Dawid Malan – d'Arbez

Dawid Malan – d'Arbez (Copy A – Linguistic Transition Copy)

Scarce Early Vernacular Hardcover from De Bussy’s Historical Reading Series

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Dawid Malan: 'n Verhaal uit die Groot Trek (De Bussy se Historiese Leesboeke, No. II)
• Author: d'Arbez (Pseudonym of J.F. van Oordt)
• Publisher: J.H. de Bussy, Pretoria / Hollandsch-Afrikaansche Uitgevers-Maatschappij (HAUM), Kaapstad
• Publication Date: 1929
• Edition Details: "Derde Afrikaanse uitgawe" (Third Afrikaans Edition / First Vernacular Transition Era).
• Binding: Original publisher's quarter-cloth backed printed hardcover boards.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo). Part of the influential Historiese Leesboeke curriculum series.
• Language: Early standardized Afrikaans.
• ISBN: None issued (Pre-ISBN Antiquarian Era).

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Good (G)
• Exterior: The outside printed boards show light, uniform rubbing across the surfaces, accompanied by expected age-fading. Displays minor, characteristic spine fraying at the crown and heel of the cloth panel, entirely consistent with the fragile materials used in local late-1920s publishing.
• Interior: The interior remains in good, complete condition. The internal text block is square and resilient, holding together firmly despite standard handling wear visible on the preliminary leaves. Showcases a uniform, natural paper tanning typical of the local pulped paper stocks used in South Africa during this era.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)
• Condition: Professionally issued in hardback boards without a dust jacket.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in 1929, this edition of Dawid Malan represents a monumental milestone in South African philology and printing history: it is one of the earliest translations of D'Arbez's classic work into the newly officialised Afrikaans language (which replaced Dutch in 1925).

The narrative follows the iconic trials and triumphs of the Voortrekkers during the Great Trek. Originally written in Dutch, this version was specifically re-engineered for De Bussy’s Historiese Leesboeke series to teach the first generation of South African children to read history in their own vernacular. It is a scarce linguistic transition piece vital for any comprehensive collection of early Afrikaans printing.

Author Profile: d'Arbez (J.F. van Oordt)

J.F. van Oordt (1856–1918), writing as d'Arbez, was a linguistic pioneer. Though he wrote his original texts in High Dutch, his vivid storytelling laid the emotional and cultural groundwork for the Second Afrikaans Language Movement (Tweede Afrikaanse Taalbeweging). Posthumously, his works were systematically translated into Afrikaans in the late 1920s by publishers De Bussy and HAUM, ensuring his historical narratives remained central to the evolving South African national curriculum.