhage  to  Port  Alfred."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches 
of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  68,  1908,) 

Sweet  grass. — The  food  plants  growing  on  rich  alluvial 
soil  or  on  land  of  good  quality  are  succulent  and  nourishing, 
this  is  termed  "  Sweet  veld  "  or  "  Sweet  grass  "  to  distinguish 
it  from  "  Sour  grass  "  (q,v.). 

"The  two  phrases  'sweet'  and  'sour,'  as  applied  to  our 
natural  pasture  land,  have  no  connexion  with  the  usual  Eng- 
lish acceptation  of  the  words.  Sioeet  implies  rich  land  pro- 
ducing nutritious  food,  whether  natural  or  cultivated." 
("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  383,  1905.) 

Sweethearts. — The  hooked  seeds  of  Bidens  pilosa,  a  weed 
to  be  found  well-nigh  everywhere.     See  Black  jacks. 

Sweet  melon. — Known  also  as  the  Eock,  Musk,  and  Sugar 
melon.     See  Spaanspek. 

"  The  water  melons  must  not  be  nipped  or  cut,  as  required 
by  Sweet  melons."  (Roth's  "  South  African  Gardening,"  p.  78, 
1883.) 


488  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Sweet  potato. — See  Batata. 

"  S'weet  potatoes  are  raised  here  in  almost  unconsumable 
quantities,  but  principally  near  the  coast,  the  sandy  soil  of 
which  suits  them."     (Christopher's  "  Natal,"  p.  31,  1850.) 

Sweet-veld. — See  Sweet-grass. 

"  Absence  of  lime  is  characteristic  of  '  sour '  veld,  prob- 
ably not  only  on  account  of  the  neutralization  of  acid  where 
lime  is  present,  but  rather  because  lime  soils  are  usually  well 
drained  and  well  supplied  with  other  plant  food.  Lime  is  an 
essential  plant  food,  very  generally  lacking  in  Cape  soils; 
wherever  it  does  occur  marked  fertility  and  siveet-veld  results. 
Excess  of  humus  does  not  explain  '  sour '  veld,  for,  while  in 
some  sour-veld  districts,  hke  the  Knysna,  organic  matter  is 
abundant,  yet  on  the  whole  '  sour '  soils  are  lamentably  de- 
ficient in  this  respect.  The  appHcation  of  the  terms  'sweet ' 
and  '  sour '  is,  then,  somewhat  unfortunate,  but  once  compre- 
hended should  give  no  further  difficulty."  ("  Science  in  South 
Africa,"  pp.  383-4,  1905.) 

Swempi. — (Zulu,  i?i  Swempe,  a  quail ;  i  Sivempe,  Francoli- 
nus  coqui ;  these  names  are  onomatopoetic.)  Francolinus 
suhtorquatus,  Smith,  is  known  by  this  name  in  Natal  and  in 
the  Transvaal.  It  is  a  bush  and  scrub-haunting  bird.  See 
Bush  partridge. 

"  Coquifrancolin,  generally  known  as  the  Swempi  from  the 
Zulu  name,  but  corrupted  into  Shrimpi  by  some."  ("  South 
African  Field,"  p.  141,  30  July,  1909.) 

"  I  was  riding  with  the  front  Hne  of  the  advance  guard  near 
Zeerust,  when  a  covey  of  sMvimpi  were  flushed  three  or  four 
times."    ("  Queenstown  Kepresentative,"  p.  7,  10  July,  1912.) 

Swernoot. — (Mansvelt  derives  this  from  Schwernother,  a 
jolly  fellow,  rascal,  dare-devil ;  and  this  from  schivere  noth, 
the  falhng  sickness.  When  one  remembers  how  large  a  pro- 
portion of  the  men  serving  in  the  early  days  of  South  Africa, 
under  the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  were  Germans,  one 
can  see  how  such  terms  as  Swaap,  Hes,  Swernoot,  and  others 
would  obtain  a  footing  and  secure  currency  at  the  Cape. 
But  I  am  not  convinced  that  Mansvelt's  suggested  connexion 
between  Schwernother  and  schwere  noth  is  correct.  Cf. 
Scotch  sweir,  sivere,  swear,  siveer,  lazy,  indolent ;  noot,  Eng- 
lish nolt,  nowt,  a  stupid,  coarse,  or  clumsy  person  ;  meta- 
phorically from  Scotch  noivt,  English  neat,  cattle.)  A  low 
term  of  abuse,  meaning  a  thoroughly  bad  character. 


AFBICANDEEISMS  489 

Swets. — (D.  zioetsen,  to  boast,  to  brag.)  In  Cape  Dutch 
the  word  means  to  curse,  to  swear. 

Switzerland  of  South  Africa. — A  designation  sometimes 
given  to  Basutoland  on  account  of  its  magnificent  mountain 
scenery. 

"Basutoland  .  .  .  contains  such  glorious  scenery  as  to 
have  earned  for  it  the  flattering  nickname  of  The  Switzerland 
of  South  Africa."  (Ralph's  "  Towards  Pretoria,"  p.  x, 
1900.) 

Taaibosch. — (D.  taai,  flexible,  tough  ;  bos,  a  bush.)  Bhus 
obovata.  The  name  seems  to  be  applied  to  several  members 
of  the  same  family,  Bhus  villosa,  etc. 

"  The  extract  may  be  procured  ...  if  the  tree  is  treated 
as  recommended  for  the  colonial  Taybosch."  ("  C.G.H.  Lit- 
erary Gazette,"  p.  41,  March,  1834.) 

"  They  (fish-baskets)  were  composed  of  reeds  and  twigs 
of  the  taaibosch,  a  wood  noted  for  its  toughness."  (Stow's 
"Native  Eaces  of  South  Africa,"  p.  93,  1905.) 

Taaibosch  bezie. — (D.  bezie  or  bes,  a  berry.)  The  edible 
berries  of  several  species  of  Bhus. 

Taaipit. — (D.  taai,  tough ;  pit,  a  kernel,  fruit-stone.)  A 
term  apphed  to  a  variety  of  red  peach,  the  flesh  of  which  ad- 
heres closely  and  tenaciously  to  the  stone.  They  are  some- 
times called  "Clingstone"  peaches.     See  also  Pawe  perski. 

Taai,  The. — (D.  taal,  language,  speech.)  The  name  by 
which  the  Dutch  language  as  used  in  South  Africa  is  known 
among  English-speaking  Africanders  ;  this  Cape  Dutch  or 
Afrikaans,  as  it  is  called,  has  suffered  considerably  from  the 
introduction  of  various  Hottentot  and  other  idioms  and  words, 
and  from  the  phonetic  and  grammatical  abrasion  consequent 
upon  the  condition  and  environment  of  the  early  Dutch 
settlers ;  in  recent  years,  however,  considerable  efforts  have 
been  made  to  eliminate  the  objectionable  elements  from  the 
vocabulary,  and  to  restore  somewhat  of  its  purity,  but  cen- 
turies of  usage  are  not  to  be  swept  away  in  a  hurry. 

"  They  are  usually  glib-tongued,  speak  the  taal  and  the 
rooi-taal  with  equal  readiness,  and  are  well  versed  in  that 
sophistry  which  misleads  the  man  in  the  street."  ("  Graaff 
Reinet  Advertiser,"  18  October,  1898.) 

Taalbond,  The. — An  organization  which  aims  at  main- 
taining and  extending  the  use  in  South  Africa  of  Neder- 
landsch. 


490  AFEICANDEKISMS 

"Imperial  jingoism  on  the  one  side  and  the  crass  igno- 
rance of  the  Taal  bond  on  the  other,  may  postpone  the  final 
settlement  of  the  country."  ("Cape  Illustrated  Magazine," 
p.  370,  1892-3.) 

Tabaksrolletje. — (D.  tahak,  tobacco  ;  rol,  a  roll.)  A  small 
snake  which  rolls  itself  up  in  a  manner  somewhat  similar  to 
that  in  which  the  Boers  roll  their  tobacco  for  market,  has 
been  thus  designated. 

Tabbertje  or  Tawerd. — (D.  tahhaard,  a  gown,  robe;  cf. 
Eng.  tabard.)    A  woman's  gown. 

"  De  vrouwen  dragen  tabberds  (japonnen)  van  katoen 
of  merino."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers," 
p.  425,  1882.) 

Table  Bay. — The  bay  derives  its  name  from  Table  Moun- 
tain which  overlooks  it. 

"  Der  Fluss  (Salz-)  ergiesset  sich  in  die  Tafel-Bay." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  211,  1745.) 

"  A  gallant  action  performed  by  an  inhabitant  of  the  Cape 
named  Woltemaade,  who,  during  a  dreadful  storm,  had  been 
able  with  the  assistance  of  his  horse,  to  save  fourteen  seamen 
belonging  to  a  vessel  shipwrecked  in  Table  Bay  ;  but  that  he 
himself,  the  victim  of  his  generous  efforts,  had  perished  in  his 
last  attempt."     (Le  Vaillant's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  4,  1796.) 

Table  cloth. — The  formation  of  the  cloud  on  Table  Moun- 
tain, or  the  "  spreading  of  the  table  cloth,"  as  it  is  called,  is  a 
world-famed  phenomenon,  described  in  almost  all  books  of 
South  African  travel.  The  usual  explanation  of  the  pheno- 
menon is  that  the  warm,  moisture-laden  wind  is  forced  up 
the  mountain  slope,  on  reaching  the  cool  top  some  of  its 
moisture  is  condensed  and  appears  in  the  form  of  a  cloud, 
which  sometimes  pours  over  the  brow  of  the  mountain  like  a 
mighty  cataract,  and  is  redissolved  as  it  enters  the  lower  and 
warmer  air  again.  The  effects  produced  by  this  rolling  mass 
of  vapour  are  sometimes  indescribably  grand. 

"  The  summer  season  when  that  well-known  appearance 
of  the  fleecy  cloud,  not  inaptly  called  the  Table  cloth,  envelops 
the  mountain."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  38,  1801.) 

"  A  real  Table  cloth.  The  weather  has  been  very  boisterous 
.  .  .  snow  fell  heavily  on  Table  Mountain.  The  ridges  on 
the  face  of  the  mountain  are  covered  with  hail  and  present  a 
pretty  sight."     ("  Eastern  Province  Herald,"  2  August,  1898.) 

Table  Mountain.— A  literal  rendering  of  the  Dutch  Tafel 


AFEICANDEBISMS  491 

Berg.  The  name  refers  to  the  flat,  table-like  appearance 
which  the  top  of  the  mountain  presents  to  those  approaching 
it  from  the  sea  ;  this  square,  flat-topped  formation  is  a  some- 
what frequent  one  among  the  mountains  and  kopjes  of  South 
Africa. 

"  Nah  sind  drey  Berge  auf  dem  Cap,  so  das  Tafels-Thal 
formiren.  .  .  .  Diese  drey  Berge  sind  den  Tafel-  Lowen- 
und  Wind-  oder  Teufels-Ser^.  Der  erste  ist  der 
Hochste.  Die  Portugiesen  nennen  ihn  Tovoa  de  Cabo." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  206,  1745.) 

Tackles. — In  the  border  towns  of  the  Eastern  Province 
this  is  the  name  given  to  rubber-soled  sand-shoes. 

Tafel  kop. — (D.  tafel,  a  table ;  hop,  a  head.)  A  flat- 
topped  hill  or  mountain.    See  Table  Mountain. 

"  Our  second  gun  which  had  been  placed  on  a  Tafel-Jcop 
did  excellent  work."  (De  Wet's  "  Three  Years  War,"  p.  30, 
1903.) 

Tagatied. — (Kaf.  uku  TaJcata,  to  practise  evil  towards 
another  secretly.)  An  anglicized  form  of  the  Kaffir  word 
meaning  to  bewitch,  to  ill-wish. 

"  A  report  was  soon  circulated  in  the  clan,  that  he  had 
takatied  or  *  ill-wished  '  the  people,  as  his  cattle  and  gardens 
were  so  fat  and  productive  and  theirs  so  very  poor." 
(Holden's  "  Kaffir  Kaces,"  p.  291,  1866.) 

Tailings. — A  term  applied  to  the  residuum  after  the 
"  ground  "  or  ore  has  undergone  the  process  of  crushing  and 
washing.  In  the  earlier  days  of  the  gold  industry  these  "  tail- 
ings "  were  deemed  of  Httle  worth,  but  when  subjected  to  more 
recent  methods  of  recovery,  they  have  yielded  good  returns. 

"The  mud  or  tailings  which  flows  to  waste  over  the 
inner  rim  is  led  by  a  shoot  to  a  pit."  (Noble's  "  C.G.H. 
Official  Handbook,"  p.  190,  1886.) 

"  The  ore  bereft  of  its  free  gold,  goes  under  the  name 
of  tailings."     {"  Scientific  African,"  p.  25,  December,  1895.) 

Tailor  bird. — The  Grahamstown  name  of  Gamaroptera 
olivacea.  The  name  refers  to  the  neat  way  in  which  this  bird 
stitches  the  neighbouring  leaves  with  fibres  and  cobwebs  to 
its  neatly  made  nest. 

"  When  we  discovered  the  nest  of  this  little  Warbler  we 
christened  it  the  Tailor  bird.  It  well  earns  this  title  from  its 
skill  in  the  art  of  sewing.  Its  nest  is  placed  in  the  branches 
of  a  tall  weed,  to  the  leaves  of  which  it  is  cleverly  sewn  with 


492  AFRICANDEKISMS 

blades  of  thin  grass  on  all  sides  so  as  to  be  completely  coated." 
(Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  29,  1899.) 

Tak. — (D.  tah,  a  bough,  branch.)  (1)  A  bough,  branch. 
(2)  The  term  is  also  applied  to  a  barricade  of  branches  placed 
across  a  road  to  show  that  it  is  closed  to  traffic.  Takje,  the 
diminutive,  is  also  in  common  use. 

"A  tackey  ...  is  simply  a  long  and  stout  branch  of 
mimosa  with  the  thorns  all  left  on  at  the  end."  (Martin's 
"  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  Ill,  1890.) 

"  Upon  the  top  of  this  pebble-bed  it  is  customary  to  put 
a  layer  of  brush-wood  or  takkies  well-battened  down." 
("Manual  of  Practical  Orchard  Work  at  the  Cape,"  Agric. 
Dept.,  p.  16,  1896.) 

Takhaar. — (D.  tak,  a  branch ;  haar,  hair.)  A  Cape 
Dutch  word  really  meaning  "  unkempt,"  uncouth,  untrained  ; 
applied  originally  to  the  Transvaalers,  but  in  recent  years  its 
apphcation  has  been  extended  to  back-veld  Boers  generally,  on 
account  of  their  untidy  appearance. 

"  There  are  several  other  poems,  one  of  which  urges  the 
Takhaar  Boers  to  '  Fight,  fight,  fight !  while  the  aasvogel 
screams  o'er  the  lea  '."  ("  Graaff  Reinet  Advertiser,"  20 
November,  1899.) 

"  With  the  passing  of  the  old  Taak  Jiaare  the  little  bit  of 
picturesqueness  will  be  gone."  (Colquhoun's  "  The  Africander 
Land,"  p.  217,  1906.) 

Tam. — (D.  tarn,  tame,  domestic.)  As  used  in  Cape  Dutch 
this  word  has  the  meaning  of  exhausted,  done  up. 

Tamaai. — (Mai.  tanibah,  tambahi,  to  increase,  to  make 
more  or  greater.)  This  word  is  used  in  the  Western  Pro- 
vince in  the  sense  of  great,  large  ;  e.g.  tamaai  dag,  full  day  ; 
tamaai  kerel,  a  huge  fellow. 

Tambookie  grass. — {Tambookie,  the  name  given  by  the 
colonists  to  a  Kaffir  of  the  Abatembu  tribe.)  (1)  The  com- 
mon Tambookie  grass  of  the  Transkei  is  Cymbopogon  validus, 
Stapf.,  and  grows  to  a  height  of  6  or  8  feet,  and  in  Swazie- 
land,  on  the  Horo  Flats,  to  a  much  greater  height  (12  feet), 
quite  hiding  a  man  on  horseback.  (2)  In  the  Cape  Colony 
this  name  is  given  to  the  closely  allied  Eulalia  capensis. 

"  The  Tambuki  grass,  a  handsome  grass  growing  to  a 
height  of  6  or  8  feet,  is  always  held  to  be  an  indication  of 
good  soil,  and  is  itself  considered  to  yield  the  best  material 
for  thatching."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  456,  1868.) 


AFRICANDEEISMS  493 

"  Het  Tamboekie  gras  groeit  soms  tot  een  hoogte  van  acht 
of  tien  voet,  met  een  fraaien  pluim  of  veer  aan  het  einde  van 
den  Stengel."  (Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers," 
p.  340  n.,  1882.) 

Tambookie  thorn,  on  wortel. — Erythrina  acanthocarpa  is 
known  by  this  name  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Queenstown. 
It  is  also  called  the  Wacht-en-beetje  (q.v.). 

"  Another  species  to  mention  is  the  .  .  .  Tambookie  thorn. 
This  one  is  peculiar  in  the  possession  of  an  underground 
growth  thick  as  a  man's  thigh  composed  of  the  lightest  pith." 
("  African  Monthly,"  p.  542,  October,  1907.) 

Tambourine  dove.  —  Tympanistria  tympanistria.  The 
name  refers  to  its  oft-repeated  and  peculiar  rattling  call. 

Tambrijn,  Jan  Bruin,  John  Brown. — (?  Have  these  names 
their  origin  in  the  Mai.  tambra,  tambarah ;  tombra,  Java, 
names  given  to  an  edible  fish  in  the  Malay  Archipelago.) 
Gymnocrotaphus  curvidens  is  known  by  these  various  desig- 
nations along  the  South  African  coast. 

Tammelijtjes. — (F.  tablette,  a  small  table,  a  plate.)  A 
sugar  confection  something  like  soft  toffee,  made  in  flat, 
square  paper  moulds. 

"  Tamelijtjes  (a  favourite  Cape  sweet)."  (Hilda's  "  Where 
is  It?  of  Recipes,"  p.  237,  1904.) 

Tampan  tick. — (1)  Onithodorus  savignyi,  var.  emeus.  A 
species  of  large  tick  the  bite  of  which  is  particularly  painful 
and  irritating  ;  they  infest  certain  localities  in  large  numbers, 
and  are  to  be  carefully  avoided.  See  Sampan.  (2)  Argas 
persicus  is  sometimes  so  called. 

"I  dreaded  the  tmnpan  so  common  in  all  old  huts." 
(Livingstone's  "  South  Africa,"  p.  120,  1861.) 

"  I  had  thought  myself  acquainted  with  pests  that  walk  by 
night,  but  this  journey  introduced  me  to  the  very  king  and 
tyrant  of  the  obscene  realm.  He  is  called  the  tampan.  .  .  . 
I  have  wrestled  with  garrapalas  in  Mexico,  I  have  slain 
jiggers  in  the  West  Indies,  I  have  fought  with  ticks  in  Borneo, 
fleas  in  Egypt,  1— e  in  Sardinia.  These  are  nought.  The 
tampan  will  give  them  half  his  armoury  of  daggers  and  beat 
them  badly."  (Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  256, 
1873.) 

Tandpijnwortel. — (D.  tand,  tooth  ;  pijn,  pain,  smart  ; 
wortel,  a  root.)  Sium  Thunbergii,  B.C.  The  root  is  chewed 
to  relieve  toothache. 


494  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Tante. — (D.  tante,  a  father's  sister,  an  aunt ;  F.  tante ; 
O.F.  ante ;  Lat.  amita,  a  paternal  aunt.)  It  is  customary 
among  the  Cape  Dutch  to  speak  of  or  to  an  elderly  woman, 
by  way  of  respect,  as  "  Tante  ".     See  Om. 

Tarantaal,  Tramtaal  or  Trantaal. — Numida  coronata,  the 
crowned  guinea-fowl,  is  known  by  this  name. 

"  The  missionaries  have  a  few  domestic  fowls,  ducks,  geese 
and  guinea  hens  or  pintadoes,  which  are  called  by  the  quaint 
name  of  Jan  tadentaal."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  364, 
1822.) 

"  The  guinea-fowl  .  .  .  called  by  the  Hottentots  taran- 
talls.''     ("  Scenes  and  Occurrences  in  Albany,"  p.  99,  1827.) 

"  Johannes  bekundete  an  zwei  heute  friih  von  ihm  ges- 
chossenen  tarantals  (Perlhiihnern),  dass  er  ein  schmackhaftes 
Gericht  zu  bereiten  verstand."  (Wangemann's  "  Ein  Eeise- 
Jahr  in  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  406,  1868.) 

Tarantula. — (It.  tarantola,  from  the  dance  tarantella,  from 
the  Italian  city  Taranto.)  A  large  hairy  spider  with  formid- 
able fangs  is  known  by  this  name  all  through  South  Africa. 
It  belongs  to  the  genus  Harpactira.     See  Baviaan  spinnekop. 

"  The  Cape  is  also  infested  by  .  .  .  the  spider  called  the 
tarantula  which  is  extremely  dreaded."  (Cole's  "  The  Cape 
and  the  Kaffirs,"  p.  243,  1852.) 

"  '  That's  my  living  fly-catcher.'  '  Why,  it's  a  tarantula.'  " 
(Glanville's  "  Kloof  Yarns,"  "  The  Empire,"'  p.  7,  24  Sep- 
tember, 1898.) 

Tar  brush,  A  dash  or  touch  of. — An  expression  applied  to 
persons  who  are  slightly  tinged  with  coloured  blood. 

"  She  was  a  dark  handsome  woman  .  .  .  the  dusky  tones 
of  brown  in  the  throat  .  .  .  confirmed  the  rumour  that  the 
handsome  Mrs.  Croesus  had  a  dash  of  the  tar  brush,  to  use  a 
South  African  phrase,  in  her  blood."  (Comtesse  de  Bre- 
mont's  "  The  Gentleman  Digger,"  p.  87,  1891.) 

"  His  complexion  denoted  a  decided  touch  of  the  tar  brush." 
(Turnbull's  "  Tales  from  Natal,"  p.  154,  1901.) 

Tarrasibosch. — A  Bechuanaland  name  given  to  Acacia 
stolonifera,  Burch.  (Burtt-Davy,  "  S.A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  July, 
1912.)  "  A  common  and  characteristic  bush  of  the  Bechuana- 
land region." 

Tassal — Meat  cured  and  dried  in  the  open  air  by  an  old- 
fashioned  method  adopted  by  hunters  and  travellers  up  country. 

"  Tassal.     The  Boers  and  travellers  find  it  most  nourish- 


AFBICANDEEISMS  495 

ing  in  travelling,  when  fresh  meat  cannot  be  procured." 
(Hilda's  "  Where  is  It?  of  Kecipes,"  p.  246,  1904.) 

Tchou. — A  large  succulent  root,  full  of  moisture  even  in 
times  of  drought,  when  it  is  dug  up  and  eaten  by  the  natives 
to  allay  thirst. 

"  They  (the  porcupines)  are  also  very  partial  to  the  tchou." 

Teal  Eendtje. — (D.  eend,  a  duck.)  Nettion  capense.  The 
Cape  widgeon, 

"  The  Teal-eendtje  is  usually  confounded  with  the  Smee- 
eendtje,  in  company  with  which  we  have  shot  it."  (Layard 
and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  758,  1875-84.) 

Tea  water. — The  common  name  among  the  Dutch  for 
the  infusion  which  the  English  always  speak  of  as  "  tea  ". 

"  He  .  .  .  asked  me  to  come  into  his  tent  and  drink  a  cup 
of  tea-water  with  his  vrouw,  while  he  sent  out  for  horses ; 
and  scarcely  had  I  time  to  drink  of  the  dismal  '  tea-water ' 
when  I  was  informed  that  the  horses  were  already  saddled." 
(Thomson's  "  Travels,"  p.  148,  1827.) 

"Making  sure  the  sheep-tail  fat  and  tea-water  had  not 
been  forgotten,  ht  his  pipe,  mounted,  and  set  off  with  a  light 
heart  upon  a  journey  of  hundreds  of  miles."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  6,  26  July,  1912.) 

Ten  pounder. — The  fish  known  in  the  Cape  Colony  as  the 
Cape  salmon — Elops  saurus,  is  known  in  Natal  as  the 
Springer  (q.v.)  and  also  as  the  "  Ten  pounder  ". 

"  The  springer,  too,  or  ten-pounder  as  they  are  called  are 
much  esteemed  for  their  sporting  qualities."  ("  Natal  Mer- 
cury Pictorial,"  p.  141,  1905.) 

Tent  wagon. — ^A  wagon  part  or  whole  of  which  is  covered 
with  a  frame  upon  which  canvas  is  stretched.  The  hood  of 
a  cape-cart,  buggy,  etc.,  is  also  known  as  a  "  tent  ". 

Texas  poppy. — Argemone  mexicana.  See  Mexican  poppy 
or  thistle. 

Thaba  Bosigo. — (Ses.  thaba,  a  mountain ;  bosigo,  botso, 
blackness,  darkness.)  A  natural  stronghold  in  Basutoland, 
of  which  the  Basutos  have  availed  themselves  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  to  the  disappointment  and  discomfiture  of  their 
enemies. 

"  Near  Morija  rises  the  mountain  of  Basutoland,  Thaba 
Bosigo !  Surely  no  other  spot  in  the  country  contains  so 
much  history  as  this  small  mountain."  (Martin's  "Basuto- 
land, its  Legends  and  its  Customs,"  p.  71,  1903.) 


496  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Thaba  'Ndoda. — (Kaf.  i  Ntaba,  a  mountain ;  in  Doda,  a 
man.)  A  mountain  of  the  Amatola  range,  famous  in  the 
history  of  Kaffir  wars. 

"  The  Tabindodo,  or  Man  Mountain,  is  a  very  conspicuous 
peak  in  this  range,  and  may  be  seen,  covered  with  dense 
bush,  to  a  distance  of  thirty  or  forty  miles  in  almost  every 
direction."  (Godlonton's  "Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  p.  97, 
1852.) 

Thank  you. — In  the  Dutch-speaking  districts  of  South 
Africa  the  Englishman  needs  to  be  careful  how  he  uses  this 
phrase,  since  to  the  Dutch  it  conveys  the  meaning  of  "No, 
thank  you  ".     Cf.  G.  Ich  danke  Ihnen,  No,  thank  you. 

"  There  dawned  upon  my  memory  the  story  of  the  Eng- 
lishman in  France  who  would  say  '  Merci  '  when  offered  re- 
freshment, till  he  nearly  died  of  hunger,  and  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  thank  you  being  literally  translated  into 
Dutch  idiom  meant  'No,  thank  you'."  (Watkin's  "From 
Farm  to  Forum,"  p.  17,  1906.) 

Thebus  Berg. — (D.  theebus,  a  tea-box  or  caddy ;  berg, 
mountain.)  It  would  seem  that  the  peculiar  shape  of  this 
mountain,  situated  on  the  border  of  the  Middleburg  and 
Cradock  Districts,  has  occasioned  the  corruption  of  an  earlier 
name,  viz.,  Phoebus  Berg,  from  the  original  name  of  the 
farm  upon  which  it  is  situated. 

"I  need  scarcely  remind  the  readers  of  this  Journal  that 
the  name  of  Thebus,  Anglice  'tea-caddy,'  has  originated  from 
the  peculiar  conformation  of  this  mountain."  ("  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  iii.  p.  115,  1871.) 

Thick-bill. — Amblijospiza  albifrons  is  so  named  in  Natal. 

"  From  its  huge  bill,  we  usually  call  this  bird  the  '  Haw- 
finch,' as  it  reminds  us  of  the  English  bird  of  this  name. 
The  boys  call  it  Thick-bill."  (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds," 
p.  79,  1899.) 

Thick  knee. — Another  name  for  the  Dikkop  (q.v.). 

Thin. — A  slang  use  of  this  word  is  common  throughout 
South  Africa,  meaning  "easily  seen  through,"  "not  suffi- 
ciently convincing  ". 

"  All  through  there  appears  to  have  been  a  general  belief 
amongst  them  that  they  would  receive  supernatm-al  aid  from 
the  '  Umlimo '  or  god,  but  this  belief  must  be  getting  a  little 
thin  now."  (Selous'  "  Sunshine  and  Storm  in  Khodesia,"  p. 
56,  1896.) 


AFEICANDERISMS  497 

Thirst  or  Thirst-land. — (1)  A  large  area  nearly  or  quite 
devoid  of  water  is  so  designated.  (2)  More  definitely  it  is 
applied  to  the  territory  lying  between  Mafeking  and  Palapye 
in  Bechuanaland,  which  has  to  depend  chiefly  upon  pits  for 
a  very  meagre  supply  of  very  poor  water. 

"  '  Fever  is  raging  amongst  us,  and  a  great  part  have  died. 
We  stand  here  in  the  Thirstland  by  some  wells.  Our  cattle 
and  sheep  are  almost  all  dead  .  .  .  but  I  hope  that  our  God 
will  save  us  from  this  wilderness  of  hunger,  care,  and  sorrow.' 
Extract  from  a  letter  written  by  one  of  the  trek  Boers  who  in 
1875  left  the  Transvaal  to  seek  a  new  Canaan  somewhere  to- 
wards the  west  coast."     (Hoodie's  "  Battles,"  ii.  p.  334, 1888.) 

"  In  hunting  game  in  the  Thirst  the  cart  .  .  .  should 
be  filled  with  water,  and  a  start  made  the  previous  evening." 
(Nicolls  and  Eglinton's  "  Sportsman,"  p.  22,  1892.) 

Thirty  day  fern. — A  Riversdale  District  name  for  Aspi- 
dium  capense,  Willd.     See  Seven  weeks  fern. 

Thorn  apple. — The  fruit  of  Datura  Stramonium. 

"  D.  Stramonium,  Linn.,  the  Thorn  apple,  is  a  naturalized 
weed  at  the  Cape."  (Harvey's  "Genera  of  South  African 
Plants,"  p.  258,  1868.) 

Thorn  redwing. — Francolinus  Shelleyi,  found  in  Natal, 
Swazieland  and  Northern  Matabeleland. 

Thorn  veld. — Veld  in  which  mimosa  trees  abound. 

"  Thorn  veldt,  however,  produces  park-like  scenery  and 
yields  valuable  fuel."  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony," 
p.  4,  1907.) 

Thousand  legs. — Julus  terrestris  is  known  by  this  name 
all  through  South  Africa. 

"  One  of  those  crawling  creatures  known  to  children  as 
thousand  legs — the  common  harmless  millipede."  (Fitz- 
patrick's  "  The  Outspan,"  p.  59,  1906.) 

Three  days'  rain. — After  a  protracted  drought  the  rains, 
when  once  they  have  begun,  frequently  continue  for  three 
days,  hence  the  expression. 

"  It  may  happen,  however,  that  a  three  days'  rain  comes 
on  (this  being  the  extent  of  time  over  which  these  rains  usually 
last)."     (Fleming's  "  Kaffraria,"  p.  44,  1853.) 

Three  days'  sickness. — A  sickness  of  short  duration  affect- 
ing cattle;  it  is  sometimes  called  Stijfziekte  (q.v.). 

"  The  scientific  term.  Ephemeral  fever,  as  well  as  the  lay 
term  Three  days'  sickness,  are  both  somewhat  appropriate,  as 

32 


498  AFEICANDERISMS 

in  the  great  majority  of  cases  the  disease  quickly  runs  its 
course  and  all  acute  symptoms  have  disappeared  at  the  end  of 
three  days."    ("  C.G.H.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  145,  August,  1909.) 

Three  star. — The  common  name  for  the  best  French 
brandy ;  it  refers  to  the  stars  stamped  on  the  side  of  the 
cork,  one,  two,  or  three  according  to  quality. 

"  In  the  up-country  towns  of  the  Transvaal  .  .  .  common 
brandy  is  retailed  at  Is.  and  Three  star  at  Is.  6d.  per  glass." 
(Atcherley's  "  Trip  to  Boerland,"  p.  32,  1879.) 

"Presented  us  with  a  bottle  of  Three  star  brandy,  and 
one  bottle  of  port  wine."  (Wood's  "  Through  Matabeleland," 
p.  32,  1893.) 

Throw  away,  To. — A  ewe  that  refuses  to  take  its  lamb  is 
said  to  "throw  away  ". 

Throw  wet,  To. — To  dash  water  upon.  A  Midlands 
farmer  will  say  of  wheels  the  spokes  of  which  have  become 
loosened  by  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere,  "I  must  throw 
them  wet,"  the  wetting  process  causing  them  to  swell  and 
so  to  become  tight.  The  expression  is  a  literal  rendering  of 
the  Dutch  Nat  gooien. 

Throw  with,  To. — This  is  another  form  of  expression 
common  in  the  Midland  Districts,  and  also  due  to  the  in- 
fluence of  Dutch:  e.g.  "He  threw  me  with  a  stone,"  "He 
threw  me  over  the  hedge  with  a  rock  ".  The  omission  of  the 
preposition  makes  the  sentence,  to  English  ears,  a  very  curious 
one.  Cf .  G.  Er  ivarf  mir  ein  Loch  in  den  Kopf.  He  threw 
a  stone  at  me  and  cut  my  head  open. 

Tick-bird. — (1)  See  Rhinoceros  bird.  (2)  Bubulcus  ibis 
is  also  so  called. 

"  I  remember  the  straw-hut,  the  shape  of  the  man's  bundle, 
the  line  where  the  shadow  fell  upon  his  foot,  and  the  tic-bird 
that  came  and  sat  near  you."  (Haggard's  "  Swallow,"  p. 
101,  1899.) 

Ticket. — See  Pass. 

"All  ordinary  natives  have  to  carry  a  ticket  or  pass,  so 
that  they  may  not  be  taken  up  and  shot  as  spies."  (Baden 
Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  75,  1897.) 

