barrow-man/boy:
(plural: ‘barrow-men/boys‘)
‘barrow’ = a small handcart with one or two wheels, also called a ‘wheel-barrow’
(old usage) a man or a boy who sold things, usually vegetables and fruit, from a wheel barrow;
a costermonger,
a barrow-man selling coconuts from his barrow
e.g.
We still see a barrow-man or two selling things in some parts of Asia and Africa.
The modern barrow-men or barrow-boys use motor vehicles to carry their goods.
Note: ‘Barrowman’, always with a capital ‘B’, is often found in the names of people, e.g. Nick Barrowman, John Scott Barrowman, etc.
For more on ‘barrow-boys’ of Fiji, please click here.
‘Barrow man’, without an hyphen and as two words, however, is a name given to a convict (a criminal who has been proven to have done some crime, in a court of law) who is under the punishment of “sentence of transportation” which means sending away the convict to a remote place or island instead of killing him/her so that he/she lives there and develops that area. Such convicts are called ‘barrow men’ because at the place they are sent, they must work and those men use barrows for moving bricks, dirt or other material! {This type of punishment is banned in the present system of justice.}
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About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.
