LL-L "Language contacts" 2005.01.29 (01) [A/E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 29.JAN.2005 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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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: Ruth & Mark Dreyer <mrdreyer at lantic.net>
Subject: LL-L "Language contacts" 2005.01.28 (03) [E]

Dear Pat & Mike'

Subject: LL-L "Language contacts"

> >i'm trying to write a proposal to study the affects german colonists  had
on
> >afrikaans, but i don't have much to work from. does anyone have any
> >knowledge of
> >the subject or could suggest someone who may appropriately answer  my
> >questions? it would be very appreciated - thanks

> (but there is a whole literature on the so-called Cape Dutch
> Gable, which does say that it is German rather than Dutch).

> Pat
> (who is hesitant about using national tags for anything other than
> language, without a great deal of preamble and footnoting, particularly
> in the early periods of VOC colonies)

    Best of luck, Mike! If I pick up anything, I'll pass it on, but I doubt
if I will. Language drifts in the direction of the mother, for the most
part, & the VOC made a point of recruiting 'Low German' artisans for their
many merits, but I don't think they went out of their way to recruit German
wives. It was as unattached young men these fellows came to South Africa, &
as such I would expect the contribution of German to Afrikaans to be
restricted to technical language, if any.
    There were at times German settlement groups brought to South Africa, as
eg to Bedford & Berlyn (post English Conquest) in the Eastern Province, but
by then the language was established.
    Then there were, among other German mission groups in Natal (then in the
English sphere of influence), the Moravian missionaries (Hernutters), who
had an influential if quiet part in our History.
    There has of course been incidental ingress, mostly as traders, from the
earliest days of settlement. Some of the 'Germans' turn out on further
research to have been Litvak Jews, but there were also many Lutherans.
    I read occasionally in romances based on the old times that some or
other hero's antagonist or pro- 'has a brother trading in Heidelberg in the
Transvaal---'.
    You can see from place-names that Germans have certainly made their
mark, but not significantly in terms of language.

    One thing tickles: Ron commented in another thread on the Low-Saxon
usage (now & again) in English, 'Af en dan'; whereas in Afrikaans we say 'Af
en toe' which seems to me nearer the German' --- for a change.

Yrs,
    Mark

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From: R. F. Hahn <lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net>
Subject: Language contacts

Dag, Mark!

Dis baie lekker om jou  weer te "sien" en oor jou gedagtes en ideë te lees,
my lewe makker.

What you said about "Germans" in Southern Africa makes a lot of sense to me,
certainly the predominance of males,  especially in the early days.

As for speakers of Low Saxon, please bear in mind that many may have
immigrated under the labels of "Germans"* and "Dutch/Netherlanders."  At any
rate, I can imagine that they quickly adapted to the "Dutch" language
environment, because it was relatively easy for them (especially for the
latter) and, again, in the early days there was a predominance of males
(possibly many sailors) that married or were living with colonial "Dutch"
speakers, in which case the women tended to rear the children, either alone
or in collaboration with nannies, many of which were "Malay."

At any rate, this is merely conjecture, but it makes a lot of sense to me.
What do others think?

(* Incidentally, this also applied to other emigrating linguistic minorities
from Germany, especially to Frisians and Sorbs. For instance, sizeable
groups of Sorbs immigrated to overseas locations in the 19th century,
especially to Australia and Texas, where eventually they gave up their
language because they tended to congregate and intermarry with German,
Polish or Czech immigrants. The reasons seem to be that their own
communities was too small for extensive internal intermarriage, they spoke
German as a second language and could to a degree communicate with and adapt
to fellow West-Slavonic speakers.)

>     One thing tickles: Ron commented in another thread on the Low-Saxon
> usage (now & again) in English, 'Af en dan'; whereas in Afrikaans we say
> 'Af
> en toe' which seems to me nearer the German' --- for a change.

It's not *_af un dan_ but _af un an_, earlier _af en an_ (literally
translated into Afrikaans: *_af en aan_).  _Af un tou_ is also used.  I have
a sneaking suspicion that German _ab und zu_ was originally based on it.
_Ab und an_ only occurs in certain Missingsch dialects of German and in
"better" North German dialects influenced by them, definitely sounds very
northern.  Note that this _af un an_ is literally translated _off and on_ in
English, which is indeed an English expression!  (I guess the original idea
was *"away and towards," i.e. "coming and going" = "appearing/occurring
occasionally," and this applies to _af un tou_ as well.)

Groete,
Reinhard/Ron

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