Tickey. — This  is  the  almost  universal  Cape  designation  of 
a  threepenny  piece ;  the  origin  of  the  word  is  not  quite  clear 
and  various  suggestions  have  been  made.  By  some  it  is  re- 
garded as  a  Kaffir  corruption  of  the  English  "  three-pence," 
i'tiki-peni  being,  they  say,  its  first  form ;  this  becoming  sub- 


AFKICANDEEISMS  499 

sequently  u-7io-tiM,  which  was  again  shortened  to  i-tihi ; 
the  word  in  this  form  being  adopted  by  traders  and  others, 
passed  into  general  South  African  currency.  This  suggested 
derivation  seems  to  me  to  be  untenable  for  the  following 
reasons :  {a)  The  intercourse  between  Kafifirs  and  Cape  Town 
was  never  very  great  until  quite  recent  years,  when  the 
Harbour  Board  at  Cape  Town  began  to  get  the  natives  down 
from  Kaffirland  to  work  as  labourers  at  the  docks,  {h)  The 
word  was  in  more  general  use  in  Cape  Town  for  a  threepenny 
piece,  even  so  late  as  forty  years  ago,  than  it  was  on  the 
frontier.  (c)  In  Kaffirland,  and  in  Pondoland  even  now, 
the  natives  usually  speak  of  a  threepenny  piece  as  i  peni, 
the  word  for  a  penny  being  i  duhilitje,  the  Kaffirized  form 
of  the  Dutch  dubbeltje.  {d)  The  phonetic  changes  involved 
in  turning  "  three-pence  "  into  tiki  are  unsupported  by  any- 
thing that  we  know  of  Kaffirized  English  or  Dutch  words. 
Another  suggestion  is  that  the  word  is  a  Kaffir  corruption, 
or  a  Kaffirized  form,  of  the  word  "  ticket,"  said  to  have  been 
the  name  applied  years  ago  to  the  "  Good-fors  "  (q.v.)  which 
did  duty  for  cash  when  cash  was  scarce.  But — apart  from 
the  preceding  observation  (b) — the  fact  that  the  Kaffir  word 
for  a  ticket  is  to-day,  and  appears  always  to  have  been,  i  Tikiti, 
certainly  does  not  support  this  conjecture ;  the  accent  is  on 
the  second  syllable.  (The  Kaffir  um  Tikito  was  originally 
apphed  to  those  who,  in  the  Kaffir  War  of  1878,  were  re- 
cognized as  loyal  by  a  ticket.  Among  the  Kaffirs  this  word 
was  used  as  meaning  "coward".)  I  submit  the  following 
suggestions :  {a)  We  have  evidence  that  a  word — the  em- 
phasized part  of  which  is  not  unlike  the  word  under  discussion 
— had  been  introduced  among  the  Hottentots  by  the  Portu- 
guese of  the  sixteenth  or  seventeenth  century,  and  had  obtained 
common  currency  among  them  for  "money" — Pataca,  a 
Portuguese  colonial  coin  worth  about  three  shillings.  Fifty 
years  ago  the  coolies  in  Cape  Town  were  still  using  the  word 
for  money  generally — see  "Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p. 
39,  1857.  Q})  According  to  Yule  and  Burnell's  "  Anglo-Indian 
Glossary,"  Art.  "  Pataca,"  the  word  was  "  also  used  in  Malay- 
alam,"  one  of  the  languages  spoken  along  the  Malabar  coast, 
whence  not  a  few  slaves  were  brought  to  South  Africa,  (c)  In 
the  form  patac,  a  small  coin,  this  word  was  in  use  in  France, 
and  would  most  likely  be  known  to  the  Huguenot  refugees  in 
the  Cape  :  II  ne  vaut  pas  un  patac^  It  is  not  worth  a  doit. 

32* 


500  AFEICANDEEISMS 

It  seems  much  more  probable,  all  circumstances  considered, 
that  the  word  "  tickey  "  should  have  originated  in  this  word, 
than  that  it  should  come  from  Kaffir  efforts  to  pronounce 
"  three  "  or  "  three-pence,"  or  that  it  should  come  from  the 
word  "ticket ". 

"  •  When  we  implored  them  to  the  best  of  our  ability  by 
signs,  to  sell  some  of  their  cattle  or  sheep  .  .  .  they  only 
uttered  two  words,  which  they  continued  repeating — "  Tabac, 
pataque".  .  .  .  None  of  us  had  either  tobacco  or  pataques, 
which  was  the  only  money  they  knew,  and  which  passed 
current  among  them'  (the  Hottentots).  Extract  from  a 
Siamese  narrative  of  a  shipwreck  and  journey  on  the  African 
coast,  taken  from  the  account  of  Tachard's  return  from  the 
second  expedition  to  Siam.  Amsterdam,  1689."  (See  "  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  i.  p.  31,  1857.) 

*'  Threepenny  bits  are  the  lowest  coins  which  are  in  general 
circulation  here  .  .  .  they  are  in  great  request  among  the 
Kaffirs  who  call  them  ticcys."  (Hutchinson's  "In  Tents  in 
the  Transvaal,"  p.  91,  1879.) 

"  Rewarded  with  no  smaller  sum  than  threepence,  or,  to 
give  it  its  familiar  colonial  name — a  tickey."  (Martin's 
"Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p.  212,  1890.) 

Tickey  nap. — A  game  of  Napoleon  or  nap,  in  which  the 
stake  agreed  upon  for  each  trick  is  a  "  tickey". 

"  When  I  saw  them  they  were  playing  tickey  nap."  (Fin- 
layson's  "A  Nobody  in  Mashonaland,"  p.  87,  n.d.) 

Ticks. — Ixodidae.  One  of  the  banes  of  the  colonial  farmer. 
The  fact  has  been  established  that  ticks  are  the  medium  by 
which  the  diseases  known  as  red-water,  heart-water,  and 
east-coast  fever  are  conveyed  from  one  area  to  another.  These 
pests  have  for  years  past  been  spreading  from  the  coast  in- 
land, and  are  now  common  enough  in  localities  where  not 
so  many  years  back  they  were  comparatively  unknown. 

"  I  had  rather  be  a  tick  in  a  sheep,  than  such  a  vahant 
ignorance."     (Shakespeare,  "  Troilus  and  Cressida,"  iii.  3.) 

"  As  these  tiques  or  acarides  seek  chiefly  for  bad  humour 
and  purulent  matter  in  sick  animals,  they  disappear  when  the 
cattle  are  in  good  condition."  (Arbousset's  "  Narrative,"  p. 
68,  1846.) 

"  There  are  several  kinds  of  the  insect  known  under  the 
name  of  the  tick  (ixodes)  found  in  Natal."  (Mann's  "  Natal," 
p.  168,  1859.) 


AFBICANDEBISMS  601 

Tierhout  or  Teerhout. — Loxostylis  alata. 

Tiffin. — (This  word  appears  to  be  a  survival  of  an  old 
English  colloquial  or  slang  term.  See  Yule  and  Burnell's 
"  Anglo-Indian  Glossary  ".)  Luncheon,  the  midday  meal. 
The  vp^ord  was  brought  by  Anglo-Indians  to  South  Africa. 

"  The  inns  sadly  need  reformation  ...  we  took  luncheon, 
however,  or  tiffin,  as  it  is  called  in  Africa,  at  one  of  them." 
(Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  9,  1852.) 

"  A and  I  finished  our  tiffin,  which  we  had  solemnly 

commenced  while  sticking  in  the  mud,  he  eating  his  rice- 
pudding,  and  I  taking  occasional  nibbles  at  the  large  apple 
pasty."     (Eoche's  "  On  Trek  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  300, 1878.) 

Tiger.— The  South  African  "tiger"  is  really  a  leopard, 
spotted  black  and  white  upon  an  orange-coloured  ground, 
and  in  appearance  and  habits  much  like  the  panther  of  India 
and  the  jaguar  of  South  America.  There  is  a  somewhat 
remarkable  variety  of  this  leopard  {Felis  pardus),  the  colora- 
tion and  marking  of  which  diverge  curiously  from  the  type. 
In  this  variety  the  black  spots  seem  to  have  increased  in  size 
until  they  have  fused,  and  on  the  back  and  sides  the  animal 
is  uniformly  black.  It  has  been  found  on  several  occasions 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Grahamstown,  and  a  specimen  has 
been  received  and  described  by  Dr.  Giinther  of  the  British 
Museum. 

"  Das  Fleisch  vom  Tieger  oder  Leoparden  ist  sehr  weiss." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  218, 1745.) 

"  In  the  zoology  of  South  Africa  the  leopard  is  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  tiger,  while  the  giraffe  sinks  to  an  ordinary 
camel."     (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  117,  1852.) 

Tiger-cat. — See  Tijger-kat  and  Wild  cat. 

"  The  wild  cat  or  tiger-cat,  as  it  is  generally  called,  the 
mshlosi  of  the  natives,  is,  I  believe,  irreclaimable."  ("  Queens- 
town  Free  Press,"  29  July,  1912.) 

Tiger=fish. — (1)  The  East  London  name  for  Ghilodactylus 
grandis,  known  also  as  the  River  and  Bank  steenbras.  (2) 
In  Port  Elizabeth,  Pristipoma  hennettii  has  received  this 
designation.  (3)  In  Natal  yet  another  fish — Therapon  Jarbua, 
Forsk — is  so  called.  (4)  Then  to  make  "confusion  worse 
confounded  "  it  appears  that  in  the  Transvaal  a  fresh-water 
fish  is  known  by  this  name. 

"  I  notice  under  the  heading  of  '  Remarks '  upon  the 
bank  steenbras,  tiger-fish  or  river  steenbras,  the  following : 


502  AFRICANDEEISMS 

'  Abundant  all  through  the  year.  Black  transverse  stripes, 
thick  lips,  and  grunts  when  caught.'  "  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," 31  October,  1905.) 

"  The  tiger-fish  of  Port  Elizabeth,  of  the  genus  Pristipoma, 
I  think."     ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  7  August,  1906.) 

"  As  to  fish,  the  king  of  rivers  is  no  doubt  the  tiger-fish, 
whose  huge  teeth,  long  and  sharp  as  needles,  placed  outside 
his  mouth,  and  fitted  into  sockets,  in  the  opposite  jaw,  have 
a  truly  formidable  appearance  and  make  him  a  dangerous 
enemy  indeed  to  those  of  the  finny  tribe  with  whom  he  comes 
in  contact."  ("Addresses,  etc.,  B.  and  S.A.A.A.S.,"  i.  p.  365, 
1905.) 

Tiger-shark. — See  Lui  haai. 

"  The  name  Tiger-shark  is  a  libel  on  the  monarch  of  the 
jungle.  It  is  applied  to  a  small  dog-fish  with  yellow  markings 
remotely  resembling  those  of  a  tiger."  (Gilchrist's  "  History 
of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p.  221,  1900.) 

Tiger  squeaker. — A  fish  caught  in  the  rivers  and  streams 
of  the  northern  Transvaal. 

"  Called  the  Tiger  squeaker  on  account  of  its  being 
marked  in  a  manner  similar  to  the  loach."  (Distant's  "A 
Naturalist  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  140,  1892.) 

Tiger  wolf. — Hyena  crocuta,  the  Spotted  hyena. 

"  There  are  two  kinds  of  hyenas  in  South  Africa ;  the 
spotted  one,  tiger-wolf  of  the  colonists,  is  commonest  and 
fiercest;  the  striped  or  strand-wolf  is  not  so  large  or  bold." 
(Methuen's  "Life  in  the  Wilderness,"  p.  135, 1848.) 

Tijger  kat. — Felis  serval.     Called  also  Tijger  bosch  kat. 

"  They  have  a  third  kind  of  cat  in  Africa,  which  ...  is 
called  at  the  Cape  tiger-kat  and  the  tiger  bosch-kat.  ...  I 
cannot  find  but  that  the  tiger-cat  is  the  same  animal  as  M. 
Buffon  calls  the  serval-cat."  (Sparrman's  "  Voyage,"  i.  p. 
151, 1785.) 

Tijger  slang. — Tarbophis  semiannulatus.  The  name  has 
reference  to  the  dark-brown  markings  (spots)  on  the  snake's 
body. 

Tikolosh. — (Kaf.  u  Tikoloshe.)  A  native  superstition 
which  says  that  there  is  a  mischievous  being,  living  usually 
in  water ;  he  is  very  short  and  has  a  hairy  tail,  and  is  always 
playing  hurtful  tricks.  He  is  also  known  as  u  Hili  and 
u  Gahe. 

"  One  might  be  dragged  into  the  watery  den  of  the  tiko- 


AFKICANDEKISMS  503 

losh,  or  be  spirited  away  by  the  '  lightning  bird '."  ("  East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  24  November,  1911.) 

Tilt,  Wagon. — (A.S.  teld,  a  tilt,  tent.)  The  canvas  "  sail  " 
M^ith  which  a  wagon  is  covered. 

Ting=ting. — (1)  Cisticola  terrestris.  The  name  is  onomato- 
poetic,  and  represents  the  metallic  note  of  this  bird.  (2)  The 
Kooibekje  (q.v.)  is  also  known  by  this  name. 

"  This  little  species  which  is  called  Ting -ting  by  the  Dutch 
colonists  is  very  similar  to  Cisticola  terrestris,  but  is  dis- 
tinguished by  its  very  short  tail."  (Layard  and  Sharpe's 
"Birds  of  South  Africa,"  p.  279,  1875-84.) 

Tin  house. — A  house  the  exterior  of  which  is  composed 
entirely  of  corrugated  iron. 

"Into  Mafeking?  Well,  there's  a  little  ^m  (corrugated 
iron)  house  and  a  goods'  shed  to  form  the  station."  (Baden 
Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  10,  1897.) 

Tinker  bird. — Barbatula  pusilla.  (1)  Both  in  Natal  and 
in  the  Cape  Colony  this  bird  is  known  by  this  name,  but  in 
some  parts  of  the  Cape  Colony  it  is  also  known  as  the  Anvil 
bird  (q.v.).  (2)  In  the  Transvaal  the  name  is  given  to  B. 
extoni. 

"  The  note  of  this  curious  little  bird  so  much  resembles  the 
tapping  of  a  hammer  on  an  anvil  (having  that  peculiar 
metallic  ring)  that  it  is  called  in  Natal  the  Tinker  bird." 
(Ayres,  quoted  in  Layard  and  Sharpe's  "  Birds  of  South 
Africa,"  p.  175,  1875-84.) 

Tink-tinky. — Cisticola  terrestris.     See  Ting-ting. 

"  The  boys  call  it  the  httle  Tinky  from  its  cry  of  '  tink, 
tink,  tink '."     (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  30,  1899.) 

Tip,  The. — A  slang  term  applied  to  information  not  avail- 
able to  the  public,  given  confidentially. 

Tiptol  or  Tiptolitje. — Birds  of  the  genus  Pycnonotus  are 
so  called. 

"  These  birds  (African  birds  of  the  genus  Pycnonotus) 
are  of  a  general  dark  brown  colour  above  and  are  known  by 
various  '  local '  or  vernacular  names,  such  as  Tiptol  in  the 
Eastern  Cape, '  Geelgat '  or  'Kuifkop'  of  the  Dutch,  *  Topknot ' 
or  '  Black-head  '  in  Natal.  It  is  also  occasionally  called  the 
'  Blackcap '."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South 
African  Bird  Life,"  p.  52,  1908.) 

Tjap. — (Hind,  chhdp,  the  impression  of  a  seal,  a  brand  or 
stamp ;  adopted  in  Mai.  chap,  an  impression,  a  mark ;  a  seal 


504  AFRICANDEEISMS 

or  signet ;  a  passport  or  licence ;  chapkan,  manchapi,  to 
impress  with  a  mark.  Both  Mansvelt  and  the  Patriot  Woorde- 
boek  refer  this  word  to  the  EngHsh  word  chap,  an  abbrevia- 
tion of  chapman,  meaning  "fellow,"  "lad".)  The  name 
occasionally  given  to  a  postage  stamp. 

"Asking  very  much  for  the  original  or  grant  itself  with 
the  Emperor's  chop  or  seal."  (Kaempfer's  "History  of 
Japan,"  iii.  p.  342.     Reprint.      Originally  published,  1727.) 

"  Chap,  sb.  5,  earlier  form  of  chop ;  Anglo-Ind.  stamp,  seal, 
hcence  (Hind,  chhdp)."     ("  Oxford  Dictionary,"  in  loc.) 

"  The  word  chop  is  hardly  used  now  among  Anglo-Indians 
in  the  sense  of  seal  or  stamp.  But  it  got  a  permanent  foot- 
ing in  the  Pigeon-English  of  the  Chinese  ports,  and  thence 
has  come  back  to  England  and  India  in  the  phrase  '  first 
chop,'  I.e.  of  the  first  brand  or  quality."  (Yule  and  Burnell's 
"Anglo-Indian  Glossary,"  Art.  Chop.) 

Tjoeki. — (Hind,  chauki,  a  police-station,  a  lock-up.)  This 
is  the  same  word  and  from  the  same  source  as  the  English 
slang  word  "choky,"  and  was  probably  brought  to  the  Cape 
by  British  troops  from  India. 

Toad  fish. — See  Blasop. 

Toad  locust. — One  of  the  Acridiidce — Methone  anderssoni 
— found  in  the  Karoo,  so  named  because  of  its  close  re- 
semblance when  in  a  crouching  attitude  to  a  toad. 

Toad -plants. — Certain  species  of  Asclepiads  are  so  called 
in  Natal. 

"  Among  the  Asclepiads  are  some  of  the  most  beautiful 
as  well  as  some  that  have  been  deemed  repulsive  enough  to 
be  termed  loathsome,  and  stigmatized  with  the  name  Toad- 
plants."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  454,  1868.) 

Toby — The  fishermen  of  Saldanha  Bay  have  given  this 
name  to  Hcematopus  moquini,  the  Black  oyster-catcher. 

Toering. — (Mai.  tiidung,  an  umbrella  hat,  or  a  hat  with  a 
very  broad  brim ;  the  word  seems  to  have  been  affected  in 
South  Africa  by  the  Dutch  word  tor  en,  a  tower,  steeple.) 
The  curious-looking,  pointed  hat  worn  by  the  Malay  coach- 
men. 

Tog:t. — (D.  tocht,  a  trade  expedition.)  A  trading  journey, 
labour  by  the  job. 

"  The  master  of  the  house  having  purchased  a  quantity  of 
arrack  .  .  .  was  about  to  set  off  in  the  morning  on  a  trip  into 
the  interior  ...  to  dispose  of  it  in  barter  for  oxen  and  other 


AFBICANDEEISMS  505 

articles  of  trade.  They  call  this  going  op  de  tocht."  (Lat- 
robe's  "Journal,"  p.  265,  1818.) 

"  Horses  have  been  discovered  amongst  those  of '  smouses  ' 
who  were  returning  to  the  upper  districts  after  a  some- 
what successful  togt"  ("  The  Queenstown  Free  Press," 
8  February,  1860.) 

"  No  doubt  you  would  be  pleased  to  shoot  some  of  the 
black  devils,  as  they  so  often  put  us  about  by  deserting — with- 
out even  the  possibihty  of  our  being  able  to  obtain  ^o^^even." 
(Turnbull's  "  Tales  from  Natal,"  p.  120,  1901.) 

Togt  boys. — In  Natal  natives  are  licensed  by  municipaHties 
to  ply  for  hire  as  labourers,  messengers,  etc.,  at  a  stated  wage ; 
they  are  provided  with  a  numbered  badge  and  are  known  as 
**  togt-boys  ". 

"  Durban.  A  Chinaman  refused  to  supply  a  small  quan- 
tity of  bread  and  sugar  to  a  togt  hoy  on  Saturday,  and  when 
the  latter  reached  over  the  counter  to  take  back  his  half- 
sovereign,  the  Chinaman  struck  him  with  a  knife  and  com- 
pletely severed  his  right  finger."  ("  Port  EHzabeth  Telegraph," 
Weekly  Edition,  2  September,  1898.) 

Togt  ganger. — A  man  who  goes  on  a  trading  expedition 
up  country. 

"  The  plant  (Prickly  pear)  was  first  spread  in  the  Colony 
by  transport  riders  or  togt  gangers  .  .  .  who  .  .  .  dropped 
the  seeds  at  outspans."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of 
the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  91,  1896.) 

Tok-tokje. — An  onomatopoetic  expression  with  several 
different  significations :  (1)  It  is  applied  to  a  beetle  of  the 
genus  Psammodes,  because  of  the  curious  tapping  noise  which 
it  makes  apparently  with  its  abdomen.  (2)  It  is  also  applied 
to  a  small  bird.  (3)  It  is  the  name  of  a  boy's  trick — a  bullet 
is  fastened  by  a  piece  of  thread  which  is  passed  through  a 
door-knocker  and  pulled  from  the  other  side  of  the  street  so 
that  it  knocks  at  the  door.     It  has  its  variants.     See  below. 

"Quaint  beetles  crawled  out  from  under  the  stones  and 
beat  their  soft  tok-tok-tok  on  the  ground,  signalling  to  pros- 
pective mates."  (Scully's  "  Between  Sun  and  Sand,"  p.  37, 
1893.) 

"  At  that  time  he  looked  more  like  a  big  tock-tockie  beetle 
than  a  dog."  (Fitzpatrick's  "  Jock  of  the  Bushveld,"  p.  61, 
1907.) 

"  The  evening  generally  starts  with  the  pleasant  game 


506  AFEICANDEEISMS 

known  as  tich-tock.  .  .  .  The  game  is  a  simple  one  and  is 
played  somewhat  as  follows :  You  .  .  .  select  a  window  the 
light  in  which  betokens  life  behind  the  drawn  blind.  You 
detach  a  trusted  member  of  your  force  who  must  stealthily 
approach  this  window  and  securely  pin  to  the  wooden  frame, 
between  the  panes,  one  end  of  a  stout  thread.  The  thread  is 
then  pulled  taut  like  a  violin  string,  and  a  piece  of  resin  is 
gently  rubbed  along  it.  The  weird  noise  that  this  simple  pro- 
cess causes  to  be  heard  by  those  inside  the  window  is  some- 
thing that  must  be  experienced  to  be  beheved.  The  result  is 
alarums  and  excursions  within."  ("  The  State,"  p.  586,  De- 
cember, 1911.) 

Tole. — (Kaf.  i  Tole,  a  calf  after  the  horns  have  appeared.) 
A  male  calf  of  a  few  months  old. 

"  You  hear  an  Englishman  speak  of  dobo  grass,  dongas, 
tollies,  tsholo,  etc.,  which  are  pure  Kaffir."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  7,  4  September,  1912.) 

Toll  bosch. — (1)  Boyena  pubescens.  (2)  Leucadendron 
species  are  so  called  because  of  the  resemblance  to  a  boy's 
top  (D.  tol,  a  top)  which  the  ripe  female  cones  bear. 

Tom  pike. — The  name  given  by  Lower  Albany  boys  to  the 
whirligig  beetle — Gyrinus. 

Tondel  or  Tonder. — (D.  tondel,  tinder.)  (1)  Tinder.  (2) 
The  name  is  also  given  to  a  plant — Hermas  gigentea — the  dry, 
woolly  leaves  of  which  are  sometimes  used  as  tinder.  It  is 
sometimes  called  "  Tondel-6oom,"  though  it  is  only  a  low  herb. 

"  The  wool  of  H.  gigantea  {Tundelhoom)  is  used  for  tinder." 
(Harvey's  "  Genera  of  South  African  Plants,"  p.  146,  1868.) 

"  Her7nas  gigantea,  the  Tontel  hloom,  has  the  leaves  pro- 
tected by  a  dense  hairy  covering  on  both  sides."  (Stoneman's 
"Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  81,  1906.) 

Tondel  blaren. — (D.  tondel,  tinder;  hlad,  a  leaf.)  The 
large,  woolly  leaves  above  mentioned. 

Tondo. — (Kaf.  um  Tondolo,  a  castrated  animal.)  A  cow- 
elephant  that  has  lost  or  failed  to  develop  one  of  its  tusks. 

"Especially  savage  is  a  Tondo,  or  one-tusked  cow,  the 
more  so,  of  course,  if  attended  by  young."  ("  Bloemfontein 
Post,"  p.  16,  7  September,  1912.) 

Tongblaar.— (D.  tong,  tongue ;  CD.  blaar,  a  leaf.)  The 
Western  Province  name  of  a  garden  weed. 

"  Tongblaar  saad  sterk  getrek  om  te  drink."  (Dijkman's 
"Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  133,  1898.) 


AFEICANDEEISMS  507 

Tongetje,  Klein. — (D.  klein,  small ;  tong,  the  tongue.) 
This  is  a  double  diminutive,  and  is  the  name  given  by  the 
Dutch  to  the  uvula. 

Tongvisch. — (D.  tong,  a  tongue ;  viscli,  a  fish.)  Three 
different  fishes  are  knov^n  by  this  name ;  two  species  of 
Synaptura  and  Cynoglossus  capensis.     See  Sole. 

Toothache  root. — See  Tandpijnwortel. 

Top-knot  or  Toppie. — (Early  Eng.  top,  a  tuft  of  hair 
on  the  head;  cf.  G.  Zopf,  pig-tail.)  Pycnonotus  layardi. 
See  Black-head  and  Snake-bird.  The  Natal  name  of  this 
bird. 

"  This  is  one  of  our  commonest  birds,  popularly  called  the 
Top-knot  from  its  black  crest."  (Woodward's  "  Natal  Birds," 
p.  20,  1899.) 

"  Doves  cooed  and  Topples  answered  each  other  obtrusively." 
(Eussell's  "  Old  Durban,"  p.  176,  1899.) 

Tornijn  haai. — (D.  tonijn,  the  tunny  ;  haai,  a  shark.)  The 
Porpoise  shark. 

Tortel  duif. — (D.  tortel  duif,  turtle  dove.)  Turtur  capi- 
cola,  the  ring-dove. 

"Amid  the  branches  hundreds  of  ring-doves — the  tortel 
duif  of  the  Boers — coo  softly  and  soothingly  in  the  pleasant 
warmth."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  138,  1889.) 

Tot. — A  common  South  African  term  for  a  dram ;  some- 
times for  the  tin  utensil  in  which  the  hquor  is  occasionally 
served. 

"  My  mihtary  cloak  is  rolled  on  the  saddle  in  front,  and 
a  tin  pot,  or  tot  in  colonial  parlance,  adorns  the  horse's 
crupper."     (Lucas's  "  Camp  Life  and  Sport,"  p.  151,  1878.) 

"  Whisky  was  four  shillings  a  tot  when  I  was  there." 
(Finlayson's  "  A  Nobody  in  Mashonaland,"  p.  176,  n.d.). 

Tottie.  —  A  common  abbreviation  of  the  word  "Hot- 
tentot ". 

Passing  over  the  stream  by  the  side  of  the  road, 
In  a  neat  little  garden's  a  Tottie  abode. 

(Hudson's   "Features   in    South    African    Frontier    Life," 
p.  25,  1852.) 

Toucan. — Lophoceros  melanoleucas.  This  bird — the  Ked- 
billed  hornbill — because  its  bill  gives  it  some  resemblance  to 
the  real  South  American  Toucan,  has  been  named  after  that 
bird.  This  bird  has  a  curious  habit — during  the  process  of 
incubation  the  male  bird  builds  the  female  into  the  nest 


508  AFEICANDEBISMS 

(which  is  generally  in  a  hole  in  a  tree)  by  plastering  up  the 
entrance  with  mud  in  such  a  way  that  she  cannot  escape, 
leaving  open  only  a  small  hole  through  which  to  feed  her 
while  thus  imprisoned. 

"  The  Hornbills  {Bucerotidce)  are  often  miscalled  Toucans 
by  the  colonists,  a  name  properly  applicable  to  a  purely 
American  family,  but  which  share  with  the  true  Hornbills  the 
character  of  a  grotesque  and  enlarged  bill."  ("  Science  in 
South  Africa,"  p.  140,  1905.) 

Touwtjesvleesch. — (D.  touw,  rope ;  vleesch,  flesh,  meat.) 
Thin  strips  of  mutton,  salted  and  dried. 

"  Touwtjesvleesch  zijn  smalle  strooken  schapen  vleesch,  goed 
gezouten  en  daarna  in  de  zon  gedroogd."  (Cachet's  "  De 
Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  106  n.,  1882.) 

Toverbosch. — (D.  tooveren,  to  enchant,  to  bewitch ;  bosch, 
wood,  forest.)  The  Boers  have  thus  designated  a  forest  in 
the  north  of  the  Transvaal,  in  which  the  natives  had  built 
their  kraals  for  "  doctoring"  purposes  and  ceremonies. 

"  Der  Wald  heisst  bei  den  Boeren  Toverbosch,  der '  Zauber- 
wald,'  weil  in  ihm  der  grosse  Zauberkraal  liegt,  in  welchem 
die  Zauber-  und  Eegen-macher  Hokuspokus  statt  findet." 
(Schiel's  "  23  Jahre  in  Siid-Afrika,"  p.  266,  1902.) 

Town  house. — (1)  The  municipal  head-quarters  in  Cape 
Town  (until  the  erection  of  the  new  city  hall  a  few  years 
back),  and  in  one  or  two  of  the  older  towns  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  are  thus  designated  (D.  stadhuis.)  (2)  A  small 
cottage  in  a  town  or  dorp,  belonging  to  a  farmer,  but  only 
occupied  by  him  when  in  town  for  business  purposes  or  to 
attend  nachtmaal. 

"  The  sheep  farmers,  who  make  any  pretension  at  all,  have 
their  little  town-house  in  Beaufort,  which  is  occupied,  once  a 
quarter  or  so,  when  the  nachtmaal  or  sacrament  draws  all 
good  followers  of  Zwinglius  to  church,"  (Boyle's  "  To  the 
Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  67,  1873.) 

"  Families  whose  farms  were  built  some  distance  from  it, 
built  town-houses  for  themselves."  (SelHck's  "  Uitenhage,  Past 
and  Present,"  p.  5,  1906.) 

Tramp,  To. — (D.  trappen,  to  tread  upon,  to  trample.) 
(1)  A  curious  use  of  this  word  prevails  in  many  parts  of 
South  Africa,  which  appears  to  be  due  to  the  influence  of  the 
Cape  Dutch  word  trap,  to  ride  or  drive  over  ;  e.g.  an  ox  that 
has  been  run  over  by  the  railway  train  is  said  to  have  been 


AFEICANDEKISMS  509 

"  tramped  "  by  the  train  ;  a  gate  that  has  been  smashed  by  a 
passing  wagon  is  said  to  have  been  "  tramped  "  by  the  wagon. 
(2)  The  South  African  housewife's  method  of  getting  clothes 
"  mangled  "  is  also  known  as  "  tramping  ".     See  quotation. 

"The  clothes  are  damped,  folded  straight,  and  piled  up 
carefully  into  a  large  square  on  a  blanket,  which  is  folded 
over  them.  They  are  then  put  on  the  floor  and  tramped  on 
.  ,  .  when  the  clothes  are  supposed  to  have  been  tramped 
sufficiently  they  are  hung  out  in  the  sun  to  air."  (Lownde's 
"  Every-day  Life  in  South  Africa,"  p.  95,  1900.) 

Transkei. — The  territory  across  the  Kei,  just  as  the  Trans- 
vaal is  the  territory  across  the  Vaal. 

"  He  subsequently  became  quite  a  celebrity  in  the  Tran- 
skei." (Prichard's  "  Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei,"  p.  6, 
1880.) 

Transport. — The  conveyance  of  goods  across,  or  up  country, 
by  wagon. 

"  Transport  in  Natal  was  in  1870  about  £2  10s.  Od.  to 
£2  15s.  Od.  per  cwt.  and  the  increase  in  cost  of  other  articles 
may  be  estimated  by  this."  (Baines'  "  Gold  Regions  of  South- 
east Africa,"  p.  9,  1877.) 

Transport  rider. — One  employed  in  the  conveyance  of 
goods  by  wagon.     See  Kurveyor. 

"  The  company  thus  created  a  class  of  transport-riders  and 
made  it  worth  their  while  to  engage  in  the  transport  of  copper 
ore  from  the  mines  to  the  sea-port."  ("  Cape  Monthly 
Magazine,"  iii.  p.  373,  1871.) 

Transport  riding. — The  occupation  of  driving  wagons  from 
one  place  to  another  for  the  conveyance  of  merchandise. 

"In  the  western  districts  transport-riding  has  been  fol- 
lowed generally  by  a  poor  class  of  men."  ("  Cape  Monthly 
Magazine,"  iii.  p.  372,  1871.) 

"  Of  the  farmers  .  .  .  the  most  successful  are  those  who 
stuck  to  farming  and  did  not  divide  their  attention  by  going 
in  for  transport-riding."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of 
the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  32,  1896.) 

Transport  wagon. — The  heavy  but  strongly  built  vehicle, 
which  at  one  time  was  the  sole  means  for  the  conveyance  of 
merchandise  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  another ;  it  is 
usually  drawn  by  from  fourteen  to  eighteen  oxen  yoked  in 
pairs. 

Transvaal. — The  territory  across  the  Vaal  River,  occupied 


510  AFEICANDEKISMS 

by  the  Boers  who  trekked  from  the  Orange  Free  State,  when, 
in  1848,  after  the  Battle  of  Boomplaats,  the  Queen's  authority 
over  the  Free  State  was  formally  proclaimed. 

"  By  the  last  mail  from  the  Transvaal,  we  have  received 
the  mournful  tidings  of  the  death  of  that  worthy  man  " 
(Commandant  A.  W.  J.  Pretorius).  ("  Zuid  Afrikaan,"  25 
August,  1853.) 

Transvaal  berg  bast. — Osyris  ahyssinica. 

Transvaal  sumach. — Another  name  for  Osyris  ahyssinica. 

Transvaal  tobacco. — Tobacco  grown  in  the  Transvaal  is 
very  mild,  and  once  the  flavour  has  been  acquired,  is  gener- 
ally preferred  to  any  other.  It  is  in  large  request  all  through 
South  Africa. 

"  The  common  plant  grown  in  the  country  by  the  name 
of  '  Boer '  or  Transvaal  tobacco  is  a  coarse  bastard  variety 
from  Sumatra."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the 
Cape  Colony,"  p.  477,  1896.) 

Trap. — (D.  trap,  stairs,  step.)  An  arrangement  at  the  back 
of  a  wagon  made  to  serve  the  double  purpose  of  a  step  and  a 
rack. 

"  Behind  the  after  axle  tree  is  fixed  the  trap  (or  step)." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  150,  1822.) 

"  Below  the  after  part  (of  the  wagon)  there  was  a  thing 
called  a  trap,  step  ;  it  was  like  a  hurdle,  and  had  kettles  and 
cooking  pots  fastened  to  it."  (Backhouse's  "Narrative,"  p. 
88,  1844.) 

