woer-woer, noun
/ˈvurvur/
- Forms:
- Also woere-woere, woor-woor.
- Origin:
- Afrikaans, Khoikhoi, NamaShow more Afrikaans, ultimately from an echoic Khoikhoi word formerly found in Nama as borob, representing the whirring or humming sound made by this toy; similar words, derived from Khoikhoi and designating either this toy, or bull-roarers, have been found in several Sintu (Bantu) languages, and the word may have came into Afrikaans via one of these.
A toy consisting of a disc, button, or other flat object with a cord threaded through two holes near the centre and tied to make a closed loop, so that when the cord on either side of the disk is alternately pulled taut and relaxed by the hands, the object spins back and forth, making a whirring or humming sound.
- Note:
- In southern Africa the toy was probably first made and used among Khoikhoi or San peoples.
1934 C.P. Swart Supplement to Pettman. 195Woer-Woer, The onomatopoetic name of a well known boys’ toy, consisting of a thinly cut piece of wood which is tied to a string and rotated. It makes a whirring sound, hence the name.
1975 Levick & Mullins ‘Prep’ Story 148‘One of your able assistants has rightly removed from the possession of my son John David, a blackened and almost circular piece of wood with two perforations which enable it to be revolved by torsion...I should appreciate its return.’...The Professor got the woer-woer back!
A toy consisting of a disc, button, or other flat object with a cord threaded through two holes near the centre and tied to make a closed loop, so that when the cord on either side of the disk is alternately pulled taut and relaxed by the hands, the object spins back and forth, making a whirring or humming sound.
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