AFRIKAANS Meaning and
Definition
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Afrikaans is a West Germanic language primarily spoken in South Africa and Namibia. It evolved from Dutch dialects brought to the southernmost part of Africa by Dutch settlers, known as the Voortrekkers, in the 18th and 19th centuries. The name "Afrikaans" translates to "African" in English, reflecting its historical development on the African continent.
As an official language in South Africa, Afrikaans is spoken by approximately 7.2 million people, constituting a significant portion of the country's population. It is also recognized as a regional language in Namibia, where it is spoken by around 10% of the population. Additionally, Afrikaans has a notable presence in other countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, where it is used as a second language.
Afrikaans shares many similarities with Dutch, with a substantial influence from Bantu languages, Malay, and Portuguese. It is renowned for its simplified grammar compared to Dutch, as well as its unique vocabulary. Moreover, Afrikaans has its own writing system, known as Afrikaans alphabet, which uses modified Latin letters.
Afrikaans serves a pivotal role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of South Africa, representing a significant aspect of the Afrikaner identity and heritage. It has also left an indelible mark on South African literature, music, and entertainment.
Top Common Misspellings for AFRIKAANS *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for AFRIKAANS
Etymology of AFRIKAANS
The word "Afrikaans" is derived from the combination of two words: "Afrika" and "-aans".
- "Afrika" refers to the continent of Africa, which is believed to originate from the Latin word "Africus", meaning "African" or "pertaining to Africa".
- "-aans" is a suffix in Dutch, which is the parent language of Afrikaans. The suffix "-aans" is used to indicate "pertaining to" or "belonging to".
Therefore, when combined, "Afrikaans" means "pertaining to Africa" or "belonging to Africa". This term is used to describe the language that emerged from the Dutch colonizers in South Africa, eventually becoming a distinct language of its own, separate from Dutch.
Similar spelling words for AFRIKAANS
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