brandsolder

noun

1. (South-Africa)A layer of brick or clay added to a ceiling in a traditional South African house in order to protect against falling thatch in the case of a roof fire.

   “The actual construction of the house was, of course, very much in the Cape Dutch tradition — random stone foundations, mud brick walls, a mud brandsolder and thatch roof.”

2. (South-Africa, rare)A small attic or loft located immediately above such a ceiling layer.

   “Search your attic or brandsolder, for a complete copy of Ritter's Almanac (with its cherubs which may have been cut by Thibault), would be worth as much as any Cape triangular.”