Van der Hum, noun phrase

/ˌvæn də ˈhʌm/
Forms:
Van der Humm, Van Der HumsShow more Formerly also Van der Humm, Van Der Hums, Van Hum, Vanrhum, and with small initial(s).
Origin:
Etymology unknown; perhaps a personal name (see quotation 1984).
A brandy-based liqueur, flavoured with naartjie peel and spices. Also attributive. See also naartjie sense 1 a.
1861 ‘A Lady’ Life at Cape (1963) 31Mrs M—..has even promised to show me how to brew liqueurs, and distil ‘vanrhum’, — the latter a most aromatic and powerful elixir vitae.
1891 H.J. Duckitt Hilda’s ‘Where Is It?’Liqueur (Vanderhum). (Old Recipe. Cape Spécialité.)...Add one wineglass of best rum to every bottle of Vanderhum. The rum mellows the mixture.
1893 R. Kipling Many Inventions 330Judson’s best Vanderhum, which is Cape brandy ten years in the bottle, flavoured with orange-peel and spices.
1908 M.C. Bruce New Tvl 79In Cape Colony..are produced..many kinds of liqueur, of which Van der Hum, made from the naartje, is the best.
1934 N. Devitt Mem. of Magistrate 12One could picture the old aristocrat seated on the stoep with his wife and family sipping their afternoon ‘soopjes’ of Van der Hum, a luscious Cape liqueur.
1968 W.E.G. Louw in D.J. Opperman Spirit of Vine 325There is only one local liquer which has obtained anything like international fame, which it certainly deserves because of its exceptional combination of flavours. I refer to our Van der Hum.
1984 Daily Dispatch 2 July 6Van der Hum was appreciated by the early colonists of the Cape...Some attribute the name to an old Dutch sea captain who developed a strong affinity for the liqueur, while others say the derivation literally is ‘From Mr H’m’. Folklore has it that various characters..laid claim to the liqueur’s dicovery and..to avoid unpleasantness..a decision was made to distribute the honours equally. And how better to do that than ‘Mr H’m’!
1993 E. Badenhorst in Flying Springbok Apr. 117Chocolate potjie pots filled with a Van der Hum mousse.
A brandy-based liqueur, flavoured with naartjie peel and spices. Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18611993

Browse Related Words

By Category

Alcoholic Drinks
Van, nounn.Van der Merwe, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English