sit, verb intransitive

Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Calqued on Afrikaans opsit, see opsit verb.
historical
In the phrase to sit up.
To conduct a courtship by staying up for part of the night (with someone) by the light of a candle, the burning of which determined the duration of the suitor’s visit; opsit verb. See also opsit noun, opsitkers, opsitting, upsitting.
1878 H.A. Roche On Trek in Tvl 136The question of questions is, whether she will ‘sit up and keep company with him!’ If she has consented to do this she has virtually consented to ‘sit up’ with him as long as they both shall live.
1883 O.E.A. Schreiner Story of Afr. Farm 188Tant Sannie took two candles out of the cupboard and held them up triumphantly...‘He’s asked for them’ she said. ‘Does he want them for his horse’s..back?’ asked Gregory, new to up-country life. ‘No,’ said Tant’ Sannie indignantly; ‘we’re going to sit-up!’
1913 J.J. Doke Secret City 106You are as good as any of them that come courting her, and better too! Ask for your candle like a man, and sit up with her.
1914 L.H. Brinkman Breath of Karroo 185Should a young man wish to make advances to a young woman, he asks her to sit up with him, and if she wishes to encourage him, she consents.
1940 F.B. Young City of Gold 140It would certainly be exciting to ‘sit up’ with any young man and to be told, however clumsily, that he loved her.
1961 D. Rooke Lover for Estelle 36He had solemnly shown a candle which he carried in his pocket as a hint to Estelle that they should sit up together that night.
1965 K. Mackenzie Deserter 32After some years in which he did not see her, he was invited, not long before he left on commando, to come and ‘sit up’ with her.
1974 Daily Dispatch 29 Mar. (Suppl.) 12You’ve been sitting up with Nellie an taking her to picnics, and to church, an car riding and nothing’s come of it.
To conduct a courtship by staying up for part of the night (with someone) by the light of a candle, the burning of which determined the duration of the suitor’s visit; opsit verb.
Derivatives:
Hence sitting up  verbal noun phrase, courting; (staying up for) an evening of courtship; also attributive.
1914 L.H. Brinkman Breath of Karroo 185The Boer youth’s idea of love-making is expressed in the term ‘Sitting up’.
1937 H. Sauer Ex Afr. 26On the second visit, the ‘sitting up’ period in the evening is somewhat more prolonged, but the young man does not finally commit himself yet, and it is only after several ‘sittings up’ that he puts the vital question.
1958 [see opsitkers].
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18781974

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sitting up

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sister, nounn.sitkamer, nounn.
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