Die Afrikaanse Protestantse Akademie Biblioteek

Includes bibliography (p. 271).

'n Skelm woorddief -- Hoe werk die boek -- 'n Dief aan die kers.

This brand-new book by Dr. Anton F. Prinsloo describes how the original meanings of approximately 1 000 Afrikaans words have changed in the course of years, so that the meanings we know today almost make no sense at all. Centuries ago, the word ambition (ambisie) for example had nothing to do with a strong pursuit of success and prosperity. If someone had ambition in those days, this person walked from house to house like a beggar. And the meaning of the Dutch dyke (dyk) was at that time least of all that of a �high wall at the sea to keep the water out�. The word particularly did not refer to the wall, but to the ditch that was dug to obtain soil to build the wall, which had to protect the land against the sea. If we talked about a candidate (kandidaat) today, we should�nt have thought that it was someone who should have been wearing a compulsory white dress. Today a worm (wurm) is a small, crawling animal. In those days this word could refer to a maggot, snake, scorpion or a dragon. This book differs from a traditional book about the origin of words (the etymology) in that it only treats words of which the meanings had been funnily (and cunningly) distorted over time.

Hierdie splinternuwe boek deur dr. Anton F. Prinsloo beskryf hoe die oorspronklike betekenisse van ongeveer 1 000 Afrikaanse woorde metterjare so verander het dat die betekenisse wat ons vandag ken, byna hoegenaamd nie sin maak nie. So byvoorbeeld het die woord �ambisie� eeue gelede niks met� n sterk strewe na sukses en vooruitgang te doen gehad nie. As iemand in daardie eeue ambisie gehad het, het di�e persoon soos� n bedelaar van huis tot huis geloop. En die betekenis van die Nederlandse �dyk� was toentertyd allermins di�e van� n �ho�e wal by die see om water uit te hou�. Die woord het juis nie na die wal vewys nie, maar na die sloot wat gegrawe is om grond te kry om die wal, wat die land teen die see moes beskerm, mee te bou. As ons vandag van� n �kandidaat� praat, sou ons nie dink dat dit iemand is wat� n verpligte wit rok sou moes aanh�e nie. En die klein, kruipende diertjie wat ons� n wurm noem, kon toentertyd na� n maaier, slang, skerpioen of draak verwys het. Ligte, prettige leesstof. Di�e boek verskil van�� n tradisionele boek oor die herkoms van woorde ( die etimologie) deurdat dit net woorde behandel waarvan die betekenis erg prettig (en skelm) deur die tyd skeefgetrek is.