"  A  lighter  heart  never  beat  than  hers  as  she  stepped  up 
the  trap  into  the  wagon."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  4 
December,  1861.) 

Trap. — A  person  employed  by  the  authorities  to  detect 
those  engaged  in  illicit  traffic,  whether  in  gold,  diamonds,  or 
liquor.  The  abuses  to  which  the  "  System  of  Trapping  "  has 
opened  the  way,  have  made  the  very  name  of  trap  utterly 
obnoxious  to  the  general  public. 

"  On  Saturday  night  a  trap,  a  native  in  the  employ  of  the 
police  .  .  .  entered  a  refreshment  saloon  in  Victoria  Street." 
("Queenstown  Free  Press,"  13  May,  1884.) 

"  Amusing  tales  are  told  of  how  the  excisemen  or  traps 
sent  to  try  to  obtain  evidence  of  illicit  dealings  were  hood- 
winked." (Sheffield's  "  Story  of  the  Settlement,"  p.  214, 
1884.) 

Trap-balle. — (D.  trappen,  to  tvea,d;  balie,a,  tub.)    A  wine- 


AFEICANDEEISMS  511 

press.  The  word  is  reminiscent  of  the  primitive  method 
employed  in  early  colonial  days  to  express  the  juice  from  the 
grapes. 

Trap-door  spider. — Family  Mygalidce.  (1)  This  medium- 
sized  spider  makes  a  curious  tubular  nest  in  the  earth,  the 
entrance  to  which  is  closed  with  an  operculum  as  with  a  sort 
of  trap-door ;  hence  the  name.  (2)  There  is  another  spider 
which  roofs  in  a  crevice  in  the  bark  of  a  tree,  lines  the  nest  with 
web  and  arranges  an  exquisitely  neat,  perfectly  fitting  trap- 
door at  each  end. 

"  More  familiar  to  Cape  colonists  is  the  trap-door  spider. 
His  '  diggings  '  are  in  the  form  of  a  perpendicular,  cylinder- 
shaped  box  ;  the  lid,  level  with  the  surface  of  the  ground,  is  so 
neatly  made  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  detect  it  when 
closed."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p. 
263,  1890.) 

"  There  is  a  species,  which  for  convenience  I  have  called 
the  Tree  trap-door  spider  .  .  .  these  build  their  houses  in 
trees."  (Kev.  N.  Abraham,  "  Wesley  Naturalist,"  p.  169, 
1887.) 

Trap  zoetjes.  —  (D.  trappen,  to  tread;  zoetjes,  softly, 
gently.)  (1)  Step  carefully,  walk  quietly.  (2)  A  name  given 
to  the  chameleon,  of  the  slow  movements  of  which  it  is  de- 
scriptive.    See  Jantje  trap-zoetjes. 

"  Mrs,  Disandt's  children  brought  me  a  cameleon,  or,  as 
the  Dutch  call  it,  a  trapsoetjes,  signifying  an  animal  that  walks 
cautiously."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  37,  1818.) 

"  As  many  novel  competitions  are  held  now-a-days,  we 
should  recommend  a  race  between  the  Graaff  Keinet  train  and 
a  trap-zoetjes  (chameleon),  and  feel  inclined  to  back  the 
chameleon."     ("  Midland  News,"  10  May,  1898.) 

Travellers'  joy. — Clematis  hr adnata .  The  bruised  or 
broken  stems  of  this  plant  exhale  a  volatile  principle  of  con- 
siderable pungency,  producing  sneezing.  It  is  used  to  remove 
the  stuffed  condition  of  the  nostrils  induced  by  a  cold. 

The  Eev,  A.  S,  Palmer  in  his  "  Folk  Etymology  "  says  : 
"  This  popular  name  for  the  clematis  presents  a  curious 
instance  of  a  word  originating  in  a  mistaken  etymology.  The 
French  name  for  the  plant  is  viornd,  shortened  from  Latin 
viburnum.  This  being  latinized  into  viorna  was  interpreted 
by  Gerarde  as  vi(am)-ornans,  the  plant  which  decks  the  road 
with  its  flowers  and  so  cheers  the  traveller  on  his  way,  and 


512  AFRICANDEBISMS 

Englished  accordingly  '  Traveller's  joy  '."  His  own  account 
is  as  follows  : — 

"  (It)  is  called  commonly  Viorna  quasi  vias  ornans,  of 
decking  and  adorning  waies  and  hedges,  where  people  travell, 
and  thereupon  I  have  named  it  the  Traveller  sjoie."  (Gerarde, 
"Herball,"p.  739,  1597.) 

"Clematis  or  Traveller's  joy  seeks  fresh  fields  by  means 
of  the  long,  hairy  styles  which  bear  the  ovaries  away." 
(Stoneman's  "Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p. 
149,  1906.) 

Tree  fern. — Hemitelia  capensis,  Br.  This  differs  from 
the  Eastern  Tree  fern  (q.v.)  in  being  nearly  twice  as  tall  with 
the  stem  only  half  as  thick. 

Tree  killer. — Ficus  natalensis  has  received  this  name  in 
Natal,  because  the  seed,  being  sometimes  deposited  in  the 
forks  of.  branches  of  other  trees,  sends  down  its  roots  in  such 
numbers  as  to  enclose  and  kill  its  host. 

Tree  maiden  hair. — Popularly  supposed  to  be  a  fern,  this 
plant  really  belongs  to  the  BanunculacecB — Thalictrum  rhyn- 
chocarpum. 

"  The  Tree  maiden-hair  which  is  plentiful  in  the  upper 
parts  of  the  Amatola  forests."  ("East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  7,  17  February,  1911.) 

Tree  rat. — See  Squirrel. 

Trek. — The  word  of  command  employed  by  wagon-drivers 
when  starting  oxen. 

"  At  length  all  was  ready  and  at  the  word  trek  the  oxen 
moved  slowly  off  over  the  sandy  plain."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp 
and  the  Veld,"  p.  18,  1852.) 

Trek,  A. — A  journey  by  wagon.  "  A  day's  trek,"  the  dis- 
tance covered  by  a  day's  wagon  journey. 

"  First  day's  trek  in  Lower  Albany  ...  a  Dutch  term, 
generally  pronounced  '  track,'  meaning  a  journey."  (Napier's 
"Excursions,"  ii.  p.  1,  1849.) 

Trek  Boers. — (1)  Boers  who,  without  any  settled  home, 
moved  from  place  to  place  in  their  wagons,  taking  family  and 
stock  with  them,  guided  principally  by  the  condition  of  the 
veld.  (2)  In  more  recent  times  the  phrase  has  been  applied 
to  those  Boers  who,  dissatisfied  with  British  rule,  in  1833 
and  during  subsequent  years,  trekked  from  the  Colony  across 
the  Orange  River,  to  what  was  then  practically  a  terra 
incognita. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  613 

"  The  next  day  we  met  a  Trek  Boer,  with  his  cattle,  who 
informed  us  that  eleven  lions  had  passed  the  day  before  in 
a  troop  along  the  route  we  were  pursuing."  (Steedman's 
"Adventures,"  ii.  p.  53,  1835.) 

"  All  the  most  intelligent  of  the  Trek  Boers  whom  I  have 
seen,  look  forward  with  dread  to  the  course  the  Government 
are  pursuing."  (Godlonton's  "  Case  of  the  Colonists,"  p.  14, 
1847.) 

"An  appeal  has  been  published,  signed  by  several  in- 
fluential gentlemen  in  Cape  Town,  for  affording  help  to  the 
Trekboers  who  migrated  from  the  Transvaal  in  1875." 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  19  September,  1875.) 

"  Grahamstown  men  first  went  through  the  then  unex- 
plored regions  to  Natal  and  far  away  beyond  up  to  Delagoa 
Bay,  long  before  the  nomad  trek  Boers  crossed  the  Drakens- 
berg."     ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  14  August,  1912.) 

Trek  bokken. — (1)  In  seasons  of  protracted  drought  up 
country,  the  Spring-bucks,  in  search  of  veld,  have  travelled 
down  into  the  Colony  in  enormous  herds  ;  they  are  then  called 
Trek-bokken.  (2)  The  designation  is  sometimes  transferred 
from  the  animals  to  the  movement. 

"  The  migration  of  the  spring-boks,  or  trek-bokken  .  .  . 
is  much  dreaded  by  the  farmers  of  the  Sneeuwberg  district." 
(Steedman's  "Adventures,"  ii.  p.  93,  1835.) 

"  Mr.  Evans  informed  us  that  during  this  last  great  trek- 
bokken  he  killed,  with  buck-shot,  no  less  than  five  bok  at  one 
shot."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  233,  1889.) 

Trek  duiker. — Graculus  capensis.  See  Cape  cormorant 
and  Duiker. 

Trek  farmers. — See  Trek  Boers  (1).  See  quotation  under 
Trek  sheep. 

Trek  fever. — The  insatiable  longing  which  possesses  the 
man  who  has  once  yielded  himself  to  the  spirit  of  wandering 
and  adventure  in  the  vast  areas  of  the  sub-continent  is  thus 
designated.  It  becomes  in  some  cases  almost  a  mania  and 
seems  to  be  irresistible. 

"  When  this  thing — this  instinct,  feeling,  craving,  call  it 
what  you  will — awakens,  as  it  periodically  does,  it  becomes  a 
madness,  and  they  call  it  trek-fever,  and  then,  as  an  old  friend 
used  to  say,  '  You  must  trek  or  burst '.  There  are  many 
stories  based  on  trek-fever."  (Fitzpatrick's  "  The  Outspan," 
p.  3,  1897.) 

33 


514  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Trekgoed. — (D.  trekhen,  to  draw,  to  pull ;  goed,  goods, 
things.)  The  touw  or  chain,  yokes,  yoke-skeys,  riems,  etc., 
used  in  inspanning  animals  to  a  wagon. 

"  Was  de  wagen  in  goeden  staat  van  reparatie  dan  ncioest 
er  voor  trekgoed  gezorgd  worden."  ("De  Worstelstrijd  der 
Transvalers,"  p.  104,  1882.) 

"  These  accidents  especially  as  far  as  trek-goed  is  concerned 
always  happen  when  they  are  least  expected,"  ("  Queenstown 
Kepresentative,"  p.  5,  27  January,  1912.) 

Trek  oxen. — The  term  applied  to  oxen  trained  to  the  yoke, 
as  distinguished  from  pack  and  slaughter  oxen. 

"  Has  two  spans  of  trek-oxen,  a  large  herd  of  cattle,  and 
several  horses."     (Mann's  "  Natal,"  p.  141,  1859.) 

Treksel. — (D.  treksel,  an  infusion.)  In  Cape  Dutch  the 
word  is  employed  of  the  material  infused. 

"  They  are  also  great  beggars,  generally  commencing  by 
soliciting  for  '  trexels,'  a  trexel  being  a  pound  of  tea  or 
coffee."    (Gordon  Cumming's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p.  141, 1850.) 

Trek  sheep. — Sheep  travelHng  long  distances,  either  for 
pasturage  in  times  of  drought  or  to  market  for  sale,  are 
known  as  trek-sheep. 

"  That  the  Government  be  requested  to  take  into  immedi- 
ate consideration  the  desirability  of  amending  the  railway 
tariff  for  trek-sheep  to  enable  trek  farmers  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  railway  when  moving  stock  to  winter  pasture." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  1  May,  1912.) 

Trek,  To. — (1)  To  pull,  as  oxen  at  the  yoke.  (2)  To 
travel,  or  set  out.  The  word  is  used  very  loosely ;  e.g.  I  must 
trek,  may  mean  to  travel  by  wagon  or  cart,  on  horseback  or 
on  foot ;  the  idea  of  pulling  or  hauling  belonging  to  the  Dutch 
trekken,  and  the  provincial  German  trecken  being  quite 
eliminated. 

"  The  patient  oxen  strove  with  all  their  might  to  trek 
(pull)."  (Kev.  T.  Smith,  "  Wesleyan  Methodist  Magazine," 
p.  1106,  1848.) 

"After  a  short  meal  trekked  again,  keeping  the  oxen,  as 
before,  in  the  yoke  till  daybreak."  (Baines'  "  Explorations," 
p.  26,  1864.) 

"  Het  is  eenigszins  moeielijk  om  niet-Afrikaners  een 
juisten  indruk  te  geven  van  hetgeen  men  in  Z.-Afrika  verstaat 
door  het  woord  trekken.  In  de  gewone  beteekenis  van  het 
woord  is  het  een  verkorting  van  '  wegtrekken,'  heentrekken 


AFEICANDEEISMS  515 

van  een  plaats,  een  plaats  verlaten.  Doch  men  '  trekt '  niet 
slechts  van  een  plaats,  maar  ook  naar  eene  plaats.  Trekken 
duidt  dan  aan  reizen,  met  het  doel  om  van  M^oonplaats  te 
veranderen,  voor  een  tijd  of  voorgoed."  (Cachet's  "  De 
Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  40  n.,  1882.) 

"At  half-past  three  we  saddled  up  and  trekked  to  the 
Shangani  Eiver."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Cam- 
paign, 1896,"  p.  281,  1897.) 

Trek  touw. — (D.  trekken,  to  haul,  drag;  touWtO,  rope.)  A 
strong  rope  of  twisted  riems,  by  which  the  wagon  is  hauled ; 
passing  along  the  length  of  a  span  of  oxen  it  is  attached  to 
the  disselboom  of  the  wagon,  and,  having  the  yokes  fastened 
to  it  at  suitable  intervals,  the  oxen  pull  upon  it  in  pairs,  one  on 
each  side.     A  chain  is  now  often  used  instead  of  a  trektouw. 

"  To  restrain  the  oxen  from  straying  away  in  the  night, 
we  placed  the  wagons  in  a  circle,  and  connected  them  to- 
gether by  the  trektouws,  to  which  and  to  the  wheels  our  cattle 
were  made  fast  with  riems."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p. 
450,  1822.) 

"  The  trek-chain  or  hide-rope  (trek-tow)  runs  along  be- 
tween each  pair  of  oxen."     (Mann's  "  Natal,"  p.  207,  1859.) 

Trevers. — See  Ewa  trewa. 

"  Satyrium,  a  very  large  genus  containing  many  species. 
.  .  .  The  colonists  call  them  trevers."  (Burton's  "  Cape 
Colony  To-day,"  p.  280,  1907.) 

Tril  visch. — (D.  trillen,  to  tremble,  shake ;  visch,  a  fish.) 
Jelly  fish  are  known  by  this  name  in  the  Western  Province 
Districts. 

Tripple,  A. — (D.  trippelen,  to  trip  along.)  A  pace  which 
seems  to  be  peculiar  to  South  African  horses,  something 
between  rapid  walking  and  a  canter. 

"  The  tripple  is  a  sort  of  shufHing  canter  on  three  legs, 
peculiar  to  the  Cape,  and  a  horse  that  possesses  it  commands 
a  higher  price  than  its  fellows."  (Bryden's  "Kloof  and 
Karoo,"  p.  14,  1889.) 

Trippler,  A. — A  horse  having  the  above  pace. 

"  Those  who  possess  this  accomplishment  to  perfection  are 
in  high  estimation  among  the  Dutch,  who  call  them  trippe- 
laarsr     (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  37,  1852.) 

"  Since  that  event  (he)  had  only  ambled  about  on  a  trippler 
warranted  not  to  shy."  (Cole's  "  The  Cape  and  the  Kafdrs," 
p.  259,  1852.) 

33  * 


516  AFEICANDEKISMS 

Tripple,  To. — To  travel  at  the  pace  above  described. 

Tronk,  The. — (Port,  tronco,  the  stocks;  Mai.  trungku,  to 
imprison.)  This  word  for  a  prison  or  lock-up  is  common  all 
through  South  Africa.  Mansvelt  says  that  the  word  occurs 
in  the  Stellenbosch  Archives  of  1710 ;  he  mentions  as  pos- 
sible origins  the  F.  tronc,  a  box,  and  the  Persian  turang,  a 
prison,  with  a  leaning  toward  the  former ;  but  it  is  probable 
that  the  word  was  introduced  into  South  Africa  by  the  Malays 
as  suggested  above. 

"  It  is  true  that  by  the  laws  of  the  Colony,  a  master  or 
mistress  is  forbid  to  punish  a  slave,  but  must  send  him  to 
the  trunk  or  jail  for  punishment,  by  the  fiscal  or  his  men." 
(Fisher's  "  The  Importance  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  p. 
139,  1816.) 

"  The  landdrost  showed  us  the  church  and  the  prison, 
here  called  the  tronk."     (Latrobe's  "Journal,"  p.  77,  1818.) 

Trumpeter  hornbill. — Bycanistes  buccinator.  The  beak 
of  this  bird  (the  male)  has  an  enormous  casque  shaped  Uke  a 
trumpet,  hence  the  name. 

"  Of  the  family  of  Hornbills  {Bucerotidce)  two  genera 
are  forest-loving  birds,  the  first  representative  being  the 
Tru77ipeter  hornbill  {Bycanistes  buccinator)."  (Haagner  and 
Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  105, 
1908.) 

Trumpet  lily. — A  Natal  name  for  Bichardia  africana. 
See  Lily  of  the  hill  and  Pig  hly. 

"  In  South  Africa  there  are  only  three  genera  (Aroidece), 
two  being  in  Natal,  and  the  third  the  common  Trumpet  lily 
or  *  Lily  of  the  hill '."  (Henslow's  "  South  African  Flowering 
Plants,"  p.  273,  1903.) 

Trumpets. — The  name  given  in  the  Cape  Peninsula  to  the 
trumpet-shaped  calyx  of  the  Ecklonia  buccinalis ;  when  dry 
the  children  cut  them  to  various  lengths  and  blow  them  hke 
trumpets,  hence  the  name.     See  Zee  bambos. 

"On  10  November  we  saw  for  the  first  time  trumpets,  or 
sea-bamboo,  floating  on  the  ocean  ;  this  is  a  thick  reed  with 
large  pointed  leaves,  and  a  calyx  resembling  the  mouth  of  a 
trumpet,  whence  it  has  its  name."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyages," 
I.  p.  25,  1798.) 

Tsaa  1 — (Kaf.  uku  Tsatsa,  to  run  quickly,  to  make  speed.) 
The  common  South  African  expression  when  urging  a  dog 
to  attack. 


AFEICANDERISMS  517 

"  Mr.  Fereira  .  .  .  encouraged  the  dogs  by  the  usual  cry 
of  zaza,  zaza."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  180,  1818.) 

"  It  was  very  well  to  punish  the  dogs,  but  what  was  to 
happen  to  the  owner  of  the  dogs  who  stood  by  urging  them 
on  and  crying  tsaa?"  (Fitzpatrick's  "Transvaal  from 
Within,"  p.  216,  1900.) 

Tsama  water  melon. — (Hot.  tsamas,  the  wild  water- 
melon.) Gitrullus  vulgaris,  var.  This  plant  is  a  native  of 
the  Kalahari  desert,  where  its  fruit  often  affords  the  only 
supply  of  water  for  travellers  and  their  animals  crossing  that 
arid  region.  The  watery  contents  of  this  melon  are  taste- 
less. 

"Die  Tsama  (wilde  Wasser-melone),  welche  in  guten 
Regen-Jahren  dort  in  Menge  wachst,  so  das  der  Boden  damit 
stellenweise  wie  iibersaet  ist,  liefert  Reisenden  und  Jagern 
sammt  ihren  Thieren  von  Juni  bis  September  und  October 
das  zum  Leben  nothige  Nass."  (Kronlein's  "  Wortschatz 
der  Khoi-Khoin,"  p.  263,  1889.) 

Tsetse. — (Sech.  ntsintsi-a-tsetse,  the  fly  flea.)     See  Fly. 

"  During  the  rainy  season  especially  they  are  infested  by 
a  large  species  of  gad-fly  .  .  .  the  bite  of  which  .  ,  .  proves 
fatal  to  cattle."     (Harris's  "  Wild  Sports,"  p.  231,  1839.) 

"  But  the  impugani  (the  fly  which  is  known  by  the  name 
of  tsetse  .  .  .  )  is  the  most  dangerous  and  feared  insect  in  the 
country."  (Thomas'  "  Eleven  Years  in  Central  South  Africa," 
p.  139,  1872.) 

Tsetse  country  or  Tsetse  fly. — The  tracts  of  country  in- 
fested by  the  Glossina  morsitans.  These  do  not  always  remain 
the  same  ;  if  the  game  is  driven  out  or  the  bush  cut  down,  the 
fly  will  leave  the  neighbourhood,  to  return  again,  however, 
if  and  when  the  conditions  are  favourable  to  its  existence. 
See  Fly  country. 

"  We  followed  it  until  the  herd  escaped  into  the  Tsetse- 
fly.''  (Baines'  "  Gold  Regions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p.  41, 
1877.) 

"  Persons  travelling  must  seek  for  the  latest  information 
on  this  point  when  approaching  the  borders  of  a  Tsetse- 
country."     (Ibid.,  p.  89.) 

Tshokka. — An  onomatopoetic  name  given  to  the  cuttle- 
fish ;  it  refers  to  the  peculiar  sound  it  makes  when  taken  out 
of  the  water. 

"  Though  not  a  fish  the  Tschokka  may  be  mentioned.  .  .  . 


518  AFEICANDEKISMS 

It  (the  name)  is  applied  to  the  cuttle-fish  or  squid,  on  account 
of  the  peculiar  noise  it  makes  when  landed."  (Gilchrist's 
"  History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p.  224,  1900.) 

Tsholo. — (Kaf .  in  Tsholo,  a  vocal  concert ;  uku  Tsholoza  is 
used  of  the  singing  and  hand-clapping  of  the  women  at  a 
native  dance.)     Occasionally  used  of  a  native  concert. 

"  You  hear  an  Englishman  speak  of  dobo  grass,  dongas, 
tollies,  tsholo,  etc.,  which  are  pure  Kaffir."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  7,  4  September,  1912.) 

Tucker. — A  slang  word  for  food. 

"  Fossicking  .  .  .  with  varying  success,  at  times  earning 
only  his  tucker,  at  others  rising  to  comparative  wealth  on  the 
discovery  of  rich  '  pockets  '."  (Glanville's  "  The  Fossicker," 
p.  241,  1891.) 

Tuin. — (D.  tuin,  a  garden  ;  cf.  Eng.  ton,  town,  an  enclos- 
ure, a  farm — as  in  Wyclif's  "  Sentehym  into  his  toun  to  fede 
swyn  "  (Luke  xv.  15).  In  Enghsh  the  word  has  extended  its 
meaning,  while  in  Dutch  it  still  means  a  piece  of  ground  en- 
closed for  cultivation.)    An  enclosed  piece  of  ground,  a  garden. 

"  Akkertji,  tuin — of  bloem — bed."  (Mansvelt's  "  Proeve," 
p.  6,  1884.) 

"  For  long  the  part  between  Orange  and  Wale  Streets 
was  called  the  Compagnie's  Tuijn,  Company's  Garden." 
(Trotter's  "  Old  Cape  Colony,"  p.  26,  1903.) 

Tulband. — (D.  tulband,  a  turban.)  Lilium  martagon,  the 
flower  of  which  resembles  somewhat  this  oriental  style  of 
head-dress  ;  it  is  known  in  England  as  the  Turk's  cap. 

Tulp. — (D.  tulp,  a  tulip.  This  and  the  preceding  word, 
Tulband,  are  both  to  be  traced  to  the  same  origin,  viz.  Pers. 
dulband,  a  turban,  which  is  said  to  be  compounded  of  dulai 
(du,  two  ;  lai,  fold)  and  band,  a  band.)  The  name  is  apphed 
to  a  variety  of  bulbous  plants  known  to  be  injurious  to  cattle  ; 
among  them  the  handsome  Homeria  collina,  Ker.,  or  "  tulp- 
bloem,"  and  various  species  of  Morcea. 

"Vegetable  poisons  exist  in  many  parts  of  Africa,  the 
tulp  in  Cape  Colony  and  Natal,  the  maghauw  in  the  Trans- 
vaal." (Baines'  "  Gold  Eegions  of  South-East  Africa,"  p. 
154,  1877.) 

"  The  tubers  of  some  species  of  Morcea  are  said  to  be 
poisonous,  and  the  leaves  are  called  by  the  Dutch  and  colon- 
ists Tulp  or  '  Tulip,'  and  are  certainly  deleterious  to  cattle." 
(Wood's  "  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  128,  1907.) 


AFKICANDERISMS  519 

Tulpboom. — (D.  tulp,  a  tulip  ;  hoom,  a  tree.)  Protea  melli- 
fera.  (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  132,  1823.)  See 
Sugar  bush. 

Tumble- bug. — Several  beetles  of  the  sub-family  Scara- 
haincB  are  so  named ;  the  reference  is  to  their  habit  of  roll- 
ing a  ball  of  dung  about  as  a  nidus  for  their  young.  See 
Mistkruier. 

"It  was  probably  an  exaggerated  tumhle-hug,  a  common 
beetle."  (Finlayson's  "A  Nobody  in  Mashonaland,"  p.  27, 
n.d.) 

Turkey  berry. — Another  name  for  the  fruit  of  Plectrofiia 
ventosa.     See  Schaapendrolletjes. 

Turkey  buzzard. — See  Brom  vogel. 

"  This  is  a  ground  bird  and  not  generally  recognized  as  a 
'  Hornbill,'  being  known  amongst  colonists  as  the  Turkey 
Buzzard."     (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds,"  p.  97,  1899.) 

Turksvij. — (D.  vijg,  a  fig.)  The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  the 
Prickly  pear. 

"An  orange  flowered  Opuntia  which  seems  to  be  natur- 
alized here  and  is  called  Turkish-Jig,  is  common  on  some  sandy 
ground."       (Backhouse's  "Narrative,"  p.  123,  1844.) 

Turpentine  grass. — Cymbopogon  excavatus  {Hochst.)  Stapf., 
and  other  grasses,  are  known  by  this  name  in  Bechuanaland. 

Turpentine  tree. — Another  Transvaal  name  for  Copaifera 
mopane,  Kirk.     See  Ironwood  tree. 

Twaalf-uur. — (D.  twaalf,  twelve  ;  uur,  hour.)  (1)  Twelve 
o'clock.  (2)  Often  used  as  synonymous  with  "dinner-time," 
even  when  the  dinner-hour  is  other  than  noon. 

Twa-gras. — Aristida  brevifolia,  Stend.,  growing  in  the 
upper  region  of  the  Karoo. 

"Between  them  and  the  road  could  be  seen  the  figure  of 
a  man  sitting  on  a  doubled-down  tussock  of  twa-gras." 
(Scully's  "Between  Sun  and  Sand,"  p.  131,  1898.) 

Tweekop  slang. — (D.  twee,  two ;  kop,  a  head ;  slang,  a 
snake.)  Typhlops  bibronii,  a  small  snake  which  appears  to 
have  a  head  at  each  end.  See  Aard  slang.  The  name  is 
also  applied  to  the  blunt-tailed  Glauconidce  snakes. 

"  The  little  black  blind-snakes,  tweekop  slangen  {Glau- 
coma)."    ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  11, 17  December,  1910.) 

Twelve  Apostles,  The. — The   twelve    side    buttresses    of 

Table  Mountain  running  between  Sea  Point  and  Hout  Bay. 

"  From  Hout's  Bay  valley  a  broad  hoek  pierces  the  moun- 


520  AFBICANDEKISMS 

tain,  enclosed  on  the  seaward  side  by  the  Twelve  Apostles,  and 
on  the  other  side  by  the  broken  irregular  ground  which  is 
joined  to  the  peninsular  range  by  the  pass  above  Constantia." 
(Noble's  "  The  Cape  and  its  People,"  p.  240,  1869.) 

Twin  sisters. — The  flowers  of  Streptocarpus  rexii  are  known 
by  this  name  in  the  Eastern  Province  ;  the  flowers  are  usually 
in  pairs.     See  Gloxinia. 

"  That  pretty  shade-loving  flower,  popularly  known  as 
Twin-sister."    ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5, 13  June,  1910.) 

Twitch. — A  local  name  for  several  varieties  of  quick  or 
couch  grass,  of  which  there  are  no  lack  in  South  Africa. 

Tyolo. — (Kaf.  i  Tyolo.)  A  separate  bush,  or  a  clump  of 
bushes  standing  alone. 

"  On  the  right  a  bush-clad  slope  breaks  away  into  tyolos." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  24  November,  1907.) 

Tywala. — (Kaf.  u  Tywala,  beer,  any  fermented  liquor.) 
A  fermented  liquor  made  from  Kaffir  com,  generally  light 
enough  by  itself,  but  when  fortified  by  Cape  smoke,  as  it 
sometimes  is,  its  efl'ect  is  almost  maddening. 

"  Offering  them  their  '  stirrup  cup '  in  some  chullah,  or 
maize  beer."     (Fleming's  "Southern  Africa,"  p.  329,  1856.) 

"  A  bundle  of  imphee  and  a  large  bowl  of  outchualla 
(native  beer)."     (Holden's  "  Kaffir  Eaces,"  p.  52,  1866.) 

"  They  had  been  induced  to  drink  utyala  or  native  beer." 
{JUd.,  p.  63.) 

Uglies. — A  framework  of  wire  covered  with  some  light 
material  and  attached  to  the  front  of  the  bonnet  by  which 
the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  "  Settlers  "  secured  shade  for 
their  eyes  and  their  complexions. 

Uiispeel. — (D.  uilenspiegel,  the  owl's  mirror ;  a  wag,  jester ; 
cf.  G.  Eulenspiegel,  same  meaning.)  As  employed  in  Cape 
Dutch  this  word  means  a  wag,  a  braggart,  a  fool. 

"  One  other  volume  .  .  .  was  a  Dutch  translation  of  the 
German  Uhler-spiegel,  a  term  which  has  become  proverbial 
in  this  country  under  the  guise  of  Uiispeel,  and  is  still  exten- 
sively used  for  one  who  is  an  egregious  ass."  (Sellick's 
"Uitenhage,  Past  and  Present,"  p.  vii,  1905.) 

Uitlander. — (D.  uitlander,  an  ahen,  a  foreigner.)  This 
word  has  become  famihar  to  Englishmen  the  world  over,  in 
connexion  with  the  events  which  brought  on  the  recent 
Anglo-Boer  War ;  it  means  a  foreigner  and  is  also  employed 
as  an  adjective. 


AFEICANDEBISMS  521 

"  Spitsvondige  redeneeringen,  in  den  Volksraad  bijv.  van 
den  een  of  anderen  TJitlander — verloopen  advocaat  of  mis- 
lukte  predikant  misschien — kunnen  zij  zelden  behoorlijk 
ontrafelen,  doch  zij  worden  door  hun  gezond  verstand  geleid, 
om  den  strik  te  ontkomen,  die  hun  gespannen  wordt." 
(Cachet's  "  De  Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  420,  1882.) 

"It  seems  to  be  the  prevailing  idea  with  the  members, 
both  of  the  Association  and  of  the  League,  that  hitherto  the 
election  of  their  Members  of  Parliament  has  been  too  much 
in  the  hands  of  the  uitlander  element."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  8  January,  1884.) 

"  The  foreigners  who  owe  no  allegiance  to  the  Free  State, 
will  invite  any  power  in  that  will  secure  to  them  the  plunder 
they  have  stolen.  .  .  .  The  Uitlanders  have  no  gold  in  their 
own  barren  lands,  nor  love  for  the  Free  State  as  patriots." 
(Boon's  "  Immortal  History  of  South  Africa,"  ii.  p.  539, 1885.) 

"  Viewed  from  this  standpoint  the  Uitlander  grievances 
were  an  inexhaustibly  rich  and  payable  mine."  (Reitz's  "  A 
Century  of  Wrong,"  p.  61,  1900.) 

Uitsmeer. — (D.  uit,  out  of,  from  ;  smeren,  to  smear.)  In 
the  Patriot  Woordeboek  this  word  is  explained  as  meaning 
"  to  whitewash  a  floor  (with  cow-dung)  ".     See  Smear. 

Uittrek. — (D.  uittrekken,  to  draw  out,  extract,  undress.) 
To  pull  or  draw  out,  to  undress. 

Uitwicks. — (G.  auswichsen,  to  thrash  soundly;  wichsen, 
to  thrash.)     To  whip  thoroughly,  to  flog. 

Ulundi. — (Zulu,  u  Lundi,  the  high  place.)  The  royal 
kraal  of  Cetewayo,  which  was  burned  by  Lord  Chelmsford 
after  the  battle  of  Ulundi,  4  July,  1879. 

Umbrella  thorn. — Acacia  spirocarpa,  Hochst.  is  so  named 
in  the  Transvaal. 

Umfaan. — (Zulu,  um  Fana,  a  small  boy,  a  boy.)  The  term 
is  applied  in  Natal  to  the  Zulu  boys  who  are  employed  by  the 
Colonists  to  look  after  small  children ;  indeed,  in  some  parts 
of  the  "  Garden  Colony  "  the  word  has  almost  become  the 
equivalent  of  the  English  word  "  nurse  ". 

"  The  Kafi&r  umfane  (boy),  when  he  becomes  an  indola 
(?  indoda)  (man),  shaves  his  head  and  sews  to  his  scalp  a 
circular  coronet  of  reeds."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  213,  1852.) 

"  Your  wife  ...  if  she  be  so  lucky  as  to  have  floors  at  all, 
will  make  that  lazy  '  Jim  '  or  that  provoking  Oomfan  clean 


5^2  AFHTCAKDEBISMS 

them  for  her."  (Eoche's  "  On  Trek  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  39, 
1878.) 

Umfazi. — (Kaf.  ww  Fazi,  a  woman,  a  wife.)  The  term 
applied  by  the  Kaffirs  to  a  married  woman. 

"  In  conversation  the  Kaffir  frequently  classes  his  umfaz 
(wife)  and  iqegu  or  pack-ox  together."  (Kay's  "  Caffrarian 
Eesearches,"  p.  142, 1833.) 

Umfundis. — (Kaf.  um  Fundisi,  a  teacher ;  uku-fundisa,  to 
inform  the  mind.)  The  word  is  generally  employed  by  the 
natives  of  or  to  a  missionary  or  minister,  because  in  the 
earliest  days  of  mission  work  among  them,  the  missionaries 
were  also  the  teachers  in  the  schools. 

"  Never  have  we  been  safe,  but  the  Umfundis  shall  be  our 
bush."     (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Eesearches,"  p.  73,  1833.) 

