Although it's rather difficult to determine the age of any language (or what a language itself is, for that matter), Afrikaans is the youngest official one in the world. It was only decreed “a real language” in 1925 by the South African government.
What makes the Afrikaans culture unique?
Afrikaners around the world have a distinct culture. They deeply respect their history and traditions. Sports such as rugby, cricket, and golf are popular . Traditional clothing, music, and dance are celebrated.
Is Afrikaans a unique language?
Afrikaans was formally considered a Dutch dialect in South Africa until the early 20th century, when it became recognised as a distinct language under South African law, alongside Standard Dutch, which it eventually replaced as an official language.
Why is Afrikaans important?
Afrikaans is rather interesting due to it being a South African language with Dutch roots . Native speakers of Afrikaans take pride in the language and view it as a symbol of their unique culture. The language even has its own monument in Western Cape Province, South Africa.
Is Afrikaans a beautiful language?
“ Afrikaans is helluva nice language ,” he says. “It is so expressive and flows so beautifully. You can't say lekker my bru in any other way. The lyrics of Laurika Rauch flow so beautifully, it is like an angel weeping in my ear.
Are Afrikaners and Boers the same?
The Boers, also known as Afrikaners, were the descendants of the original Dutch settlers of southern Africa . ... By mid June 1900, British forces had captured most major Boer cities and formally annexed their territories, but the Boers launched a guerrilla war that frustrated the British occupiers.
Is Afrikaans a dying language?
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, also known as the Cape Dutch, belongs to the west Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is spoken by 6.9 million people as a first and by 10.3 million people as a second language in South Africa . Afrikaans is also spoken in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia.
Are Afrikaans white?
| Province | Mpumalanga | Afrikaners | 164,620 | % Afrikaners | 83.5% | All whites | 197,078 |
|---|
What is Afrikaans a mix of?
Afrikaans is a creole language that evolved during the 19th century under colonialism in southern Africa. This simplified, creolised language had its roots mainly in Dutch, mixed with seafarer variants of Malay, Portuguese, Indonesian and the indigenous Khoekhoe and San languages .
Are Afrikaners tall?
South African coaches in general are besotted with size, particularly when it comes to the forwards. There are 18-year-old Afrikaners who are 1.98m tall and 115 kilos. ... Rugby holds a mirror up to society, and South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world.
What is the hardest language to learn?
- Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. ...
- Arabic. ...
- Polish. ...
- Russian. ...
- Turkish. ...
- Danish.
Which language is mostly spoken in South Africa?
The most common language spoken as a first language by South Africans is Zulu (23 percent), followed by Xhosa (16 percent), and Afrikaans (14 percent). English is the fourth most common first language in the country (9.6%), but is understood in most urban areas and is the dominant language in government and the media.
What is the most attractive language in the world?
- Arabic language. Arabic is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. ...
- English language. English is the most gorgeous language in the world. ...
- Italian language. Italian is one of the most romantic languages in the world. ...
- Welsh language. ...
- Persian language.
How do you say love in South Africa?
- Afrikaans: Ek is lief vir jou or ek het jou lief.
- English: I love you (for those who were struggling).
- Ndebele: Niyakutanda.
- Sepedi: Ke a go rata.
- Sesotho: Ke a go rata.
- Siswati: Ngiyakutsandza.
- Tshonga: Ndzakurhandza.
What language is Afrikaans similar to?
Although Afrikaans is very similar to Dutch , it is clearly a separate language, differing from Standard Dutch in its sound system and its loss of case and gender distinctions. Afrikaans was adopted for use in schools in 1914 and in the Dutch Reformed Church in 1919.
