How Did Afrikaans Originate in South Africa?
What is called Afrikaans?
Afrikaans, also called Cape Dutch, is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia. It was developed out of the speech of 17th-century settlers from Holland.
Why are they called Afrikaans?
The name of the language comes directly from the Dutch word “Afrikaansch” (now spelled Afrikaans) meaning “African”.
How did Afrikaans originate in South Africa?
Afrikaans, also known as Cape Dutch, arose from the descendants of European colonists (Dutch, German, and French), indigenous Khoisan peoples, and African and Asian slaves in the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa.
How is Afrikaans different from Dutch?
Grammatical distinctions are perhaps the most significant difference between Afrikaans and Dutch, as a result of the loss of inflections as well as several verb tenses in Afrikaans, resulting in it being substantially simplified in its grammar compared to Dutch.
Who contributed to the development of Afrikaans?
African and Asian labourers, offspring of European settlers, Khoikhoi women, and slaves all contributed to the development of Afrikaans.
Do white Africans speak Afrikaans?
Afrikaans is the mother tongue of 2.7 million white South Africans, or around six out of ten (60.8%) white people.
Do South Africans still speak Afrikaans?
In South Africa, only 13% of the population speaks Afrikaans. Some black South Africans have purposefully removed the language from their minds.
What African countries speak Afrikaans?
The language is spoken in South Africa, Namibia and in some areas of Botswana.
Why is Afrikaans one of South Africa’s official languages?
Afrikaans is an official language since it is a South African language with Dutch roots. Native Afrikaans speakers are proud of their language and see it as a symbol of their distinct culture. The language even has its own monument in South Africa’s Western Cape Province.