Umlungu. — (Kaf.  um  Lungu,  a  white  man,  a  civihzed  per- 
son.)    A  white  man,  a  European. 

"  It  could  only  have  been  English  umlungos  or  drunken 
men  who  would  have  taken  the  drift  on  such  a  night." 
(Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  63,  1889.) 

Umsimbiti. — (Kaf.  in  Tsimbi,  iron  ;  iti,  the  plural  of  imiti, 
wood.)  Millettia  cajfra.  A  well-known  wood  used  for  making 
knob-kiries. 

"  The  flames  of  the  fire  died  down  and  the  embers  of  the 
zimhoti  wood  glowed  dull  red."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  9,  10  July,  1912.) 

Umsobosobo. — (Kaf.  um  Sobo.)  The  name  given  by  the 
natives  to  the  fruit  of  Solanum  nigrum.  Though  poisonous 
in  England,  the  little  black  berries  are  eaten  with  impunity 
in  South  Africa,  and  made  into  jam. 

"  In  South  Africa  where  it  is  a  very  common  weed  (it  is) 
known  to  most  people  by  its  native  name,  Umsobosobo." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  24  July,  1909.) 

Umtamboti. — (Zulu,  um  Tamboti,  a  poisonous  tree.)  Ex- 
coecaria  africana.  The  sap  of  this  tree  is  very  virulent ;  a 
drop  in  the  eye  has  been  known  to  cause  blindness. 

Umzimkulu. — (Kaf.  umzi,  place,  residence ;  kulu,  great.) 
A  river  on  the  east  coast. 

Umzimvubu. — (Kaf.  umzi,  place ;  im  Vubu,  the  hippopo- 
tamus.) The  native  name  of  the  river  known  to  the  colonists 
as  St.  John's  Eiver. 

Umzinyati. — (Kaf.  umzi,  place  ;  in  Yati,  a  buffalo.)  A 
tributary  of  the  Tugela. 


AFRICANDEBISMS  523 

Unyoking. — The  word  in  common  use  all  over  South 
Africa  is  "  outspanning  "  and  for  "  inyoking  "  "  inspanning  ". 

"  I  shall  not  trouble  the  reader  with  the  monotonous  detail 
of  an  African  journey,  daily  inyoking  and  unyoking,  sand 
here  and  stones  there."  (Moffat's  "South  Africa,"  p.  31, 
1846.) 

Up  country. — An  expression  in  constant  use,  but  without 
any  real  definiteness,  except  that  it  may  be  taken  to  indicate 
any  part  beyond  a  fair  distance  from  the  capital  or  from  the 
coast. 

"  The  sea !  who  that  has  lived  up  country  for  some  years 
does  not  remember  the  delight  .  .  .  which  the  first  sight  of 
that  broad  expanse  of  water  kindles  in  the  breast."  (Hob- 
son's  "At  Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  509,  1884.) 

"  The  transport- wagon  for  up  country  .  .  .  costs  about 
£100."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony," 
p.  437,  1896.) 

Upstals.  —  (D.  opstal,  superstructure,  premises.)  The 
buildings,  etc.,  on  a  Loan  Farm  (q.v.)  which  were  the  pro- 
perty of  the  holder  of  the  lease.     See  Opstal. 

"  The  buildings  .  .  .  the  vineyards  and  fruit  groves 
planted,  called  the  upstals,  were  saleable  like  any  other  pro- 
perty, and  the  lease  continued  to  the  purchaser."  (Barrow's 
"  Travels,"  ii.  p.  379,  1804.) 

Up  to. — A  slang  phrase  expressing  the  idea  of  obligation, 
onus. 

"  It  is  up  to  the  Agricultural  Department  to  introduce  an 
instrument  which  can  be  sold  at  a  reasonable  cost  to  tank- 
holders  and  which  will  help  them  to  gauge  the  strength  of 
their  tanks."  ("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  3, 10  November, 
1911.) 

Usobantu. — (Kaf .  U'so,  contraction  of  Uyise,  his  father ; 
bantu,  the  people;  lit.  "Father  of  the  people".)  This  was 
the  name  by  which  Bishop  Colenso  was  known  among  the 
natives  of  Natal,  to  whom  he  was  always  a  devoted  friend. 

Utixo. — This  term  is  in  general  use  among  the  Kaffirs  and 
Fingoes  for  the  Supreme  Being.  There  appears  to  be  little 
doubt  that  it  was  originally  the  Hottentot  word  which  Kolben 
gives  in  his  hst  of  Hottentot  words  as  Tiquoa,  and  as  being 
the  word  for  God  ;  it  is  still  in  use  among  the  Korana  and 
Namaqua  Hottentots.  The  word  would  seem  to  have  been 
adopted  by  the  early  missionaries  in  the  translation  of  the 


624  AFKICANDEKISMS 

Scriptures  into  Kaffir,  to  supply  a  want  which  the  Kaffir 
language  did  not  meet,  with  the  result  that  now  it  is  used 
by  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  Kaffir-speaking  peoples. 

"  Nach  unzehlichen  Nachforschen,  und  vermittelst  vieler 
ausdriicklichen  Erklarungen,  welche  mir  die  Hottentotten 
selbsten  gethan,  habe  ich  endlich  fiir  gewiss  befunden,  dass 
sie  glauben,  es  sey  ein  hochster  Gott,  der  alles  verschaffen.  .  .  . 
Sie  glauben  auch  dass  dieses  hochste  Wesen  unbegreifliche 
Vollkommenheiten  und  Eigenschaften  besitze.  Sie  nennen 
es  Gounja  Ticquoa,  das  ist :  Gott  der  Gotter."  (Kolben's 
"  Beschreibung,"  p.  95,  1745.) 

"  They  (the  Koosas  or  Xosas)  believe  in  the  existence  of  a 
great  Being  who  created  the  world,  but  in  their  own  language 
.  .  .  they  have  no  name  by  which  he  is  called,  they  have 
therefore  adopted  one  from  the  Gonaquas  who  call  him 
Thiko."     (Lichtenstein's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  253,  1812.) 

"  The  only  name  which  the  Hottentots  have  for  him  (the 
Deity)  ...  is  Thuike  or  Utika,  an  appellation  of  which  the 
derivation  and  meaning  are  very  uncertain."  (Philip's  "  Re- 
searches," I.  p.  8,  1828.) 

"  The  Uti'ko  of  the  Hottentots  is  articulated  with  the  click 
or  cluck  peculiar  to  that  language."  (Moffat's  "  South 
Africa,"  p.  68,  1846.) 

Uyntjes. — (D.  ajuin,  an  onion.)  Moraea  edulis.  The 
bulbous  roots  of  these  plants,  not  unlike  the  chestnut  in 
flavour,  were  an  important  article  of  food  in  the  early  days 
of  the  Colony,  both  among  the  Hottentots  and  the  slaves,  and 
even  now,  at  the  proper  season,  they  are  gathered  in  consider- 
able quantities  by  the  coloured  and  poorer  classes  of  the 
Western  Province.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Kimberley  the 
Bechuanas  pound  and  cook  the  bulbs  of  Cyperus  usitatus,  and 
use  them  as  food,  under  the  same  name.  The  flowering  tops 
of  Aponogeton  angustifoUum  and  A.  distachyon  are  used  in 
the  same  way,  and  are  known  as  Water-uyntjes  (q.v.). 

"  Die  Hottentotten  ernehren  sich  meistentheils  von  Wur- 
zeln,  dergleichen  man  zwar  an  den  meisten  Orten  ihrer 
Wohnung  hauffig  findet  .  .  .  welche  Wurzeln  sie  in  ihrer 
Sprache  W'j  heissen  ;  ingleichen  das  von  den  Botanicis  also 
betittulte  Sisyrinchium,  dem  die  Hollander  dem  Namen 
Ajuntjes  beylegen.  .  .  .  Diese  Wurzeln  kochen  sie,  oder 
braten  sie  in  heisser  Asche."  (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p. 
131,1745.)  ^     ^ 


AFKICANDERISMS  625 

"  The  roots,  or  more  properly  the  bulbs  of  these  (irises), 
it  is  common  to  roast  and  eat ;  they  are  called  oenkjes  and 
have  nearly  the  same  taste  with  potatoes."  (Sparrman's 
"  Voyage,"  i.  p.  148,  1785.) 

"  A  friendly  invitation  to  visit  their  kraal,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  present  of  uyentjes."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p. 
416,  1822.) 

"  After  a  walk  of  nine  miles  east,  I  captured  a  few  Bush- 
men grubbing  for  the  kind  of  bulbs  known  at  the  Cape  as 
lunches."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  237,  1868.) 

"  This  instrument  is  grasped  by  one  hand  above  the  stone, 
and  by  the  other  below,  and  as  a  digging  tool  for  uprooting 
numtjes  and  '  camberoo  '  it  would  be  difficult  to  devise  a 
better  without  the  use  of  metal."  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil. 
Society,"  ii.  Part  i.  p.  21,  1881.) 

Uyntjes-tyd. — (D.  ajuin,  an  onion  ;  tijd,  time.)  The 
time  when  these  various  roots  were  in  season.  How  much 
these  plants  were  esteemed  and  the  large  place  they  occupied 
in  the  domestic  economy  of  the  slaves  and  poorer  classes, 
may  be  inferred  from  their  making  the  uyntjes-tijd  a  point 
from  or  to  which  to  reckon. 

"  The  Hottentots  use  the  word  oenkjes  ...  for  the 
reckoning  of  time,  always  beginning  the  new  year  whenever 
the  oenkjes  push  out  of  the  ground,  and  marking  their  age 
and  other  events  by  the  number  of  times  in  which,  in  a  cer- 
tain period,  this  vegetable  has  made  its  appearance."  (Sparr- 
man's "  Voyage,"  i.  p.  148,  1785.) 

"  The  season  of  the  year  is  indicated  by  being  so  many 
moons  before  or  after  uyntjes-tyd,  or  the  time  that  the  roots 
of  the  iris  edulis  are  in  season,  a  time  particularly  noticed  by 
him,  as  these  bulbs  once  constituted  a  considerable  part  of 
his  vegetable  food."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  159, 1801.) 

Vaal,  The. — '(D.  vaal,  sallow,  tawny.)  A  tributary  of  the 
Orange  River,  so  named  because  of  the  yellowish-brown 
colour  of  its  water.  It  was  known  to  the  natives  as  the  Gij 
Gariep ;  two  others,  the  Maap,  or  Modder  Eiver,  and  the 
Nu  Gariep,  or  Zwaart  River,  join  with  this  to  form  the 
Gariep,  or  Great  River. 

"  The  branch  ...  is  called  the  Tky-gariep  by  the  natives, 
and  the  Vaal  River  by  the  Klaarwater  Hottentots,  which  in 
English  may  here  be  rendered  by  Yellow  River."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  391,  1822.) 


526  AFBICANDERISMS 

"  The  chief  of  the  Bechuanas,  Matabee,  established  himself 
with  part  of  his  people  on  the  banks  of  the  Falls  River, 
where  he  still  remains."  (Steedman's  "  Adventures,"  ii.  p. 
43,  1835.) 

Vaalbrack. — Atriplex  halimus.     The  Salt  bush. 

"  Sweet  grass  and  small  shrubs  varied  with  very  good 
large  bush  and  trees,  as  .  .  .  vaalbrach."  (Du  Toit's 
"  Rhodesia,"  p.  32,  1897.) 

Vaal  bush. — Atriplex  halimus,  var.  capensis  ;  Tarchonan- 
thus  camphoratus.  An  appropriate  name  given  to  these  and 
several  other  shrubs,  because  of  their  whitish  foliage. 

"  Its  soil  nourishing  ...  a  few  struggling  bushes  of  a  low, 
utterly  burnt  up  appearance  known  as  Vaal  bush."  (Lind- 
ley's  "Adamantia,"  p.  4,  1873.) 

"  This  tract  of  country,  which  is  covered  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  see  by  a  short  bush  called  Vaal  bosch,  is,  however,  a 
good  grass  veldt."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  6  October, 
1855.) 

Vaal  jackal. — Vulpes  chama.     See  Silver  jackal. 

Vaal  korhaan. — See  Knorhaan. 

Vaalpens. — (D.  vaal,  sallow,  tawny  ;  pens,  paunch,  stom- 
ach.) (1)  The  Dutch  designation  of  a  tribe  of  wild  Bushmen, 
the  Ba-Kalahari,  inhabiting  the  Kalahari  desert.  (2)  The 
appellation  is  sometimes  given  to  natives  other  than  Bushmen, 
and  is  certainly  not  regarded  as  a  compliment,  although  its 
exact  meaning  in  this  application  would  be  difficult  to  define. 
(3)  It  is  sometimes  applied  by  the  Free  Staters  and  Cape 
Colonists  to  Transvaalers.  Cf.  Blikoor.  The  origin  of  the 
designation  as  applied  to  the  Ba-Kalahari  is  set  forth  in  the 
quotation  below. 

"  The  Bakalaharis,  she  told  me,  were  descended  from  the 
Matabele  Kaffirs  and  Vaalpens,  the  latter  were  a  cross  be- 
tween the  Bechuanas  and  the  Kalahari  Bushmen."  (Farini's 
"  Through  the  Kalahari  Desert,"  p.  232,  1886.) 

"  A  remarkable  irregular,  white  blotchiness  of  the  skin 
on  the  natives'  abdomens  found  explanation  in  the  fact  that 
the  natives  during  the  cold  nights  in  which  they  slept  out 
without  clothing,  built  themselves  little  oblong  frameworks 
of  green  wood,  16  inches  high,  on  top  of  which  they  make 
fires.  Sleeping  under  this  for  warmth,  the  burning  embers 
often  fall  through  the  framework  on  to  their  naked  skins, 
raising  bhsters  which  when  healed  left  the  affected  part 
white  or  grey.     It  is  from  this  circumstance  .  .   .  that  the 


AFRICANDEEISMS  527 

Boers  have  humorously  nicknamed  the  tribes  living  west  of 
the  Transvaal,  Vaalpense,  or  '  grey-bellies  '."  (Schulz  and 
Hammar's  "  New  Africa,"  p.  71,  1897.) 

"  A  South  African  Dutchman  writes  us  a  somewhat  bitter 
letter  upon  the  situation.  He  writes  as  a  Dutch  Afrikander, 
a  Vaalpens  in  fact."  ("  Eastern  Province  Herald,"  6  Decem- 
ber, 1899.) 

"  These  are  the  Kattea,  or  Vaalpens,  as  they  are  nick- 
named by  the  Boers,  on  account  of  the  dusty  colour  their 
abdomen  acquires  from  the  habit  of  creeping  into  their  holes 
in  the  ground — who  live  in  the  steppe  region  of  the  North 
Transvaal,  as  far  as  the  Limpopo."  ("  Report  Brit.  Ass.  for 
the  Advancement  of  Science,"  p.  613,  1905.) 

Vaatdoek. — (D.  vaat,  table  crockery  ;  doek,  a  towel,  clout ; 
vaatdoek,  a  dish-clout.)  A  common  clout  used  for  the  thou- 
sand and  one  things  that  a  damp  cloth  is  needed  for  in  a 
kitchen. 

"  An  old  lady  waited  at  the  table  with  a  clout  in  her  hand, 
which  I  believe  is  designated  by  these  people  a  faddock." 
(Gilmore's  "  On  Duty,"  p.  151,  1880.) 

"  The  old  Boer  got  up  from  his  chair,  went  to  the  bowl 
and  began  to  rub  his  hands,  then  his  face,  wiping  them 
with  this  rag,  which  I  afterwards  found  out  was  called  a 
feodhook."  (Anderson's  "  Twenty-five  Years  in  a  Waggon," 
I.  p.  59,  1887.) 

Vaboom. — A  contraction  of  Wagenboom  (q.v.)- 

"  Tanning  has  long  been  carried  on  by  the  use  of  native 
materials.  .  .  .  The  bark  of  Acacia  horrida  was  and  is  most 
largely  used,  other  materials  employed  being  .  .  .  the  bark 
and  leaves  of  various  Proteacea  (Sugar  bushes,  Kreupelbooms, 
Vabooms,  and  Amandel)."  (Sim's  "Forest  Flora  of  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  59,  1907.) 

Vaderland. — (D.  vaderland,  native  country.)  The  term 
appHed  to  cattle  imported  from  Holland  in  the  early  days, 
and  to  their  progeny.  Curiously  enough,  however,  een  vader- 
landsche  schaap  means  "  an  Afrikander  sheep  ".  See  Father- 
land. 

"  Several  brown  bulls  have  been  imported,  and  some  black 
from  Holland,  these  are  called,  as  well  as  their  produce, 
Vaderland  or  Fatherland."  ("  Scenes  in  Cafferland,"  p.  13, 
1827.) 

Vaderlandsche. — At  one  time  the  popular  name,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Cape  Town,  of  the  butterfly  Papilio  demoleus. 


628  AFBICANDERISMS 

"  The  commoner  is  .  .  .  Demoleus — the  species  that  re- 
joices in  the  local  name  of  Vaderlandsche,  from  its  general 
resemblance  to  the  swallow-tail  butterfly  of  Europe."  (Noble's 
"  The  Cape  and  its  People,"  p.  97,  1869.) 

Vaderlandsriet. — (D.  riet,  a  reed.)  Tall  reeds  growing  in 
the  vleis. 

Vaderfands  wilge. — (D.  wilg,  wilgen,  willow,  osier.)  Com- 
bretum  Kraussii,  Hochst.    The  Transvaal  name  of  this  tree. 

Valley  of  desolation. — The  name  given  to  a  valley  of  wildly 
picturesque  scenery  near  Graaff  Reinet ;  in  every  direction  in 
this  valley  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  enormous  masses  of 
loosely  piled  trap  rock,  with  here  and  there  huge  pillars  of 
columnar  basalt,  standing  quite  alone  and  running  up  to  a 
height  of  300  or  400  feet.  It  is  as  desolate  and  inhospitable 
looking  as  one  can  imagine,  and  well  deserves  its  name. 

"  We  passed  three  very  pleasant  days  in  Graaff  Reinet, 
visiting  .  .  .  the  well-known  Valley  of  Desolation,  a  ridge  of 
rocks  from  which  huge  basaltic  pillars  thrust  themselves  sky- 
wards to  heights  of  300  or  400  feet,  forming  a  very  striking 
spectacle."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  46,  1889.) 

Vanderhum. — A  Cape  liqueur. 

"  Add  one  wine-glass  of  best  rum  to  every  bottle  of  Vander- 
hum."     (Hilda's  "  Where  is  it  ?  of  Recipes,"  p.  134,  1904.) 

Van  der  Merwe's  kruiden. — (D.  kruid,  herb  or  simple.) 
Osmites  hirsuta,  Less.  An  aromatic  plant  is  known  by  this 
name  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Fransche  Hoek. 

Varkbek. — D.  varken,  a  pig  ;  bek,  a  beak,  snout.)  The 
Steenbrasem  (q.v.)  is  thus  designated  at  Knysna  and  Mossel 
Bay. 

Varkbloem. — (D.  varken,  a  pig ;  bloem,  a  flower.)  See 
Pig-lily. 

Varkensblaren. — (D.  varken,  a  pig  ;  blad,  a  leaf.)  Another 
name  for  Bichardia  africana,  Kth.     See  Pig-lily. 

Varkensooren. — (D.  varken,  a  pig ;  oor,  an  ear.)  Cotyledon 
orbiculata,  L.  "  The  fresh  juice  is  of  service  in  epilepsy." 
Pappe. 

Varkje. — (D.  varken,  a  pig.)  The  name  refers  to  the 
grunting  noise  which  the  fish  makes  when  taken  out  of  the 
water.     See  Chor-chor. 

Vasmakooi. — (D.  vas,  fast,  securely  ;  maken,  to  make  ; 
ooi,  a  ewe.)  A  ewe  that  has  to  be  fastened  up  before  it  will 
allow  its  lamb  to  suck. 


AFBICANDERISMS  529 

Vast-trap. — (D.  trap,  step,  tread,  kick.)  The  name  of  a 
Hottentot  dance. 

"  The  vast-trap  was  performed  by  a  number  of  nondescript 
characters  who  provided  much  amusement  by  their  antics." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  3  January,  1913.) 

Vatje. — (D.  vat,  a  cask,  barrel ;  cf.  Eng.  vat ;  G.  Fass.) 
(1)  A  small  cask  or  keg  in  which  to  carry  drinking  water,  etc. 
It  always  forms  part  of  the  furniture  of  a  wagon  when  on 
trek.  (2)  The  name  is  sometimes  given  to  a  tin  canteen 
carried  by  a  strap  over  the  shoulder. 

"  Two  large  fagie  or  water-casks."  (Gordon  Cumming's 
"Adventures,"  i.  p.  16,  1850.) 

"  Take  a  sup  out  of  my  tin  fatje  (a  small  canteen  slung 
across  the  shoulder)."  (Hobson's  "  At  Home  in  the  Trans- 
vaal," p.  315,  1884.) 

"  There's  the  blamed  bung  come  out  of  the  vaitje  and  not 
a  drop  left."    (Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  150, 1897.) 

Vee. — (D.  vee,  cattle  ;  A.S.  feoh,  cattle  ;  cf.  G.  Vieh.) 
Cattle,  but  more  frequently  small  stock,  as  sheep  and  goats, 
as  distinct  from  heesten,  cattle.  In  early  days  the  word  Fee 
was  used  in  England  of  cattle.  In  the  story  of  Genesis  and 
Exodus  (lines  783-785)  of  about  a.d.  1250,  to  Abraham,  we 
are  told,  Pharaoh 

Gaf  him  lond,  and  agte,  and  fe, 
And  leue,  thor  quiles  his  wille  be, 
To  wune  egipte  folc  among. 

And  in  the  York  Mystery  Plays  of  a  somewhat  later  date  we 
read  of  "  Herdes  that  kepes  ther/ee  ". 

But  in  English  the  word  has  lost  its  original  sense  of 
"  property  in  cattle  "  and  has  now  come  to  mean  property 
held  from  a  superior  on  certain  conditions,  and  also  payment 
for  certain  professional  services. 

"  After  the  arrival  of  Mr.  McCabe  with  his  vee,  the  Kaffir 
labourers  .  .  .  made  a  feast  on  two  of  their  master's  fattest 
sheep."     (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  215,  1852.) 

Vee  Boer. — A  Boer  who  farms  with  cattle. 

"  On  our  way  we  met  with  one  of  those  graziers  called  by 
the  Dutch,  a  Vie  boer."  (Steedman's  "  Adventures,"  i.  p. 
146,  1835.) 

**  These  plants  were  known  to  the  veeboer  or  schaapboer 
as  the  cause  of  the  troubles  they  produce  long  before  any 
scientific  investigation  of  their  properties  had  been  made." 
("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  61,  1912.) 

34 


530  AFEICANDEBISMS 

Vee  kraal  or  Vee  place. — (1)  A  kraal  or  shelter  for  sheep 
or  goats.  (2)  Frequently  it  is  an  outstation  for  flocks  whose 
feeding  ground  is  at  some  considerable  distance  from  the  home- 
stead, though  this  is  very  commonly  spoken  of  as  a  Vee-post. 

"  As  the  crisis  approached  it  was  deemed  prudent  to  bring 
in  the  flocks  and  herds  from  the  vee  places  or  outstations." 
(Godlonton's  "  Kaffir  War,  1850-1851,"  p.  182,  1852.) 

"  To  look  for  half  a  dozen  wretched  sheep  left  out  over 
night,  riding  back  by  the  vij  kraal  to  count  Umsapu's  flock." 
(Mitford's  "  Renshaw  Fanning's  Quest,"  p.  96.) 

"  An  application  .  .  .  iov  b^  vee  kraal  .  .  .  was  considered, 
and  it  was  resolved  that  the  Commonage  Ranger  report  on  the 
subject  to  the  next  meeting."  ("  Queenstown  Representa- 
tive," p.  8,  26  August,  1912.) 

Vel-broeks. — (D.  vel,  skin  ;  broek,  trousers.)  Leather  or 
skin  trousers  were  much  worn  in  the  earlier  days  of  the 
Colony,  and  were  known  among  the  settlers  of  1820  and  their 
descendants  as  "  Crackers  ".  The  spelling  "  veldt-broeks  "  in 
the  quotation  suggests  a  mistaken  etymology  ;  see  Veld-schoen, 
and  cf.  Chaucer's 

And  seyden,  he  and  all  his  kin  at  ones 
Ben  worthy  for  to  brennen,  fel  and  bones. 

("  Troilus  and  Criseyde,"  Book  i.  lines  90-91.) 

"  Many  a  good  hunting  story  could  the  old  man  tell,  and 
amongst  them  was  one  in  which  the  veldt-broeks  played  an 
important  part."    (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  287, 1889.) 

Veld. — (D.  veld,  a  field.)  This  word,  as  employed  in 
South  Africa,  has  several  different  significations :  (1)  some- 
times it  is  used  of  the  open  country ;  (2)  at  another  time  it 
is  used  of  the  herbage ;  this  again  may  be  grass-,  karoo-,  bush-, 
or  gebroken-veld  ;  and  if  grass-veld  it  may  be  sweet-  or  sour- 
grass  veld ;  there  is  the  back-veld,  cold-veld,  bokkeveld,  cold 
bokkeveld,  warm  bokkeveld,  nieuwveld,  onderveld,  roggeveld, 
zandveld,  etc. ;  but  whatever  its  chief  characteristic  the  veld 
belongs  pecuHarly  and  distinctly  to  South  Africa. 

"  The  Hottentots  .  .  .  could  obtain  from  one  to  two  rix- 
dollars  a  day  in  the  Gras  Veld,  grass  field."  (Backhouse's 
•'  Narrative,"  p.  115,  1844.) 

"  The  objection  was  disposed  of  by  my  preference  for  a 
less  confined  sleeping  place  on  the  open  veld."  (Barter's 
"The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  43,  1852.) 

'•  The  species  of  bush  which  grow  on  the  karoo  veld  are 


AFEICANDERISMS  531 

nearly  all  aromatic."  (Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the 
Cape  Colony,"  p.  16,  1896.) 

Veld  comet. — See  Field  cornet. 

"  One  day  when  he  was  hungry,  he  went  to  the  drinking 
place  of  a  veld-cornet,  a  kind  of  country  magistrate."  (Ar- 
bousset's  "  Narrative,"  p.  244, 1846.) 

Veld  craft. — Knowledge  of  the  veld  and  ability  to  read  its 
many  signs. 

"  As  .  .  .  Bushman  veldcraft  we  suggest  they  some  day 
send  out  a  party  to  tie  up  tufts  of  grass  and  reverse  branches 
as  they  go,  by  the  picking  up  of  which  the  other  scouts  fol- 
lowing on  can  stick  to  the  trail."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  7,  24  November,  1911.) 

Veld  fever. — This  is  akin  to  Trek  fever  (q.v.). 

"  Veld  fever  is  a  malady,  a  longing  indescribable,  which 
comes  over  many  South  Africans,  who  have  lived  much  on  the 
veld,  and  about  the  month  of  April  many  people  feel  it  in  full 
force.  I  suppose  it  is  the  same  kind  of  home-sickness  that 
the  Swiss  feel  for  their  mountains — *  Heimweh '."  (Mrs. 
Lionel  Phillip's  "  South  African  Recollections,"  p.  9,  1899.) 

Veld  fires. — See  Grass  fires. 

"  The  oppressiveness  of  the  atmosphere  was  greatly  in- 
creased by  the  tremendous  veldt  fires,  which,  ravaging  the 
country  far  and  wide,  make  it  like  a  huge  fiery  furnace." 
(Andersson's  "  The  Okavango  River,"  p.  49,  1861.) 

Veld  kost. — (D.  host,  food,  victuals.)  Bulbs  and  other 
roots  found  in  the  veld,  indeed  anything  that  can  be  picked 
up  in  the  veld  and  used  as  food. 

"  What  the  Dutch  call  veld  kost,  country  food,  as  bulbs, 
the  fruit  of  the  Mesenibryanthemum.''  (Alexander's  "  Ex- 
pedition," II.  p.  135,  1838.) 

Veld  kombaars. — (D.  kombaars,  a  coverlet,  rug.)  A  corrup- 
tion of  Vel  kombaars  (q.v.). 

Veld  pauw. — Otis  cafra. 

Veld  paard. — (D.  paard,  a  horse.)  A  horse  that  is  not 
stabled,  but  runs  day  and  night  in  the  veld. 

Veld  rat. — Arvicanthis  pumilio — the  Striped  rat,  widely 
distributed  in  South  Africa. 

"  The  disease  (plague)  has  been  observed  in  veld  rats 
{Arvicanthus  puinilio),  cats,  and  in  one  dog."  ("Report 
Brit.  Ass.  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,"  p.  551,  1905.) 

Veld  schoen. — (D.  vel,  skin  ;  schoen,  a  shoe.)    This  appears 

34  * 


632  AFKICANDEEISMS 

to  be  a  corruption,  now,  however,  in  general  use,  of  velschoen, 
a  skin  shoe.  Originally  these  shoes  were  cut  out  of  raw, 
undried  hide  and  fitted  to  the  foot  in  a  single  piece ;  now  the 
soles  and  uppers  are  cut  separately  and  sewn  together  in  a 
rough  and  ready  fashion  ;  but  clumsy  as  they  look,  nothing 
could  be  more  easy  and  comfortable  for  the  feet  when  walk- 
ing about  the  farm.  The  idea  was  borrowed  from  the  Hot- 
tentots who  seem  to  have  adopted  this  method  of  protecting 
their  feet  before  the  advent  of  Europeans. 

"  Diejenigen  .  .  .  legen  Sohlen  an  von  rohen  Ochsen- 
oder  Elephanten-Leder,  das  Haar  einwarts  gekehret.  Diese 
Sohlen  sind  ganz  schlecht  gearbeitet,  aus  einem  Stiicke." 
(Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  55,  1745.) 

"  The  Hottentots  of  our  party  soon  took  off  the  hide  which 
they  cut  in  small  pieces,  for  the  purpose  of  making  velschoen 
(hide  shoes),  as  every  man  is  his  own  shoemaker."  (Burchell's 
"  Travels,"  i.  p.  214,  1822.) 

"  The  most  wealthy  farmer  was  considered  as  well  dressed, 
in  a  jacket  of  cloth,  breeches  of  undressed  leather,  woollen 
stockings,  a  cotton  handkerchief  about  his  neck,  a  coarse 
cahco  shirt,  Hottentot  veldtschoen."  (Noble's  "  C.G.H.  Official 
Handbook,"  p.  19,  1886.) 

Veldschoenblaren. — (D.  blad,  a  leaf ;  PI.  hladeren.)  Hce- 
manthus  coccineus,  L.     See  April  fool. 

Veldschoen  maak. — (D.  vialien,  to  make.)  A  peculiar 
expression  meaning  that  one  has  gone  to  reside  in  town  for 
the  period  of  his  wife's  confinement.  It  had  its  origin  thus  : 
in  order  at  such  a  time  to  have  the  assistance  of  a  medical 
man,  the  country  resident  is  under  the  necessity  of  taking 
lodgings  in  the  village  or  town  where  the  doctor  resides ;  and 
for  a  prolonged  visit  to  town  the  husband  would  make  for 
himself  a  new  pair  of  veldschoen. 

Veld  sickness. — This  expression  is  used  of  the  serious 
falling  off  in  condition  which  results  in  the  larger  number  of 
cases  in  death,  when  cattle  are  brought  from  sweet  into  sour 
veld.  It  appears  to  be  due  to  the  lack  of  some  plant  ash, 
such  as  phosphate  of  lime,  since  animals  accustomed  to  sour 
veld  are  peculiarly  liable  to  Lamziekte  (q.v.).  See  Veld 
ziekte. 

"Animals  brought  from  sweet  veld  suffer  from  what  is 
termed  veld-sichiess,  which  results  from  insufficient  nutrition 
and  the  hard  and  irritating  nature  of  the  food  consumed." 


AFEICANDERISMS  633 

(Wallace's  "  Farming  Industries  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p.  82, 
1896.) 

"  It  has  been  known  during  several  generations  of  farmers 
that  if  cattle  living  on  svs^eet-veld  areas  are  brought  to  zuur- 
veld  areas,  they  are  exceedingly  likely  to  die  very  soon  after 
their  arrival."     ("  Eeport  S.A.A.A.S.,"  p.  263,  1903.) 

Veld  sores. — An  eruption,  affecting  the  superficial  and 
often  the  deeper  layer  of  the  skin,  having  a  scaly  scab  ;  if  not 
due  to,  they  are  certainly  aggravated  by,  the  dust  and  dirt 
inseparable  from  camp  life  and  campaigning  in  South  Africa, 
of  which  country  the  eruption  appears  to  be  characteristic. 

"  The  health  of  the  camp  continued  good,  but  owing  to 
the  insufficient  supply  of  vegetables,  there  were  several  cases 
of  veld-sorest     (Rae's  "  Malaboch  Campaign,"  p.  61,  1898.) 

"  The  other  cases  are  chiefly  diarrhoea  and  colic,  dry 
pleurisy  which  disappears  in  a  week,  and  veld  sores  which 
only  require  careful  dressing."  (Freemantle's  '*  A  Doctor  in 
Khaki,"  p.  378,  1901.) 

Veld  ziekte. — (D.  ziekte,  sickness.)  The  purging  to  which 
sheep  are  liable  after  grazing  on  young  grass. 

"  The  other  common  disease  is  what  is  called  the  veldt- 
ziehte,  that  is  a  scouring  from  the  sheep  feeding  on  the  young 
grass  that  springs  up  after  a  rain,  which  is  rank  and  has  no 
substance."  (Browning's  "  Fighting  and  Farming  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  58,  1880.) 

"  In  the  Herbert  District  old  people  call  lamziekte  a  veld- 
ziekte."    ("  S.A.  Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  34,  July,  1912.) 

Vel  kombaars. — (D.  vel,  skin  ;  kombaars,  a  coverlet.)  A 
rug  composed  of  prepared  skins. 

"  Three  on  the  right  beating  a  large  vel  kombaars  (or  sheep- 
skin coverlet),  a  frequent  and  very  necessary  operation." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  360  n.,  1822.) 

"  Wrapped  in  a  thick  velkombars  (sheepskin  covering)  we 
were  not  long  in  wooing  tired  nature's  sweet  restorer — balmy 
sleep."     ("  Cape  Monthly  Magazine,"  ii.  p.  179,  1870.) 

