LL-L "Language varieties" 2003.01.11 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Ian James Parsley <parsleyij at yahoo.com>
Subject:  Afrikaans v. Dutch

Dear All,

Please excuse me covering ground we have no doubt
already largely covered, but after a recent trip to
the Cape (I visit Southern Africa fairly frequently) I
would like to share my observations on Afrikaans with
the list and invite comments/corrections. My notes
focus on its opposition to Dutch.

Spelling:
Spelling has clearly been simplified. 'C' and 'Z' have
been lost almost entirely, replaced by 'S' ('sentrum',
'selsius'); though 'SCH' becomes 'SK' (miskien), and
'CH'/'CHT' both become 'G' ('agt', 'regteg').
'V' is often voiced and written 'W'; 'IJ' becomes 'Y';
(eg for both 'lewenstyd').
Final 'N', post-consonantal 'T' or post-vocalic 'V'
are lost/altered, eg 'wes', 'sewe', 'glo'. However,
'N' can 'reappear', as in 'lewenstyd', 'sewentien'.
'IE' and 'E' often switch, eg 'betjie'.
In many cases 'OO' has become 'EU' (eg 'deur',
'seun').
Spelling of place names is of course another matter,
many (MuiZenberg, BlOEmfontein) clearly remain Dutch
(as this was official to 1925).
'Borrowed' words are often respelled to fit the
Afrikaans system (eg 'suksesvul').

Pronunciation:
Afrikaans actually *sounds* little like Dutch to my
ears, it is not 'robotic', generally pronounced
further forward in the mouth, eg 'oo' and 'ee' in
'hoop' or 'meneer' are actually pronounced much more
as in English. Typically there is a 'y-glide' before
any 'E' combination (so 'minyeer' above).

Vocabulary:
I have to say locals like to protest that vocabulary
is heavily influenced by other languages, but to me it
is almost entirely Dutch in origin. Many words of
other origin assumed to come from other languages
(particularly the French of the Huguenots) are
actually present in Dutch as well (eg
'plesier/plezier'). There are of course semantic
differences and some core words do differ ('want',
'slegs').

Pronouns:
These are greatly simplified. Plural forms
and polite 2nd person are the same throughout, ie
'ons' for 'we/us/our', 'hulle' for 'they/them/their'
etc. Singular forms only distinguish 'direct' form (eg
'ek' for 'I', 'sy' for 'she') from 'objective' and
possessive (so 'my' doubles as both 'me' and 'my';
'haar' doubles as in English for 'her'). Only the 3rd
person sing masc has the full three forms ('hy/hom/sy'
for 'he/him/his').

Nouns:
No gender. Definite article: 'die' (also used
for 'these'/'those'); indefinite: ''n';
demonstrative/indefinite singular: 'dit' (or
occasionally, as relative, 'wat').

Verb:
Hugely simplified. For regular verbs all forms have
been levelled entirely, so there is just one form
throughout, with past participle formed with
initial 'ge-' (although as in German/Dutch this is
unnecessary where a prefix already exists). Thus 'Ek
bestel/studeer' - 'I order/study'; 'Ek het
bestel/gestudeer' - 'I have ordered/studied'; 'Ek word
bestel/gestudeer' - 'I am ordered/studied'; 'Ek moet
bestel/studeer' - 'I must order/study'; 'Ek sal bestel
- 'I shall order'; 'Ek gaan bestel' - 'I am going to
order'; 'Ek wou bestel' - 'I would/wanted to order'.
The two common non-modal auxiliary verbs have two
forms, the root/infinitive ('wees', 'h^e') and verb
form (all persons: 'is', 'het'). Only 'to be' uses a
simple past ('was'), 'to have' has irregular 'gehad'.

It seemed to me that even these two non-modal
auxiliaries actually were simplified further by some
speakers - 'ek moet dit het' (not 'h^e'), 'ek sal daar
is' (not 'wees').

Syntax - largely as Dutch. 'Ek moet dit h^e
gestudeer/gestudeer h^e' - 'I must have studied it'.
Borrowed either from French or English (latter most
likely), the 'going to' future exists - 'Ons gaan
wees'. All question words seem to add '-eer' in all
locations: 'Watteer het jy gekoop?' 'Wanneer sal hy
ankom?'

Idiom - Quite different from Dutch and obviously
Anglicized, making the language impenetrable probably
even to Dutch speakers. Even basic things differ: 'hy
is 'n taalarts' (he is *a* dentist); 'hy kom van
Engeland' (he comes *from* England).

Negative:
Afrikaans has double negative where there is an object
or compliment. 'Ek studeer nie', 'Ek studeer geen
Engels nie', 'Ek moet nie dit h^e gestudeer nie'.
Negative imperative formed with a contraction of 'must
not' - 'Moenie studeer', 'Moenie studeer dit nie'.

Sociolinguistics:
It is not at all unusual for a conversation to proceed
with one speaker speaking Afrikaans and the other
English. I noticed also a Dutch speaker in Namibia
struggling to decide which one to use to the waiter
(or 'waitron', I should say) - he came out with 'Ons
wil bestellen', an interesting mix!

Afrikaans influence on Southern African English
includes 'robot' ('traffic light'), 'bakkie' (an
open-backed truck), 'braai' ('barbecue', although not
used to refer to the apparatus itself), 'solank' used
as a tag similar to German 'gleich' ('I'll be there so
long'), and 'my pleasure' (from 'my plesier') used all
the time, even by 'waitrons' just taking a cup off the
table!

NOTE these are entirely my observations and the
examples are my own, and therefore open to much
correction! All thoughts welcome, and any ideas for
Internet links too!

Many thanks/baie dankie,

------------------
Ian James Parsley
www.ianjamesparsley.net
+44 (0)77 2095 1736
JOY - "Jesus, Others, You"

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