‖esel, noun
/ˈɪəsəl/
- Forms:
- Formerly also ezel.
- Origin:
- Afrikaans, South African Dutch, DutchShow more Afrikaans, earlier South African Dutch ezel from Dutch ezel donkey.
1. obsolete.
a. A zebra; often with defining word, streep-esel, wilde esel.
1796 E. Helme tr. of F. Le Vaillant’s Trav. into Int. III. 34At the Cape, the zebra is known under the name of streep-ezel (the striped ass).
1959 A. Cattrick Spoor of Blood 23Here is his description of what they saw in the area that is to-day Namaqualand: ‘We saw on the plains great herds of divers species of game such as rhinosceri, giraffes, buffaloes, witte wilde paarden, ezels, [etc.].’
b. An ass or donkey; also figurative, a dunce or idiot (see also eselkop at sense 2).
1910 D. Fairbridge That Which Hath Been (1913) 92If it had occurred to the verdoemde ezel..to lean against the wall..we should have found ourselves in a tight place.
1913 A.B. Marchand Dirk, S. African 144 (Swart)Hi, Fanie, You great ezel, wake up!
2. combinations rare.
1933 Farming in S. Afr. May 190 (Swart)The ‘eselbos’, closely resembling the springbok bos, is occasionally found.
1966 C.A. Smith Common Names 211Eselkos,..The species is much eaten by donkeys,..whence the vernacular name.
Copyright © 2023 Dictionary Unit for South African English.
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