Velzak. — (D.  vel,  skin  ;  zak,  a  pouch,  bag,  or  pocket.)  A 
bag  made  of  skin,  used  largely  by  the  natives. 

"  The  Bushman  generally  carried  two  or  three  in  his  vel- 
zak.''    (Stow's  "  Native  Races  of  South  Africa,"  p.  73, 1905.) 

Vendue  or  Vendutie. — (D.  vendue,  auction ;  F.  vendre  ; 
Lat.  vendere,  to  sell,  vend.)  A  sale  by  auction  ;  the  word  is 
occasionally  used  by  English-speaking  colonists. 


53  4  AFBIC  ANDEEISMS 

"  The  usual  mode  by  which  merchants  effect  the  sale  of 
their  investments  is  public  auction  ,  ,  .  consequently  vendues 
or  auctions  happen  daily."  (Burchell's  "Travels,"  i.  p.  79, 
1822.) 

"  Wanted  an  intelligent,  willing  youth  for  the  Vendue 
department."     ("  Port  Elizabeth  Telegraph,"  9  May,  1882.) 

Vendue  master. — This  is  simply  the  Dutch  Vendu-meester 
anglicized. 

"  After  being  eight  months  in  the  service  of  this  father-in- 
law  of  the  Vendue  master,  unable  longer  to  endure  the  cruel 
treatment  he  received,  he  had  absconded  from  his  service." 
(Philip's  "  Eesearches,"  i.  p.  170,  1828.) 

Venkel.  —  (D.  venkel,  fennel.)  Fceniculum  officinale, 
known  in  England  as  Sweet  fennel. 

Venus  ears. — A  name  applied  to  a  variety  of  Haliotis,  a 
univalve  mollusc,  with  flat,  ear-shaped  shells,  having  a  row  of 
holes  on  the  left  side,  and  a  beautiful  internal  mother-of-pearl 
luster ;  they  cling  to  the  rocks  like  limpets. 

Vergunning. — (D.  gunnen,  to  grant,  not  to  grudge ;  ver- 
gunnen,  to  permit,  allow ;  vergunning,  permission,  leave.) 
The  Transvaal  Gold  Law  permitted  the  owner  of  a  farm, 
which  had  been  proclaimed  as  a  gold-field,  to  assign  to  his 
friends  a  certain  number  of  claims,  which  were  known  as 
Vergunnings  or  preference  claims. 

"  The  number  of  Vergunnings  that  a  farm  owner  could 
give  away  had  often  been  a  matter  of  dispute,  but  between  the 
decision  to  proclaim  Witfontein,  and  the  publication  of  that 
intention  in  the  official  gazette,  the  High  Court  had  given 
an  important  judgment,  which  once  and  for  all  settled  the 
number  of  Vergunnings  at  sixty."  (Wilson's  "  Behind  the 
Scenes  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  165,  1901.) 

Verkleurmannetje. — (D.  verkleuren,  to  change  colour,  to 
turn  pale.)  (1)  A  common  and  by  no  means  inappropriate 
name  for  the  chameleon.  See  Jantji  trap-zoetjes.  (2)  Em- 
ployed also  of  one  who  is  easily  made  to  blush,  or  to  change 
his  principles. 

"  Fer^Zewrmanwe^je  is  the  playful  soubriquet  by  which  .  .  . 
is  known,  but  even  the  chameleon  has  a  limit  to  its  powers 
of  change."    ("  Graaff  Eeinet  Advertiser,"  6  December,  1897.) 

Verneuker. — One  who  cheats,  misleads. 

"Do  you  take  me  for  a  Boer  verneuker  V  (Green's 
"  Kichard  Hartley,  Prospector,"  p.  251,  1905.) 


AFRICANDEEISMS  535 

"  The  assistant  librarian  from  the  British  Museum  testified 
that  verneuker  meant  swindler.  It  was  never  used  in  polite 
society  before  a  lady."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  23 
November,  1911.) 

Verneukerie. — The  practice  of  cheating,  deceiving. 

"  Of  course  these  flags  of  truce  are  merely  exhibited  by 
the  Boers  as  a  piece  of  verneukerie — a  swindle."  (Stuart's 
"  Pictures  of  the  War,"  p.  95,  1901.) 

Verneuk,  To. — (D.  verneuken,  to  violate,  dishonour.)  To 
cheat,  deceive ;  the  word  is  in  common  use  all  through  South 
Africa  in  this  modified  sense. 

"  How  Hendrick  enjoyed  verneuking  the  Boer."  ("  Cape 
Monthly  Magazine,"  in.  p.  46,  1871.) 

"  Hence  arose  the  practice  of  verneukering ,  by  which 
buyer  and  seller  sought  to  get  the  better  of  each  other."  (Sir 
J.  Robinson's  "  A  Life  Time  in  South  Africa,"  p.  185,  1900.) 

Verrot  maag. — (D.  verrot,  rotten,  putrid  ;  viaag,  stomach, 
crop.)  A  disease  affecting  ostriches — an  inflamed  condition 
of  the  stomach  with  a  secretion  of  a  jelly-like  mucus  due  to 
the  presence  of  a  Palisade  worm  {Strongylus  Douglasi)  which 
attaches  itself  to  the  roof  of  the  stomach  generally  near  the 
gastric  glands. 

Verulam. — A  small  town  in  Natal,  prettily  situated  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  Umhloti  River.  It  was  founded  by  settlers 
from  St.  Albans — hence  the  name. 

Vetkoek. — (D.  vet,  ia^t ;  ^oeA;,  acake.)  Dumplings  cooked 
in  fat. 

"  Auntie  can  make  bread  or  vetkoek  (dampers)  with  it,  just 
as  you  think  fit."  (Kestell's  "  Through  Shot  and  Flame,"  p. 
105,  1903.) 

Victoria  trout. — Another  name  sometimes  given  to  Elops 
saurus.     See  Cape  salmon. 

"In  Natal  the  kabeljaauw  is  known  as  'salmon,'  and 
the  Victoria  trout,  etc.  {Elops  saurus)  as  'springer'." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  3  March,  1909.) 

Vierkleur. — (D.  vier,  four  ;  kleur,  colour.)  The  name  by 
which  the  flag  of  the  Transvaal  Republic  was  known. 

Die  Vierkleur  van  ons  dierbaar  land. 

Die  waai  wear  o'er  Transvaal, 
En  wee  die  Godvergeie  hand 

Wat  dit  weer  neer  wil  haal ! 

(Reitz's  "  Afrikaanse  Gedigte,"  p.  7,  1907.) 


636  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Vierkleur. — An  imported  plant — a  species  of  Billhergia, 
is  so  called  because  of  the  four  colours  which  it  exhibits. 

VijI  slang. — (D.  vijl,  a  file  ;  slang,  a  snake.)  Simocepha- 
lus  capensis.  In  transverse  section  the  body  of  this  snake  is 
three-cornered. 

Vingerpol. — (D.  vinger,  a  finger  ;  pol,  a  shrub.)  Euphor- 
bia caput-medusce .  A  plant  with  a  bunch  of  finger-like 
growths  ;  it  is  common  in  most  parts  of  the  Karoo,  and  is 
an  exceedingly  nourishing  food  for  stock.     See  Finger-poll. 

''The  finger -poll  is  singular  even  amongst  many  curious 
plants."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  258,  1889.) 

"  Spent  and  foundered  oxen,  left  to  die  upon  the  road 
where  they  have  fallen,  have,  when  fed  with  finger-poll,  re- 
gained vitality,  got  up  and  resumed  their  trek."    {Ibid.,  p.  258.) 

Vinhaai. — (D.  vin,  fin  ;  haai,  a  shark.)  Several  species  of 
Scyllium  are  so  named. 

Violet  pea. — Baphia  racemosa,  Hochst.  has  received  this 
name  in  Natal ;  the  flowers  are  white,  with  an  orange  patch 
at  the  base  of  the  standard,  and  are  strongly  violet-scented. 

Viooltjes. — (D.  viool,  a  violin.)  Ornithogalum  thyrsoides. 
The  name  is  also  applied  throughout  the  Western  Districts  to 
the  many  species  of  Lachenalia.  It  refers  to  the  squeaking 
noise  which  children  produce  by  drawing  the  flower  stalks  of 
these  plants  across  one  another,  and  also  to  the  manner  in 
which  the  noise  is  produced.  Compare  the  Somersetshire 
name  Crowdy-kit  (Welsh  crwth,  a  fiddle),  and  the  Devonshire 
name  Fiddles  or  Fiddlestick,  for  the  plant  Scrophidaria,  names 
given  for  the  same  reason,  viz.  the  noise  produced  when  two 
stalks  are  rubbed  together.     See  Chinkering  ching. 

"The  'Chinkerinchee,'  '  Chincher-and-ching,'  Viooltje,akS 
that  beautiful  white-flowering  bulb,  the  Ornithogalum  thyr- 
soides, is  variously  called  in  South  Africa."  ("  C.G.H.  Agric. 
Journ.,"  p.  6,  July,  1904.) 

"In'n  nummer  van  '  The  Lancet,'  'n  Engels  geneeskundig 
blad,  worden  viooltjesblaren  aanbevolen  als  middel  tegen 
kanker."     ("  Northern  Post,"  27  September,  1912.) 

Viool  viscli. — (D.  viool,  a  violin  ;  visch,  a  fish.)  A  species 
of  sand  shark — Bhinobatus  annulatus,  has  received  this  name 
because  of  its  fiddle-like  shape.    Called  also  Zand-kruiper  (q.v.). 

Vlak  appel. — The  edible  fruit  of  a  species  of  Eugenia  is 
known  by  this  name  in  Lower  Albany. 

Vlak  pauw. — See  Pauw, 


AFEICANDEEISMS  537 

Vlakte  haas. — (D.  vlaJcte,  a  plain ;  haas,  a  hare.)  Lepus 
capensis,  the  hare  of  the  flats  or  plains. 

"  The  hares  known  as  the  Vlackte-haas  {Lepus  capensis), 
Rhebokhaas  (L.  saxatilis),  and  Eoode-haas  (L.  crassicaudatus) 
.  .  ,  are  spread  all  over  the  country."  ("  Science  in  South 
Africa,"  p.  134,  1905.) 

Vlakte  schildpad. — (D.  vlakte,  a  plain ;  schildpad,  a  tor- 
toise.)    A  tortoise  found  on  the  flats. 

"  There  were  berg  tortoises  and  vlakte  tortoises."  {"  The 
State,"  p.  643,  December,  1911.) 

Vlakte  tijger. — (D.  vlakte,  a  plain.)  This  name  is  given 
to  both  Felis  pardus — see  Tijger — and  to  CyncBclurus  Juba- 
tus.     See  Luipard. 

Vlakte  vark. — (D.  varken,  a  pig.)    Phacochcerus  ethiopicus. 

"  The  Vlacktevark,  pig  of  the  plains  .  .  .  has  a  large  head, 
a  large  fleshy  protuberance  behind  each  eye,  and  a  warty  ex- 
crescence on  each  side  of  the  muzzle."  (Backhouse's  "  Nar- 
rative," p.  213,  1844.) 

VIeet. — (D.  vleet,  a  kind  of  thornback,  from  vlieten,  to 
swim.)  A  Saldanha  Bay  name  of  a  fish  probably  resembling 
the  Vleet  {Raja  batis)  of  Holland  (Gilchrist). 

VIei. — (D.  vallei,  a  valley,  dale.)  A  hollow  or  shallow 
depression  in  which  water  collects  during  the  rains ;  thence 
a  small  lake.  The  word  vallei  is  in  use  in  Cape  Dutch  with 
the  meaning  of  valley,  dale  ;  while  in  New  York  the  word 
vly  means  a  marsh  or  swamp. 

"  A  lake  called  the  Vogel  Valley,  or  Bird  Lake ;  the  word 
valley  in  the  Colony  implies  either  a  lake  or  a  swamp." 
(Barrow's  "Travels,'"'  i.  p.  69,  1801.) 

"We  reach  a  vlei  called  Kilamarri,  where  there  is  an 
abundant  supply  of  water."  (Wood's  "Through  Matabele- 
land,"  p.  11,  1893.) 

Vlei  lory.— (D.  vallei,  a  dale  ;  Mai.  nuri,  a  parrot.)  Cen- 
tropus  burchelli  and  C.  superciliosus,  two  birds  which  frequent 
the  thick  bush  along  the  banks  of  rivers  and  vleis.  See  Rain- 
bird. 

"  The  vlei-lourie,  perhaps  better  known  hereabouts  as  the 
'rain-bird,' the  natives  regarding  it  as  a  weather  prophet." 
("  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  4,  4  December,  1908.) 

Vlei  muis.— (D.  muis,  a  mouse.)  Otomys  irroratus  ;  so 
named  because  its  habitat  is  generally  in  marshy  localities 
pear  water. 


538  AFRICANDEKISMS 

Vlei  thee, — (D,  thee,  tea.)  The  name  given  in  the  Rivers- 
dale  District  to  Cyclopia  tenuifolia,  Lehm. 

Vlier. — (D.  vlier,  elder.)  Nuxia  florihunda,  a  handsome 
tree  with  small,  white,  scented  flowers  ;  it  is  known  as  the 
Wild  peach  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Johns.    See  Wild  elder. 

"  Vlier  {Nuxia  florihunda)  is  only  represented  by  a  few 
(trees)  in  the  Pirie  forest."  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  in  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  3,  1907.) 

VIoer. — (D.  vloer,  a  floor.)  (1)  This  term  is  applied  in 
Cape  Dutch  to  an  ordinary  floor.  (2)  To  a  threshing  floor. 
(3)  It  is  also  applied  to  the  flat  Pans  (q.v.)  which  are  speedily 
filled  by  rains,  but  which  quickly  dry,  leaving  a  saline  in- 
crustation all  over  the  surface. 

"  Not  much  is  known  as  yet  about  these  great  vloers,  but 
they  are  probably  due  to  the  flooding  produced  by  blown  sand 
obstructing  the  rivers,  which  tend  to  distribute  their  silt  over 
wide  areas,  and  thus  to  level  up  their  valleys  that  have  a  very 
gradual  fall."  (Roger's  "  Geology  of  the  Cape  Colony,"  p. 
385,  1905.) 

Vlug  vogel. — (D.  vloeken,  to  curse,  swear ;  vogel,  a  bird.) 
A  variety  of  Knorhaan  (q.v.).  The  reason  for  the  name  ap- 
pears in  the  quotation.  From  the  description  the  bird  would 
appear  to  be  Otis  scolopacea. 

"  Black  and  white  khoran,  a  variety  nicknamed  by  the 
Boers  vlug-vogel  (swearing  bird)  from  the  peculiar  call  it 
gives  when  flying  up  into  the  air.  This  call  sounds  much 
like  the  Dutch  invocation  '  Ja  vrachtig  !  *  *  Ja  vrachtig  !  ' 
an  expression  the  Boers  look  upon  as  profane  when  apphed 
in  ordinary  conversation."  (Schulz  and  Hammar's  "New 
Africa,"  p.  371,  1897.) 

Voersits  or  Voersies. — (D.  sits,  chintz.)  Printed  calico, 
which  used  to  be  sold  in  lengths  of  6  or  8  ells  (about  f  of  a 
yard)  for  skirts,  and  in  smaller  lengths,  3  or  4  ells,  for  bodices. 
The  material  was  imported  from  Holland. 

"  They  of  course  can  afford  to  do  so  when  they  charge 
7s.  6d.  for  a  voerschitz."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  24  Feb- 
ruary, 1863.) 

"  Orleans  and  alpaca  cloths,  voerschits,  and  other  articles 
of  clothing  .  .  .  generally  meet  the  requirements  of  the  mar- 
ket."    (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  10,  1888.) 

Voetangel. — (D.  voet,  a  foot ;  angel,  hook,  sting,  awn.) 
The  name  given  to  Euphorbia  ferox,  a  plant  growing  in  the 
Karoo. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  539 

"  Of  the  new  species  of  Euphorbia  one  deserved  special 
mention,  viz.  E.  Ferox.  This  formed  rounded  lumps  about 
a  foot  in  diameter,  coloured  brown  like  the  soil  of  the  Karoo 
and  provided  with  a  formidable  armament  of  stout  pines. 
The  colonial  name  voetangel  was  very  appropriate,  for,  if  a 
bare-footed  person  should  happen  to  step  on  such  a  plant,  he 
would  certainly  not  run  any  further.  The  plant  was  not 
poisonous."     ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  8,  22  August,  1912.) 

Voetgangers. — (D.  voet,  a  foot ;  gang,  gait,  walk ;  lit. 
pedestrians.)  (1)  Locusts  in  their  immature,  wingless  con- 
dition. (2)  The  British  infantry,  and  later,  those  of  their 
compatriots  who  were  reduced  to  walking,  during  the  recent 
war,  were  so  designated  by  the  Boers. 

"  The  flying  locusts  .  .  .  are  less  dreaded  by  the  farmer 
than  the  larvae,  devoid  of  wings,  vulgarly  called  by  the  colonists 
voetgangers  (foot-goers)."   (Pringle's  "Narrative,"  p.  54, 1840.) 

"  They  knew  that  not  only  would  they  have  to  be  voet- 
gangers, but  also  that  if  they  were  captured  they  would  be 
very  severely  punished  by  the  English."  (De  Wet's  "  Three 
Years'  War,"  p.  410,  1903.) 

Voetsak. — (Probably  a  corruption  of  the  D.  voort  seg  eh ! 
"  be  off !  "  "  away  I  say  ".)  The  expression  is  in  general  use 
throughout  South  Africa  to  send  a  dog  away. 

"  If  you  want  to  get  rid  of  a  dog  it  is  of  no  use  saying 

*  get  out '  ever  so  crossly  ;  but  when  G yells  fuhrt-sack 

(this  is  pure  phonetic  spelling  out  of  my  own  head)  the  cur 
retreats  precipitately."  (Lady  Barker's  "  A  Year's  House- 
keeping in  South  Africa,"  p.  147,  1877.) 

"  I  jes'  drop  in  to  ask  you  to  voetsak  all  the  dogs  outer 
the  place,  'fore  I  bring  him  in."  (Glanville's  "  Tales  of  the 
Veld,"  p.  227,  1897.) 

Vogelent. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird  ;  enten,  to  graft.)  The  by  no 
means  inappropriate  name  given  to  several  species  of  par- 
asitic plants  belonging  to  the  genera  Loranthus  and  Viscum, 
the  seeds  of  which  are  deposited  in  the  ordure  of  birds  upon 
the  limbs  of  trees,  where  they  take  root. 

"  What  reminds  me  most  of  Cape  Town  and  Table 
Mountain  is  the  number  of  Proteas  or  Sugar  bushes.  Here, 
however,  there  grows  on  them,  like  the  mistletoe,  a  parasitic 
plant  that  they  call  Vogelent,  which  has  very  handsome  red 
flowers  that  contrast  beautifully  with  the  snow-white  blossoms 
of  the  Proteas."  ("  Scientific  African,"  p.  12,  November,  1895.) 
Vogelstruis. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird,  fowl ;  struis,  an  ostrich.) 


540  AFEICANDEBISMS 

This  is  the  form  of  the  word  in  general  use  in  Cape  Dutch, 
the  Dutch  word  being  either  Struis  or  Struisvogel.  Struthio 
australis.     See  Ostrich. 

Vogelstruis  gras. — (D.  vogel,  a  bird,  fowl ;  struis,  an 
ostrich.)     Eragrostis  spinosa  is  so  called. 

Volksraad. — (D.  volk,  people  ;  raad,  council,  senate.)  (1) 
The  South  African  Dutch  Eepublics  designated  their  respective 
Parliaments  thus.  (2)  It  is  now  the  official  Dutch  name  of 
the  House  of  Assembly,  the  lower  chamber  in  the  Union 
Parliament, 

"  It  was  therefore  decreed  by  a  resolution  of  the  Volksraad 
that  no  additional  natives  should  be  allowed  to  take  up  their 
residence  in  the  Colony."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  194,  1852.) 

"  The  elective  council  or  Volksraad  was  required  to  as- 
semble here."     (Bird's  "  Annals  of  Natal,"  i.  p.  387,  1888.) 

Vomeer  bosch. — (G.  vomiren  ;  F.  vomir ;  Lat.  vomo,  to 
vomit.)  Geigeria  passerinoides,  Harv.  The  name  refers  to 
the  effect  which  the  plant  has  upon  stock  when  eaten  by  it. 

"  Under  separate  cover,  I  am  sending  you  a  small  plant 
known  as  the  Vomeer  bosch,  which  I  imagine  must  be  an  irri- 
tant poison,  for  it  causes  sheep  to  vomit  very  severely,  which 
ultimately,  as  a  rule,  ends  in  death."  ("  C.G.H.  Agric. 
Journ.,"  p.  716,  1905.) 

Vomeer  ziekte. — Vomiting  sickness.     See  above. 

"  We  learn  with  much  regret  of  a  new  disease  now  preva- 
lent among  sheep.  .  .  .  The  farmers  call  it  vomeer  ziekte  or 
vomiting  disease.  No  well-ascertained  cause  for  its  appear- 
ance has  been  discovered,  but  it  is  attributed  by  the  farmers 
to  the  eating  of  a  small  kind  of  '  tussock  grass '  (called  by 
them  vomeer  bosch)  when  in  flower."  ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  19  December,  1871.) 

"  Sheep  have  been  dying  wholesale  of  vomeer  ziekte,  but  it 
is  hoped  the  rains  will  clear  away  the  disease."  ("  The 
Queenstown  Kepresentative,"  18  November,  1907.) 

Voorbok. — (D.  voor,  before ;  boh,  a  goat,  antelope.)  A  goat 
— Kapater  (q.v.) — is  generally  used  on  South  African  sheep- 
farms,  instead  of  a  bell-wether  as  in  England  ;  so  accustomed 
do  the  sheep  get  to  following  these  leaders,  that  it  is  difficult 
to  get  them  to  go  anywhere  without  them. 

Voorhuis  or  Voorkamer. — (D.  voor,  before  ;  huis,  a  house  ; 
kamer,  a  chamber.)  A  sitting-room  into  which  the  front 
door  opens. 


AFKICANDEKISMS  541 

"  The  party  were  soon  seated  together  in  the  large  voor- 
huis  or  entrance  sitting-room,  drinking  the  never-faiHng  tea, 
that,  according  to  South  African  custom,  is  always  served 
immediately  after  the  arrival  of  visitors."  (Hobson's  "  At 
Home  in  the  Transvaal,"  p.  322,  1884.) 

Voorkist. — (D.  kist,  a  chest.)  The  box  on  the  front  of  a 
wagon. 

"  A  second  wagon  rolled  up,  on  the  voorkist  of  which  I 
at  once  recognized  our  man."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the 
Veld,"  p.  17,  1852.) 

Voorloop. — (1)  (D.  voorloop,  alcohol.)  In  distilhng  brandy 
the  first  to  make  its  appearance  is  known  as  the  voorloop. 

Voorloop. — (2)  (D.  voor,  before;  loopen,  to  run.)  To  lead 
a  span  of  oxen  by  means  of  the  "  touw  "  fastened  to  the 
horns  of  the  front  pair. 

Voorlooper. — The  native  or  other  person  employed  to  lead 
a  span  of  oxen,  as  above  ;  among  English  colonists  he  is 
known  as  the  "  Leader  "  (q.v.). 

"  The  driver  and  leader  or  voorlooper  were  both  Hotten- 
tots."    (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  49,  1852.) 

Voorskootje. — (D.  sc/ioo^,  lap,  bosom.)   An  apron,  pinafore. 

Voorslag. — (D.  voor,  before ;  slag,  the  lash  of  a  whip.) 
The  long,  thin  lash  of  tough,  pliant  buck-skin  (bush-buck  for 
preference),  at  the  end  of  a  wagon  or  carriage  whip. 

"  Putting  a  new  voorslag  (lash)  to  the  wagon-whip  that 
the  smack  might  be  clear  and  loud."  (Barter's  "The  Dorp 
and  the  Veld,"  p.  43,  1852.) 

Voorstel. — (D.  stel,  place.)  The  part  of  the  wagon  which 
receives  the  disselboom. 

"  Before  reaching  the  plain  .  .  .  the  bolt  that  goes  through 
the  voorstel  and  shaft  broke."  (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Ke- 
searches,"  p.  298,  1833.) 

Voortrekker. — This  is  the  term  applied  to  those  Boers  who 
trekked  from  the  Colony  into  the  interior,  1834-36,  being 
dissatisfied  with  British  rule  and  with  the  circumstances  at- 
tending the  abolition  of  slavery.  The  word  has  much  the 
same  meaning  as  "  Trek  boer  "  (q.v.)  in  its  second  signification 
of  "  pioneer  Boer  ". 

"  Oom  Koos  will  probably  once  again  be  our  voortrekker 
(leader)."     ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  27  September,  1872.) 

"  Probably  some  old  world  voor-trekker  first  entered  upon 
this  great  desert  .  .  .  between  the  years  1670  and  1700." 
(Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  24,  1889.) 


542  AFEICANDEEISMS 

Vos. — (D.  vos,  a  fox.)  Canis  mesomelas  is  so  called  by  the 
Dutch.    See  Fox  and  Silver  jackal. 

"  Steeds  heeft  men  '  Eeintje  de  Vos '  beschouwt  als  een 
plaag  die  met  hand  en  tand  moet  worden  uitgeroeid.  In 
Amerika  weet  men  echter  winst  met  vosjes  te  doen  door  de 
vellen  duur  te  verkopen.  Men  spreekt  zelfs  van  '  een  voor- 
delige  jakhals  boerderij '."  ("  The  Northern  Post,"  p.  9,  18 
July,  1912.) 

Vrachter  ! — A  variant  of  Vrachtig  (q.v.).  An  exclamation 
meaning  truly,  really. 

"  '  Vrachter,  Landdrost  you  are  right,'  said  Van  Diggelen, 
'  he  is  short  like  the  public  prosecutor.'  "  ("  Prinsloo  of  Prins- 
loosdorp,"  p.  50.) 

Vrachtig. — A  contraction  apparently  of  waarachtij ,  truly, 
certainly.     See  quotation  under  vlug-vogel. 

Vrek.— (G.  verrecken,  to  die  (vulgar).)  To  die,  especially 
of  animals ;  when  used  of  men  it  is  suggestive  of  contempt. 

Vrotpootjes. — (D.  verrot,  rotten,  putrid  ;  poot,  a  foot,  paw.) 
A  disease  which  attacks  the  roots  of  beans,  potatoes,  and  other 
vegetables.     See  Eel  worms. 

"  The  disease  is  commonly  called  in  the  Colony  vrot  pootje 
.  .  .  and  in  very  sandy  soil  is  due  to  a  fungus,  Dermatophora 
necatrix,  Hartw.,  and  D.  glomerata,  Viala."  ("  C.G.H. 
Agric.  Journ.,"  p.  213,  August,  1898.) 

Vrouwenhaar. — (D.  vrouw,  a  woman,  wife  ;  haar,  hair.) 
(1)  Cassyta  filiformis,  L.  "  A  small,  twining,  leafless  para- 
site, .  .  .  and  common  all  over  the  Colony."  (2)  According 
to  Thunberg  ("Flora  Capensis,"  p.  736,  1823)  the  fern 
Adiantum  cBthiopicum  is  also  known  by  this  name. 

Vrouwhaar. — See  Akkewani. 

Vuurhoutje. — (D.  vuur,  fire  ;  Iwut,  wood.)    Lucifer  match. 

"  It  may  be  as  well  to  mention  that  the  Transvaalers 
managed  to  teach  the  Hollanders  a  couple  of  Dutch  words. 
'  Vuurhoutjes '  and  '  haakplek  '  have  found  great  favour  and  are 
likely  to  be  taken  over."  ("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  13 
May,  1884.) 

Waaiertjes. — (D.  waaien,  to  blow ;  waaier,  a  fan.)  Scallop- 
Hke  shells  found  on  the  coast ;  the  reference  is  to  the  shape 
of  the  flat  shell. 

Waaizand. — (D.  ivaaien,  to  blow;  zand,  sand.)  This  is 
known  to  the  EngHsh  colonist  as  driftsand,  i.e.  sand  that  is 
driven  or  drifted  by  the  wind. 

Wacht-en-beetje.— (D.    wachten,  to   wait;    heetje,   httle, 


AFEICANDERISMS  543 

some.)  This  name  appears  to  be  differently  applied  in  dif- 
ferent localities ;  sometimes  it  refers  to  various  species  of 
Asparagus,  the  hooked  thorns  of  which  are  certainly  detri- 
mental to  clothing,  person  and  good  temper,  if  one  happens 
to  get  hooked  by  them.  Sometimes,  as  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Queenstown,  it  is  applied  to  Erythrina  acanthocarpa — the 
Tambookie  doom  or  wortel  ;  and  yet  again  the  familiar  Zizy- 
phus  mucronata,  W.,  is  popularly  known  all  through  Kaffraria 
and  the  Eastern  Districts  as  the  "  wait-a-bit  thorn  tree  ". 

"  A  new  species  of  callophyllum  which  from  its  catching 
fast  hold  of  the  traveller  with  its  hooked  prickles,  and  keeping 
him  from  pursuing  his  journey,  is  commonly  called  here 
wakt-een-betje,  or  'wait-a-bit'."  (Sparrman's  "Voyage,":, 
p.  236,  1755.) 

"  No  more  serious  obstacle  impeded  our  course  than  a  few 
Vyacht-um-hige  thorns,  which  coming  into  contact  with  our 
clothes  and  flesh,  carried  considerable  portions  of  both  away." 
(Fleming's  "  Southern  Africa,"  p.  362,  1856.) 

"  Our  progress  was  often  impeded  by  the  voct-um-bache 
tree  which  means  in  Dutch  '  wait-a- while '."  ("Harper's 
Magazine,"  p.  568,  April,  1898.) 

Wacht-en-beetje  pock. — See  Amaas. 

"  Kafir  pox,  a  varicelloid  disease,  believed  to  attack  only 
natives,  also  known  as  wacht-en-beitje  pock  (D.  '  wait  a 
bit'),  as  it  delayed  them  on  their  road."  (Matthew's 
"Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  109  n.,  1887.) 

Wafel. — (F.  gaufre  ;  Eng.  wafer;  G.  PFajfeZ,  a  small  thin 
cake  or  leaf  of  paste.)  The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  a  variety 
of  small  cake. 

"  The  pans  in  which  wafels  are  baked  are  made  in  a  parti- 
cular shape."  (Hilda's  "Where  is  It?  of  Recipes,"  p.  257, 
1904.) 

Wagen-boom.  —  (D.  wag  en,  a  wagon  ;  boom,  a  tree.) 
Protea  grandiflora,  so  called  because  the  wood  was  largely 
employed  in  the  manufacture  of  wagon  wheels.  See 
Vaboom. 

"  On  the  road  from  this  place  we  passed  some  large  trees 
of  Wag  en-boom  {Protea  grandiflora),  so  called  by  the  colonists 
because  the  wood  of  it  has  been  found  suitable  for  making  the 
fellies  of  wagon-wheels."  (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  123, 
1822.) 

"  This  region  cannot  be  unhealthy  for  the  *  sugar-bush ' 


544  AFEICANDERISMS 

and  waggon-boom  grow  everywhere."  (Du  Toit's  "Ehodesia," 
p.  126,  1897.) 

Wagen-wiel  oore. — (D.  wiel,  a  wheel ;  cor,  an  ear.)  (1) 
A  humorous  name  for  large  outstanding  ears.  (2)  The  phrase 
is  also  jocularly  applied  to  the  Free  State  transport  riders. 

Wagtail. — See  Quick  stertje. 

"  In  the  country  each  farmhouse  and  '  pondok '  (mud- 
dweUing  of  Hottentot  labourer)  has  its  well-known  pairs  of 
this  engaging  bird,  and  woe  to  the  unlucky  urchin  who  dares 
meddle  with  them  or  their  nests."  (Layard's  "Birds  of 
South  Africa,"  p.  548,  1875-84.) 

Wait-a-bit. — See  Wacht-en-beetje. 

Wal. — (D.  wal,  wall,  rampart,  bank.)     See  Dam. 

Wallows,  Buffaloes'  or  Elephants'. — This  is  the  name  given 
in  Natal  to  those  curious  pits  or  hollows  in  the  veld  which 
are  known  in  the  Cape  Colony  as  Comitjes  (q.v.), 

"  Various  theories  have  been  put  forward  locally  as  to  the 
origin  of  these  loalloios.  These  may  be  summarized  thus  : 
(1)  They  mark  the  sites  where  elephants  and  buffaloes  used 
to  roll  in  byegone  days  ;  (2)  They  mark  the  sites  where 
natives  used  to  dig  for  iron  ore  for  the  manufacture  of  their 
weapons.  (3)  They  represent  the  ancient  '  gold  diggings  ' 
of  the  early  Australian  prospectors  in  this  country.  (4)  They 
have  been  produced  by  percolating  waters.  After  a  careful 
study  of  these  wallows  I  regret  that  I  cannot  accept  any  of 
these  theories.  ...  I  think  that  these  wallows  are  the  work 
of  the  earth-worms  alone."  (**  The  South  African  Journal  of 
Science,"  vi.  p.  127,  1910.) 

Wandering  Jew,  or  Wandering  Willie. — The  Eastern  Pro- 
vince name  of  a  creeping  plant — a  sort  of  periwinkle. 

Wandluis. — (D.  wandluis,  a  bug.)  The  Dutch  name  for 
the  Tampan — Argaspersicus. 

War  loafer. — The  quotation  explains  the  phrase. 

"  War  loafers,  a  name  given  to  the  many  young  Enghsh 
adventurers,  whose  only  profession  was  following  the  fortunes 
of  the  battle-field,  and  who  were  always  wholly  dependent  on 
the  numerous  and  oft-recurring  petty  wars  with  the  various 
belligerent  Kaffir  tribes."  (Couper's  "  Mixed  Humanity,"  p. 
1,  n.d.) 

Warm  Bad  or  Bad.— (D.  warm,  warm  ;  had,  a  bath.)  The 
name  appHed  by  the  Dutch  to  the  hot  springs  found  in 
various  parts  of  South  Africa. 


AFEICANDERISMS  545 

Wart  hog. — PhacochcBrus  cethiopicus,  Cuv.  This  animal 
closely  resembles  the  true  wild  hog  in  appearance ;  the  name 
refers  to  the  fleshy  excrescences  or  warts  on  its  face.  See 
Prairie  pig. 

