gesondheid, interjection

/xəˈsɔnt(h)eɪt/
Forms:
Formerly also gezondheid, santheit.
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African Dutch, DutchShow more Afrikaans, earlier South African Dutch gezondheid (interjection), from Dutch gezondheid (noun), a toast.
colloquial
‘To your health’, ‘here’s to you’. So as noun, an utterance of ‘gesondheid’.
1875 ‘M.’ in Cape Monthly Mag. XI. July 30The rising sun was greeted by a gezondheid from several lips as we quaffed a morning soupie.
1896 H.A. Bryden Tales of S. Afr. 183Well, here’s success to the Tapinyani concession! Santeit! and another thousand a year to us all!
1900 H. Blore Imp. Light Horseman 194Gezondheid, and all the pretty girls in their bloom to you.
1937 C.R. Prance Tante Rebella’s Saga 50The doctor only nodded saying ‘Cheerio’ and kept on counting pills, till Gideon said ‘Gesondheid’, and drank off his tot.
1961 T. Matshikiza Choc. for my Wife 60She said, ‘Heil,’ each time she raised her glass then she sipped slowly...‘Heil, Gesondheid, Mayibuye.’
1968 A. Fulton Dark Side of Mercy 13‘Gesondheid.’ He grinned at Michael and downed the drink in a single gulp.
1971 L.G. Green Taste of S.-Easter 22He had heard the same toasts..year after year. ‘Here’s how!’ ‘Hope you choke!’ ‘Over the river!’ ‘Looking at you!’ ‘Gesondheid!’
c1976 H. Flather Thaba Rau 179She handed him his glass and raised her own: ‘Gesondheid!’, she said and watched him with amusement over the rim of her glass.
‘To your health’, ‘here’s to you’. So as noun, an utterance of ‘gesondheid’.
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18751976

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idiomatic
colloquial
gesang, nounn.gesuip, adjectiveadj.
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