#Afrikaans Language

[scarletpoupee]

OK, I am kinda angry...

Last night on some interview podcast, Charlize Theron (btw actually pronounced "Tron") said that Afrikaans is a "dying langauge" and only like "44 people speak it" (paraphrased). Even went as far to say that it's a "useless language" (again paraphrase). Even the host, who is a Dutch, and have spoken about Afrikaan in the past acknowledged that he "didn't know it was a completely different langauge".

To both of yall, and especially Theron, are you fucking kidding me!?

Theron likes to use her Afrikaanse heritage as a token in so so many interviews. Constantly bringing it up. And I guess this wasn't doing the "oh wow" thing she was hoping for anymore, so she decided to rather just declare it a useless and dying language? To make herself appear even more special? She has turned her back against her South African origins years ago, but refuse to acknowledge it. She is essentially an American at this stage.

Yes, she is a good actress, and it's amazing that she got her way to Hollywood from Benoni, RSA. Very few people can say that. But don't use your platform to discredit and spread false information?

Some Afrikaans schools have more than 44 children per class. Every day there are music being written, poetry being composed, movies being shot, TV series being created - all in afrikaans. There are dedicated TV stations (plural) and radio stations (plural) that's only Afrikaans. Almost every university has a whole Afrikaans department. A seperate department. While the rest of the African languages are all grouped together into a single department.

Simply because Afrikaans is not used in her everyday life anymore and doesn't hold any true value outside of her one-trick-interview-talent, doesn't mean its a useless language. That's like me saying since I haven't heard anyone speak French, it's a useless langauge? Because I don't actively use or engage with the Italian culture and language, I state its a dying culture? Fuck, I can even say, because I don't really have Zulu friends, nor speak isiZulu, I deem it useless and dying? (PS Zulu is arguable one of the most useful languages to speak in South Africa, above English, above Afrikaans.)

Like are you fucking kidding me.

Now I am not saying this as purely a hate against her, or her chose of false information.

What I am angry about it how this completely destroys the true narrative for languages that really are facing distinction and recognition.

You know what are languages that are facing drying out?

'Ōlelo Hawai'i, San and Khoi (also referred to as the Bushman Langauges), Romania and so so many more (PS some of these I know aren't the correct / true names, but the english equivalents, I had to do a Google search to find some, open to corrections).

Theron saying a nonvulnerable langauge is vulnerable is removing the attention off of those languages that are truly endangered.

This is what I am mad about more. The ignorance. The use of her culture to make herself seem more special for her own popularity and gain. The spread of false information. The erasure of cultures and languages that (arguably) deserve more of our time than others.

Op die einde van die dag, Charlize, Afrikaans is nie 'n stewende taal nie. Gebruik eerder jou platform vir iets beter as om valse inligting te versprei. Of hou eerder net jou mond, wat eerlik waar, vok jou.

Ok...I'm done ranting now...

[rissiekind]

Dags^e, Hullo!

This year Afrikaans language has "officially" become 99 years old.

[languagexs]

Translate English to Afrikaans Translation: Instant Online Translators

Unlock the Power of English to Afrikaans Translation: A Gateway to South African Culture Delving into the rich tapestry of Afrikaans, one of South Africa’s official languages, is an exhilarating journey that unveils a world of cultural diversity and linguistic nuances. This comprehensive article serves as a guide to mastering the art of English to Afrikaans translation, empowering you to bridge…

[yvanspijk]

English (he/she) eats, Welsh ysa, Ancient Greek édei, Sanskrit átti and Polish je all stem from the same Indo-European verb. Over time, words change beyond recognition, undergoing regular sound changes and irregular alterations. Here's the family of eats.

[tower-of-hana]

Dutch and Afrikaans are objectively funny languages to English speakers but English is an objectively funny language to speakers of like every other Germanic language so it balances out.

[msburgundy]

there are too many languages i want to learn and i cannot figure out how to prioritize them

i'm focusing hard on korean for now, and working very slowly at just kind of introducing myself to mandarin

once i've got the korean at a usable level i think i want to put a lot of energy into a language that is more similar to english, spanish makes the most sense but the siren song of afrikaans calls to me

i would like to be steadily adding to the chinese vocabulary all while that is going on, and then maybe use the skills acquired from studying chinese to finally get somewhere with farsi

[mycoblogg]

mycology across the world !!

here is some mycology vocab in my language. ^^ i’d love to know what they are in yours.

mycology : mikologie.

fungus : swam.

mushroom : sampioen.

mould : muf.

lichen : korsmos.

my language is afrikaans :-)

[misswifi]

I really need to find me more native English friends irl. Like with ny afrikaans friends I can talk pretty decent English but then... when I'm talking English to my native English speakers my brain just goes brrrrrrrrr!

I don't know why????? But I need to practice my English speaking skills more (Even if I don't talk to almost anyone with my job :^P)

When my brain is braining with English

[fakerobotrealblog]

Exploring untranslatable words unveils the intricacies of linguistic diversity. Consider the Hawaiian term "Aloha," encompassing love, affection, peace, and compassion – a multifaceted concept difficult to distill into a single English equivalent. In Haitian Creole, "Kouzin" refers to an extended family-like relationship, going beyond mere cousinship.

The Japanese term “Komorebi,” which beautifully captures the interplay of sunlight filtering through leaves. In Spanish, there’s “Sobremesa,” embodying the leisurely time spent lingering at the table after a meal, a social ritual deeply ingrained in the culture.

