stand, noun

Origin:
Afrikaans, Dutch, EnglishShow more Perhaps from Afrikaans standplaas (Dutch standplaats) ‘standing place’, plot of land, or a broader use of general English stand industrial site.
1. a. In historical contexts. Mining. In terms of the Gold Law of the South African Republic, Law No.21 of 1896: a plot of land for residential purposes, either containing no gold, or on which prospecting was not allowed; standplaats. b. In general use: a plot of land, a site; cf. erf sense a. Also attributive, and occasionally with distinguishing epithet.
1893 T. Reunert Diamonds & Gold 155Stands, The lots of ground into which a town on a proclaimed field is divided are called ‘Stands’, or, in Dutch, Standplaatsen. They are usually granted for ninety-nine years, subject to a monthly licence of seven shillings and sixpence.
1895 Star 19 Dec.Sale of Splendidly situated Stands Rosettenville with mineral rights.
1896 Méliot Eng.-Fr. Dict. Terms Finance etc. 222In the Transvaal, a stand is a portion of any land measuring 150 × 150 feet, sold or let.
1896 Gold Law of S. Afr. Republic (Law No.21 of 1896) 68Prospecting and digging is forbidden on or in towns, villages, stand townships,..erven stands, locations, village grounds, gardens,..machine stands..and other such places as the Mining Commissioner may point out.
1910 in Stat. Law of Tvl 1839–1910 I. 233Claims and stands are not fixed property.
1919 M.C. Bruce Golden Vessel 61If you have had to buy a stand facing south and you do not want your principal rooms to face that way, exercise a little ingenuity and turn ‘the house round’.
1926 M. Nathan S. Afr. from Within 64A township named Johannesburg was proclaimed, and ‘stands’ or building lots were surveyed.
1936 E. Rosenthal Old-Time Survivals 34Originally, in the ’seventies, on the alluvial goldfields of Pilgim’s Rest and Lydenburg, every miner was granted his claim...When he worked in the river, washing his precious metal, he needed a place on which to deposit his tools and on which to pitch his tent...Consequently the Diggers’ Commission arranged that he could hire a plot of ground which contained no gold, and this was called a ‘stand’.
1950 D. Reed Somewhere S. of Suez 48When Johannesburg was taking shape ‘corner stands’ were much sought and therefore most valuable.
1963 L.F. Freed Crime in S. Afr. 109The sizes of the stands are 140 feet by 80 feet, of which there are 2,185, and also 140 feet by 50 feet, of which there are 340.
1977 C.J. Claassen Dict. of Legal Words & Phrases IV. 118Stand, A plot of ground...Standplaats, A term used in the Gold Law of the South African Republic signifying a stand.
1989 Sunday Times 10 Dec. (Mag. Sect.) 26The record price of R40 000 was recorded for a 25 morgen stand on the seafront.
1991 F.G. Butler Local Habitation 126We think someone might buy it for the stand — it’s a prize site..on the corner of High and Somerset Streets.
2. combination
stand licence. In historical contexts. Law, (a) a rental paid to secure a trading site for a month at a time; (b) under the Transvaal Gold Law, a monthly fee paid to maintain leasehold rights to a site;
(objective) stand-owner, especially in township English, the owner of a plot of land; cf. squatter sense 2.
1873 F. Boyle To Cape for Diamonds 320Stand licences, or shop sites, are charged there £2 or £3 per month, according as they have a frontage of 50 or 100 feet.
1933 W.H.S. Bell Bygone Days 125Many years after, the holder was permitted to obtain a freehold title to Government stands on very easy terms, without any further payment of stand licenses.
1960 J.J.L. Sisson S. Afr. Judicial Dict. 757Stand Licence, a monthly licence payable under the Transvaal Gold Law in respect of a stand.
1977 C.J. Claassen Dict. of Legal Words & Phrases IV. 118Stand Licence, A monthly licence payable under the Transvaal Gold Law in respect of a stand.
1962 M. Brandel-Syrier Black Woman 46She may now be a ‘stand-owner’ or live in her own-built, middle-class home.
1968 Drum Sept. 44Matthews decided to use his vigilantes as a gang to rob and extort money from businessmen and standowners in the township.
In terms of the Gold Law of the South African Republic, Law No.21 of 1896: a plot of land for residential purposes, either containing no gold, or on which prospecting was not allowed; standplaats.
In general use: a plot of land, a site;
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18731991
-stan, suffixsuff.standplaats, nounn.
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