"As  the  drawing  is  much  rubbed  and  as  neither  of  us 
have  seen  either  a  buffalo  or  a  warthog  since  we  came  to  the 
country,  the  controversy  is  not  likely  to  be  settled  one  way  or 
the  other."  (Balfour's  "  1200  Miles  in  a  Waggon,"  p.  180, 
1895.) 

Waschbank. — (D.  bank,  a  bench,  bank.)  This  is  a  some- 
what frequent  place-name  in  South  Africa  for  localities  where 
white  quartz  abounds,  because,  at  a  distance,  the  blocks  of 
white  quartz  are  supposed  to  represent  clothes  laid  out  in  the 
sun  to  dry  or  bleach. 

Wash  away. — Frequently,  during  heavy  rains,  owing  to 
the  inability  of  the  culverts  to  carry  off  the  enormous  rush  of 
water,  a  portion  of  the  permanent  way  of  the  railroad  will  be 
broken  through  and  the  "  ballast  "  for  a  considerable  distance 
"  washed  away,"  hence  the  phrase. 

"  The  day  and  the  night  drag  along,  however,  without 
sign  of  the  train,  news  having  come  to  hand  that  a  wash- 
away  has  occurred."  (Tangye's  "  In  New  South  Africa,"  p. 
155,  1896.) 

"  At  the  same  time  wash-away s  on  the  railway  are  very 
frequent."     (Cecil's  "  On  the  Eve  of  War,"  p.  138,  1900.) 

Wasters. — A  term  applied  in  South  Africa  to  the  class  of 
man  who,  whatever  his  chances,  can  do  no  good  for  himself. 

"  The  class  of  wasters  which  public  grumbling  bred  and 
fostered,  were  a  distinct  outrage  upon  society."  (Mathew's 
"  Incwadi  Yami,"  p.  123,  1887.) 

"  Wasters,  oh  it's  a  South  African  word  and  most  expres- 
sive— it  applies  to  the  specious  loafer,  who  is  so  common  in 
this  country — the  country  teems  with  him  in  high  grades  as 
well  as  in  low."  (Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign, 
1896,"  p.  20,  1897.) 

Water  aan — (D.  ivaterader,  a  spring,  fountain  ;  ader,  a 
vein,  artery.)  This  is  the  name  given  to  a  strip  of  veld  on 
which  the  herbage  and  bushes  are  green  when  all  around  is 
dry  and  bare,  the  greenness  being  occasioned  by  a  subterranean 
water-course.     This  is  the  origin  of  the  place  name  De  Aar. 

"  There  was  a  fountain  (wateraar)  dammed  up  by  the 
Kaffirs."     (Du  Toit's  "  Rhodesia,"  p.  43,  1897.) 

35 


546  AFEICANDERISMS 

Water  berry. — The  name  given  in  the  Eastern  Province 
to  the  fruit  of  Syzygium  cordatum,  Hochst,  which  grows  in  the 
near  neighbourhood  of  water,  it  is  called  by  the  Kaffirs  urn 
Sibi.     See  Shope. 

Water  bloemen. — (D.  bloe7n,  a  flower.)  Aponogeton  dis- 
tachyon,  L.  A  common  table  dish  in  some  parts  of  the  Western 
Province,  is  so  named  in  the  Riversdale  District. 

Water  boom. — Both  Ilex  capensis  and  Eugenia  cordata 
are  so  designated,  as  they  always  grow  near  water. 

"  Two  large  red  milk  wood  or  waterhoom  trees  formed  a 
natural  arch."     (Eussell's  "  Old  Durban,"  p.  116,  1899.) 

"  Our  only  useful  species  is  Eugenia  cordata,  the  well- 
known  Waterhoom,  the  timber  of  which  is  valuable  for  build- 
ing purposes,  etc."  (Wood's  "Handbook  to  the  Flora  of 
Natal,"  p.  49,  1907.) 

Waterboschjes.— (D.  hos,  bush.) 

"In  the  Beedasdorp  district  it  is  said  that  the  disease 
(lamziekte)  appears  in  the  camps  of  the  sour  veld  containing 
waterboschjes  and  streeJcrietjes."  ("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  38, 
July,  1912.) 

Water-buck.  —  Gobus  EUipsiprymnus.  See  Kring-gat 
buck. 

Water  drager. — (D.  drager,  a  carrier,  porter.)     (1)  A  water 
carrier.     (2)  The  drone  fly  is  also  so-called. 
Water  finder. — See  Aarbosje. 

Water  lettuce. — The  Natal  name  of  Pistia  stratiotes. 
"  The  Water  lettuce,  which  is  found  floating  freely  in  ponds 
and  still  pools,  is  an  interesting  and  beautiful  member  of  this 
family  (the  Aroidea).'"       (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  456, 
1868.) 

Water  padda. — (D.  pad,  a  toad.)  Dactylethra  capensis. 
Guv.  Found  in  stagnant  water  and  common  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Cape  Town. 

Water- right. — The  right  to  take  water  from  a  river  at  a 
specifled  level  for  purposes  of  irrigation. 

Water  root. — This  name  is  given  to  several  different  roots 
— Barroo,  Komaroo  (q.v.) — met  with  all  through  the  most 
parched  plains  of  the  Karoo ;  they  store  up  a  large  quantity 
of  watery  juice,  even  during  the  long  droughts  which  some- 
times prevail,  and  are  well  known  to  the  natives  of  the 
Karoo. 

"  On  my  way  thither  I  dismounted  on  an  arid  plain  to 


AFKICANDEEISMS  547 

breathe  our  steeds,  and  dig  up  some  bulbs  of  the  water-root." 
(Gordon  Cumming's  "Adventures,"  i.  p.  117, 1850.) 

Waterschaap. — (D.  schaap,  a  sheep.)  Tragelaphus  se- 
lousi,  the  Sitatunga  of  the  Barotsi. 

Water  snake. — Ablabophis  rufulus.  This  snake  is  an  ex- 
pert diver. 

Water  tortoise. — Among  the  Beptilia  of  South  Africa  are 
two  freshwater  tortoises — Sternothaerus  sinuatus  and  Pelo- 
medusa  galeata  :  a  pecuHar  feature  in  the  first  named  is  that 
the  fore  part  of  the  plastron  is  hinged,  and  when  the  head  and 
fore-legs  are  drawn  in  the  front  can  be  closed  up  quite 
securely. 

"  There  were  .  .  .  zand-kruipers,  and  even  ivater  tortoises, 
young  and  old,  and  they  all  sat  round  and  praised  him." 
("  The  State,"  p.  643,  December,  1911.) 

Water  treader. — Podica  petersi  is  so  called  in  Natal. 

"  The  feet  of  this  bird  are  widely  lobed,  which  enables  it 
with  the  aid  of  its  wings  to  run  along  the  surface  of  the  water, 
from  which  it  is  sometimes  called  the  Water  treader."  (Wood- 
ward's "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  172,  1899.) 

Water  uyntjes. — (D.  ajuin,  an  onion.)  Aponogeton  dis- 
tachion  and  A.  angustifolium,  plants  growing  in  the  vleis 
about  Cape  Town  in  great  abundance,  the  roasted  roots  of 
which  are  cooked  like  a  sort  of  asparagus.     See  Uyntjes. 

"The  aponogeton  distachyon  {waater  uyntjes,  or  water- 
lilies)  grew  in  many  places,  in  shallow  puddles  of  water,  very 
plentifully,  and  from  its  white  flowers  that  floated  on  the 
water,  exhaled  a  most  fragrant  odour.  The  roots  roasted 
were  reckoned  a  great  delicacy."  (Thunberg's  "  Travels,"  i. 
p.  156,  1795.) 

Water  wyzers. — (D.  wijzen,  to  point  out,  show.)  Men 
who  by  means  of  the  divining  rod,  or  in  some  other  way,  pro- 
fess to  be  able  to  point  out  where  underground  water  may  be 
found. 

"  Certain  persons  who  style  themselves  Water  wyzers." 
(Macnab's  "  On  Veldt  and  Farm,"  p.  194,  1897.) 

Wattle  and  daub  house. — This  consists  of  a  framework  of 
strong  poles,  fixed  in  the  ground  and  wattled  to  the  top  with 
pliant  boughs  and  saplings  ;  the  whole  is  then  plastered  over 
thickly  within  and  without  with  wet  clay  and  roofed  with 
thatch.  This  style  of  cottage  was  not  unknown  in  Shrop- 
shire, England,  years  ago  by  the  same  name  ;  in  other  parts 

35  * 


548  AFRICANDERISMS 

of  the  old  country  such  cottages  were  known  as  "  stud  and 
mud  "  cottages. 

"  The  houses  of  wattle  and  daub  still  standing  .  .  .  ap- 
peared ...  to  have  been  most  precipitately  abandoned." 
(King's  "  Campaigning  in  KafiQrland,"  p.  65,  1855.) 

"  All  about  among  the  hills  are  gold  reefs  pegged  out,  and 
near  them  the  wattle  and  daub  houses  of  miners,  all  deserted." 
(Baden  Powell's  "  Matabeleland  Campaign,  1896,"  p.  405, 
1897.) 

Wattled  crane.  —  Bugeranus  carunculatus.  See  Bell 
crane. 

"  The  face  is  covered  with  warts  from  the  base  of  the 
heak  to  the  eyes,  while  below  the  throat  there  are  two  pendent 
lappets,  bare  in  front  but  feathered  on  the  hinder  surface." 
(Haagner  and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p. 
127,  1908.) 

Wattled  starling. — See  Lelspreeuw  and  Locust  bird. 

"  The  true  Locust  bird,  or  Klein  springhaan  vogel  as  the 
Boers  call  it,  is  the  celebrated  Wattled  starling  {Creatophora 
caru7iculata) ."  (Haagner  and  Ivy's  "Sketches  of  South 
African  Bird  Life,"  p.  7,  1908.) 

Wax  berries. — The  fruit  of  Myrica  cordifolia  and  M. 
athiopica.  So  called  because  by  the  simple  process  of  boil- 
ing in  water  and  skimming,  the  colonists  obtain  from  them 
a  wax  of  good  quality. 

"  In  most  of  the  sandy  flats  are  found,  in  great  abundance, 
two  varieties  of  the  Myrica  cerifera,  or  wax  plant,  from  the 
berries  of  which  is  procurable  by  simple  boiling,  a  firm,  pure 
wax."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  19, 1801.) 

"  I  rode  over  to  see  the  old  man,  and  found  him' peacefully 
employed  boiling  down  wax-berries  for  the  manufacture  of 
candles. "     (Glanville's  "  Tales  from  the  Veld,"  p.  100,  1897.) 

Wax  creeper  or  Wax  plant. — Hoya  camosa,  an  imported 
plant.  The  name  refers  to  the  beautiful  wax-like  floWers  which 
this  climbing  plant  bears  in  thick  clusters.  The  name  is  also 
applied  to  the  native  plant  Microloma  tenuifolium,  K.  Schurn. 

"  The  treasures  of  the  common  are  endless,  and  first  and 
loveliest  among  them  all  is  the  little  wax-creeper,  than  which, 
tiny  as  it  is,  I  do  not  think  a  more  perfect  flower  can  be 
imagined."  (Martin's  "  Home  Life  on  an  Ostrich  Farm,"  p. 
20,  1890.) 

"  On  the   window  there  hung  a  wax  plant,  which  has 


AFBICANDERISMS  549 

beautiful  waxen  looking  flowers,  but  a  real  live  plant."  (War- 
ren's "  On  the  Veldt  in  the  Seventies,"  p.  379,  1902.) 

Wax  heath. — Erica  ardens,  ,Andr.,  a  Western  Province 
name. 

Weather. — (D.  loeder,  weather ;  G.  Wetter,  storm,  tempest.) 
The  Cape  Dutch  word  is  iveer,  but  like  the  German  word 
Wetter,  it  is  used  to  signify  thunder-storms  and  bad  weather 
generally ;  this  has  had  its  effect  on  the  English  word,  which 
is  often  used  in  South  Africa  in  the  same  way,  e.g.  :  "We 
shall  have  weather  soon  " — a  storm  is  at  hand  ;  "  That  looks 
hke  weather  coming  " — that  looks  like  a  storm  brewing.  Cf. 
also  the  Scotch  "  weatherie,"  stormy  or  showery  weather. 

Weaver  bird. — Sitagra  capensis.  In  building  its  nest  this 
bird  very  ingeniously  weaves  a  species  of  tough  grass  into  a 
kidney-shaped  structure,  the  entrance  to  which  is  from 
beneath.  Another  bird  of  the  same  family,  S.  gregalis,  builds 
a  nest  shaped  exactly  like  a  chemist's  retort. 

"  I  shall  mention  those  species  of  the  Weaver-bird  which 
suspend  their  nests  from  the  branches  of  trees."  (Pringle's 
"Narrative,"  p.  51,  1840.) 

Weduwenaars  or  Wewenaars.  —  (D.  wedmvnaar,  a 
widower.)  The  hooked  seeds  of  Bidens  pilosa  are  so  called  by 
the  Dutch.     See  Black  jacks. 

"  Klitsgras  may  be  disregarded  and  laeduwenaars  don't 
excite  much  remark."  (Du  Plessis'  "  In  the  Heart  of  Africa," 
p.  139,  1905.) 

Wee  blaar. — (D.  ivijd,  wide,  broad  ;  CD.  hlaar,  a  leaf.) 
A  species  of  Plantago  is  so  named  in  the  Riversdale  District. 
In  the  Grahamstown  District  it  is  known  as  Broad-leaf. 

Weenen. — (D.  weenen,  to  weep.)  Immediately  after  the 
treacherous  murder  of  Retief  and  his  party  by  Dingaan  in 
1838,  a  large  encampment  of  the  Voortrekkers  was  surprised 
by  the  Zulu  impis  at  the  place  now  occupied  by  the  township 
of  Weenen,  in  Natal,  and  women  and  children  as  well  as  men 
were  ruthlessly  assegaied.  The  name  Weenen  perpetuates  the 
memory  of  that  awful  time. 

"  The  little  village,  the  site  of  which  was  soon  after  chosen 
in  the  neighbourhood,  was  named  Weenen  or  '  mourning,'  and 
not  only  on  account  of  the  sorrow  for  the  many  murdered 
families,  but  also,  I  believe,  by  reason  of  the  lamentation  of  the 
natives  in  their  hopeless  retreat  along  the  course  of  the  '  Bush- 
man's River  '."     (Bird's  "  Annals  of  Natal,"  i.  p.  233,  1888.) 


660  AFEICANDEBISMS 

Weer. — (D.  weder,  weather.)     See  Weather. 

Weer-wolf. — (A.S.  tver,  a  man ;  wulf,  a  wolf  ;  cf.  G. 
Wcihr-wolf.)  A  name  sometimes  given  to  the  Maanhaar 
jackal  (q.v.). 

Weesheer. — (D.  wees,  an  orphan  ;  heer,  a  gentleman.)  In 
Cape  Dutch  this  title  is  given  to  the  Master  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  to  whom  it  falls  to  guard  the  rights  of  inheritance  of 
children,  one  (or  more)  of  whose  parents  is  dead. 

Weg=looper. — (D.  iveg,  away  ;  loopen,  to  run.)  A  deserter 
from  service. 

**  Shortly  after  a  party  of  farmers  .  .  .  happened  to  meet 
with  one  or  two  of  these  iveg-loopers  (runaways),  as  they  called 
them."     (Kay's  "  Caffrarian  Eesearches,"  p.  247,  1833.) 

Weighting  stone. — A  rounded  stone  through  which  a  hole 
has  been  bored  for  the  reception  of  a  digging  stick  ;  the  stone 
gives  weight  to  the  stick  and  so  lessens  the  labour.  It  ap- 
pears to  be  a  Hottentot  instrument  and  is  frequently  picked 
up  in  the  Karoo  and  elsewhere. 

"  The  other  carried  what  my  Hottentots  called  a  graaf-stok 
(a  digging  stick),  to  which  there  was  affixed  a  heavy  stone  to 
increase  its  force  in  pecking  up  bulbous  roots.  The  stone, 
which  was  5  inches  in  diameter,  had  been  cut  or  ground,  very 
regularly  to  a  round  form,  and  perforated  with  a  hole  large 
enough  to  receive  the  stick  and  a  wedge  by  which  it  was  fixed 
in  its  place."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p.  29,  1824.) 

"  That  Bushmen,  Corannas,  and  other  tribes  of  low  con- 
dition used  the  gem  (diamond)  mechanically  from  immemorial 
time,  seems  to  be  quite  ascertained.  They  still  remember  how 
their  fathers  made  periodical  visits  to  the  rivers  of  West 
Griqualand  seeking  diamonds  to  bore  their  weighting -stones." 
(Boyle's  "  To  the  Cape  for  Diamonds,"  p.  85,  1873.) 

Werf. — (D.  wer/,  wharf,  quay,  yard.)  In  Cape  Dutch  this 
word  is  used  :  (1)  of  a  meadow  or  paddock ;  and  (2)  by  the 
farmer  when  speaking  of  his  farmyard,  or  the  space  surround- 
ing his  dweUing. 

"  We  therefore  took  leave,  pitched  the  tent  on  the  ^verft, 
and  kindled  a  fire."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  191,  1818.) 

"  A  Dutchman  calls  his  homestead  his  iverf,  that  is,  his 
'  wharf  '  ;  a  relic  of  the  old  times,  I  suppose,  when  Holland 
was  a  greater  maritime  power  than  she  is  now."  (Brigg's 
"  Sunny  Fountains  "  and  "  Golden  Sands,"  p.  231,  1888.) 

Wiiale  birds. — A  sailor's  name  for  Procellaria  oceanica, 


AFKICANDEKISMS  551 

Kuhl.  The  name  seems  to  be  applied  also,  according  to  Mr. 
Andersson,  to  two  or  three  allied  birds — Prion  desolatus,  etc. 
— of  similar  habits,  which  frequent  the  southern  and  south- 
western coast  of  Africa. 

"  A  large  number  of  Whale-birds  may  frequently  be  seen 
hovering  over  a  whale  as  he  disports  himself ;  they  fly  very 
low  on  such  occasions,  traversing  rapidly  the  spray  and  foam 
ejected  from  the  whale's  nostrils,  as  if  it  afforded  them  some 
kind  of  food  ;  and  probably  such  is  the  case."  (Andersson's 
"  Birds  of  Damaraland,"  p.  353,  1872.) 

Whip-poor-will. — This  name  seems  to  be  variously  ap- 
plied :  (1)  to  Cuculus  solitarius.  See  Piet-myn-vrouw ;  (2) 
to  Laniarius  gutturalis.  See  Bakbakiri ;  (3)  to  Caprimulgus 
capensis.     In  each  case  it  is  onomatopoetic. 

"  Pleasant  to  Hsten  to  the  cry  of  the  buck-my-keerie 
(whip-poor-will):'  (Godlonton's  "Kaffir  War,  1850-51,"  p. 
247,  1852.) 

"  At  dusk  the  ever  constant  whippoorwill  or  goatsucker, 
Caprimulgus  capensis,  called  out  his  plaintive  eight-syllabled 
note  while  flitting  with  noiseless  wing  about  our  camp  in 
chase  of  moths."  (Schulz  and  Hammar's  '  The  New  Africa," 
p.  155,  1897.) 

"  Still  another,  wakening  echoes  from  other  scenes,  is  the 
spell-casting,  detached  voice  of  the  whip-poor-will."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  4  August,  1896.) 

White  ants.— These  insects  are  not  true  ants,  they  belong 
to  the  Order  Neuroptera,  Fam.  Termitidce.  Dr.  Livingstone, 
("Travels  in  South  Africa,"  p.  539),  and  also  Prof.  Drum- 
mond  (see  "  Tropical  Africa,"  pp.  123-58),  make  out  a  good 
case  for  the  generally  beneficent  results  of  their  operations 
and  of  the  part  they  take  in  the  economy  of  nature,  but  those 
who  have  suffered  from  their  depredations  will  continue  to 
regard  them  as  being  possessed  of  most  destructive  powers, 
they  will  attack  nearly  everything  but  stone  and  metal. 

"  The  white  ant  keeps  generally  out  of  sight  and  works 

under  galleries  constructed  by  night,  to  screen  them  from  the 

observation  of  birds."    (Livingstone's  "  Travels,"  p.  539, 1857.) 

White  bait. — Engraulis  holodon.     See  Ansjovi. 

White  crow. — Neophron  percnopterus  is   so   named,   its 

general  colour  being  a  dirty  white.     See  Witte  kraai. 

White  karanteen. — The  Natal  name  for  the  fish  Crenidens 
Forskalii,  C.  and  V. 


552  AFEICANDEEISMS 

White  mangrove. — See  Mangrove. 

White  man's  stride. — (1)  This  phrase  refers  to  the  old- 
tiroe  usage  of  measuring  off  farms  by  a  process  of  striding  ; 
half  an  hour's  walk  in  each  direction  from  the  centre  was 
the  regulated  extent  of  the  farm.  (2)  The  phrase  has  also 
been  applied  to  the  extension  of  the  white  man's  dominion 
on  the  sub-continent. 

"  If  the  farmer  is  supposed  to  have  put  his  baaken,  or 
stake,  or  landmark,  a  httle  too  near  to  that  of  his  neighbour, 
the  Feld-wagt-meester  or  peace  officer  of  the  division  is  called 
in  by  the  latter  to  pace  the  distance,  for  which  he  gets  three 
dollars."    (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  78,  1801.) 

"  Emigrants  accordingly  began  to  flock  to  South  Africa, 
and  the  white-man  s-stride  with  or  without  the  nominal  ac- 
quiescence of  the  native,  was  gradually  extended."  (Pringle's 
"  Narrative,"  p.  81,  1840.) 

"  Not  many  years  ago  their  own  Surveyor-General  was 
mobbed  for  using  a  theodolite  in  the  streets  of  Potchefstroom, 
instead  of  stepping  off  the  distance  like  the  Veld  valkt  meester 
of  the  good  old  times."  (Baines'  "  Gold  Regions  of  South- 
east Africa,"  p.  72,  1877.) 

White-necl<ed  crow. — Really  a  raven.  Corvultur  albicollis. 
The  Boers  call  this  bird  the  Ringhals  kraai ;  they  have  a 
legend,  too,  that  these  were  the  birds  which  were  employed  to 
feed  the  prophet  Elijah  (1  Kings  xvii.).  They  say  that  after 
the  birds  had  fed  the  prophet,  a  little  of  the  fat  remained  on 
their  necks,  in  commemoration  of  which  their  descendants 
have  this  one  conspicuous  white  patch  on  their  otherwise 
black  plumage. 

"  There  are  in  Africa  at  least  two  other  species  of  crow, 
both  having  white  patches  about  the  neck,  but  one  of  them, 
if  not  both,  feed  on  carrion."  (Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p. 
202,  1844.) 

White  pear. — Apodytes  dimidiata,  E.M.     See  Witte  peer. 

"  Apodytes  dimidiata  is  the  well-known  White  pear,  its 
wood  being  extensively  used  for  felloes,  etc."  (Wood's 
"  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  31,  1907.) 

White  rhinoceros. — Rhinoceros  simus — after  the  elephant 
the  bulkiest  land  animal  now  existing. 

"  The  White  rhinoceros  was,  up  till  recently,  supposed  to 
be  confined  to  the  country  south  of  the  Zambezi. "  ("  Science 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  133,  1905.) 


AFKICANDERISMS  553 

White  sore-throat. — The  name  applied  in  Graaff  Reinet 
and  elsewhere  to  Tonsilitis,  a  painful  malady,  exceedingly  com- 
mon in  some  parts  of  the  country  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year. 

Whitewood. — Ilex  capetisis,  the  wood  of  which  is  white 
or  grey.  In  the  winter  its  heavy  crop  of  crimson  fruits 
makes  it  quite  a  conspicuous  object. 

"  Whitewood  {Ilex  capensis)  occurs  frequently  along  the 
running  forest  streams."  (Sim's  "  Forest  Flora  of  Cape 
Colony,"  p.  4,  1907.) 

Widow  birds. — There  are  two  birds  so  called  :  the  smaller. 
Vidua  principalis,  robed  in  sober  black  and  white  ;  and  the 
larger,  Chera  progne,  having  shoulders  of  a  bright  orange 
colour. 

Wiener's  Day. — The  general  designation  of  a  public 
holiday  breaking  the  somewhat  long  period  between  the 
August  bank  holiday  and  Christmas  Day.  The  bill  providing 
for  this  holiday  was  introduced  into  the  Legislative  Assembly 
by  Ludwig  Wiener,  Esq.,  M.L.A.,  hence  the  popular  designa- 
tion. 

Wijn  besjes. — (D.  wijn,  wine ;  hezie,  a  berry.)  Another 
name  for  the  fruit  of  Dovyalis  rhamnoides.  See  Cape  cran- 
berry. 

Wild  almond. — Brabeium  stellatifolium. 

"  Brabeium  (Kaffir  chestnut  or  Wild  almond) .  .  .  .  The 
almond-like  fruits,  when  roasted,  make  a  good  substitute  for 
cocoa,  though  they  are  poisonous  if  eaten  raw."  (Stoneman's 
"Plants  and  their  Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  210,  1906.) 

Wild  apricot. — Dovyalis  tristis. 

Wild  aspara^s. — Asparagus  stipulaceus  or  A.  spinescens, 
from  the  roots  of  which  the  natives  make  a  strong  thread. 

Wild  banana. — The  name  given  in  Natal  to  Strelitzia 
angusta.  In  the  Transvaal  it  is  applied  to  Musa  Livingstoni- 
ana,  Kirk.  (?) 

"  Wild  banana  (Strelitzia  angusta)  and  wild  date  palms 
{Phoenix  reclinata)  give  quite  a  tropical  aspect  to  the 
scenery."     (Brook's  "  Natal,"  p.  166,  1876.) 

Wild  bosganna. — (D.  bos,  bush  ;  Ganna  (q.v.).  Cleome 
rubella,  Burch.     The  Bechuanaland  name. 

Wild  cardamon. — Xanthoxylon  capense.  So  named  be- 
cause of  its  aromatic  and  pungent  properties. 

"  The  fruit  is  known  to  the  colonists  as  the  wild  Cardamon, 
and,  on   account  of  its   aromatic   qualities,    prescribed    for 


654  AFBICANDEBISMS 

flatulency  and  paralysis. "     (Pappe's  "  Florae  Capensis  Medicae 
Prodromus,"  p.  8,  1868.) 

Wild  carrot. — Daucus  carota,  Linn. 

"  Biennials. — D.  carota,  Linn,  (the  Wild  carrot),  is  oc- 
casionally found  near  cultivation."  (Harvey's  *'  Genera  of 
South  African  Plants,"  p.  145,  1868.) 

"  The  terminal  umbels  of  Wild  carrot,  which  are  the  first 
to  open,  are  indefinite."  (Stoneman's  "Plants  and  their 
Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  113,  1906.) 

Wild  cat. — See  Tiger  cat. 

Wild  celery. — (1)  Buhon  galbanum,  L.,  so  called  because 
its  leaves  bear  a  great  resemblance  to  those  of  the  garden 
plant.  It  is  also  known,  and  not  without  sufficient  reason, 
as  the  "  Blistering  bush  ".  (2)  In  the  Eastern  Districts  this 
name  is  given  to  Apium  graveolens,  Linn. 

"  In  a  previous  number  (1900)  of  this  journal  we  drew 
the  attention  of  our  readers  to  a  half  shrubby  plant  which 
grows  on  the  slopes  of  the  mountain  and  causes  unpleasant 
blisters  on  the  hands  that  come  into  contact  with  it.  The 
other  day  a  friend  of  ours  had  a  more  than  usual  dose  of 
blistering.  .  .  ,  The  awkward  feature  of  this  danger  is  that 
one  does  not  notice  any  effect  on  the  hand  until  about  30  or 
40  hours  after  one  has  touched  the  plant.  Its  name  is 
Bubon,  which  may  be  easily  remembered,  or  if  anybody 
prefers  the  colonial  name  Wild  celery,  that  also  is  not  diffi- 
cult, for  the  leaves  resemble  those  of  the  garden  plant." 
("  Mountain  Club  Annual,  Cape  Town,"  p.  24,  1903.) 

Wild  chestnut. — Calodendron  capense,  TAmw.,  is  so  called 
in  the  Eastern  Province. 

"  The  beautiful  lilac  flowers  of  the  wild  chestnut  are 
opening  two  or  three  months  before  their  time."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  3  July,  1909.) 

Wild  coffee. — Kraussia  lanceolata.  This  name  is  given 
to  Phoenix  reclinata,  Jacq.,  also.  In  Natal  the  name  is 
applied  to  Gardenia  citriodora.  Hook.  ;  for  many  years  the 
berries  have  been  used,  by  natives  and  small  farmers  on  the 
south  coast,  as  a  substitute  for  coffee. 

"  The  name  Wild  coffee  appears  to  be  given  rather  from 
the  close  resemblance  of  the  peeled  seed  (of  Phoenix  reclinata) 
to  '  coffee  beans  '  than  from  any  use  made  of  them."  (Sim's 
"  Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  341-42,  1907.) 

"  Two  good  bee  plants  here  (Lady  Frere)    are  the  tree 


AFBICAKDEKISMS  555 

oudenhout  and  the  wild  coffee,  both  flowering  in  the  spring." 
("  Agric.  Journ.  S.A.  Union,"  p.  717,  June,  1911.) 

Wild  cotton  or  Wilde  kapok. — Asclepias  fruticosa,  Linn., 
and  other  species  are  known  as  "  Wild  cotton  ".  In  Natal  and 
Portuguese  East  Africa,  this  name  has  been  given  to  Ipomoea 
albivenia,  Sweet.,  a  climber  with  large,  pure  white  flowers. 
The  seeds  are  covered  with  silky  white  hairs. 

"  The  Bushmen  employed  several  kinds  of  wood  in  mak- 
ing them  (fire-sticks)  .  .  .  that  sometimes  called  Melkbosch 
by  the  Dutch,  a  species  of  Asclepias,  the  ivild-cotton  of  the 
Settlers."  (Stow's  "The  Native  Kaces  of  South  Africa," 
p.  60,  1905.) 

Wild  currant. — The  Eastern  Province  name  of  Bhus 
villosa,  L.     See  Eozyntjes. 

Wild  custard -apple. — The  Transvaal  name  of  Anona 
senegalensis,  Pers. 

Wild  dagga. — Leonotis  leonurus,  called  also  the  Red 
dagga.     See  Dagga. 

"  Wilde  dacha  (a  kind  of  wild  hemp  which  grows  in  rich 
ground  near  the  coast)."  (Hoodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South 
Africa,"  ii.  p.  169,  1835.) 

Wild  dog. — Lycaon  pictus — the  Cape  Hunting  dog.  These 
ferocious  animals  hunt  in  packs,  and  often  upon  a  plan  so  well 
arranged  as  to  suggest  reason  rather  than  instinct.  The  pack 
will  divide  and  separate,  one  half  will  then  head  the  game  in 
the  direction  of  the  other  half,  these  will  then  take  up  the 
chase  and  work  on  similar  lines  until  the  exhausted  quarry  is 
secured.  These  animals  resemble  dogs  in  their  dentition, 
but,  like  the  hyenas,  they  have  only  four  toes  on  each  foot ; 
it  appears  to  be  an  intermediate  link  between  these  two 
animals. 

"  These  wild  dogs  are  some  of  the  most  ferocious  beasts 
of  prey  that  either  the  African  colonists  or  the  Hottentot 
hoards  are  exposed  to."  (Sparrman's  "Voyage,"  i.  p.  157, 
1785.) 

"  A  pack  of  wild  dogs,  or  '  wilde  Honden '  of  the  Dutch 
colonists,  in  single  file,  were  pursuing  a  Wildebeest  or  Gnoo." 
(Leyland's  "  Adventures,"  p.  71,  1866.) 

Wilde  als. — (D.  wilde,  wild  ;  alsem,  wormwood.)  The 
Cape  Dutch  name  for  the  Wild  wormwood — Artemisia  Afra, 
Jacq. 

"  The  virtues  of  it  were  heightened  by  wilde  alsies  (a  kind 


556  AFRICANDEKISMS 

of  wormwood)  being  infused  in  it."     (Sparrman's  "Voyage," 
II.  p.  173,  1785.) 

"  As  soon  as  it  began  to  heal  I  employed  a  wash  made  of 
a  strong  decoction  of  Wilde  alseni  (Wild  wormwood)."  (Bur- 
chell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  480,  1822.) 

"  The  Wildeals  bush  is  famous  for  its  medicinal  qualities 
— well  known  to  the  Boers  as  a  restorative."  ("  East  London 
Dispatch,"  p.  3,  29  July,  1910.) 

Wilde  amandel. — (D.  amandel,  an  almond.)  In  the 
Riversdale  District  Brabeium  stellatifolium,  L.,  is  so  called, 
but  elsewhere  the  name  is  given  to  Pajypea  capensis,  E.  and 
Z.     See  Kaambesje. 

Wildebeest  or  Gnu. — (D.  wilde,  wild;  heest,  an  ox.)  (1) 
Gonnochcetes  taurinus,  the  Blue  wildebeest,  fairly  common  in 
the  northern  parts  of  the  sub-continent.  (2)  C.  gnu,  the 
Black  wildebeest,  very  scarce,  only  to  be  found  on  a  few  farms 
in  the  Orange  Eiver  Colony. 

"I  heard  a  great  bustle  among  the  people  residing  on  the 
spot,  who  were  shouting  Veld  a  beast,  and  on  looking  out  I 
found  that  a  herd  of  gnus  had  joined  the  oxen  as  they  were 
driven  homewards."  (Steedman's  "Adventures,"  ii.  p.  11, 
1835.) 

Wildebeest  veld. — A  part  of  the  country  in  the  Caledon 
River  District  was  so  called  by  the  Dutch. 

"  The  Dutch  Boers  designated  it  loilde-beest  veld,  it  being 
nearly  the  whole  year  round   literally  covered   with   large 

game.     Mr. ,  it  must  be  admitted,  has  at  length  turned 

his  wilde-beest  veld  to  good  account."     ("  Queenstown  Free 
Press,"  20  May,  1875.) 

Wilde  copaiva. — (Port,  and  Sp.  copaiba;  Braz.  cupauba.) 
In  the  south-west  districts  of  the  Cape  Province  several  species 
of  Bulbine  are  so  called. 

