‖Tante, noun

/ˈtantə/
Forms:
Tant’, TantShow more Also Tant’, Tant, Tanta, Tantie, and with small initial.
Origin:
Dutch
‘Aunt’, used particularly of Afrikaner women, and not necessarily of a blood-relation. See also auntie, oom, tannie.
Note:
Usually used to represent the idiom of Afrikaans-speakers.
1. A title, with a name.
a. A respectful and affectionate title for an older woman; tannie sense 2.
1841 B. Shaw Memorials 288The children..were quite delighted with Tante Eve,..as they always addressed her, and she became a great favourite among them.
1870 H.H. Dugmore Reminisc. of Albany Settler 22Powers of persuasion had to be employed with oude Tanta Nieukerk, as she sat by the ever-simmering brass kettle, or with Oom Dederik, as he puffed away.
1887 F.E. Colenso Letter. 6 Jan.Irma should have a blue frock too..& so she shall when Tanta Nelly comes on the scene again.
1914 L.H. Brinkman Breath of Karroo 14To the whole countryside she was known as ‘Tante Let.’ No one would ever have dreamed of calling her ‘Mrs. Uijs,’ and had anybody done so, she would have put him down as ‘uppish.’
1920 R.Y. Stormberg Mrs Pieter de Bruyn 75It was the jolliest little home-coming, and we had a merry evening at Tante Cornelia’s.
1940 F.B. Young City of Gold 267My father’s always ‘Oom Jan,’ though mother calls him the ‘ou baas,’ and she’s Tante Lisbet.
1977 Sunday Times 31 July (Mag. Sect.) 9The Afrikaner woman in the city has lost the total sense of identity she once had. This included, in the rural life, an ouma in the background, Tant Sannie down the road ready with recipes or advice on childbirth.
1987 J. Van der Merwe in Pretoria News 15 June 3Tant Tiena brews a formidable peach.
b. Special Combination
Tante Sannie obs., an affectionate name given to the wife of President Paul Kruger; also Tant' Sann.
1913 M.C. Jackson Soldier’s Diary 54Everything was there: Tante Sannie’s best silk-dress, all the clocks..and fittings untouched.
1924 L. Cohen Reminisc. of Jhb. 127What saved the Reformers was Paul Kruger’s horror of blood-guiltiness, and perhaps the beneficent influence of that kindly, homely ‘Tante Sanne’ — the name by which Mrs. Kruger was affectionately known in Pretoria.
1946 S. Cloete Afr. Portraits 265The President’s wife, ‘Tante Sanna,’ was a housewife.
1946 S. Cloete Afr. Portraits 405Kruger, who waited for his end patiently, more than ready to welcome it. Was not his wife waiting for him? His old Tant’ Sann whom he called Ouma?
c. A title for an aunt (a blood relation).
1915 J.K. O’Connor Afrikander Rebellion 30Photos of relatives were shown them, with the information:..this is your Tante Sara and your poor little neef Koos, whom the English murdered.
1969 M. Benson At Still Point 125And then there was Tante Annetjie, my father’s sister.
1976 A. Delius Border 320That wrinkled, garrulous and ancient great aunt ‘Ou Tante Gilsa’, took my announcement of Sikki’s employment with some scepticism.
1986 M. Picardie in S. Gray Market Plays 84My unmarried Tant Marie from Turffontein used to come in and look after me if my ma and pa were both at work during [the] school day.
2. A common noun.
a. An aunt (a blood-relation); also used as if a proper name, without an article; tannie sense 3 c.
1845 S. Dennison in D.R. Edgecombe, Letters of Hannah Dennison. (1968) 205How are all the Salem maids pray give my love to Miss Gush and Mrs G and remember me kindly to your good Tant.
1896 M.A. Carey-Hobson At Home in Tvl 312It was Colonel and Mrs. Herbert who came to see and thank Tanta.
1944 C.R. Prance Under Blue Roof 135Tante had to make her own candles on the farm, scraping and cherishing every scrap of fat.
