Vrystaat, interjection and & noun

/ˈfreɪstɑːt/
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, elliptical for Oranje Vrystaat the Orange Free State, a Boer republic during the 19th century, from 1910 one of the four provinces of South Africa, and since 1994 one of the country’s nine provinces.
A. interjection Used as an (often ironical) exclamation of exaltation, triumph, approbation, or encouragement; a rallying call. Hence Vrystaat noun, a cry of ‘Vrystaat!’; attributive, enthusiastically South African.
1961 Rand Daily Mail 31 May 1On the square several hundred young people sang folk songs and cheered lustily as a bearded veteran was hoisted shoulder high to wave a South African flag and shout ‘vrystaat’.
1964 D. Marais in Cape Times 25 July (cartoon)He’s a French supporter. ‘L’etat libre’ is their way of saying ‘Vrystaat!’
1970 Cape Times 16 MayVarsity’s curvaceous champagne queen in a mini-mini-dress..should whip up the whistles and the lusty V-R-Y-S-T-A-A-T-S.
1974 Sunday Times 1 Dec. (Mag. Sect.) 14The one word we could use to express our triumphant delight: ‘Vrystaat!’
1977 Sunday Times 14 Aug. 3A few scattered wolf whistles and hesitant shouts of ‘Vrystaat’ greeted a couple of the more daring dance steps but, otherwise, the girls battled for a response from the audience.
1978 A.P. Brink Rumours of Rain 327Until that moment we’d been speaking English; but as he raised his glass he said: ‘Vrystaat!’ ‘Don’t tell me you come from South Africa?’ I said.
1990 G. Slovo Ties of Blood 232‘Vrystaat! Vrystaat!’ — the Nats’ rallying cry...‘We won! We won!’ they shouted.
1990 Sunday Times 30 Dec. 1Remember, the future is certain. It is the past that’s unpredictable. Amandla/Vrystaat!
1991 G. Silber in Sunday Times 13 Jan. (Mag. Sect.) 20Following the unconditional lifting of the Sports Boycott..a combined Springbok rugby, cricket, soccer, hockey, wrestling, jukskei, karate, and water polo team will take on any ten teams..and beat the smithereens out of them. Vrystaat! And Viva, too.
1991 Sunday Times 14 July (Mag. Sect.) 36He..has provided countless South Africans, and a few Vrystaat enclaves abroad, with many hours of pleasure and kinship.
1993 G. McIntosh in Sunday Times 20 June 23‘Vrystaat’ is probably the best-known South African slogan.
B. noun Free State noun phrase. Also attributive.
1969 I. Vaughan Last of Sunlit Yrs 101He..says, ‘when I was a boy the Vrystaat was not like this’.
1971 Personality 2 Feb. 23What else is there to do in the good old Vrystaat on Sundays?
1975 Sunday Times 20 Apr. 11We all come from ‘the conquered territory’ — Oom Jim, Nico and myself. Vrystaat-power.
1978 Voice 11 Oct. 1A young White woman and her Black lover recently hiked through South Africa together and were given lifts by Vrystaat farmers, a Nationalist supporter, [etc.].
1982 M. Mzamane Children of Soweto 26We passed round to our members everything we read with the glee of Vrystaat Boers peddling round copies of Playboy.
1989 Style Dec. 151Exposed to all the laagerisms of any Vrystaat Afrikaner boy.
Used as an (often ironical) exclamation of exaltation, triumph, approbation, or encouragement; a rallying call. Hence Vrystaat noun, a cry of ‘Vrystaat!’; attributive, enthusiastically South African.
Free State noun phrase. Also attributive.
Derivatives:
Hence Vrystater  noun, one from the Orange Free State.
1900 P.J. Du Toit Diary (1974) 19Prisoners..16 Vrystaters.
1948 O. Walker Kaffirs Are Lively 70Like the rest of the farming community, the Vrystaters do not connect inefficiency with low wages.
1969 I. Vaughan Last of Sunlit Yrs 101He tells me he is an old ‘Vrystaater’, and his people before him.
1973 Cape Times 29 Jan. 11The ‘Vrystaaters’ are assured of a good fight when they travel to Montagu in August.
1977 Sunday Times 27 Feb. 15The veldskoened Vrystaters of Vrede.
1990 E. Prov. Herald 16 May (Food & Wine Suppl.)Although a ‘Vrystater’, Ross completed his high school education at SACS in Cape Town.
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