Truidjie-roer-my-nie, noun

/ˌtreɪki ˈruːr meɪ ni//ˈtrœɪki ˈruːr meɪ ni/
Forms:
Truitjie-roer-my-nie, Truytje-roer-my-nieShow more Also Truitjie-roer-my-nie, Truytje-roer-my-nie, Truytje-roer-mij-niet.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, Truidjie familiar or affectionate form of Gertruida Gertrude + roer-my-nie ‘touch-me-not’, by folk-etymology from Dutch kruidje-roer-mij-niet.
kruidjie-roer-my-nie.
1896 [see kruidjie-roer-my-nie].
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 407Roer-mij-niet or Truitje roer-mij-niet,..This appellation is given (1) to two plants whose leaves when touched emit a very unpleasant odour — Melianthus major and M. camosus, Vehl.; and (2) to a very thorny plant the spines of which do more than suggest caution.
1924 D. Fairbridge Gardens of S. Afr. 154Everyone at the Cape is familiar with the long spikes of red-brown flowers and the glaucous leaves of the Melianthus comosus, though they probably know it better under its Dutch name of Truytje, roer mij niet — Gertrude, touch me not.
1949 [see kruidjie-roer-my-nie].
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19131924

Browse Related Words

By Category

Plants

By Origin

Afrikaans
Dutch
true, adjectiveadj.trunk, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English