LL-L: "Afrikaans" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 24.AUG.1999 (03)

[Sandy Fleming]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 24.AUG.1999 (03) * ISSN 1089-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Elsie Zinsser [ezinsser at simpross.co.za]
Subject: "Afrikaans"

Haai, almal!

Bob Thiel [gavilan at nbnet.nb.ca] wrote:
They unanimously tell us that Afrikaans 'ee' is like the Eng 'deer' and
that Afrikaans 'oo' is like Eng 'moor' ...

Yes, I often wonder on whose speech such sweeping claims are based. The
tongue is more relaxed in Afrikaans and less likely to hug the roof of
the mouth as in the English _deer_ and _moor_.

I pronounce /ee/ {_leer_ ladder/study} as [le:r] or [lij at r]
The same {schwa + j} -sound occurs when pronouncing _meer_ and _beleër_.


While pronouncing _moor_ in Afrikaans (meaning: murder) I notice that
the tongue leans into a [u] position.

...and then we read that Afrikaans 'ie' is like Eng 'breed'.}

It depends on the length of the diphthong:
/ie/ as in _miere_ is long and is pronounced [mi:r@]
/ie/ in _fiets_ is shorter and is pronounced [fits]

        Also from what I read, I think that Afrikaans 'i' is a schwa,
right?

Yes, but so are many sounds that are represented with an /e/  See the
following pronunciations:
[b at tek@n at s] _betekenis_
[m at k] _mik_
[sp at k@l] _spikkel_

This is the most common pronunciation now but I've heard the [i]
pronounced in _mik_ and _spikkel_.
It is said that older Dutch Reformed ministers (+60) were trained to
speak like that.

Groete!

Elsie Zinsser

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