Ou Grietjie, noun phrase

/ˌəʊ ˈxriki/
Forms:
Also Oud Grietje.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, ou (from Dutch oud) old + Griet short form of woman’s name Magriet (Margaret) + -ie; see quotation 1974.
historical
A nickname given to a cannon used by the Boers; Grietjie.
Note:
It is not clear whether the name was given to one particular cannon, or to a type of cannon.
1899 Mafeking Mail 5 Dec.During the week the [polo] ground had been well levelled, notwithstanding oud Grietje and her colleagues.
1951 T.V. Bulpin Lost Trails of Low Veld 55All its protective armament he seized as well, two muzzle-loading cannon of the variety known affectionately to the trekkers as Ou Grietjies (Old Margarets).
1967 E. Rosenthal Encycl. of Sn Afr. 402Ou Grietjie, (Little Old Greta). Nickname for historic ship’s cannon used by Voortrekkers in campaigns against Zulus and Matebele.
1971 F.V. Lategan in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. IV. 534With regard to the Battle of Blood River..the commando had three small field-pieces — a small bronze cannon..and two three-pounders...One of these, known as ‘Ou Grietjie’, was later..used effectively against the British camp at Potchefstroom.
1974 E.A. Venter in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. X. 14‘Ou Grietjie’, a cannon used by the Free Staters in the Basuto wars and named after Margaret (Grietjie), wife of the gunner Robert Finlay, has been mounted in front of the magistrate’s office.
1978 Reader’s Digest Illust. Guide to Sn Afr. 307An old relic in the town [of Smithfield] is a former ship’s gun named Ou Grietjie (‘Old Margaret’). The gun has an unknown origin, but it was carried about the Central Plains for many years and used in various wars against the Sotho, and even as a threat against the Transvaal (when two unsuccessful attempts were made to fire the gun). In 1860 the weapon was brought to Smithfield...The gun was last used in 1868 to bombard Thaba-Bosiu during the final Basuto War.
A nickname given to a cannon used by the Boers; Grietjie.
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18991978

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historical
oudstryder, nounn.ouhout, nounn.
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