maat, noun

/mɑːt/
Forms:
Also maart.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, from Dutch maat friend, comrade, companion, partner, mate.
1. obsolete. rare. A formally selected or appointed partner in business or other matters.
1824 W.J. Burchell Trav. II. 466Barends’s waggon was stationed in Serrakutu’s mootsi, and Hendrick’s in that of Another chieftain who was his maat (partner, or agent).
1824 W.J. Burchell Trav. II. 555He..goes directly to the house of his correspondent, whom he calls his maat (a Dutch word identical with, ‘mate’).
1827 G. Thompson Trav. 238Many of the Bechuanas selected maats or comrades, after their manner, from among their allies, presenting, in a formal manner, an ox to the individual pitched upon.
2. colloquial. Usually used as a term of address: mate, friend, comrade, companion; maatie noun2; maatjie sense 2. Often in the phrase ou maat/əʊ-/ [Afrikaans ou old], old friend, old chap; see also ou adjective sense 1 c.
1900 B. Mitford Aletta 66By the time they are found the English will not be here to hang anybody, and we, ou’ maat — we shall have deserved the thanks of all true patriots.
1913 A.B. Marchand Dirk, S. African (Swart)Hullo, ou maat, cried Edouard coming in with a rush.
a1928 C. Fuller Louis Trigardt’s Trek (1932) 124 (Swart)We drank it as my maats had just come to the waggon.
c1929 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 49Frikkie:...Come out, soldat. Smith (coming out): Hello mate. Frikkie: Don’ you call me maat.
1961 D. Bee Children of Yesterday 93‘Dolf, ou maat — here’s to you.’ Perhaps it was the first sign of the drink in him, that ‘ou maat’ — old friend.
1964 L. Hitzel in Capricorn High School Mag. 59Suddenly the bell goes, and a stream of yelling ‘maats’ pour out of the science and biology classes.
1977 C. Hope in S. Gray Theatre Two (1981) 52Sorry, ou maat, jus’ pass me the keys for your jammie.
1983 Frontline Feb. 12‘Jeez, I’m sorry,’ said the captain, owning up immediately, ‘I just kicked your friend in the head.’ ‘S’okay, ou maat. He’s feeling no pain.’
1986 S. Sepamla Third Generation 114It was a brief, dramatic encounter which Lambert ended with the words: ‘He’s finished me, ou maat.’ And he fell into the arms of Bruil.
1990 R. Gool Cape Town Coolie 59The man poked aggressively at Henry’s chest...‘Come on, you remember me. I was an old maart of yours. We ooze to go fishing.’
1990 R. Gool Cape Town Coolie 60Okay, maart. I ’ave to cut a line now. I’ll give you a look-up when I hit the Cape, you ’ear?
3. obsolete. An assistant officer on a ship, the mate.
1919 M. Greenlees tr. of O.F. Mentzel’s Life at Cape in Mid-18th C. 125The Bottelier’s maat and the little boy were..saved.
1925 H.J. Mandelbrote tr. of O.F. Mentzel’s Descr. of Cape of G.H. II. 18The second bottelier, the second cook, the assistant cooper. Each of these is styled ‘maat’ of his corresponding superior officer, e.g. the bootmann’s maat, the schiemann’s maat, etc.
A formally selected or appointed partner in business or other matters.
mate, friend, comrade, companion; maatie noun2; maatjie sense 2. Often in the phrase ou maat/əʊ-/ [Afrikaans ou old], old friend, old chap;
An assistant officer on a ship, the mate.
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maasbanker, nounn.maatie, nounn.2
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