vaatjie, noun

/ˈfaɪki/
Forms:
vatjie, faatcheShow more Also vatjie, and (formerly) faatche, fachey, fadje, fagie, fatje, feiky, fikey, vaatche, vaatje, vaitje.
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African DutchShow more Afrikaans (earlier South African Dutch vaatje), vat water carrier + diminutive suffix -ie.
1.
a. A small wooden cask or keg.
1835 A. Steedman Wanderings II. 19Klaas, the driver of my own waggon, an ardent lover of the juice of the grape, was even lamenting that I had not emptied the wine vaatche at the last fountain, and substituted water, which had now become to him as well as to the rest far the most precious liquid.
c1838 A.G. Bain Jrnls (1949) 197Ons drained his vatjes dry man.
1850 R.G.G. Cumming Hunter’s Life I. 7The..general stores which I carried with me were as follows:..2 large ‘fagie’ or water-casks, [etc.].
1850 J.D. Lewins Diary. 20 Jan.Sent Umdingi to Whitehead’s Kaarhoek for a feiky price 9/.
1871 J. McKay Reminisc. 8The soldier acts as the beast of burden, having been supplied with a large wooden vessel, by soldiers called ‘fadje’, or keg, capable of holding about half a gallon; and in this he had to carry with him what water he thought necessary.
a1873 J. Burrow Trav. in Wilds of Afr. (1971) 14Everyone found himself thirsty, and was of course calling loudly for water. The cart and wagon were searched, but none was forthcoming, the faatche or cask having been..left behind.
1881 P. Gillmore Land of Boer 333Although Ruby has had a considerable portion of the water in my fachey, there are still remaining in it a couple of gallons, whereas the guide’s driver’s and foreloper’s has long been empty.
1896 H.A. Bryden Tales of S. Afr. 135I will take a vatje, fill it, and ride back as fast as possible. You have enough water to last till evening to-morrow. [Source Note: A ‘little vat’ or hand-barrel, holding about two gallons, usually slung by an iron handle under the wagon.]
1909 Chambers’s Jrnl (U.K.) Dec. 28Some Congo brandy and a vatje of water.
1954 M. Kuttel Quadrilles & Konfyt 51A vatjie of butter.
1968 L.G. Green Full Many Glorious Morning 234We gave up part of a vaatjie of red wine and soaked it (sc. the boar’s head) and then roasted it in front of a huge fire.
1977 [see swaer sense b].
b. With distinguishing epithet: water vaatjie obsolescent [Afrikaans watervaatjie (or partial translation)], a water-barrel, part of the furniture of a wagon.
1873 in A.M.L. Robinson Sel. Articles from Cape Monthly Mag. (1978) 116A little fountain was discovered, which was a perfect godsend, as we were parched with thirst, and the watervatje was dry.
a1875 T. Baines Jrnl of Res. (1964) II. 218My first application was to Gordon’s water-vatje, and I had hardly recovered my breath before we were looking over the hill into the kloof on the other side.
1891 in J. Kelly Coming Revolt of Eng. in Tvl (advt)E. & W. Crooks, Coopers, Port Elizabeth (Established 1845) Have always on hand a large Stock of Coopers’ Ware, viz.: — Churns, Water Vaatjes, Butter Tubs.
1891 E. Glanville Fossicker 166One of the three rose up..took a final pull at the water ‘fikey’ and stretched himself on the bare ground.
1911 D.B. Hook ’Tis but Yesterday 6Mr Jameson sitting smoking on the ‘water vatje’.
1922 J.G. Fraser in F.G. Butler When Boys Were Men (1969) 208Under the wagon a water-vaatje or water-cask would also be hung.
1949 L.G. Green In Land of Afternoon 127Watervaatjies swung from hooks beneath the wagon, with the cooking-pots, gridirons and tarpot for greasing the axles.
2. transferred sense. a. A tin canteen, shouldered as part of a soldier’s equipment. b. A two-litre wine-bottle; also called can. Also attributive.
1896 M.A. Carey-Hobson At Home in Tvl 315Come, Meester, and take a sip out of my tin fatje. [Source Note: Tin fatje — a small canteen slung across the shoulders.]
1991 A. Fugard Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)A vaatjie of Tassenberg between the two of us.
A small wooden cask or keg.
, a water-barrel, part of the furniture of a wagon.
A tin canteen, shouldered as part of a soldier’s equipment.
A two-litre wine-bottle; also called can. Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18351991

Browse Related Words

By Category

Household Items

By Origin

Afrikaans

By Usage

obsolete or obsolescent
Vaal Triangle, noun phrasen. phr.vabond, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English