vendue, noun

/ˈvendjuː/
Forms:
Also vandue, vendu.
Origin:
South African Dutch, Dutch, FrenchShow more South African Dutch, from Dutch vendu (obsolete vendue, from older French).
obs. except in historical contexts
1. A public auction; vendusie. Also attributive.
Note:
Also found in U.S. English (from 1686) and West Indian English.
1802 [see quot. at venduemaster (sense 2 below)].
1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 79Vendues or auctions happen daily, and often several a day.
1827 in Stat. Law of Cape of G.H. (1862) 95 (title)Ordinance for abolishing the Office of Vendues and for imposing certain Duties on Licences to be taken out by all persons acting as Auctioneers and on Property sold by Auction.
1832 Graham’s Town Jrnl 8 June 93At the same time and place will also be sold, a quantity of Drapery and Piece Goods, Coffee, Sugar, Rice, and other articles, usually sold at Vendues.
a1862 J. Ayliff Jrnl of ‘Harry Hastings’ (1963) 83I was struck with the sound of something like the beating of a tin dish, so said I, ‘What is that?’ ‘O’, said the taylor, ‘that is the vendue notice.’ ‘Vendue’, said I, ‘what is that then?’ ‘Well, I think,’ said he ‘it is what you call in English auction’.
1892 The Jrnl 9 July 2All overdue vendue accounts must be paid at once.
1950 M. Masson Birds of Passage 68Vendues were the vogue. Ladies attending them returned home with a variety of treasures.
1972 A. Scholefield Wild Dog Running 103The crowd..followed the vendue master from pen to pen while he sold off wethers and hoggets.
2. combinations
venduebrief/-brif/ [Afrikaans, brief letter (earlier, ‘letter of administration’)], a detailed account of goods bought by an individual at an auction;
venduemaster [partial translation of South African Dutch vendumeester (meester master)], the superintendent of auctions in a district; hence venduemastership noun, the position or duties of the venduemaster;
vendue note, vendue roll noun phrases, venduebrief.
1927 C.G. Botha Social Life in Cape Col. 99Purchasers were allowed six weeks’ credit, and received from the auctioneer a ‘Vendubrief’ or specified account of the goods bought.
1802 Truter & Somerville in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1899) IV. 434The expenses..have been duly paid by the venduemaster Mr. Matthiessen.
1813 Prohibition of Purchase at Sales by Auctioneers in Stat. Law of Cape of G.H. (1862) 51The Vendue clerks..shall not be allowed to bid for any goods put up by them to sale...The Vendue masters..shall not themselves come forward at the sale..to make any purchase.
1827 Reports of Commissioners upon Finances at Cape of G.H. II. 19They frequently unite with their office that of Vendue-master, or Superintendent of Auction Sales in the district.
1861 P.B. Borcherds Auto-Biog. Mem. 297The government determined that the Venduemastership should not remain attached to the situation of the secretary of Stellenbosch but be separated, and my old friend, Mr Wege, resolved to be venduemaster.
1955 V.M. Fitzroy Dark Bright Land 120When Major Pigot was Vendue Master he lodged the complaint not once but several times.
1823 W.W. Bird State of Cape of G.H. 45The vendue rolls are readily taken in payment by every one, and are the only description of paper currency besides the rix-dollars that has full credit throughout the country.
1827 Reports of Commissioners upon Finances at Cape of G.H. II. 83At the conclusion of each sale accounts are prepared in the vendue office, called ‘vendue rolls’.
1844 Ordinance for Regulating Sales by Auction in Stat. Law of Cape of G.H. (1862) 673The recovery of any duties imposed by virtue of the said ordinance or of any sum or sums of money due upon vendue notes or rolls.
A public auction; vendusie. Also attributive.
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18021972

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obsolete or obsolescent
Venda, nounn. & adjectiveadj.vendusie, nounn.
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