perlemoen, noun

/ˈpɛː(r)ləmʊn/, /ˈpɜː(r)ləmʊn/
Forms:
paarlemoen, paarl lemoenShow more Formerly also paarlemoen, paarl lemoen, paarlmoer, perel-le-moen, perelomen, perl-le-moen.
Origin:
Afrikaans, Dutch, Middle DutchShow more Afrikaans pêrel pearl + lemoen orange (by folk-etymology), also (obsolete) perlemoer, ‘womb-of-pearl’ or ‘mother-of-pearl’ (referring to the pearlised layer inside the shell), from Dutch paarelmoer, parelmoer, perlemoer (dialect parlemoen, peerlemoen, perelmoen) from Middle Dutch perlenmoeder ‘mother-of pearl’, ‘pearl-producing oyster’.
The abalone, Haliotus midae of the Haliotidae, a large, edible, univalve shellfish having a shell lined with mother-of-pearl; klipkous. Also attributive.
1853 L. Pappe Synopsis of Edible Fishes 12Amongst the mollusca, none are more eagerly caught, and none have such a deserved reputation as Haliotis Midae Lin. (Klipkous; sea-ear), and a species of Stomatia (Paarlmoer).
1911 J.D.F. Gilchrist S. Afr. Zoology 192The ordinary Limpet.., the Perlemoen or Klipkoes of South African Seas.., and the common periwinkle.
1919 M.M. Steyn Diary 3If you wanted ‘klipkous’ or ‘perl-lemoen’, they were procurable seaward, at very low tides.
1945 H. Gerber Fish Fare 70Perel-lemoen (Klipkous). The meat of this large, beautiful shell is greatly prized. To prepare, pry the meat from the shell.
1946 L.G. Green So Few Are Free 52A rarer delicacy is the perel-le-moen or klipkous, largest of all the Cape shellfish. This monster grows far out on the rocks...It has a beautiful shell, but the meat must be scrubbed and put through a mincer.
1958 L.G. Green S. Afr. Beachcomber 127South Africans are compensated for the scarcity of scallops by an abundance of perlemoen. This is the abalone of America and the ormer of the Channel Islands.
1970 G. Croudace Scarlet Bikini 14Perlemoen was said to have the effect of oysters upon the human libido.
1979 Snyman & Klarie Free from Sea 41Perlemoen,..Abalone/Klipkous. Elsewhere in the world, perlemoen is known as ‘Ormer’, a corruption of French ‘oreille de mer’ or ‘sea ear’.
1989 R.J.Q. Tarr in Conserva Nov. 13The abalone, locally called ‘perlemoen’ (Haliotis midae), is a marine snail belonging to one of the most primitive of living gastropod families.
1989 E. Prov. Herald 3 Nov. 25Only five legal size perlemoen each and you must first buy a permit from the Receiver of Revenue...The law states you may not transport them out of their shells nor may you keep in your home more than 20 perlemoen.
1990 S. Rowles in Weekend Post 16 June (Leisure) 4Sparks’s speciality — perlemoen wors cooked on an open fire.
1992 Smit & Fulton Complete S. Afr. Bk of Food & Cookery 306The beautiful single ear-shaped shell of the perlemoen is lined with mother of pearl, which is used to make buttons. The tough, fleshy mollusc in the shell..has a delicious clam-like flavour.
The abalone, Haliotus midae of the Haliotidae, a large, edible, univalve shellfish having a shell lined with mother-of-pearl; klipkous. Also attributive.
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18531992

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perlé, nounn.Permanent Force, noun phrasen. phr.
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