Afrikaans, noun and & adjective
- Forms:
- Formerly also Africaans, Afrikaansch.
- Origin:
- Afrikaans, DutchShow more Afrikaans, from earlier Dutch Afrikaansch ‘African’.
A. noun A language of southern Africa, and particularly South Africa, which has evolved from dialects of seventeenth century Dutch; Afrikander noun sense 6; taal sense 1 a. Also attributive. See also kitchen Dutch (kitchen noun sense 2), South African Dutch noun phrase sense 1.
- Note:
- With English, an official language of the Republic of South Africa until 1994; now one of eleven official languages. Frequently abbreviated to Afriks by English-speaking schoolchildren when referring to the school subject.
[1900 A.H. Keane Boer States: Land & People p.xixTaal, Cape Dutch, called by the Netherlanders Afrikaansch.]
1990 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)I’ve only got Afriks composition next, so I can’t swot.
B. adjective Of or pertaining to the Afrikaner people, their way of life, ideas, or language; African adjective2; Afrikaner adjective. See also Afrikaner noun sense 2 a.
1916 E. Prov. Herald 24 Dec. 7He dwelt on the change from the time when it was an offence if one dared to speak of an Afrikaans people or nation.
1990 M. Van Rensburg in Style Nov. 119Personally, I don’t lead a particularly traditional Afrikaans life.
A language of southern Africa, and particularly South Africa, which has evolved from dialects of seventeenth century Dutch; Afrikander noun sense 6; taal sense 1 a. Also attributive.
Of or pertaining to the Afrikaner people, their way of life, ideas, or language; African adjective2; Afrikaner adjective.
- Derivatives:
- Hence Afrikaansness noun, the state of being Afrikaans.1978 A.P. Brink Rumours of Rain 162I know you’re trying to free yourself from your own Afrikaansness, but you won’t ever succeed.
Copyright © 2023 Dictionary Unit for South African English.