hamel, noun

/ˈhaməl//ˈhɑːməl/
Forms:
Also hammal, hammel.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, from Dutch.
A wether, or castrated ram. Also attributive.
1831 J. Collett Accounts. I. 16 Jan.By 90 Ewe Bucks @ 1/4, 18 Hammels @ 2/6.
1835 A. Smith Diary (1939) I. 376If relatives rich, sometimes kill ten oxen and ten hamels.
1850 J.D. Lewins Diary. 11 Jan.Is hammel & lambs wool generally packed by themselves?
1862 T. Shone Diary. 11 Aug.Henry, Josiah and Bailey Cockcroft and another man, were sheering some hamels.
1870 H.H. Dugmore Reminisc. of Albany Settler 13A dozen of startled hamels, just separated from a large flock, would be likely to try a driver’s legs, and lungs too.
1899 S.T. Plaatje Boer War Diary (1973) 29Meko had slaughtered a fat hammel and the hard ox is not very desirable when palatable mutton is knocking about.
1923 W.C. Scully Daniel Vananda 150Daniel went to a butcher and sold to him fifteen fat hamels (wethers) for ten shillings apiece.
1942 Star 30 Dec. 6Average prices per lb. dressed weight..: Merino hamels, prime 13d; medium 11d; inferior 9d.
1957 A.A. Murray Blanket 32Tell Simpi to send me ten..fine, fat hammals.
1973 Farmer’s Weekly 18 Apr. 55 (advt)Merino hamel rams R21 to R25.
1977 F.G. Butler Karoo Morning 89Uncle Norman and one of the old shepherds stand behind a table at the exit to the kraal. With a very sharp knife he cuts the tail off. He does something else to them, which I am told turns them into hamels.
1981 Het Suid-Western 18 Feb. 1Australians receive R27 a head for export hamels and R18 a head for export ewes. We were always led to believe that old ewes and mature hamels were virtually valueless in Australia.
1988 P. Kingwill Message of Black Eagle 26You’re just in time to drive the hamels up to Langeberg.
A wether, or castrated ram. Also attributive.
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hamburger, nounn.hamerkop, nounn.
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