Afrikaans is a language spoken in South Africa and Namibia. Ebonics is called “ Black English ” which is considered equally if not more offensive by some African-Americans. An Afrikaner is a person born in Africa but has Dutch origins. He or she is a native of South Africa but has Dutch ancestry.
Do black South Africans understand Afrikaans?
Most black South Africans do not speak Afrikaans , although many learn it at school. For older generations, the language still symbolises the brutality of apartheid regime and a time they would rather forget.
Is Afrikaans African?
Afrikaans is a southern African language . Today six in 10 of the almost seven million Afrikaans speakers in South Africa are estimated to be black. ... Like several other South African languages, Afrikaans is a cross-border language spanning sizeable communities of speakers in Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Are Dutch and Afrikaans the same?
As an estimated 90 to 95% of Afrikaans vocabulary is ultimately of Dutch origin , there are few lexical differences between the two languages; however, Afrikaans has a considerably more regular morphology, grammar, and spelling.
How did Afrikaans originate in South Africa?
Afrikaans language, also called Cape Dutch, West Germanic language of South Africa, developed from 17th-century Dutch, sometimes called Netherlandic, by the descendants of European (Dutch, German, and French) colonists, indigenous Khoisan peoples, and African and Asian slaves in the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good ...
Is Afrikaans a dying language in South Africa?
About the Afrikaans Language. The Afrikaans language is one of South Africa's official languages and a large proportion of the local population uses it as their first or second language. ... Some believe that Afrikaans is a dying language , however, it remains spoken all over the country and respected for its origins.
Who speaks Afrikaans?
| Afrikaans | Native to South Africa, Namibia | Ethnicity Afrikaners Basters Cape Coloureds Cape Malay Griqua | Native speakers 7.2 million (2016) 10.3 million L2 speakers in South Africa (2002) | Language family Indo-European Germanic West Germanic Weser-Rhine Germanic Low Franconian Dutch (Hollandic dialect) Afrikaans |
|---|
Is Afrikaans just old Dutch?
Afrikaans developed from 17th century Dutch dialects , notably Flemish. It was influenced by indigenous African languages – Khoisan dialects and Xhosa and some other Bantu languages. French, German and Portuguese left traces and some Arabic words have been absorbed into Afrikaans.
Should I learn Dutch or Afrikaans?
Afrikaans is useful in South Africa and Namibia. Afrikaans is easier than Dutch because it's grammar simplified. Dutch is more complicated. Once you can speak and write Dutch you will be able to read Afrikaans newspapers and will be able to have a conversation with an Afrikaans person if you speak slow.
Why are the Dutch in South Africa?
The initial purpose of the settlement was to provide a rest stop and supply station for trading vessels making the long journey from Europe, around the cape of southern Africa, and on to India and other points eastward.
Who colonized South Africa?
The two European countries who occupied the land were the Netherlands (1652-1795 and 1803-1806) and Great Britain (1795-1803 and 1806-1961). Although South Africa became a Union with its own white people government in 1910, the country was still regarded as a colony of Britain till 1961.
Is Afrikaans hard to learn?
You'll Have an Easy Time Learning
Afrikaans is actually quite simple to learn , and many language learners consider it one of the easiest languages to master. Most Germanic languages have two or even three genders, but Afrikaans, like English, uses a singular gender.
Where do Coloureds come from?
Coloureds (Afrikaans: Kleurlinge or Bruinmense, lit. “Brown people”) are a multiracial ethnic group native to Southern Africa who have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including Khoisan, Bantu, European, Austronesian, South Asian or East Asian.
How do you say hello in South Africa?
1. Howzit – A traditional South African greeting that translates roughly as “How are you?” or simply “Hello”. 2. Heita – An urban and rural greeting used by South Africans.
What is the oldest language in South Africa?
- Zulu: 22.7%
- Xhosa: 16%
- Afrikaans: 13.5%
- English: 9.6%
- Setswana: 8%
What is the most popular language in South Africa?
Zulu . Called isiZulu in South African English and with well over 11.5 million speakers, Zulu is the most common language in South Africa. It is the most widely used native language of South Africa, spoken by 22.7% of the population at home and understood by around 50% of the population.
