swaer, noun

/swɑː(r)/
Forms:
Also swaar, and (formerly) zwaarger.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, from Dutch zwager brother-in-law.
a. Brother-in-law; used as a term of address, and as a title, with a name. Cf. sbali sense a.
1844 C. Dennison in R. Edgecombe, Letters of Hannah Dennison. (1968) 200[Written to his brother-in-law] Good Morning Old Swaar..I hope you are all quite well.
1886 G.A. Farini Through Kalahari Desert 317I went with Jan and his swaar (brother-in-law) to the top of the hill.
1896 M.A. Carey-Hobson At Home in Tvl 317I felt as if I couldn’t stay fightin’ against my own people like that, and so I told Zwaarger Piet, I’d come home and mind the farm, but fight I wouldn’t.
1973 E. Prov. Herald 20 Dec. 20David, dearly loved son and swaer — so brave and courageous, missed and deeply mourned.
b. colloquial. Often in the phrase ou swaer/əʊ -/ [Afrikaans ou old]. A form of address between men, equivalent to ‘old chap’. Cf. sbali sense c.
1970 A.H. Newey Informant, Stutterheim, Eastern CapeGood morning, ou swaer. (Literally, brother-in-law. Greeting between men, originating in Queenstown district.)
1972 Beeton & Dorner in Eng. Usage in Sn Afr. Vol.3 No.1, 27Swaer,..Afk equiv[alent] of ‘brother-in-law’; ‘ou swaer’ is used coll[oquially] in the sense of ‘old chap’, eg ‘Good morning, ou swaer, how are you today?’
1977 N. Okes in Quarry ’77 141‘Ou swaer’ he said..‘They tell me you are now a famous man...Nou kom, ou swaer, there’s a vatjie in the lorry. It’s high time for a drink.’
1988 M. Mzamane in Staffrider Vol.6 No.3, 35Please, Sabelo, my swaer, what shall we say when we get home?
1990 S. Jacobs in Staffrider Vol.9 No.2, 25So tell me, ou swaer, what’s missing?
1992 Grocott’s Mail 8 Sept. 4A Lower Albany farmer’s description of driving the latest model of luxury car: ‘Quiet, you say? Look ’ere, swaer, this car’s as quiet as a mouse wearing tackies!’
1994 Radio Algoa 27 July (advt)‘How was that?’ ‘No, fine, swaer, I think you looked great.’
Brother-in-law; used as a term of address, and as a title, with a name.
Often in the phrase ou swaer/əʊ -/ [Afrikaans ou old].A form of address between men, equivalent to ‘old chap’.
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suurvy, nounn.Swakara, nounn.
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