What does eik mean?
'Eik' is an informal verb meaning to hurry or to move quickly. It is used chiefly in South African English, where it functions in everyday colloquial speech much like 'rush' or 'hasten' does elsewhere — one might tell someone to 'eik' if they are dawdling when time is short. The word can also be used transitively in the sense of moving oneself rapidly from place to place, though its most typical use is in imperatives urging haste. Because it is regionally restricted, 'eik' may puzzle readers outside southern Africa, and it should not be confused with the unrelated but similarly spelled word 'eke', which means to supplement or make something stretch further. For writers, 'eik' adds authentic local colour in dialogue set in South Africa, but in general international prose more widely understood synonyms such as 'hurry' or 'dash' are usually preferable.
verbTo hurry or move quickly; to go at speed.
- To hurry or move quickly (chiefly South African English)
""Eik, we'll miss the train if we don't run!""
"Come on, eik — the taxi's leaving without us!"
"He eiked across the square to catch the last bus home."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eik
'Eik' entered English through South African English, likely under Afrikaans influence during the twentieth century. Its precise deeper origins are uncertain, so it is best described simply as a colloquial borrowing of regional rather than classical pedigree. It remains a living word of everyday South African speech rather than a literary or formal term.
How eik is actually used
'Eik' is informal and largely confined to South African English, where it appears in casual speech and writing. It is rare outside that region and would be unfamiliar to most British or American readers.
Easily confused with eik
To 'eke' means to supplement something with difficulty (as in 'eke out a living'), while 'eik' means simply to hurry or move quickly.