zeekoe
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English
Etymology
Noun
zeekoe (plural zeekoes)
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch seecoe, equivalent to zee (“sea”) + koe (“cow”); compare English sea cow.
Pronunciation
Noun
zeekoe f (plural zeekoeien, diminutive zeekoetje n)
- manatee, marine mannal of the order Sirenia
- (South Africa, archaic) common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (now exclusively used when rendering Afrikaans seekoei)
- 1652 April 24, Jan van Riebeeck, Daghregister, 46v.-47, in D.B. Bosman & H.B. Thom (eds.), A.A. Balkema (publ., 1952 ed.), page 31.
- Desen verleden nacht had 't volck aen lant een groote zeekoe gevangen, wel soo swaer als 2 gemene vette ossen, hebbende een seer affgrijsselijck, monstreus hooft ende verscheijde scherpe, uijtsteeckende tanden, waervan de langhste ⅝ el langh waren, met een corten halss ende laeghe beenen, de voeten bijnae van fatsoen als renocerosvoeten, edoch gekliefft in vier partijen; was seer fel ende wreet, ende hadden genoech te doen om te bedwinghen, onaengesien met eenighe cogels achter de ooren door 't hooft getrefft was, wesende de huijt wel 1 duijm dick ende soo hard dat op sommige plaetsen geen musquetscogel door coste geschoten worden; des hem recht voor in 't hooft lieten doot schieten, ende 't volck eeten, alsoo van goeden smaecke was, lopende de melck uijt de uijren.
- This past night the people ashore had caught a large hippo, as heavy as 2 common fat oxen, no less, having a very gruesome, monstrous head and several sharp teeth sticking out, of which the longest were 44 cm long, with a short neck and low legs, the feet almost of the shape of rhinoceros feet, though cloven into four parts; was very fierce and cruel, and were more than preoccupied to subdue it, although had been hit in the head behind the ears with a few bullets, the hide being no less than 1 inch thick and so hard that in some place no musket bullet could be shot through ; therefore let kill it with a shot straight in the front of the head, and let the people eat, because was of a good taste, the milk running from the udders.
- Synonym: nijlpaard
- 1652 April 24, Jan van Riebeeck, Daghregister, 46v.-47, in D.B. Bosman & H.B. Thom (eds.), A.A. Balkema (publ., 1952 ed.), page 31.