Wilde  garst. — (D.  wilde,  wild ;  gerst,  barley.)  Hordeum 
capense  (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  119,  1823)  = 
Hordeum  secalinum,  Schreb. 

Wilde  granaat  or  Granaats. — The  edible  fruit  of  Colpoon 
capense  is  commonly  known  by  this  name  in  Albany. 

Wilde  hond.— See  Wild  dog. 

Wilde  kalkoen. — (D.  wilde,  wild;  kalkoen,  a  turkey.) 
Geronticus  calvus — the  Bald  ibis. 

Wilde    kastanje. — (D.    kastanje,    chestnut.)      See   Wild 


AFEICANDERISMS  557 

chestnut.  This  name  is  given  also  to  Braheium  stellatifolium. 
See  Wild  almond. 

"  C.  capense  is  a  noble  tree,  a  native  of  the  Eastern  District 
and  Natal.  .  .  .  The  Wilde  Jcastanien  oi  the  coloniats."  (Har- 
vey's "  Genera  of  South  African  Plants,"  p.  42,  1868.) 

"  Brabeium  .  .  .  colonial  name  Wild  castanjes  or  Cafifre 
chestnut,  native  of  the  Western  Districts."     {Ibid.,  p.  332.) 

Wilde  kat. — Felis  caffra.     See  Bull-head. 

"  The  Caffer  cat  {Felis  caffra)  found  with  slight  modifica- 
tions all  over  Africa,  is  probably  the  ancestor  of  the  ordinary 
European  domestic  cat,  which  appears  to  have  been  derived 
from  Egypt,  where  those  animals  were  formerly  held  in  great 
reverence."     ("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  126,  1905.) 

Wilde  keurboom. — A  shrub  bearing  light-purple  flowers, 
growing  on  river  banks  and  in  moist  places — Virgilia  capensis. 

Wiide  knoflook. — (D.  knoflook,  garlic.)  Tulhaghia  alliacea, 
Thun.  This  bulb,  which  smells  like  garhc,  is  boiled  in  milk 
and  used  as  a  vermifuge. 

Wild  elder. — Nuxia  florihunda.   See  Vlier. 

Wilde  macaauw. — Plectropterus  gambensis,  the  wild 
Muscovy  or  Spur-winged  goose,  a  large  bird  measuring  3  feet 
in  length. 

"  See  baas,  wilge  maccow  ;  but  it  took  a  great  deal  of 
patient  staring  before  we  could  detect  what  our  man  evidently 
saw."     (Gilmore's  "  The  Hunter's  Arcadia,"  p.  59,  1886.) 

"  The  Spur- winged  goose  {Plectropterus  gambensis)  known 
to  the  Boers  as  the  Wilde  macaauw  (wild  muscovy)."  (Haagner 
and  Ivy's  "  Sketches  of  South  African  Bird  Life,"  p.  149, 1908.) 

Wilde  moerbe. — (D.  moerbezie,  mulberry.)  Trimeria 
alnifolia. 

Wilde  paard. — (D.  paard,  a  horse.)  Equus  zebra  having 
its  habitat  in  almost  inaccessible  mountain  ranges,  has  not 
been  wiped  off  the  face  of  the  earth  as  its  relative  the  quagga 
appears  to  have  been — several  hundred  are  still  known  to 
exist  in  the  Cape  Colony.     See  Zebra. 

"  The  Zebra  is  usually  termed  Wilde-paard  or  wild-horse 
by  the  colonists."     (Pringle's  "  Poems,"  p.  93  n.,  1828.) 

"  There  are  in  South  Africa  three  varieties  of  the  genus 
Equus,  the  true  Zebra  or  Wilde  paard;  Burchell's  zebra  or 
the  bonte  quagga  ;  and  the  quagga  properly  so  called."  (Bar- 
ter's "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  112,  1852.) 


558  AFEICANDERISMS 

"  In  Kaokoland,  in  the  north  of  German  South-west 
Africa,  there  exists  a  Zebra  recently  described  by  Herr  Matchie, 
of  the  Berlin  Museum,  as  distinct  {Equus  hartmanna)  which 
very  closely  resembles  the  Cape  Colony  mountain  zebra." 
("  Science  in  South  Africa,"  p.  132,  1905.) 

Wilde  paard. — See  Zebra-fish. 

"  Sargus  cervinus  .  .  .  &\bo  c&Wednoilde  paard."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  26  June,  1906.) 

Wilde  pisang. — (Mai.  pisang,  the  cultivated  banana  or 
plantain.)  Another  name  for  Musa  Living stoniana,  Ki?k.  {?) 
See  Wild  banana. 

Wilde  pruimen. — (D.  pruim,  a  prune,  plum.)  See  Kaam- 
besjes. 

"  The  wilde  pruimen  (wild  plum)  .  ,  .  and  many  another 
shrub,  blossomed  on  every  side."  (Bryden's  "Kloof  and 
Karoo,"  p.  130,  1889.) 

Wilde  ramenas. — (D.  ramenas,  the  black  radish. )  Gunnera 
perpensa,  L.  A  decoction  of  the  root  of  this  plant  is  used  for 
dyspepsia. 

"The  leaves  of  the  ivilde  rahas  {Gunnera  perpensa,  L.) 
are  often  used."  (Moodie's  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  i. 
p.  233,  1835.) 

Wilde  vijgebooni. — (D.  vijg,  a  fig ;  hoom,  a  tree.)  Ficus 
capensis.     (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  34,  1823.) 

Wilde  vlier. — (D.  vlier,  elder.)  Chilianthus  oleaceus.  See 
Salie. 

Wilde  zuring. — (D.  zuring,  sorrel.)  Oxalis  cernua. 
(Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  537,  1823)  (Wilde  syring.) 
See  Wild  sorrel. 

Wild  fan  palm. — Htjphcene  ventricosa,  Kirk.,  is  so  named 
in  the  Transvaal. 

Wild  fig. — Ficus  natalensis,  and  F.  capensis.  The  former 
is  also  known  in  Natal  as  the  Tree-killer  (q.v.).  See  Wilde 
vijgeboom. 

"It  is  seldom  that  the  Cape  chestnut  and  the  Wild  fig 
become  altogether  devoid  of  leaves."  ("  East  London  Dis- 
patch," p.  7,  12  April,  1912.) 

Wild  fuchsia. — Halleria  elliptica.  See  Kinderbesje.  In 
the  Transvaal  H.  lucida,  L . 

Wild  garlic. — See  Wilde  knoflook. 

"  There  is  the  '  duba  '  {wilde  garlic,  Tulbaghia  alliacea) 
which  is  pounded  up  with  fat  and  clay,  and  kept  in  the  tip  of 


AFEICANDEKISMS  569 

a  goat's  horn.  If  a  young  man  touch  a  young  woman  with 
this  it  will  make  her  think  of  him  night  and  day."  (Scully's 
"  The  White  Hecatomb,"  p.  197,  1897.) 

Wild  grapes. — The  fruit  of  Bhoicissus  capensis  (Willd.), 
Planch.,  which  makes  a  preserve  like  black  currants  in 
flavour. 

"  Eatable  berries  occur,  among  others  on  .  .  .  Cissus 
capensis  {wild  grape)."  (Marloth's  "Annual  Address,  S.A. 
Phil.  Soc,"  p.  11,  29  August,  1894.) 

"The  creepers,  such  as  the  monkey-rope  or  m^c^  grape, 
hang  carelessly  from  the  branches."  ("Cape  Times,"  p.  9, 
17  September,  1912.) 

Wild  honeysuckle. — Tecoma  capensis,  Lind.  This  in- 
digenous shrub  bears  flowers  of  a  brilliant  scarlet,  resembling 
somewhat  in  shape  the  flowers  of  the  English  honeysuckle. 

Wild  katjepiring. — (Mai.  kaclia-piring ,  Gardenia  florida.) 
Gardenia  Thunbergia.     See  Buffelsbal. 

Wild  lemon. — Xymalos  monospora  is  known  by  this  name 
in  the  Eastern  Province. 

"  Natural  regeneration  seldom  occurs  under  heavy  canopy, 
and  hardly  at  all  under  certain  trees,  particularly  Wild  lemon 
{Xymalos).''  (Sim's  "Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  3, 
1907.) 

Wild  medlar. — Vanqueria  infausta,  Burch.  The  name 
given  to  this  plant  in  Natal. 

"A  wild  medlar.  The  native  will  not  eat  this  fruit  if 
they  intend  going  on  a  journey,  believing  it  will  surely  turn 
out  disastrous."     (Chapman's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  298,  1868.) 

Wild  mulberry. — See  Cape  mulberry. 

Wild  peach. — (1)  Kiggelaria  dregeana,  Turcz.  See  Red 
ebony.  (2)  Nuxia  florihunda  is  so  called  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  St.  Johns.     See  Vlier. 

Wild  pig. — See  Bush  vark. 

Wild  plum. — The  handsome,  edible  fruit  of  Ximenia 
caffra,  Sond. ,  of  a  bright  plum  colour  ;  it  is  very  acid  but  of 
a  pleasant  flavour  and  is  common  in  the  Transvaal  and 
Natal. 

Wild  plum. — The  Transvaal  name  for  Dombeya  rotundi- 
folia. 

"In  Transvaal  ...  it  is  known  as  Wild  plum  on  ac- 
count of  the  similarity  of  the  flowering  bush  to  a  plum  tree." 
(Sim's  "Forest  Flora  of  Cape  Colony,"  p.  145,  1907.) 


560  AFRICANDERISMS 

Wild  pomegranate. — Burchellia  capensis,  B.Br.  The 
berry,  crowned  by  the  calyx,  is  not  unlike  a  small  pome- 
granate. 

"Chief  of  which  are  the  Burchellia  {wild pomegranate)." 
("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,  27  May,  1910.) 

Wild  rosemary. — Eriocephalus  umhellulatus,  D.C.  The 
name  has  reference  to  the  scent  of  the  plant  which  is  not  un- 
like that  of  the  rosemary. 

"  The  name  of  kapock-bird  was  given  to  a  very  small 
bird  that  forms  its  nest  .  .  .  from  the  down  (pappus  erio- 
cephali)  of  the  wild  rosemary  tree  (wilderosmaryn)."  (Thun- 
berg's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  136,' 1795.) 

Wild  sage. — (1)  Salvia  africana,  L.  "  Like  those  of  the 
common  sage,  the  leaves  of  this  species  are  fragrant,  astringent, 
and  bitter."  (Pappe.)  {2i)  Tarchonanthus  camphoratus.  See 
Camphor-hout. 

Wild  senna. — Cassia  arachoides,  Burch. 

Wild  seringa. — (D.  sering,  lilac.)  The  Transvaal  name 
for  Burhea  africana,  Willd. 

"We  have  .  .  .  thewild seringa  (Burkea  africana),  Airi- 
can  wattle  {Peltophorum  africanum)  and  swart  beukenhout 
{Faurea  salig?ia) ."  ("  Addresses  and  Papers,  Brit,  and  S.A. 
A.A.S.,"  III.  p.  537,1905.) 

Wild  sorrel. — The  name  given  to  several  varieties  of 
Oxalidce.     See  Wilde  zuring. 

"  The  open  veld  is  aglow  in  places  with  the  scarlet  blossoms 
of  Watsonias  and  the  dainty  pink  of  ivild  sorrels."  ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  12  April,  1912.) 

Wild  tobacco  plant. — Nicotiana  glauca,  an  importation, 
now  naturalized ;  it  seems  to  be  eaten  by  goats  with  impunity, 
while  in  both  the  green  and  dry  condition  it  is  certain  death 
to  young  ostriches. 

"They  seemed  chiefly  to  seek  their  food  amongst  the 
tobacco  trees  now  growing  so  abundantly  in  the  bed  and  on 
the  banks  of  the  Swakop."  (Andersson's  "  Birds  of  Damara- 
land,"  p.  73,  1872.) 

"  On  the  banks  of  the  river  Riet  are  the  weeping  willow, 
wild  tobacco  plant,  and  various  shrubs  that  I  do  not  know." 
(Warren's  "  On  the  Veldt  in  the  Seventies,"  p.  57,  1902.) 

Wild  turkey.— (1)  A  literal  rendering  of  the  Dutch  "  wilde 
kalkoen,"  a  mistaken  name  given  to  Ibis  calva.  (2)  This 
name  is  also  given  to  the  Brom  vogel — Bucorax  cafer  (q.v.). 


AFRICANDEEISMS  561 

"  A  deep  blue  Ibis  with  red  head,  called  from  this  peculi- 
arity, though  improperly,  by  the  English  at  the  Cape,  wild 
turkey,  and  by  the  Dutch  farmers  wilde  kalkoen,  which  means 
the  same  thing."     (Arbousset's  "Narrative,"  p.  190,  1846.) 

Wild  violet. — Aptosimum  depressum,  L.  This  is  a  species 
of  ScrophulariacecB  common  in  the  Karoo. 

Wild  wormwood. — See  Wilde  alsies. 

Willowvale  bell. — Gcalekaland  local  name  for  the  pretty 
Sandersonia  aurantiaca,  Hook. 

Wilzand. — (D.  welzand,  a  quicksand.)  Sometimes  cor- 
rupted to  Wilde  Zand.     A  quicksand. 

"  After  riding  for  about  an  hour  we  came  to  a  place  which 
is  called  the  Welzand  or  quicksand."  (Stavorinus'  "  Voyage," 
II.  p.  50,  1798.) 

"  Besides  this  Welzand  there  is  another  smaller  passage 
which  is  equally  dangerous."     {Ibid.,  p.  52.) 

Wind -berg. — An  earlier  name  borne  by  the  mountain  on 
the  Cape  Peninsula  now  known  as  the  Devil's  Peak. 

"  Der  Wind-  oder  Teufels-^er^  hat  den  Namen  ohne 
Zweifel  von  den  Sud-Ost  Winden  die  auf  ihme  regieren  .  .  . 
Von  dem  Gipfel  des  Wind-Berges  hat  man  eine  schone 
Aussicht,man  entdecket  das  Tieger-Geburge,die  benachbarten 
Heiden,  etc."     (Kolben's  "  Beschreibung,"  p.  210,  1745.) 

"  The  picturesque  Devil's  Peak  (or  Wind  Berg  of  the  old 
Dutch  mariners),  3315  feet  in  height."  (Noble's  "Official 
Handbook  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  p.  77,  1886.) 

Windtoy. — Ccesio  axillaris,  Boul. 

"  The  spelling  Windtoy  is  given  by  Pappe,  Castelnau,  and 
Blerker,  but  as  pronounced  by  Malay  fishermen  sounds  more 
like  Wind-ei,  which  would  mean  in  Dutch  a  wind-egg,  the 
colour  of  which  is  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  this  fish. 
This  derivation  I,  however,  suggest  with  some  hesitation." 
(Gilchrist's  "  History  of  the  Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p. 
222,  1900.) 

Winkel. — (D.  winkel,  a  shop.)     A  small  retail  shop  or  store. 

"  Our  object  being  now  to  recruit  our  teams  and  lighten 
the  wagon  of  all  redundant  stores,  we  lost  not  a  moment  in 
opening  a  winkle  or  store."  (Harris's  "Wild  Sports,"  p. 
332,  1839.) 

"  Here  and  there  ...  a  tiny  Winkle  or  shop  (in  one  of 
these  I  found  a  solitary  Jewish  store-keeper  faithfully  holding 
the  Passover)."    (Trotter's  "  Old  Cape  Colony,"  p.  221, 1903.) 

36 


562  AFKICANDEKISMS 

Winkler. — (D.  winkeliery  a  shop-keeper.)  The  proprietor 
of  a  small  retail  shop  or  store. 

"  Winkel  wagons  had  come  out  to  the  camp  and  the 
winMers,  or  private  traders,  sold  everything  they  had." 
(King's  "  Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,"  p.  139,  1855.) 

"  Only  think,  every  dirty  little  Jew  winkler  calling  him 
'  Oom  '."     (Mitford's  "  Aletta,"  p.  183,  1900.) 

Wipstaart  mier. — (D.  wipstaarten,  to  wag  the  tail ;  mier, 
an  ant.)     A  variety  of  ant. 

Wire  worm. — This  name  is  given  (1)  to  the  larva  of  a 
beetle  of  the  Elateridce  family  ;  (2)  to  one  of  the  Annelidce  ; 
and  (3)  to  some  of  the  milipedes  (Diplopoda). 

Wit  boom. — (D.  wit,  white,  pale ;  boom,  a  tree.)  Cap- 
paris  oleoides  and  other  species — the  name  refers  to  the 
light  colour  of  the  bark. 

Wit-borst  kraai. — (D.  wit,  white,  pale ;  borst,  breast ; 
kraai,  a  crow.)     See  Parson  crow. 

Witchcraft. — This  word  is  employed  in  South  Africa  to 
denote  a  peculiar  class  of  native  crime  ;  um  Takati,  generally 
rendered  "  witch "  or  "  wizard,"  means  simply  an  "  evil 
doer,"  in  ordinary  use  it  refers  to  those  who  are  suspected  of 
doing  secret  injury  to  others.  The  native  believes  that  by 
the  use  of  certain  "  medicines,"  such  an  one  may  destroy 
health  and  even  life,  may  cause  lightning  to  blast,  or  rain,  or 
drought  to  destroy  the  crops,  and  so  on ;  and  all  this  and 
many  other  forms  of  "  evil  doing  "  are  included  in  the  term 
"  witchcraft  ". 

"  It  should  be  observed,  however,  that  the  English  word 
witchcraft  very  imperfectly  expresses  the  offence  of  the  um 
Takati,  which  word  is  used  to  denote  generally  a  criminal  of 
the  grosser  kind,  more  especially  one  who  is  supposed  to  have 
attempted,  or  actually  caused,  the  death  of  another,  oftentimes 
his  chief,  by  poisoning."  (Colenso's  "  Ten  Weeks  in  Natal," 
p.  61,  1855.) 

Witch  doctor. — See  Doctor. 

"  The  same  Kona,  some  years  before,  having  fallen  sick, 
a  witch-doctor  was  consulted  according  to  custom  to  ascertain 
the  individual  under  whose  evil  influence  he  was  suffering." 
(King's  "  Campaigning  in  Kaffirland,"  p.  94,  1855.) 

Witch  weed. — A  native  of  the  Transvaal  which  bids  fair 
to  become  a  nuisance  to  mealie  growers  in  that  part  of  the 
country.     See  Rooi-bloem. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  563 

"  The  Witchweeds  known  to  the  natives  as  Isona,  which  are 
found  in  mealie  fields  and  are  parasitical  on  the  roots  of  the 
mealies  and  other  species  of  the  grass  family."  (Wood's 
"  Handbook  to  the  Flora  of  Natal,"  p.  92,  1907.) 

"  The  plant  disease  ...  is  that  known  as  witch-weed  or 
rooi-bloemtje."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  6,  13  April, 
1911.) 

Witgat. — Zygophyllum  dichotomum. 

"  A  tall  tree  called  Witgat  by  the  colonists."  ("  Flora 
Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  362,  1859-60.) 

Wit- gat  boom. — (D.  wit,  white,  pale  ;  gat,  a  hole,  opening  ; 
hoom,  a  tree.)     See  Shepherd's  tree. 

"  Kert  pointed  out  a  whithaat  hoom  (white  ass  (!)  tree)  : 
'  There,'  said  he,  *  that's  where  I  found  the  100  carat 
diamond,  close  to  that  tree  '."  (Farini's  "  Through  the  Kala- 
hari Desert,"  p.  Ill,  1886.) 

Witgat  spreeuw. — (D.  wit,  white ;  gat,  opening,  vent ; 
spreeuw,  a  starling.)  Spreo  hicolor.  This  bird  feeds  princi- 
pally upon  insects,  but  does  great  damage  among  the  ripe 
fruit  of  the  orchards. 

With. — (1)  A  curious  use  of  this  word  is  of  frequent  oc- 
currence in  various  parts  of  South  Africa ;  it  is  employed 
without  the  substantive  which  it  should  govern,  e.g.  "  Can  I 
come  with?"  ("you"  being  omitted).  "Are  they  going 
with?  "  ("  us,"  "  you,"  or  "  them,"  being  omitted).  This  ap- 
pears to  be  entirely  due  to  the  influence  of  the  Cape  Dutch 
word  sam,  together.  (2)  Another  curious  usage  of  the  same 
preposition  is  often  heard  in  the  Midland  Districts,  which  is 
also  due  to  the  influence  of  the  Dutch  idiom  :  "  He  threw  me 
over  the  hedge  with  a  rock,  "  meaning  "  He  threw  a  stone 
over  the  hedge  at  me  and  hit  me  ". 

Wit  hout  boom. — (D.  wit,  white  ;  hout,  wood ;  hoom,  a 
tree.)  Mcerua  caffra.  The  name  refers  to  the  whiteness  of 
the  wood. 

Wit  hout  olijn,  or  Witolijn. — Chilianthus  arboreus,  A.D.G.y 
is  so  called  in  the  Riversdale  District. 

Wit  kruis  valk. — (D.  wit,  white  ;  kruis,  a  cross  ;  valk,  a 
hawk,  falcon.)     Circus  maurus. 

Witte  boom. — (D.  wit,  white,  pale ;  boo7n,  a  tree.)  Leu- 
cadendron  argenteum  the  famous  Silver  tree  is  sometimes  so 
called. 

"  The  foot  both  of  the  Devil's  Hill  and  Table  Mountain  is 

36* 


564  AFKICANDEEISMS 

well  clothed  with  witte-hoom  {Protea  argentea),  oak,  and  other 
trees."     (Latrobe's  "  Journal,"  p.  35,  1818.) 

Witte  els. — (D.  wit,  white ;  els,  alder.)  Platylophus  tri- 
foliatus. 

Witte  ijzerhout. — (D,  ijzerhout,  ironwood.)  Toddalia 
lanceolata  ;  the  wood  of  this  tree  is  white,  tough,  and  elastic, 
and  is  largely  used  by  wagon  makers. 

Witte  kraai. — (D.  wit,  white,  pale  ;  kraai,  a  crow.)  Neo- 
phron percnopterus,  the  Egyptian  vulture  is  so  named  by  the 
Dutch.     See  White  crow. 

Witte  melkhout. — (D.  melk,  milk  ;  hout,  wood.)  Sider- 
oxylon  inerme,  the  timber  of  which  is  much  esteemed  for  boat 
building,  mill,  and  bridge  purposes.     See  Jackals-besje. 

Witte  oogie. — (D.  wit,  white;  oog,  an  eye.)  Zosterops 
capensis.  A  common  name  among  the  Dutch  for  this 
small  bird,  anglicized  into  "white  eye".  See  also  "  Glas 
oogie  "  and  "  Karre  oogie  ". 

"  Little  white  eyes,  greenish  in  colour,  with  white  circles 
round  each  eye."  (Trotter's  "Old  Cape  Colony,"  p.  216, 
1903.) 

Witte  peer. — (D.  peer,  pear.)  (1)  Apodytes  dimidiata,  a 
valuable  timber  tree  growing  to  a  large  size.  (2)  Kiggelaria 
africana  is  also  known  by  this  name. 

Witte  salie. — (D.  salie,  sage.)  Nuxia  congesta.  The 
wood  of  this  tree  is  white,  close-grained,  and  solid.  See 
Bogwood. 

Witte  sperwel. — (D.  wit,  white  ;  spencer,  a  sparrow- 
hawk.)     See  Blauw  valk. 

Witte  visch. — The  Dutch  name  for  Barbiis  capensis.  See 
Barber. 

Witte  visch- vanger. — (D,  tcit,  white ;  visch,  a  fish ; 
vangen,  to  catch.)     Haliatus  vocifer. 

"  This  eagle  has  a  good  deal  of  white  about  it,  and  is 
called  witte  visch-vanger  (white  fish  eater)  by  the  Cape 
Dutch."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  151,  1889.) 

Wit-zeere  keel. — (D.  wit,  white  ;  zeer,  sore,  painful ;  keel, 
throat.)     See  White  sore  throat. 

"  De  grootste  sterfte  is  onder  kinderen  aan  kroep  en  wit- 
zeere  keel  {Diphtheritis  gangrcenosa)."  (Cachet's  "  De 
Worstelstrijd  der  Transvalers,"  p.  349,  1882.) 

Wolf. — The  South  African  name  of  HycBna  crocuta,  the 
Spotted  hyena ;  unlike  the  true  wolf,  however,  which  hunts 


AFEICANDEKISMS  665 

in  packs,  this  animal  is  solitary,  as  is  also  the  Strand  wolf 
(q.v.). 

"  A  spotted,  or  '  laughing  hyena '  .  .  .  the  great  muscular 
power  of  this  animal,  which  is  called  by  the  colonists  the 
wolf,  renders  it  exceedingly  formidable;  the  difficulty  of 
determining  the  sex  being  the  most  remarkable  feature  it 
possesses."     (Harris's  "  Wild  Sports,"  p.  244,  1839.) 

"  As  I  have  used  the  term  wolf  so  frequently,  it  is  right 
I  should  inform  the  reader  that  the  animal  properly  so  called 
does  not  exist  in  South  Africa."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and 
the  Veld,"  p.  117,  1852.) 

Wolf  huis. — (D.  huis,  a  house,  dwelling.)  A  variety  of 
trap  built  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  hyenas  which  were 
so  troublesome  in  early  days. 

"  At  fixed  intervals  all  along  their  route  can  still  be  seen 
little  buildings,  in  the  shape  of  a  domestic  oven,  and  if  one 
questions  .  .  .  the  meaning  of  the  said  erections  he  will  be 
told  that  they  were  wolf-huizen  (wolf-houses)  built  by  the 
old  trekkers."  (Sellick's  "  Uitenhage  Past  and  Present," 
p.  iv,  1905.) 

"In 'those  days  they  (the  farmers)  built  a  wolvehuis  to 
trap  hyenas,  but  do  not  appear  to  have  even  dreamt  of 
Government  paying  for  the  tails. "  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  6,  29  July,  1912.) 

Wolkoorn. — (D.  wol,  wool ;  koorn,  corn.)  The  name  given 
to  a  variety  of  wheat  grown  in  South  Africa. 

"  The  wheats  sown  this  year  are  largely  Bietti,  and  the 
early  Cape  variety  known  as  Wolkoorn."  ("  C.G.H.  Agric. 
Jour.,"  XXIII.  p.  535,  1903.) 

Wolveboon. — (D.  wolf,  a  wolf  ;  boon,  a  bean.)  Hyaenanche 
globosa,  Lamb.  "  The  highly  poisonous  fruit  of  this  shrub  is 
used  to  destroy  hyenas  or  other  beasts  of  prey,  and  seems 
to  contain  strychnium."  Pappe.  The  name  refers  to  the 
use  to  which  the  fruit  is  put.  The  plant  occurs  only  in  the 
Gift  bergen  near  Van  Ehynsdorp. 

Wolve  gift. — (D.  wolf,  a  wolf;  gift,  poison.)  (1)  The 
Cape  Dutch  name  for  strychnine.  (2)  Acokanthera  venenata, 
G.  Don.  is  also  so  called. 

Wonder  blad. — (D.  blad,  a  leaf.) 

"Here  we  find  the  stunted  Mesembryanthemums ;  .  .  . 
and  the  remarkable  Wo7ider  blad,"  ("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc," 
I.  Part  I.  p.  24,  1878.) 


566  AFEICANDERISMS 

Wonderboom. — (D.  wonder,  admiration,  that  which  excites 
admiration  ;  hoom,  a  tree.)  The  name  given  to  a  remarkable 
tree  growing  near  Pretoria,  described  as  Ficus  cordata,  but 
since  described  as  F.  Pretoria  by  J.  Burtt-Davy,  the  Govern- 
ment botanist.  (Vide  "  Trans.  Royal  Soc.  of  South  Africa," 
p.  366,  II.  Part  4,  1912.) 

"  The  Wonderboom  is  a  remarkable  tree.  It  forms  a  large 
hemispherical  mass  covered  with  evergreen  leaves  and  small 
figs.  Its  diameter  from  N.N.E.  to  S.S.W.  is  162^  feet,  and 
from  E.  to  W.  141-^  feet.  Its  height,  as  estimated  by  means 
of  triangles  of  Kaffir  whips,  was  67  feet."  ("  Addresses  and 
Papers,  Brit,  and  S.A.A.A.  Science,"  p.  539,  iii.  1905.) 

"  No  date  in  history  records  the  planting  of  the  famous 
Wonderboom  of  Pretoria.  As  its  branches  have  spread  out  they 
have  sent  down  their  stem-like  roots,  which  support  the 
branches  like  columns."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their 
Ways  in  South  Africa,"  p.  4,  1906.) 

Wooden  orange. — See  Clapper. 

"  The  half-eaten  pip  of  a  loooden-orange  struck  me  in  the 
face  as  I  lay  back  again  to  see  what  was  going  on  above." 
(Fitzpatrick's  "  Jock  of  the  Bush  veld,"  p.  359,  1907.) 

Wooden  tongue. — The  name  refers  to  the  wooden  hardness 
which  the  tongue  of  an  animal  acquires  when  affected  by 
this  disease.  See  Ray  fungus  disease,  Big  jaw,  and  Lumpy  jaw. 

Wool  grass. — The  name  given  in  Bechuanaland  to 
Anthephora  pubescens,  Nees.  (Burtt-Davy,  "  S.A.  Agric. 
Jour.,"  July,  1912.) 

Wool  spider. — The  thorny  seed  case  of  Harpagophytum 
procumbens  is  so  called  because  of  its  supposed  resemblance 
to  a  huge  spider,  and  because  it  hooks  on  to  the  wool  of  sheep 
so  easily.     See  Grapple  plant  and  Haak  doom. 

"  Fig.  167  shows  the  wool  spider  of  the  '  Grappling  plant ' 
{TJncaria procumbens)."  (Stoneman's  "  Plants  and  their  Ways 
in  South  Africa,"  p.  150,  1906.) 

Worm-kruid. — (D. /cnacZ,  herb,  simple.)  Matricaria  mul- 
tiflora,  Fenzl., MQQdi  as  a  vermifuge. 

"  This  plant,  called  Worm  kruid,  grows  very  abundantly 
in  sandy  soil,  close  to  the  sea-shore."  (Pappe's  "  Florae 
Capensis  MedicaB  Prodromus,"  p.  23,  1868.) 

Wortels. — (D.  wortel,  a  root,  carrot ;  cf.  Eng.  or^geard, 
orchard.)  Carrots  and  parsnips  are  thus  designated  ;  some- 
times distinguished  as  ^reeZ— (yellow)  and  wit— (white)  wortels. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  567 

Wurgziekte. — (D.  wurg,  quinsy,  inflammation  of  the 
throat ;  cf.  G.  wilrgen,  to  choke,  throttle  ;  ziekte,  sickness.) 
The  Cape  Dutch  name  for  the  dreaded  diphtheria. 

"  Wurgsiikte,  of  Benoude  Siikte,  of  kroup."  (Dijkman's 
"  Kook,  Koek  en  Eesepten  Boek,"  p.  155,  1898.) 

Wurm,  Worm. — These  words  are  both  used  in  the  Midland 
Districts,  and  also  in  the  Western  Province,  when  speaking  of 
caterpillars  as  well  as  of  the  true  worms. 

Xanthium  spinosum. — This  weed  is  a  source  of  constant 
trouble  to  the  sheep  and  goat  farmers  ;  its  bur  attaches  itself 
to  the  wool  or  hair  of  the  animal,  mats  it  together,  and  largely 
lessens  its  market  value.     See  Boetibossi. 

Xosa. — The  name  of  a  great  Kaffir  chief,  whose  people, 
dwelling  on  the  eastern  frontier  of  the  Colony,  are  still  known 
as  the  Ama-Xosa. 

"  Of  the  ramifications  of  the  parent  stock  from  Xosa  to 
Gconda  nothing  is  known,  and  it  would  seem  that  the 
remembrance  of  the  direct  line  has  been  preserved  chiefly 
through  the  perpetuation  of  the  national  name,  and  a  desire 
on  the  part  of  the  antiquarians  of  Kaffirland  to  be  able  to 
trace  it  to  its  source."  ("  Maclean,  Compendium  of  Kaffir 
Laws  and  Customs,"  p.  10,  1858.) 

Yag,  or  Yah,  To. — (D.jachten,  to  hurry,  to  pursue  eagerly.) 
To  urge  animals  to  a  quicker  pace  ;  to  drive  animals  in  a  cer- 
tain direction.  The  two  Dutch  words  jagen  and  jachten  are 
etymologically  the  same,  and  as  used  in  Cape  Dutch  their 
meanings  overlap,  if  they  are  not  confused.     See  Jag. 

"  It  is  usual  to  ijah  the  elephant,  that  is,  ride  with  him, 
before  firing."  ("  Andersson's  "  The  Lion  and  the  Elephant," 
p.  329,  1873.) 

"  On  the  plain  we  had  the  good  fortune  to  fall  in  with 
several  herds  of  spring  buck.  ...  A  party  of  Dutch  Boers 
jagging  them  and  firing  above,  drove  a  herd  in  our  direction, 
giving  us  some  splendid  shots."  (King's  "  Campaigning  in 
Kaffirland,"  p.  80,  1855.) 

Yellow  bell. — The  popular  name  in  Natal  of  a  flower 
allied  to  the  saffron  crocus. 

"A  specimen  is  found  here  in  the  so-called  Yellow  hell." 
(Chapman's  "  Travels,"  ii.  p  458,  1868.) 

Yellow  eye. — Serinus  fiaviventris  is  so-called  by  the  boys 
in  Natal. 

Yellow  fish. — A  South  African  river  fish. 


568  AFEICANDEEISMS 

"  In  the  Mooi  Eiver  good  fishing  is  to  be  obtained. 
Yellow-fish  and  Siluridce,  erroneously  here  called  barbel,  are 
abundant  and  grow  to  a  great  size."  (Gilmore's  "  On  Duty," 
p.  132,  1880.) 

Yellow  flag. — A  variety  of  Iris. 

"  Another  of  the  same  genus  is  the  yellow  flag  from  the 
kloof  streams."  ("East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  5,27  May, 
1910.) 

Yellow  ground. — The  ground  in  the  Pipe  (q.v.)  of  the 
Kimberley  Diamond  Mine  lying  on  top  of  the  Blue  ground  (q.v.) 
was  so  called  by  the  diggers  because  of  its  colour.  This 
"  Yellow  ground  "  appears  to  be  nothing  other  than  the  "  Blue 
ground  "  altered  in  colour  and  cohesiveness  by  the  action  of 
the  sun  and  atmosphere. 

