Wikijunior:Languages/Afrikaans
What writing system(s) does this language use?
Afrikaans uses the Roman alphabet, the same one as English. The Afrikaans alphabet has the 26 letters in English, as well as eight special letters: è, é, ê, ë, î, ï, ô, and û.
Where is this language spoken?
Afrikaans is spoken mostly in Namibia and South Africa.
What is the history of the language?
Afrikaans comes originally from 17th century Dutch, but has also influences from other languages including: English, Malay, Portuguese, German, French, and some African languages. Until the 19th century, Afrikaans was only used as a spoken language, and Dutch was used as the formal and written language. In 1925, it became the official language of South Africa, along with English. Being based on Dutch, Afrikaans is part of the Indo-European family, and the Germanic group of languages (English, German, Dutch, etc.). Afrikaans is used by all races. It is also spoken in Namibia.
- Cornelis Jacob Langenhoven (1873–1932)
- Christian Fredereck Louis Leipoldt (1880–1947)
- Uys Krige (1910–1987)
- Eugène Nielsel Marais (1871–1936)
- Breyten Breytenbach (1939–)
- André Brink (1935–)
What are some basic words in the language that I can learn?
| Hallo | Hello |
| Totsiens | Goodbye |
| Goeie môre | Good Morning |
| Goeie middag | Good Afternoon |
| Goeie naand | Good Evening |
| Goeie dag(meneer/mevrou) | Good day (Sir/Madam) |
| Hoe gaan dit met u? | How are you? |
| Goed, dankie | Good, thank you. |
| ja | yes |
| nee | no |
| dankie | thank you |
| help | help |
| verskoon my | excuse me |
| Ek is jammer. | I'm sorry |
| Ek is lief vir jou. | I love you |
| Hoeveel kos dit | how much does it cost |
| Ek wil ... hê | I want... |
| Waar is... | where is... |
| dokter | doctor |
| apteek | pharmacy |
| polisie stasie | police station |
| restourant | restaurant |
| winkel | shop |
| toilet | toilet (hard one) |
| rekenaar | computer |
| e-pos | |
| webwerf | website |
| internet | internet |
| een | one |
| twee | two |
| drie | three |
| vier | four |
| vyf | five |
| ses | six |
| sewe | seven |
| agt | eight |
| nege | nine |
| tien | ten |
| my hand is warm | my hand is warm |
The above sentence is written exactly the same in Afrikaans and English although the pronunciation is a different.
Sources
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Wikijunior: Languages | edit | |
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Introduction • Glossary • Authors and Contributing • Print Version |
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