wakis, noun

/ˈvɑːkəs/
Forms:
Also wakist, wakus.
Plurals:
wakiste/ˈvɑːˌkəstə/, wakists, or (rarely) wakises.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, wa wagon + kis chest.
A chest made for use on a wagon; a similar chest made for use in the home. See also agterkis, kist, voorkis.
1953 U. Krige Dream & Desert 178Great Oupa with Francina, his favourite grandchild, seated on the wakis beside him, drove off..on his thousand-mile trek to the Transvaal.
1965 M.G. Atmore Cape Furn. 217It is assumed that these wakiste were carried by the Voortrekkers and if so, they could not have been more suitable with their strength, maximum storage area and usefulness as seats or tables.
1971 Baraitser & Obholzer Cape Country Furn. 230ABecause wakiste are used frequently as seats, both on the wagon and in the home, the paint on the lid wears off, revealing the sheen of the yellowwood.
1974 E. Prov. Herald 24 May 31A dealer in indigenous antiques warned..that certain shady dealers were buying up wakiste (wagon boxes) and using the wood of one to make four fake wakiste.
1981 Fair Lady 29 July 111A Picasso jug looks perfectly at home on an old wakis.
1991 S. Welz in Light Yrs Feb. 11Many wakiste would have been painted by their original owners.
1991 Best of S. Afr. Short Stories (Reader’s Digest Assoc.) 200Many of the old chests called wakiste today were, in fact, designed for home use.
A chest made for use on a wagon; a similar chest made for use in the home.
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19531991

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Afrikaans
wait-a-while, nounn.walkie talkies, plural noun phrasepl. n. phr.
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