rampi, rampie, noun

/ˈrampi/
Origin:
Afrikaans, MalayShow more Afrikaans, ‘sachet’, from Malay rampai mixture; or from Hindu Rampa the name given to three heroes in Hindu mythology (A. Davids, ‘Words the Cape slaves made’ in S. Afr. Jrnl of Linguistics Vol.8 No.1, 1990).
In the Cape Muslim community:
a. A sachet filled with shredded orange-leaves which have been dipped in sweet-smelling oils, prepared on the prophet Muhammed’s birthday.
1944 I.D. Du Plessis Cape Malays 14On this occasion, the women go to the mosques on Saturday afternoon from two o’clock till sunset...Here the afternoon is spent cutting up orange leaves, dipping them in costly, sweet-smelling oils, and tying them up in sachets (Rampi’s, from the Malay rampai: a mixture).
1953 Du Plessis & Lückhoff Malay Quarter 33Small sachets of the leaves..known as rampi’s, from the Malay word rampai, meaning a mixture,..give the popular name to the festival.
1970 Heard & Faull Cookery in Sn Afr. 586The cut-up leaves were mixed with oils (some from Mecca) and then made into sachets (Rampi) which the men place in their breast pockets.
1971 Argus 5 June (Weekend Mag.) 1The delicately perfumed ‘rampies’ were filled in brightly coloured paper sachets and after the ceremony, were distributed among everybody present.
1981 Sunday Times 12 July (Mag. Sect.) 1The women gather at the mosque in the afternoon, dressed in their most colourful clothes, to cut the orange leaves and to prepare the so-called ‘rampies’.
b. comb.
rampi-sny/-sneɪ/, occasionally rampies-sny [Afrikaans, ‘the cutting of rampies’], Feast of the Orange Leaves (see Orange Leaves).
1953 Du Plessis & Lückhoff Malay Quarter 31Feast of the Orange Leaves. This is the most colourful and beautiful festival of the Muslim year. Popularly known as rampi sny, it is held in honour of Moulidu’n-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet.
1970 Cape Times 18 MayThey spent the afternoon till sunset cutting up orange leaves on small boards using special knives. The pieces were put on trays and sprinkled with rare oils. The practice is known as rampi-sny.
1971 Argus 5 June (Weekend Mag.) 1Every medora was zealously stored away and used for special occasions such as weddings, baptisms and ‘rampies-sny’.
A sachet filled with shredded orange-leaves which have been dipped in sweet-smelling oils, prepared on the prophet Muhammed’s birthday.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19441981

Browse Related Words

By Category

Islam
Household Items

By Origin

Afrikaans
Malay
rammies, plural nounpl. n.rand, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English