suurvy, noun

Forms:
Formerly also zuurvijg (plural suurvijgen).
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African DutchShow more Afrikaans (earlier South African Dutch zuurvijg), suur sour + vy fig.
sour fig. Also (occasionally) suurvygie /-feɪxi/ [see -ie].
1890 [see sour fig].
1966 C.A. Smith Common Names 448Suurvy, Carpobrotus acinaciformis...When the rind of the fruit hardens, the fruits are picked and sold, or the fruits are gathered just before the rind hardens and the rind removed and the contents boiled into a jam.
1980 Sunday Times 5 Oct.The..sour fig,..suurvy, as we call it, is not listed in ‘A Geographical Atlas of World Weeds’ nor is it on the list of South African weeds...Both the fruit and leaf of this plant have been widely used medicinally.
1981 S. Afr. Panorama 5 Oct. 14To the vygie family belong the donkiebos, sandlaai, suurvygie and varkiesknol, the latter a delicacy for porcupines that uproot the juicy bulb.
1985 Fair Lady 3 Apr. 137The..flashy dayglo hues of the mesems — bokbaais, lampranthus, suurvy and drosanthus — look their best against a clear background and an open sky.
sour fig. Also (occasionally) suurvygie /-feɪxi/ [see -ie].
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19661985