"If  ...  he  came  to  yelloiv  ground,  a  substance  something 
like  greenish  compact  wood  ashes,  he  would  continue  his 
work  for  some  time,  in  the  full  expectation  of  being  rewarded 
in  the  end  by  a  good  find."  (Matthew's  "Incwadi  Yami,"  p. 
142,  1887.) 

Yellow  Kaffir  fink.  — Pyromelana  capensis. 

"  We  have  noticed  that  this  bird  puffs  out  the  yellow 
feathers  of  its  back  like  the  Puff-ball  shrike,  and  it  then 
looks  very  pretty."  (Woodward's  "Natal  Birds,"  p.  71, 
1899.) 

Yellow  sea  snake. — Hydrus  platurus.  See  Geel  Zee 
slang. 

Yellow  snake. — Naiaflava,  an  exceedingly  poisonous  snake, 
distributed  all  through  South  Africa. 

"  The  Yelloiv  snake  is  frequently  found  here.  Though  ex- 
tremely poisonous  their  size  and  bright  yellow  colour  renders 
it  easy  to  avoid  them.  They  are  from  4  to  8  feet  in  length." 
(Paterson's  "  Narrative,"  pp.  163-4,  1789.) 

Yellow  spreeuw. — In  some  parts  of  the  Eastern  Province 
Oriolus  larvatus  is  known  by  this  name.     (Albany.) 

"  We  may  hear  the  beautiful  flute-like  notes  of  the  Black- 
headed  oriole,  locally  known  as  the  Yelloiv  spreeuw."  ("  The 
African  Monthly,"  iv.  p.  269,  1909.) 

Yellow  stripe  rock  cod. — Aulacocephalus  temminckii,  Bleek, 
is  so  designated  in  Natal. 

Yellow  tail. — Another  name  given  to  Seriola  lalandii.  See 
Albacore. 

"  Cape  salmon  {Elo^ps  Saurus),  shad  {Temnodon  saltator} 


AFKICANDEKISMS  569 

yellow  tail    {Seriola  lalandii),  and  such-like  fish."     ("East 
London  Dispatch,"  18  September,  1905.) 

Yellow  tulp. — Homeria  pallida,  Baker.  See  Tulp.  "  A 
common  and  characteristic  plant  of  large  areas  of  sandy  soil 
in  the  southern  Bechuanaland  region."  Very  poisonous  to 
stock. 

Yellow  wood. — Podocarpus  Thunhergii.  One  of  the  most 
useful  of  the  indigenous  trees  of  South  Africa ;  it  is  sometimes 
called  the  South  African  cedar. 

Deep  in  the  forest  lies  hid  a  green  dell, 
Where  fresh  from  the  Rock  of  Elks  blue  waters  swell ; 
And  fast  by  that  fountain  a  Yellow  wood  tree 
Which  shelters  the  spot  that  is  dearest  to  me, 

("Pringle's  Poems,"  p.  101,  1828.) 

Yesterday,  to-day,  and  to-morrow. — A  flowering  plant  is 
so  named  in  Natal  because  the  newly  opened  flower  is  white, 
later  it  assumes  a  pale  purple  colour,  and  before  falling  off  it 
is  a  deep  purple,  all  three  being  upon  the  plant  at  the  same 
time. 

Yokescheis. — (D.  schei,  a  transom.)  Pieces  of  wood  pass- 
ing through  the  yoke  on  each  side  of  the  animal's  neck, 
fastened  together  beneath  the  neck  by  a  strip  of  hide,  they 
are  employed  to  keep  the  animal  in  its  place  at  the  yoke. 

"  The  yokes  are  straight  and  pierced  with  two  pairs  of 
mortices  to  receive  the  juk-schei,  which  fits  in  loosely,  and 
answers  to  what  in  English  husbandry  are  called  the  bows." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  151,  1822.) 

"  The  accidental  but  important  discovery  of  portions  of  a 
broken  yoke  key  here,  enabled  one  of  the  Hottentots  to 
decide  .  .  .  whether  the  outward  bound  tracks  upon  which 
we  were  proceeding,  were  those  of  Dutch  or  of  Griqua 
wagons."     (Harris's  "Wild  Sports,"  p.  289,  1829.) 

"  Others  in  plaiting  goat  skins  into  wagon-whips,  making 
yoke  skeis  and  training  young  oxen."  (Baines'  "  Explorations 
in  South  West  Africa,"  p.  383,  1864.) 

Yoking. — See  Inspanning  and  Unyoking. 

Zachtjes. — Softly,  gently.     See  Soetjes. 

Zand  kruiper. — (D.  zand,  sand  ;  kruipen,  to  creep.)  (1) 
See  Viool  fish.  According  to  Kaempfer  this  name  was  ap- 
plied by  the  Dutch  in  Japan  to  quite  another  fish.  (2)  The 
name  is  also  applied  to  a  variety  of  tortoise. 

"  Jeso,  by  the  Dutch  call'd  Sandkruper,  is  a  middling  fish 


570  AFEICANDERISMS 

between  a   smelt  and   an  eel."      (Kaempfer's  "  History   of 
Japan,  1690-92,"  Keprint,  i.  p.  233.) 

There  were  berg  tortoises,  and  vlakte  tortoises,  and  zand- 
kruipers,  and  even  water  tortoises."  ("  The  State,"  p.  643, 
December,  1911.) 

Zand  slang. — (D.  zand,  sand  ;  slang,  a  snake.)  Both 
Psamophis  trigrammus  (Namaqualand)  and  P.  jalloe  are 
known  by  this  name, 

Zand  kweek  gras. — Schmidtia  bullosa,  Stapf.  "  A  com- 
mon and  characteristic  grass  of  the  southern  Bechuanaland 
region." 

Zand  mol. — (D.  mol,  a  mole.)  See  Sand  mole  and  Duin 
mol. 

"  The  giant  among  these  burrowing  mole-like  animals  is 
known  as  the  sand  mole  or  zand  mol."  ("  The  State,"  p.  231, 
September,  1912.) 

Zanzibaree. — (Pers.  "  Zangl-hdr,  Eegion  of  the  Blacks,  was 
known  to  the  ancients  in  the  forms  Zingis  and  Zingium. 
The  Arab  softening  of  the  g  made  the  name  into  Zanjibdr, 
and  this  the  Portuguese  made  into  Zanzibar  ".  (Yule  and 
Burnell's  "  Anglo-Indian  Glossary  ".)  The  name  Zanzibar 
appears  to  have  been  applied  formerly  to  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  as  well  as  to  the  island  on 
which  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar  lives,  to  which  the  name  is 
now  generally  restricted.)  This  was  the  designation  given  in 
South  Africa  to  those  natives  of  the  East  African  coast  who 
found  their  way  to  the  Colony,  in  earher  days  as  slaves,  in 
later  days  as  rescued  slaves,  etc. 

And  with  my  power  did  march  to  Zanzibar 
The  western  (!)  part  of  Afric,  where  I  viewed 
The  Ethiopian  Sea,  rivers,  and  lakes.  .  .  . 

(Marlowe's    "  Tamburlane    the    Great,"    ii.    Part   i.    c.    3, 
1586.) 

"  From  hence  we  went  for  the  Isle  of  Zanzibar  on  the 
coast  of  Mehnde,  whereat  wee  stayed  and  wintered  untill  the 
beginning  of  February  following."  (Henry  May,  "  Hak- 
luyt,"  IV.  p.  53,  1592.) 

Zarp. — A  slang  name  given  to  the  police  of  the  Transvaal 
Eepubhc  ;  it  is  formed  from  the  initials  of  their  official  desig- 
nation—Zw^cZ  AfrihaanscJie  Bepubliek  Politie — South  African 
Eepubhc  Pohce.  The  word  had  become  generally  current 
before  the  recent  Anglo-Boer  war. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  571 

"  On  the  right  is  an  average  specimen  of  the  Zarp  or 
policeman  examining  mine  Kaffir  passes."  ("  Cape  Argus," 
Weekly  Edition,  p.  18,  8  December,  1897.) 

Zebra.— See  Wilde  paard.  P.  Tachard,  "  Voyage  to 
Siam,"  p.  65,  1688,  describes  a  marvellous  specimen :  "  As 
for  the  asses  they  are  of  all  colours,  they  have  a  long  blew 
list  on  the  back  that  reaches  from  head  to  tail,  and  the  rest 
of  the  body  like  the  horse,  full  of  pretty  broad  streaks,  blew, 
yellow,  green,  black,  and  white,  all  very  Hvely."  Needless  to 
say  this  variety  requires  to  be  re-discovered. 

"  The  word  Zebra  is  of  Galle  deviation,  the  Abyssinian 
name  being  Zeora  or  Zecora.  {"  The  Scientific  African,"  p. 
79,  1897.) 

Zebra  fish. — Sargus  cervinus.  The  name  has  reference 
to  several  well-defined  stripes  running  across  the  body  of  this 
fish.     See  Wilde  paard  and  Gold  stripes. 

'•  A  few  fish  are  being  taken  from  the  Buffalo  .  .  .  silvers 
and  grunters,  and  occasionally  a  small  skate  or  zebra." 
{"  East  London  Dispatch,"  p.  7,  29  July,  1905.) 

Zebra  waxbill. — Estrilda  subflava. 

Zee  bamboes. — (D.  zee,  sea  ;  bamboes,  bamboo.)  Ecklonia 
buccinalis  ;  the  name  given  to  this  alga  by  the  Dutch.  See 
Trumpets. 

"  The  Dutch  call  this  plant  Zee  bambos  (sea  bamboos),  and 
boys,  after  cutting  its  stalk  to  a  convenient  length  when  dry, 
sometimes  amuse  themselves  in  blowing  it  as  a  horn  or 
trumpet."     (Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  28,  1822.) 

Zee  basje. — The  Cape  Peninsula  name  of  the  fish  known 
at  Mossel  Bay  as  the  Zeverrim  (q.v.). 

Zee  boon. — (D.  zee,  sea  ;  boon,  a  bean.)  The  bean  of 
Purscetha  scandens,  which  is  often  washed  up  on  our  shores. 
The  plant  is  a  native  of  the  tropics. 

Zee  kastanjes. — (D.  zee,  sea ;  kastanje,  a  chestnut.) 
Several  species  of  Echinus  are  so  named. 

Zee  kat. — (D.  zee,  sea ;  kat,  cat.)  The  octopus.  See 
Cat-fish. 

Zee-kat  schulp. — (D.  schulp,  a  shell.)  The  beautiful  shell 
of  the  female  paper  nautilus,  Argonauta  argo,  found  on  our 
coasts. 

Zee  koe. — See  Sea-cow. 

Zeekoe  gat. — (D.  gat,  a  hole,  opening.)  Deep  reaches  in 
a  river,  which,  because  in  time  of  drought  they  still  contained 


572  AFRICANDEEISMS 

water,  were  the  favourite  haunts  of  the  huge  hippopotamus 
or  sea-cow. 

"  These  ponds  called  Zeekoe-gatten  (Sea-cow  holes)  are 
generally  supposed  to  have  been  made  by  hippopotami." 
(Burchell's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  263,  1822.) 

"  At  this  period  the  Eiver  of  Baboons  was  a  mere  rill, 
gurgling  gently  along  its  course,  or  gathering  here  and  there 
into  natural  tanks,  called  in  the  language  of  the  country 
zeekoe-gats."     (Pringle's  "  Narrative,"  p.  11,  1840.) 

Zeekoe  spek. — (D.  spek,  bacon,  fat.)  The  fat  of  the  hippo- 
potamus is  considered  a  great  delicacy,  and  in  the  earlier 
days  of  the  Colony  was  an  important  article  in  Cape  cookery. 

"  The  ribs  are  covered  with  a  thick  layer  of  fat,  celebrated 
as  the  greatest  delicacy,  and  known  to  the  colonists  as  a 
rarity  by  the  name  of  zeekoe  spek  (sea-cow  pork)."  (Bur- 
chell's "  Travels,"  i.  p.  411,  1822.) 

"  The  fat  {Zeekoe  spek)  being  in  high  estimation  in  the 
Dutch  cuisine."  (Barter's  "  The  Dorp  and  the  Veld,"  p.  42, 
1852.) 

Zee  korall. — (D.  zee,  sea  ;  koraal,  coral.)  Salicornia  fruti- 
cosa.     (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  1,  1823.) 

Zee  kroon. — (D.  zee,  sea  ;  kroon,  a  crown.)  The  name 
given  by  the  Cape  fishermen  to  Gorgonocephalus  verrucosa, 
because  of  its  branching  arms. 

Zeer  oog  bloemetje. — (D.  zeer,  sore  ;  oog,  eye  ;  bloem,  a 
flower.)  Various  species  of  Amaryllidece,  Ammocharis  fal- 
cata,  Herb.,  Amaryllis  belladonna,  L.,  Brunsvigia  sp,  and 
Buphane  disticha,  Herb. ,  are  so  called  because  they  happen  to 
flower  at  the  season  of  the  year  when  ophthalmia  or  "  sore 
eyes  "  is  prevalent,  and  are  popularly  supposed  to  be  in  some 
way  connected  with  the  disease.     See  Sore-eye  flower. 

Zeer  oog  sprinkhaan. — (D.  zeer,  sore  ;  oog,  an  eye ;  sprink- 
haan,  locust.)    This  seems  to  be  Phymateus  morbillosus. 

"  The  large  queen  locust,  occurring  sparsely  all  over  the 
whole  country,  and  well  known  as  the  Zeer  oog  sprinkaan." 
("  Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  p.  C,  viii.  Part  i.  1893.) 

Zee  schildpad. — (D.  zee,  sea ;  schildpad,  a  tortoise.)  A 
marine  turtle  ;  these  are  occasionally  found  on  the  South 
African  coast. 

Zee  schuim. — (D.  zee,  sea ;  schuim,  foam,  froth,  scum.) 
The  flat,  oval,  calcareous  cuttle  bone  {os  sepice)  has  received 
this  name. 


AFEICANDEEISMS  573 

Zee  slak. — (D.  slak,  snail,  slug.)  The  Riversdale  name 
of  a  shell-fish. 

Zee  slang. — (D.  zee,  sea  ;  slang,  a  snake.)  Bdellostoma 
cirrhatum,  one  of  the  Cyclostomata,  is  known  by  this  name, 
because  of  its  snake-Hke  appearance.       See  also  Sea  snake. 

Zeetak. — (D.  zee,  the  sea,  ocean  ;  taJc,  a  bough,  branch.) 
Gorgonia  fiammea  is  formed  all  round  the  South  African  coast, 
and  has  received  this  name  from  the  Dutch.     See  Eed  coral. 

"  The  '  red-coral '  or  zee-tak  {Oorgonia  flammed)  so  fre- 
quently thrown  upon  the  shore."  ("The  South  African 
Journal  of  Science,"  vii.  p.  216,  1911.) 

Zee  vark. — (D.  zee,  sea  ;  varken,  hog,  pig,  swine.)  Diodon 
hystrix.     See  Porcupine-fish. 

Zeker. — (D.  zeker,  sure,  certain  ;  cf.  G.  sicker,  safe,  secure  ; 
and  Scotch  sicker,  with  the  same  meaning.)  Certain,  secure  ; 
the  word  is  also  used  as  an  adverb. 

Toddlin'  down  on  Willie's  mill, 
Settin'  my  staff  wi'  a'  my  skill, 
To  keep  me  sicker. 

Burns's  "  Death  and  Dr.  Hornbook  ". 

Zeven  jaartjes. — (D.  zeven,  seven ;  jaar,  a  year.)  The 
Cape  Dutch  name  for  the  flowers  known  to  the  English 
colonists  as  "  Everlastings  "  (q.v.). 

"  De  zeven  jaartjes  {Helichrysum)  met  witte,  gele,  rose  en 
bruingekleurde  bloemen,  die  minstens  zeven  jaren  nadat  zij 
geplukt  zijn  hare  frissche  kleuren  behouden.  Men  vlecht  ze 
tot  kransen,  maakt  er  bouquetten,  enz."  (Cachet's  "De 
Worstelstrijd  der  Transvaler,"  p.  342  n.,  1882.) 

"So  auch  sewe-jaartjiis,  ImnioiteWen."  ("Die  Sprache 
der  Buren,"  p.  50,  1901.) 

"  The  Siehen  Jahre  that  are  exported  annually  in  thousands 
of  tons  to  Germany  and  France,  and  America,  and  are  sup- 
posed to  last  seven  years."  ("  Cape  Times,"  p.  8,  3  September, 
1904.) 

Zeverrim. — The  Mossel  Bay  name  for  Pagellus  mormyrus. 
See  Zee  basje. 

"  We  have  hitherto  considered  names  for  which  deriva- 
tions can  be  suggested.  .  .  .  There  are  a  few,  however,  for 
which  no  plausible  derivation  can  be  discovered.  These  are 
bafaro,  assQus,  zeverrim,  katonkel,  Joseph,  and  its  variations, 


574  AFEICANDEEISMS 

oortje,  forfarin,  sanchord."  (Gilchrist's  "History  of  the 
Local  Names  of  Cape  Fish,"  p.  224,  1900.) 

Zibiba. — (Z.  isi  Biba,  "  A  mixture  of  many  bitter  or  poison- 
ous things,  used  as  an  antidote  for  snake  bites  ".  (Dohne, 
"  Zulu-Kaffir  Diet."  in  loc.)  A  native  remedy  for  snake  bite. 

"  Here  in  South  Africa  the  native  population  for  genera- 
tions has  had  unquestioning  faith  in  the  antidotal  effects  of 
a  substance  known  as  zibiba."  (Fitzsimon's  "  Snakes  of 
South  Africa,"  vi.  1912.) 

Ziekte  troost. — (D.  ziekentroost,  comfort  for  the  sick.)  See 
Platdoorn. 

"  Hier  groei  oek  nog  iits  anders  in  di  veld,  dat  genoem 
word  siekentroost  of  platdoorn."  (Dijkman's  "  Kook,  Koek 
en  Kesepten  Boek,"  p.  147,  1898.) 

Zijdebast. — (D.  zijde,  silk  ;  bast,  bark,  rind.)  Gymnosporia 
acuminata.     See  Silkbark. 

Zijde  bloem. — (D.  zijde,  silk  ;  bloem,  a  flower.)  (Ixia 
secunda.  Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  57,  1823.) 
Geissorhiza  secunda,  Ker. 

Zinkins. — (D.  zinhings,  rheum.)     See  Sinkings. 

"  There  is  another  disease  .  .  .  called  the  Zinkins  affecting 
one  side  of  the  face  with  pain  and  sweUing."  (Hoodie's  "  Ten 
Years  in  South  Africa,"  i.  p.  42,  1835.) 

Zlt  kamer. — (D.  zitten,  to  sit  ;  kamer,  a  room,  chamber.) 
The  "  sitting-room  "  or  parlour  of  a  Dutch  house. 

"  He  saw  his  mother  standing  at  the  door  of  the  zitkamer, 
looking  under  the  protecting  palm  of  her  hand  over  the  level 
plains."     ("  The  Argus  Christmas  Annual,"  p.  12,  1904.) 

Zoel. — (D.  zoel,  close,  sultry ;  G.  schwiil.)  Sultry,  damp 
heat. 

Zoet  doom. — (D.  zoet,  sweet,  lovely.)  The  Transvaal 
name  for  Acacia  horrida. 

"  The  only  compensation  seems  to  be  afforded  by  the 
zoetdoorn  (one  of  the  Acacias).  These  trees  started  flowering 
early  in  the  season."  ("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  790,  June, 
1912.) 

Zoethout  bosje. — (D.  zoethout,  liquorice ;  bos,  a  bush.) 
Bafnia  amplexicaulis,  Thunb.  The  roots  of  this  bush  have  a 
taste  much  like  liquorice,  and  are  used  as  a  remedy  for  coughs 
and  colds. 

Zolder. — A  loft,  up-stairs.     See  under  Brand-zolder. 

Zon  onder  and  Zon  op. — See  Sun  under  and  Sun  up. 

"De   wagen   kwam   bijna  zononder  te  Worcester  aan." 


AFRICANDEEISMS  575 

(Hofme3rr's     "  Twintig     Jaren    in    Zoutpansberg,"    p.    44, 
1890.) 

"  In  fact,  it  is  a  common  belief  that  eels  and  fresh-water 
tortoises  are  only  found  in  streams  flowing  zon  op,  i.e.  into  the 
Indian  Ocean."  ("Trans.  S.A.  Phil.  Soc,"  viii.  p.  xcvi. 
Part  I.  1893.) 

Zoute  bosch. — (D.  zout,  salt.)  Atriplex  halimus.  See 
Vaalbrach. 

"  Here  we  find  .  .  .  several  kinds  of  '  air-plants,'  '  canne 
doet's,'  or  aloes,  and  the  Zoute  bosche."  ("Trans.  S.A. 
Phil.  Soc,"  I.  Part  i.  p.  24,  1878.) 

Zuiker  bekjes. — (D.  zuiker,  sugar ;  bek,  beak,  nose.) 
The  name  given  by  the  Dutch  to  the  Sugar  birds.  Nectari- 
niidcB. 

Zuiker  bosch. — See  Sugar-bush  and  Tulpboom. 

Zuikerkan. — (D.  zuiker,  sugar  ;  kan,  a  mug,  pot.)  Gladi- 
olus Watsonius.     (Thunberg's  "  Flora  Capensis,"  p.  41, 1823.) 

Zulu. — (Kaf.  u  Zulu,  "Literally  a  vagabond,  an  exile. 
This  is  the  national  name  of  the  people  belonging  to  the  Zulu 
tribe,"  (Dohne).  Others  interpret  the  word  as  meaning 
"a  being  from  above";  i  Zulu,  the  sky,  the  heaven.)  The 
earlier  orthography  was  Zoola  or  Zoolah. 

Zulus. — A  name  by  which  certain  cattle  bred  in  Zululand 
are  known ;  they  are  somewhat  small  in  build,  but  are  hardy 
and  equal  to  almost  any  amount  of  work. 

"  A  span  of  large  oxen  of  the  large  Fatherland  breed,  which 
though  highly  prized  are  surpassed  for  all  working  purposes 
by  the  light  and  hardy  Zulus."  (Barter's  "The  Dorp  and 
the  Veld,"  p.  155,  1852.) 

Zuring. — (D.  zuring,  sorrel.)  Various  species  of  Oxalidece 
are  so  termed  by  the  Dutch ;  the  leaves  were  used  to  clean 
and  stain  the  "  Crackers  "  (q.v.)  which  the  colonists  of  earUer 
days  wore. 

"  If  they  could  afford  to  sport  cuffs  or  facings  of  jackal's 
or  tiger's  fur,  so  much  the  better,  they  might  then  calculate 
on  making  quite  a  sensation  among  the  fair  sex,  especially  if 
the  zumin  ( ?  zuring)  had  done  its  Saturday  duty,  and  had 
given  the  proper  bright  yellow  to  the '  crackers  '. "  (Dugmore's 
"Reminiscences  of  an  Albany  Settler,"  p.  17,  1871.) 

"  Leather  pantaloons,  these  were  euphoniously  termed 
'  crackers '  from  the  peculiar  noise  which  they  made  when 
in  motion.  ...  I  remember  that  they  used  to  clean  them 


576  AFEICANDEKISMS 

with  sour  grass — a  kind  of  sorrel."  (Lucas's  "  The  Zulus 
and  the  British  Frontier,"  p.  88,  1879.) 

Zuringkies. — (D.  zuring,  sorrel.)  Both  Oxalis  cernua  ond 
Bumex  acetosella  are  known  by  this  name,  the  reference 
being  to  the  pleasantly  acid  taste  of  the  leaves  and  stalks. 

Zuurbesjes. — (D.  zuur,  sour ;  bes,  a  berry.)  (1)  The  fruit  of 
Dovyalis  rhamnoides,  Burch.  (2)  The  name  is  also  applied 
to  various  other  acid  berries — D.  rotundifolia  and  Harpe- 
phyllum  caffrum. 

"  There  is  also  now  ripe  in  the  woods  a  small,  oval,  red 
berry  called  Zuur  bezy,  sour  berry ;  it  is  of  moderate  and 
sweetish  flavour,  when  thoroughly  matured,  and  is  produced 
by  a  thick  bush,  having  small  leaves,  and  opposite,  straight, 
green  thorns."     (Backhouse's  "  Narrative,"  p.  206,  1844.) 

"  The  tree  (Harpephyllum  caffrum)  is  called  by  the  in- 
habitants Eschenhout ;  the  edible  fruit  Zuurbesges  (!) "  ("  Flora 
Capensis,"  Vol.  i.  p.  525, 1859-60.) 

Zuur-karree.—Bhus  tridactyla  is  so  called  in  Bechuana- 
land. 

Zuurlimoensop. — (D.  zuur,  sour ;  limoen,  a  lemon ;  sop^ 
in  Cape  Dutch  means  soup  or  broth.)  (1)  Lemon  juice. 
(2)  A  deceit  or  intrigue. 

Zuurpol. — (D.  zuur,  sour ;  pol,  a  shrub.)  Elionurus  argent- 
eus,  Nees.  A  widely  spread  grass,  but  common  in  the  Eastern 
District  and  Natal. 

"  Many  Free  State  farmers  are  of  opinion  that  the  grass- 
veld  in  which  cattle  contract  the  disease  (lamziekte)  princi- 
pally consists  of  '  rooigras,'  zuurpol,  and  '  beestegras '." 
("  S.A.  Agric.  Jour.,"  p.  39,  July,  1912.) 

Zuurtje. — (D.  zier,  an  atom,  trifle,  small  thing.)  Part  of 
an  orange  or  lemon. 

Zuur  vijg. — (D.  zuur,  sour  ;  vijg,  a  fig.)  A  small  Mesem- 
bryanthemum,  the  fruit  of  which  is  only  eaten  when  dried. 

Zuurveld. — See  Sourveld. 

"  The  head-quarter  encampment  in  the  Zuurveld  shall 
be  designated  and  acknowledged  by  the  name  of  Grahams- 
town  in  testimony  of  His  Excellency  the  Governor,  Sir  John 
Francis  Cradock's  respect  for  the  services  of  Colonel  Graham, 
through  whose  able  exertions  the  Kaffirs  were  expelled  from 
the  territory."     ("  Official  Dispatch,"  dated  14  August,  1812.) 

Zwaar. — (D.  zioar,  heavy  ;  cf.  G.  schiver  ;  the  Scotch  have 
the  word  sweer  with   a   somewhat   similar   meaning;   e.g. 


AFKICANDEEISMS  577 

"  Sweer  to  bed  and  sweer  up  in  the  morning.")  (Allan  Eam- 
say's  "  Scotch  Proverbs  ".)     Heavy,  difficult. 

Z wager  or  Zwa'ar. — (D.  zwager,  a  brother-in-la\7  ;  cf. 
G.  Schwager ;  and  Scotch  swagers,  men  married  to  sisters.) 
A  brother-in-law. 

Zwart. — (D.  zwart,  black.)  Applied  contemptuously  to 
natives. 

"You  wish  to  eat  goat's  flesh  do  you  schelm?  Accursed 
zwaart  (black)  is  that  the  kind  of  meat  you  are  desirous  of 
making."     (Kay's  "Caffrarian  Eesearches,"  p.  246,  1833.) 

Zwart  aasvogel. — (D.  zwart,  black  ;  aas,  carrion  ;  vogel, 
a  bird,  fowl.)     Otogyps  auricularis.     See  Koning  aasvogel. 

"  It  is  generally  known  as  the  black  vulture."  (Wood- 
ward's "  Natal  Birds,"  p.  137,  1899.) 

Zwart  bast. — (D.  zwart,  black ;  hast,  bark.)  Boyena 
lucida.  The  bark  of  this  tree  is  black  under  the  skin.  Ac- 
cording to  Dr.  Pappe,  "  Silva  Capensis,"  Gardenia  Bothmannia 
is  also  so  called. 

Zwart-bast  boom. — The  name  applied  in  the  Transvaal 
to  Myrsine  melanophloeos,  Mez. 

Zwart  bij-vanger. — (D.  zwart,  black  ;  hij,  a  bee  ;  vangen, 
to  catch.)     Dicrocercus  forficatus.     See  Bij-vanger. 

"  Our  drongo  shrike  or  zwart  bij-vanger,  the  common 
black  bird  present  in  every  bush."  ("  East  London  Dispatch," 
p.  4,  4  December,  1908.) 

Zwart  canariebijter. — (D..  zwart,  black ;  bijten,  to  bite.) 
Dryoscopus  ferrugineous.     See  Bonte  canariebijter. 

Zwart-goed. — (D.  zwart,  black ;  goed,  goods,  things,  stuff.) 
A  phrase  in  common  use  among  the  Dutch,  and  apphed  by 
them  to  their  Hottentot  or  Kaffir  servants ;  the  phrase  has 
come  down  from  the  old  slave-owning  days. 

"The  sable  part  of  my  congregation  was  all  decently 
attired,  and  several  upon  chairs,  a  circumstance  that  rarely 
occurs  in  a  Boer's  house,  the  zwaarte  goederen,  '  black  goods ' 
as  they  are  frequently  termed,  being  generally  required  to  sit 
on  the  floor."  (Kay's  "Caffrarian  Eesearches,"  p.  442, 
1833.) 

"  In  addressing  that  hon'ble  house  he  would  beg  of  him 
.  .  .  not  to  speak  of  the  zwart  goed  (black  things)  as  menschen 
(beings  endowed  with  souls),  but  simply  as  '  Kaffers '. 
("  Queenstown  Free  Press,"  31  March,  1863.) 

'*  Their  sturdy  vrouws  were  not  one  whit  less  self-reliant 


578  AFEICANDEKISMS 

than  themselves,  and  ruled  their  extensive  and  unkempt 
broods,  and  'baased  up'  the  zwaart-goed."  (Mitford's 
"  Expiation  of  Wynne  Palliser,"  p.  245,  1896.) 

Zwart-haak. — (D.  zwart,  black;  haak,  a  hook.)  A 
species  of  thorn  tree,  Acacia  detinens. 

"  Sweet  grass  and  small  shrubs  varied  with  very  good 
large  bush  and  trees,  as  knoppiesdoorn,  zwart-haak."  (Du 
Toit's  "  Ehodesia,"  p.  32,  1897.) 

Zwart  hout. — (D.  zwart,  black ;  hout,  wood.)  Gymno- 
sporia  peduncularis.  The  heart- wood  of  this  tree  is  nearly 
black  when  mature.  Gardenia  Bothmannia  is  also  so  called 
in  the  Transvaal. 

Zwartkop's  Bay. — Another  name  for  Algoa  bay  (q.v.). 

"  Zwartkop's  Bay,  indeed,  seems  to  hold  out  very  consider- 
able advantages  in  the  fishing  trade."  (Barrow's  "  Travels," 
I.  p.  132,  1801.) 

Zwart  kraai. — (D.  zwart,  black  ;  kraai,  a  crow.)  Hetero- 
corax  capensis. 

Zwart  muishond. — Herpestes  pulverulentus.  See  Bruin 
kommetje-gat  kat. 

Zwart  ruggens. — (D.  zwart,  black;  rug,  a  back;  cf. 
G.  Biick ;  Eng.  ridge.)  The  country  between  Graaff  Reinet 
and  Uitenhage,  lying  to  the  west  of  the  railway,  is  thus 
designated,  because  of  the  succession  of  rolling  ridges  covered 
with  darkly  coloured  herbage,  by  which  it  is  characterized. 
These  are  supposed  to  bear  some  resemblance  to  the  backs  of 
cattle  crowded  into  a  narrow  space. 

"  This  part  of  the  district  is  called  the  Zwaart  ruggens,  or 
Black  ridges."     (Barrow's  "  Travels,"  i.  p.  119,  1801.) 

Zwart  slang. — (D.  ztvart,  black  ;  slang,  a  snake.)  Pseudas- 
pis  cana,  the  Mole  snake,  mottled  when  young,  but  uniformly 
black  when  full  grown ;  a  somewhat  common  snake  in  the 
karoo. 

"  Different  species  of  what  the  Dutch  term  '  schaap 
stiker '  or  '  sheep-sticker '  .  .  .  the  zwart  slang  or  '  black 
snake,'  etc., are  occasionally  met  with."  (Andersson's  "  Lake 
Ngami,"  p.  303,  1856.) 

Zwart-voorlijf. — (D.  zwart,  black ;  voorlijf,  the  fore  part 
of  the  body  ;  cf.  G.  Leib.)  The  name  given  by  the  Dutch  to 
a  supposed  variety  of  lion,  distinguished  by  the  dark  colour 
of  the  body,  as  compared  with  the  Geel-voorliff  (q.v.)  variety. 

"  This  appearance  has  given  rise  to  a  prevailing  opinion 


AFKICANDEEISMS  579 

among  the  Boers,  that  there  are  two  distinct  varieties  of  lions, 
which  they  distinguish  by  the  respective  names  of  Schwart- 
forelife  and  '  Chiel  forelife,'  this  idea  is,  however,  erroneous." 
(Gordon  Cumming's  "Adventures,"  i.  p.  195,  1850.) 

Zvk^art- wit -pens. — (D.  zwart,  black;  wit,  white;  pens,  a 
paunch,  stomach.)  Hippotragus  niger,  or  the  Sable  antelope. 
The  name  refers  to  the  black  and  white  markings  on  the  under 
part  of  the  animal,  lit.  "  black  and  white  belly  ".  See  Harris- 
buck. 

"  A  Boer  tobacco  pouch  of  the  skin  of  the  swart-ven-pens." 
(Haggard's  "  King  Solomon's  Mines,"  p.  25,  1887.) 

"  The  Sable  antelope,  zwart-wit-pens,  i.e.  '  black  and  white 
belly  '."     (Bryden's  "  Kloof  and  Karoo,"  p.  284,  1889.) 

Zwart  Zee  slang. — (D.  zwart,  black ;  zee,  sea  ;  slang,  a 
snake.)    Hydrus  platurus.     See  Black  Sea  snake. 

Zwartzuur. — (D.  zwart,  black  ;  zuur,  sour.)  A  homely 
Cape  dish,  one  of  the  ingredients  of  which  should  be  the  blood 
of  a  duck. 


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