wapenskou, noun

/ˈvɑːp(ə)nskəʊ/
Forms:
waapenschauw, wapenschawShow more Also waapenschauw, wapenschaw, wapenschouw, wapenshaw.
Origin:
Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, from Dutch wapenschouwing, wapen weapon + schouwing inspection, review.
?historical
A military review, often including manoeuvres and shooting contests.
Note:
In some older forms also Scottish English.
1899 Daily News (U.K.) 23 June 5The Boers never drill, and..the scene witnessed was probably an ordinary season’s wapenshaw.
1905 Cape Times Christmas No. 13A yearly Wapenschaw.
1905 P. Gibbon Vrouw Grobelaar 221When her brothers, having drunk too much at a waapenschauw, wished to make a quarrel quickly, they called their man a coward.
1926 P.W. Laidler Tavern of Ocean 43The captain of an English ship..went ashore..to dine. First they attended a ‘wapenshaw’ of soldiers and burghers, who carried out their evolutions to the best of their power, and ‘caused great surprise to our English friends, who beheld a fine garrison and the formidable power we could command should an enemy arrive’.
1934 C.P. Swart Supplement to Pettman. 190Wapenskou, A military review; formerly very common when district rifle associations were flourishing, cf Scotch wapenshaw.
1946 V. Pohl Adventures of Boer Family 7Soon there were gathered here a large number of farmer-soldiers.., looking much as if they were attending a wapenschouw (military review), their dress and arms as we used to see on those occasions.
1963 S.H. Skaife Naturalist Remembers 62A wapenskou was held there by the Defence Force on a public holiday.
1983 J.A. Brown White Locusts 193The Magato campaign was no more than a wapenschouw, a try-out for the gunners.
A military review, often including manoeuvres and shooting contests.
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18991983

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