Union, noun
- Origin:
- EnglishShow more Special senses of general English union the action of uniting into one political body.
historical
1. The creation of the legislative confederacy of the South African state, by the South Africa Act of 1909.
1908 J.C. Smuts What They Said (1971) 222The political status of the natives is no doubt a very important matter, but vastly more important is the Union of South Africa.
2.
a. Elliptical for Union of South Africa: the South African state as a legislative confederacy; the territory of this state. Also attributive.
1909 in R.H. Brand Union of S. Afr. 142The words ‘the Union’ shall be taken to mean the Union of South Africa as constituted under this Act.
1980 A. Paton Towards Mountain 54The franchise could be amended or abolished by a two-thirds majority of a joint sitting of both houses of the new Union parliament. Thus the Union came into being.
b. combinations
Union Day, the 31st of May, observed as a public holiday from 1910 (and renamed Republic Day in 1961);
1925 Off. Yr Bk of Union No. 7, 1924 (Union Office of Census & Statistics) 310The following are the statutory public holidays as prescribed in Act No. 3 of 1910: New Year’s Day..Union Day (31st May), [etc.].
1977 F.G. Butler Karoo Morning 166Fifteen shillings would buy a Union Loan Certificate, which would mature into a pound in due course.
The creation of the legislative confederacy of the South African state, by the South Africa Act of 1909.
Elliptical for Union of South Africa: the South African state as a legislative confederacy; the territory of this state. Also attributive.
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