LL-L "language varieties" 2000.10.21 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 21.OCT.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Criostoir O Ciardha <paada_please at YAHOO.CO.UK>
Subject: Shared Features/Afrikaans

Dear all,

Recently I have been learning Dutch and West Frisian in-depth (in
Australia!) and have become, elliptically, interested in Afrikaans.
Whilst reading Zeki Ergas' "The Catharsis and the Healing" - a book on
South Africa in the 1990s - I chanced upon an intriguing passage:

"In 1822 the Governor of the Cape Colony, Lord Charles Somerset, issued
a proclamation that English was to be the only language of the courts
and schools, even though Dutch settlers [i.e., the Afrikaaners]
outnumbered the British eight to one. He imported English *and
especially Scottish* ministers and teachers to put their stamp on
education and religion..." (pg. 270)

What struck me here I highlighted: the deliberate policy of *Scottish*
ministers. Back then, Scots was still the only language of most Scottish
citizens - with English a learnt second language. Were the Scottish
chosen because Scots was considered closer to Afrikaans/Dutch? Just how
close when compared to English is Scots to Afrikaans?

My last question also relates to a passage from the book. Now, books on
Afrikaans are exceedingly difficult to come by in Kalgoorlie where I
live and I rely on the local, valiantly-stocked public library for all
my linguistics needs. As a result I know almost nothing about Afrikaans,
so forgive my ignorance. Ergas' book mentions a number of formative
influences on Afrikaans - firstly the French Huguenots (presumably
speaking Langue d'Oil or other Romance languages such as Occitan) and
then that:

"inevitably, the 'easy promiscuity' [sic] of the [Afrikaaner] colonists
and the sailors with the Malay and African women slaves [presumably
Khoisan?] resulted in a growing population of brown, or mixed race,
people [...] They also played a big role in the development of the
Afrikaans language and literature. Afrikaans, which in the beginning was
only a spoken language, was fertilised by the Malays and Africans." (pg.
264)

Therefore, I ask: a) What are the main differences between Dutch and
Afrikaans? and b) What influence has Malay (or other Austronesian
languages) and Khoisan or Bantu languages had on Afrikaans?

I hope you can help, and forgive my naive ignorance of at least one
Lowland language.

Dank u,

Criostoir.

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