snaphaan, noun

/ˈsnaphɑːn/
Origin:
DutchShow more Dutch ‘snapping cock’, snap snapping + haan cock, perhaps because the action of the hammer resembled a cock pecking.
historical
Note:
Found in 17th century English (in this sense as well as others) as snaphance or snaphaunce.
roer sense a.
1905 W.S.J. Sellick Uitenhage Past & Present p.vEvery morning, after prayers and coffee, the first thing that occupied attention was the snap-haan, or as it later grew to be called, baviaan bout.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 456Snap haan,..An earlier name for the old-fashioned muzzle-loading musket, subsequently known as the Babiaan bout.
1937 F.B. Young They Seek a Country 531He loaded his snaphaan with slugs, and saw that the flint was clean and the priming in order.
1947 F.C. Slater Sel. Poems 159The foe leapt up, advanced; at this To earth the trekkers sprang, Their steady snaphaans rang!
1968 G. Croudace Black Rose 13She saw a Hottentot in a skin cloak, ancient snaphaans over his shoulder, assegaai raised in his right hand.
1971 R. Raven-Hart Cape G.H. 1652–1702 516In the snaphaan the pan-cover protecting the priming was arranged to slide back as the hammer fell, in the flint lock the blow of the flint moved the cover by striking on a part of it.
1971 F.V. Lategan in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. IV. 518In South Africa during the 17th century the matchlock and the wheel-lock were replaced by the Dutch ‘snaphaan’...This weapon was superseded in turn by the true flint-lock gun...The term ‘snaphaan’ and its variants were used by the Voortrekkers to describe the true or French flint-lock. In his description of the Battle of Blood River, Preller..refers to the small arms used by the Boers during the fight as snaphaan and elephant gun. Outside South Africa also the term ‘snaphaan’ was used to refer to any fire-arm requiring a flint and steel ignition.
1971 F.V. Lategan in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. IV. 520The true or French flint-lock, known in South Africa as the ‘snaphaan’ or ‘sanna’, was..an improved version of the Dutch snaphaan.
1977 F.G. Butler Karoo Morning 117He put the old voorlaaier to his shoulder, and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. The flint had fallen out of the old snaphaan.
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