I am enjoying "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa" by F.C. Selous, written in the 19th century, a second time. Nearly every second page delights with old turns of phrase or words. One adjective Selous uses is goussy, as in "a forest of goussy trees". A brief Google revealed nothing except that it appears French. Can anybody help?

ugh. the slaughter of elephants (and I presume other wildlife). no thanks. (I was interested in goussy, but not no more.)
link to context

While googling about, I came across another form (maybe): magoussy. No definition of that either.

I have a half dozen ancient dictionaries, it's not in any of
them. Sorry. Checked a couple French dictionaries as well:
ne rien.

Welcome aBoard, Rupert. Could it possibly be a bastardization of gossamer? I can't see trees slaughtering animals, somehow. Then there's gouache, either a painting or a method of painting. But since it's a book centered on hunting, prolly tsuwm's link is the correct path.

>I can't see trees slaughtering animals, somehow.

where in the whorl d'ya get that?! it's not in my post or certainly not the link..

French Google gives only family names on this, maybe the trees are named after a Monsieur Goussy.

I have been looking around too and haven't found anything more.

I did read several pages from the novel, but didn't find it interesting. The idea of 'man the big hunter' is so out moded in this century.

Now if he was 'shooting' with a camera, that would be fabulous.

I'll say this about it, it doesn't appear to be any sort of typo, as this author uses 'goussy' nine(9!) times in the referenced book, all in relation to forests or trees.

where in the whorl d'ya get that?! From the OP.

Nuncle used google intransitively!

Nuncle used google intransitively!

Valency (link) is one of the more slippery terms in linguistics.

ambitransitive verbs

heh.

I thought at first a riff on "gusset," but that seems too far a stretch.

Given the context, a play on "gossamer" is sensical, even appropriate. The guys are walking through a "jungle" or very dense growth and then come to a mere "forest" with very little undergrowth which is compared to gossamer which is very light or insubstantial - but not quite gossamer, because it's not entirely "delicate."

>a play on "gossamer"

maybe. but to use the same 'play' nine times? that's a tad self-indulgent.

Maybe he was trying to start a new trend? Or mayhaps it was a personal idiosyncrasy (rather like myn ) and he just enjoyed using the word

A Play on Gussed up as in dressed up?

Trees goussied up in their spring (or fall) finery? Why not?

Now that you put it that way, I remember my grandmother
saying that when a person was all dressed up.
I don't know how it was spelled, gussied or goussied.
But gussied up, fit to kill.

This is from Pantagruel chapter IX : (partly)


"Jona andie guaussa goussy etan beharda er remedio beharde versela ysser landa. Anbat es otoy y es nausu ey nessassust gourray proposian ordine den. Non yssena bayta facheria egabe gen herassy badia sadassu noura assia. Aran hondavan gualde cydassu naydassuna. Estou oussyc eg vinan soury hien er darstura eguy harm. Genicoa plasar vadu.' Are you there, said Eudemon, Genicoa? To this said Carpalim, St. Trinian's rammer unstitch your bum, for I had almost understood it. Then answered Panurge:"

"I think we need our olde Franche specialist for this"

or somebody.......