sea-cow, noun

Origin:
South African DutchShow more Calque formed on South African Dutch zeekoe (see zeekoe); see also quotation 1913.
obs. except in historical contexts
1. The hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius of the Hippopotamidae; zeekoe sense 1. Also attributive.
1688 G. Tachard Voy. to Siam 74In the great Rivers there is a Monstrous Creature which they call a Sea-cow,..the Flesh, or to say better, the Lard of it is good to eat.
1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. II. 30This Valley has its Name from an amphibious Creature, vulgarly call’d a Sea-Cow, and by the Learned, Hippopotamus.
1786 G. Forster tr. of A. Sparrman’s Voy. to Cape of G.H. II. 274A sea-cow came out of the river, rushing upon us, with a hideous cry.
1786 G. Forster tr. of A. Sparrman’s Voy. to Cape of G.H. II. 291Neither does it in the least resemble the ox; so it could be only the different stomachs of this animal, which could occasion it to be called sea-cow, at the Cape.
1806 J. Barrow Trav. I. 396She had been cut..with one of those infernal whips made from the hide of a rhinoceros or sea-cow.
1838 T. Shone Diary. 4 Sept.Put some sea cow hide in pickle for sambucks.
1850 R.G.G. Cumming Hunter’s Life (1902) 93An equally persuasive sea-cow jambok.
1860 W. Shaw Story of my Mission 383Hippopotami, or, as the Colonists call them ‘sea-cows,’ were..frequently met with in the Keiskamma and Fish Rivers.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 434Sea-cow, The latter half of the name appears to be a corruption of the Hottentot name of the animal *gao (with an initial palatal click)...The Dutch word zee (sea, lake) would have to be prefixed to distinguish the animal from the ordinary cow.
1915 J.K. O’Connor Afrikander Rebellion 42St. Lucia Bay, a lagoon, the home of the sea-cow.
1949 C. Bullock Rina 59Two nostrils and a bovine eye appeared for a second, then were gone. It was one of the sea-cows, as the Afrikaners call them, blowing and taking breath.
1976 A. Delius Border 204We came upon a sea-cow enjoying itself in a large pool in the local stream.
1982 S. Afr. Panorama Jan. 40Van Riebeeck complained in his diary that he was kept awake in his tent all night by the ‘roaring of many sea-cows..and other wild animals.’
1994 M. Roberts tr. of J.A. Wahlberg’s Trav. Jrnls 1838–56 24Two bullets went whistling at the same moment, and found their mark in the head of a young sea-cow.
2. combination
sea-cow hole [calqued on South African Dutch zeekoegat], a deep river-pool frequented by hippopotamuses; zeekoe gat, see zeekoe sense 2.
1786 G. Forster tr. of A. Sparrman’s Voy. to Cape of G.H. II. 136We now repaired to a sea-cow hole, (zeekoe-gat) near Visch-rivier, to look for the hippopotamus.
1795 C.R. Hopson tr. of C.P. Thunberg’s Trav. II. 46I..rode plump into the river, till, in a moment, I sank with my horse into a large and deep sea-cow hole, up to my ears.
1810 G. Barrington Acct of Voy. 226By the side of the river there are a number of holes or pits, which the planters call the sea cow-holes, into which, as these creatures are amphibious, they generally retire in the day-time.
1829 C. Rose Four Yrs in Sn Afr. 170A deep part of the river, called, by the natives, a sea-cow-hole, where several of these huge animals then were.
1875 J.J. Bisset Sport & War 175On their looking up this sea-cow hole, or expanse of water, they saw the spirit walking on the surface of the water.
The hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius of the Hippopotamidae; zeekoe sense 1. Also attributive.
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sea-cow hole

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sea-cat, nounn.sea-eagle, nounn.
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