1961 T. Macdonald Tvl Story 19It was ‘Tante’ who did the buying of the corduroys...To ‘Tante’..was entrusted the purchasing of almost everything she required. She ruled the roost in those days.
1973 W. Stockenström in S. Gray Writers’ Territory 143Grandsons and granddaughters from the city in the uniform of the teenager..bend to kiss Tante, the unknown blood relative, on the down of her upper lip.
b. An Afrikaans woman older than the speaker; tannie sense 3 b.
1868 [see neef sense 1].
1872 in A.M.L. Robinson Sel. Articles from Cape Monthly Mag. (1978) 283Our beloved ‘tantas’.
1883 O.E.A. Schreiner Story of Afr. Farm 197The arriving heavy freight of massive Tantes and comely daughters.
1900 B. Mitford Aletta 37Performing for the benefit of some old-fashioned and highly orthodox old Tanta who deemed all secular music an invention of Satan for the snaring of souls.
1913 J.J. Doke Secret City 67Here am I, bored to death, and obliged to waste a whole morning for you to bring coffee and rusks to a Dutch tante, and flirt with a great fool like that.
1937 C.R. Prance Under Blue Roof 63Each homestead on a circuit has its own special call, with a list of all the bell-signals, so that every Tante on the line knows at once, if, for instance, someone has important things to say to Tant’ Emmerentia Platvoetplaats, and the broadcasting of important tidings is simplicity itself.
1943 I. Frack S. Afr. Doctor 120All the old Tantes present described in the hearing of the patient how this one had died from ‘Inflamasie’ and how he had looked in his shroud.
1969 Personality 5 JuneAlways there is the contrast between past and present..the austere black dress of the old tante and the bright miniwear of a visiting granddaughter.
1990 [see Kappie Kommando].
3. A respectful form of address to any woman older than the speaker; auntie sense 1 b; tannie sense 1.
1878 H.A. Roche On Trek in Tvl 141The young folks call their seniors ‘Oom’ and ‘Tanta’, uncle and aunt, and the seniors, their juniors ‘cousin.’
1900 H. Blore Imp. Light Horseman 162If a Boer were to be presented at Court he’d offer to shake hands with Queen Victoria, and address her as ‘Tante.’ All women to whom one wishes to pay respect are called ‘Tante’, and all men ‘Oom.’
1914 L.H. Brinkman Breath of Karroo 14The words ‘tante’, meaning ‘aunt,’ and ‘oom,’ meaning ‘uncle,’ are still used by the young Dutch as a mark of respect when addressing their elders.
1931 V. Sampson Kom Binne 263The older men were usually addressed by the younger as ‘Oom’ (Uncle) and the older women as ‘Tante’ (Aunt).]
1940 F.B. Young City of Gold 383‘I hear that chap Struben’s found gold at Wilgespruit, tanta’ he said.
1964 S. Cloete in C. Millar 16 Stories 114He went up to a big fat woman and said, ‘Tante (auntie), this little girl is hungry. Will you give us some food?’
1990 W. Smith Golden Fox 147‘We know that she is a patriot..but I can’t promise anything for Michael, Tantie.’ Lothar used the respectful term of address which meant more than simply ‘Aunt’.
‘Aunt’, used particularly of Afrikaner women, and not necessarily of a blood-relation.
A title, with a name.
A respectful and affectionate title for an older woman; tannie sense 2.
an affectionate name given to the wife of President Paul Kruger;
A title for an aunt (a blood relation).
An aunt (a blood-relation); also used as if a proper name, without an article; tannie sense 3 c.
An Afrikaans woman older than the speaker; tannie sense 3 b.
A respectful form of address to any woman older than the speaker; auntie sense 1 b; tannie sense 1.
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tannie, nounn.tarentaal, nounn.
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