Could someone please tell me a little bit about the Afrikaner language?

Question

I have been listening to the Delarey song on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=429AU...elated&search=
and found it quite beautiful and moving. Could someone please tell me a little bit about the Afrikaner language. Correct if I'm wrong, but I think it is basically Dutch. But what is it mixed with and how did it evolve?

Answer 1

Afrikaans is a descendent of Dutch which is spoken mainly in South Africa and Namibia by about 6 million people. There are also speakers of Afrikaans in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, Germany, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK, the USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Afrikaans retains some features of 18th century Dutch, together with vocabulary from various Bantu and Khoisan languages and also from Portugese and Malay. Speakers of Afrikaans can understand Dutch, though Dutch speakers tend to need a while to tune into Afrikaans.

From about 1815 Afrikaans started to replace Malay as the language of instruction in Muslim schools in South Africa. At that time it was written with the Arabic alphabet. Afrikaans, written with the Latin alphabet, started to appeared in newspapers and political and religious works in about 1850. Then in 1875 a group of Afrikaans speakers from the Cape formed the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaanders (Society for Real Afrikaners), and published a number of books in Afrikaans, including grammars, dictionaries, religious material and histories. They also published a journal called the Patriot.

During the early years of the 20th century there was a blossoming of academic interest in Afrikaans. In 1925 Afrikaans was recognised by the government as a real language, instead of a slang version of Dutch. Afrikaans has changed little since then.

Afrikaans pronunciation


Notes
b = [ p ] at the end of a word, [ b ] elsewhere
c = [ s ] before e, i or y, [ k ] elsewhere
d = [ t ] at the end of a word, [ d ] elsewhere
e = [ æ ] in some words, e.g. ek (I), berg (mountain), skêr (scissors), though in the dialect of Cape Town, Kaaps, the e in these words = [ ɛ ]
g = [ g ] between l/r and e, [ x ] elsewhere
gh = [ k ] at the end of a word, [ g ] elsewhere
n = [ ŋ ] before c, k, q or x, [ n ] elsewhere
tj = [ ʧ ] at the beginning of a word, [ c ] in -tjie
w = [ w ] after a consonant, [ v ] elsewhere
Sample text in Afrikaans
Alle menslike wesens word vry, met gelyke waardigheid en regte, gebore. Hulle het rede en gewete en behoort in die gees van broederskap teenoor mekaar op te tree.

Translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Answer 2

We're no longer always lazy on the subject of studying international languages. There are explanations why it's most likely a main issue. one million. There are a minimum of four languages that we have to gain knowledge of, your examples + German. So which can we decide upon. two. No continuity! My tuition provided brand new languages. In the primary secondary yr we began German however within the moment yr the instructor converted and we began French. three. Most different European nations best ought to train one 'moment' language - ENGLISH. four. Lack of possibility! Many colleges do not even present a moment language. (besides in Wales in which a few colleges present English as a moment language - Welsh being the primary). Consequently we are not looking for a international language such a lot foreigners can get by way of in English.