agter sjambok, noun phrase

Forms:
Also achter sjambok.
Origin:
South African Dutch.
obs. except in historical contexts
agteros sjambok.
1821 C.I. Latrobe Jrnl of Visit 356A hard flogging..with the achter-shambock, the thickest whip cut out of the hippopotamus skin, and used to beat the shaft-oxen.
1859 B.A. in Cape Monthly Mag. VI. Nov. 269These roystering revelers..plied the ‘achter sjambok’ with vigorous effect.
1860 A.W. Drayson Sporting Scenes 16He..exchanges his long whip for a short strip of seacow-hide, called the ‘achter-sjambok’ with which he touches up occasionally the two wheelers.
a1875 T. Baines Jrnl of Res. (1964) II. 15They turned the cattle from the dam and, had not Jan gone to the assistance of the herds with his agter zambok, would have prevented them from drinking.
1994 M. Roberts tr. of J.A. Wahlberg’s Trav. Jrnls 1838–56 63Sent Ia to find my hat and agtersjambok, lost yesterday.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18211994