Moving to German, “Waldeinsamkeit” conveys the feeling of being alone in the woods and the connectedness with nature, a sentiment not effortlessly translated. In Portuguese, “Saudade” encompasses a profound sense of longing, a complex emotional state that doesn’t have a direct equivalent in many languages.

In Russian, “Pochemuchka” describes a person with an insatiable curiosity, while the Swedish “Mångata” captures the shimmering reflection of the moon on water. These examples showcase the intricate relationship between language and culture, emphasizing how some concepts are so intricately woven into the fabric of one language that they resist easy translation.

Korean introduces "Han," representing a complex blend of sorrow, resentment, and enduring resilience. The Chinese term "Yùyī" expresses the profound beauty of a moment that is both fleeting and transient. In Tagalog, "Kilig" encapsulates the exhilarating feeling of being romantically thrilled.

Portuguese contributes "Desenrascanço," embodying the ability to improvise resourcefully in challenging situations. Italian introduces "Sprezzatura," an effortless and nonchalant display of skill and style. Zulu presents "Ubuntu," conveying interconnectedness and shared humanity.

Tongan offers "Faka'apa'apa," a deep respect and humility towards others. Afrikaans contributes "Geselligheid," reflecting a warm sense of togetherness and camaraderie. Navajo introduces "Hozhǫ́," symbolizing beauty, harmony, and balance. In Warlpiri, "Ngarrka-ngku" encapsulates the profound interconnectedness between family and the land.

These examples illustrate the richness of linguistic diversity, where each language crafts unique expressions reflecting the depth of cultural experiences. While it's challenging to cover every language, these glimpses showcase the beauty of untranslatable words across a variety of linguistic landscapes.

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Never Le Nkemise 1 • I Fink U Freeky • Pielie (Skit) • Hey Sexy • Fatty Boom Boom • Zefside Zol (Interlude) • So What? • Uncle Jimmy (Skit) • Baby's On Fire • U Make A Ninja Wanna F**k • Fok Julle Naaiers • DJ Hi-Tek Rulez • Never Le Nkemise 2

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[what-if-i-just-did]

So me and my mom were talking, and she sneezed, and I said gesundheid and she thanked me in Afrikaans. So I started laughing and said "We're in the Netherlands, speaking English, I said a word in Germqn and you answered me in Afrikaans".

She said it "could've been Portugese or Zulu".

I love being an international family. Language is hilarious sometimes.

[halfbakedspuds]

I often hear English speakers proclaim in exasperation that [Insert slightly less screwed up Germanic language here] has such long, awkwardly specific words but they fail to understand that most of these are created on the spot to satisfy a specific context, and because of how the language works they remain understandable despite maybe having never been uttered before.

Recently, a Polish friend of mine found out about the longest word in my language (Afrikaans), being:

"Tweedehandsemotorverkoopsmannevakbondstakingsvergaderingsameroeperstoespraakskrywerspersverklaringuitreikingsmediakonferensieaankondiging" (Yes this is an actual word), which means "issuable media conference’s announcement at a press release regarding the convener’s speech at a secondhand car dealership union’s strike meeting"

Let's do a step-by-step with my language, Afrikaans, slowly adding meaning to create a completely new word as an example.

Wys (Show/to show)

Verwys (literally 'To show toward', this would translate to 'Reference' as a verb in English)

Verwysing (Reference as a noun)

Cool, now we have a word made from scratch, let's add a little more complexity.

Verwysing + Indeks (Index) is Verwysingsindeks (An index of references)

Alright, now let's make another one.

Prys (Prize)

Digter (Poet) + Prys is Digtersprys (The poet's prize)

Digtersprys + wenner (Winner) is Digterspryswenner (Winner of the poet's prize)

One more time:

Onder (under, or in a more archaic form 'among')

Onder + houd(An archaic word for 'hold/to hold) is Onderhoud (An interview. Literally 'held among [people]'

Pers (Press, as in the news people) + Onderhoud is Personderhoud (Press interview)

Personderhoud + e (Plural suffix. This gets slightly complicated so I won't elaborate on why 'e' is used instead of 's' here despite both being plural suffixes) is Personderhoude

Now let's get a little bit mad, shall we? Let's put all these together.

Digterspryswennerspersonderhoudeverwysingsindeks

This singular word that won't exist or be used in any other context means "Index of references to the press interviews of poetry prize winners".

The general rule is "One concept, one word", and although the rules behind how to do this get a little complex at times, especially if you're still learning, but there's no rule in any Germanic language (as far as I'm aware, at least) saying that you can't pull an English and just say it as a sentence instead.

The beauty of Germanic languages (excluding the three wombats in a trenchcoat that is English) is that even with a toddler's knowledge of what's going on, words describe themselves to such an extent that you can get the meaning of fairly high-end concepts just from hearing the word.

Of course, this an extreme example. In most cases you won't have more than two or three or at most four words strung together, but the point stands.

This has been your ADHD driven linguistics lesson for the day.

Edit: Forgot to translate the first long word. Oops

[languages-i-guess-comic]

The Germanic family!

[yvanspijk]

Archipelago comes from Italian arcipelago, which used to denote the Aegean Sea, a sea that has many islands. It literally meant 'main sea'. Arcipelago was borrowed by a large number of languages and underwent a series of shifts in meaning. The image shows how it changed.

[rosefulmadness]

bro why are languages so hard like come on now I just wanna be able to communicate

with friends? with family? with my roots? all of them THAT'S A LOT OF LANGUAGES WITH THEIR OWN ALPHABETS there's never enough time

[i-kill-vamps69]

Accidentally started reading a Dutch wikipedia article and was thinking "This Afrikaans is a bit odd" before I realised