kennetjie

English

Etymology

From Afrikaans kennetjie (“little chin”).

Noun

kennetjie (uncountable)

1. (South Africa) A children’s (boy’s) game where a short stick is flipped into the air by a longer stick, batted and hopefully caught by ‘fielders’.
   • 2008, Christopher Hope, My Mother's Lovers, page 186:

     The two men are playing a Boer sport called kennetjie, using a length of broomstick as the bat, on which is balanced a small piece of wood that serves as the 'ball'.

   • 2010, Rayda Jacobs, Sachs Street, page 135:

     Instead we played kennetjie in the yard with a small piece of wood, which we flipped with a stick, and struck into the air.

2. (South Africa) The short stick used in this game.
   • 2006, Louis Mallett, The history of the people of Malay Camp, Kimberley:

     A strong, three feet long stick (the bat or hook) and a shorter piece five or six inches long (the kennetjie) were the requirements. A deep gash six inches in length was scraped in the ground. The kennetjie was laid cross-wise over the gash.

Translations

game

• Afrikaans: kennetjie

References

• 1978: A dictionary of South African English. Edited Jean Branford. Oxford.