doedoe, verb intransitive
/ˈdudu/
- Forms:
- Also do-do, do-doo.
- Origin:
- Afrikaans, Zulu, Dutch, MalayShow more Nursery word, in Afrikaans as doedoe, but of many possible origins: Zulu duduza to lull (a baby) to sleep, or Dutch dodijnen to rock (a child) to sleep, or Malay dodoi a lullaby.
colloquial
In children’s language: to (go to) sleep. Also (frequently doedoes) used with adverbial or adjectival force in the phrases to go doedoe, to go doedoes,or (by analogy with ‘beddy-byes’) to go doedoebye, to go doedoebyes, to go to sleep, to go to bed. Cf. lala.
[1934 C.P. Swart Supplement to Pettman. 42Doedoe, An onomatopoeic word used by Afrikaans-speaking mothers when children are lulled to sleep. The term is also used as a verb signifying to sleep.]
1970 J. Lenton Informant, OrkneyDo-doo. Sleep (slang).
1972 Radio South Africa 17 Oct. (Children’s Programme)Doe-doe my baby, Doe-doe my darling, Sleep, little sleepy-head.
1989 M. Ceh Informant, JohannesburgI must actually go doedoes now; I’m very tired, only got back after 12 last night.
1990 Informant, GrahamstownTime to go doedoebyes, my baby.
to (go to) sleep.
Copyright © 2020 Dictionary Unit for South African English.
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