stertriem, noun

/ˈstɛrtrim/
Forms:
Formerly also staart-riem, steertriem.
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African Dutch, DutchShow more Afrikaans (earlier South African Dutch staartriem, transferred use of Dutch staartriem crupper), stert tail + riem thong.
A loin-cloth of soft leather, traditionally worn in rural society by Sotho men. Cf. mutsha.
[1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 397From the hinder part of the belt, is suspended a piece of leather, seldom so long as twelve inches, including the strap by which it hangs...When speaking in Dutch, they call this a Staart-riem, which in English may be expressed by the word Tail-piece.]
a1875 T. Baines Jrnl of Res. (1964) II. 44His uniform consisted of an old hat, two strings of beads, a rather limited kaross..and the usual ‘staart riem’, or exceedingly scanty Kafir breeches.
1905 G.W. Stow Native Races of S. Afr. 266Here we find in the Ovaherero a tribe of men wearing the staart-riem.
1910 J. Angove In Early Days 69Though perhaps clad (if the term may be used) in a staart riem only, they managed to conceal diamonds about their persons.
1937 B.H. Dicke Bush Speaks 329The trader had taken the owner of the kraal for a Mosuto because he wore a ‘steertriem’ (sesibe), a kind of extravagantly abbreviated bathing slip made of skin, the male attire of the Basuto...However, the gentleman..was..a Movenda. The Bavenda also wear the steertriem.
1940 Baumann & Bright Lost Republic 223When I was a boy your father was my gun-carrier in a ‘stert riem’ (loincloth), and was content with ‘kaboe’ mealies.
1951 H.C. Bosman in L. Abrahams Bekkersdal Marathon (1971) 165I’d feel that I was walking with nothing more than a stert-riem on, in the hereafter...Isn’t that a scream, the thought of me wearing a stert-riem.
1953 P. Lanham Blanket Boy’s Moon 16Proud in their wearing of the stertreim — sign of manhood — these young boys, clad in their tribal clothes of well-trimmed, round-cut goatskins, play about on the grassy banks of the stream.
1980 A.J. Blignaut Dead End Rd 98I pulled a handful and began plaiting a hat, thinking the brown they were turning would go well with my new stertriem of springbok hide.
1988 M. Tlali in Staffrider Vol.7 No.3, 358During the week we wore ‘litsheha’ (stertriems) and the usual Basotho ‘mekhahla’ (leather blanket) over them. Every male person wore these.
A loin-cloth of soft leather, traditionally worn in rural society by Sotho men.
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18221988

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Afrikaans
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sterretjie, nounn.stick, nounn.
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