olienhout, noun

/ʊəˈlinhəʊt/
Forms:
olinhout, oliven-houtShow more Also olinhout, and (formerly) oliven-hout, olyvenhout.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans olienhout, olievenhout, adaptation of Dutch olijven olive + hout wood.
The small evergreen tree Olea europaea subspecies africana of the Oleaceae; the timber of this tree; olien; wild olive, see wild sense a. Also attributive.
1798 S.H. Wilcocke tr. of J.S. Stavorinus’s Voy. to E. Indies II. 79Olyvenhout, wild olive (olea Europa), which is a heavy, strong wood, of a brown colour, used in the construction of mills.
1821 C.I. Latrobe Jrnl of Visit (Glossary) 397Oliven-hout, Olea similis B. (a large tree with long narrow leaves.)
[1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 177The place..was called Olyvenhout-bosch (Olive tree wood), so named from the Olyf boom, a tree so much resembling the European Olive, as to have been mistaken for it by botanists...The wood, which is extremely compact and heavy, is very handsome, and well suited for cabinet work.]
1937 B.J.F. Laubscher Sex, Custom & Psychopathology 188The isiqebe hut is first decorated with branches of the olinhout tree or umquma.
1937 H. Klein Stage Coach Dust 132Khama’s boys had been cutting down trees in Linchwe’s territory, and in so doing had felled an ancient olienhout tree.
1949 L.G. Green In Land of Afternoon 197The old stinkwood and olyvenhout, rosewood and satinwood went at bargain prices in those days.
1968 Farmer’s Weekly 3 Jan. 7Grazing in good condition, with ‘Olienhout, vaalbos, rosyntjiebos, suurkaree’ and mixed grazing.
1982 S. Afr. Panorama Feb. 20Chess pieces of Cape ebony, whale ivory and olienhout (wild olive wood).
1988 S. Afr. Digest 15 Apr. 16This year’s Tree of the Year is the Olea (Latin for olive), of which the wild olive, or ‘olienhout’ is probably the best-known species...The following six species and subspecies of Olea are indigenous to South Africa: the wild olive or ‘olienhout’ (Olea europa subsp africana).
The small evergreen tree Olea europaea subspecies africana of the Oleaceae; the timber of this tree; olien; wild olive, see wild sense a. Also attributive.
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17981988

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Afrikaans
Dutch
olien, nounn.Olifant, nounn.
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