LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.14 (02) [E]

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From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.13 (08) [E]


Elsie Zinsser wrote:
"[N]o, there are more white Afrikaans speakers than [C]oloured Afrikaans
speakers. The [C]oloured population is smaller than the white population."

While the Coloured population is smaller than the White population (8.9% to
9.6% respectively), it's clear from 2001 census that the majority of
Afrikaans speakers are Coloured, and that Whites only account for just over
40% of all Afrikaans speakers. Table 2.8 on page 18 of the Census in Brief
document (available as a .pdf file from the Statistics SA website) details
the following home language and population group correlations:

Home language and Population Group
Afrikaans - Black African 253,282; Coloured 3,173,972; Indian or Asian
19,266; White 2,536,906; Total 5,983,426.

Thus, as percentages of all Afrikaans speakers each population group
accounts for: Black African 4.2%, Coloured 53.1%, Indian or Asian 0.3%,
White 42.4%.

Go raibh maith agat,

Criostóir.

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From: SBoyo48314 at aol.com <SBoyo48314 at aol.com>
Subject: LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.13 (09) [E]

Thanks Reinhard,

Agreed! And I truly do not support discrimination against languages baased
on the principle of 'unity requires uniformity'.

But perhaps Afrikaans could have stood a better chance of being happily and
widely embraced by many non-native speakers in SA but for its association
with the infamy of apartheid (although one suspects that many native
speakers would not have liked a 'mass embracing' of their language either).
Afrikaans was often and is still regarded by many as a 'niche' language i.e.
of the privileged on one hand and on the other - a symbol of oppression and
this has heavily influenced current attitudes towards it.

Regards
Steve

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Afrikaans

Thanks, Steve.  Good to hear from you again.

> But perhaps Afrikaans could have stood a better chance of being happily
and widely
> embraced by many non-native speakers in SA but for its association with
the
> infamy of apartheid

I certainly do not doubt that.  Furthermore, it did not help that the
previous regime had made Afrikaans a mandatory subject in schools in which
the average student had come to view Afrikaans as one of the symbols of
apartheid.

However, my point is that this is an irrational reaction, that punishing
languages for the misdeeds of a portion of its speakers is not something
that should be taken without a challenge by those who know better or should
know better.  Furthermore, it completely ignores or negates all the positive
things that have been done with Afrikaans as a tool, that there were and are
plenty of Afrikaans speakers and writers -- yes, white ones -- that have
been openly opposed to apartheid in South Africa and to racism in other
countries as well and have thus chosen to be branded "traitors" by the
lunatic right there and elsewhere.

Clearly, the foreign-media-generated picture of "Afrikaans = pro-apartheid"
and "English = anti-apartheid" is simplistic, to say the least, is pretty
much as ridiculous as it would be to vilify American English or Southern
States English because of apartheid (= "segregation") in the United States,
to vilify German because of Nazi attrocities (including apartheid) in
Europe, to vilify Serbian and Croatian because of some nationalist
attrocities committed in Kosovo and elsewhere in the region -- all of the
above in the same century as that of South Africa's apartheid.  To me
personally (as anyone knows who knows me even only vaguely), apartheid is
one of the most abhorrent things.  But this does not mean that I would ever
stoop as low as buying in to or endorsing the vilification of Afrikaans, or
of any other language for that matter.   To say "Well, don't whine now. This
is your just punishment" is not something that I would go along with.

Let us also not forget that there were and are plenty of underprivileged,
even destitute white Afrikaans speakers.  So, despite the disparities during
and following apartheid, the images "Afrikaans = rich" and "White = rich,"
too, are simplifications and stereotypes that ought not really be
perpetuated.

In my opinion, none of the compartmentalizing, vilifying and retribution
(including retribution against children for the sins for their forebears)
contributes anything constructive in the process of building of a new,
fairer South Africa, which should really be the most important thing.

To separate language images from political and historical events is
necessary in my opinion. I would like to think that discussion and promotion
groups such as ours have an enlightening role to play in this and in other
respects.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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