different between mealie vs mielie

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans mielie, from obsolete Dutch milie (“millet, maize”), from Old French mil (“millet”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi?li/
• Homophone: mealy

Noun

mealie (plural mealies)

1. (South Africa) An ear or kernel of maize; in plural as mass noun: maize, corn.
   • 1897, James Bryce, Impressions of South Africa, p. 90:

     The wants of a native living with his tribe and cultivating mealies or Kafir corn are confined to a kaross (skin cloak) or some pieces of cotton cloth.

   • 1952, Doris Lessing, Martha Quest, Panther 1974, p. 8:

     At the other end of the veranda, on two deck-chairs planted side by side and looking away over the bush and the mealie fields, were Mr. Quest and Mr. Van Rensberg […]

   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, p. 10:

     My mother planted and harvested her own mealies.

Derived terms

• mealie land
• mealie meal

Anagrams

• Emelia

English

Alternative forms

• mealie

Etymology

From Afrikaans mielie, from Portuguese milho.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi?.li/

Noun

mielie (countable and uncountable, plural mielies)

1. (South Africa) Maize.
   • "Throughout most of the country, however, South African cuisine relies on meat and mielies. Many South Africans, black and white, would cheerfully go through their lives eating little else. Up to half the arable land in South Africa is planted with maize, which was grown by tribes across Southern African long before the colonists arrived. [1]

Derived terms

• mielie meal

Translations

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch milie, from Middle Dutch milie, from Latin milium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi.li/

Noun

mielie (plural mielies, diminutive mielietjie)

1. maize; corn

Derived terms

• mieliekop
• mieliemeel
• mieliepit
• mieliesaad