rondloper, noun

/ˈrɔntlʊəpə(r)/
Forms:
Also rondlooper.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, idler, loafer, vagrant, from rondloop to wander about.
colloquial
A tramp or vagrant; one with wanderlust; a gad-about.
1863 Queenstown Free Press 3 Mar.The Kaffir when engaged had no pass whatever in his possession — he was, what I may term a, rond looper.
c1870 J. Montgomery Reminisc. (1981) 86From this family, I chose my life partner, so I settled down and was no longer a rondlooper (tramp).
1899 G.H. Russell Under Sjambok 101What! do you mean the rondlooper (tramp) I was told had been near the store last night?
1917 S.T. Plaatje Native Life 84No wonder that Anna is so upset. I have been thinking that same rondloper (vagabond) from the towns had been trying to take her away.
1971 Sunday Times 7 Nov. (Mag. Sect.) 5I got to know this country well when I was a child because my uncles and aunts were great rondlopers and holidaymakers and would pack up and go at the drop of a hat.
1980 Capetonian Jan. 26Jus’ cos I worked for a lotta masters and merrems doesn’t mean to say I’se a rondloper wot cannot hold down a job.
1985 Cape Times 24 Aug.Yet such rondlopers..were selected for the farcical Boks team chosen for a tour of South Africa, for goodness’ sakes!
A tramp or vagrant; one with wanderlust; a gad-about.
Derivatives:
Hence back-formations rondloop  intransitive verb (so rondloping  participial adjective) and rondloop  adjective.
1966 F.G. Butler Take Root or Die (1970) 61My father says that, other things being equal, a man with a good safe job with the government is to be preferred to a saddler, or a ‘rondloping smous’.
1976 Het Suid-Western 1 Sept.In spite of all the rubbish..that has been written..there have been no rondloop goggas and factions on this town council.
1977 S. Roberts in E. Pereira Contemp. S. Afr. Plays 232Sieg: Is Dauw in Ma? Hester: No, he’s out. Either at the Versters or rondloping with one of his tjommies.
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18631985
rondganger, nounn.rong, nounn.
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