afrikaans
/,æfri'kɑ:ns/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Proper noun:
- An official language of the Republic of South Africa, which evolved from 17th-century Dutch and is spoken by a significant portion of the population, especially among Afrikaners.
- The language is closely related to Dutch and Flemish.
Adjective:
- Belonging or relating to the Afrikaans language.
- Belonging or relating to white South Africans of Dutch descent (Afrikaners) and their culture.
Usage Examples
Proper noun:
- She is fluent in both English and Afrikaans.
- Afrikaans is one of the youngest Germanic languages.
Adjective:
- He writes Afrikaans poetry.
- The museum has a collection of Afrikaans folk music.
Advanced Usage
- "Afrikaans-speaking": Used to describe a person or community whose primary language is Afrikaans.
- The Afrikaans-speaking community has a rich literary tradition.
Variants and Related Words
Afrikaner (noun): A white South African of Dutch, German, or Huguenot descent, whose native language is Afrikaans.
- Many Afrikaners are farmers.
Afrikaanses (plural noun, rare): A term sometimes used to refer to multiple varieties or instances of the Afrikaans language.
Synonyms
- Taal (noun, historical/informal): A former colloquial name for Afrikaans, derived from the Dutch word for "language."
- South African Dutch (noun, historical): An older term for the language before it was standardized as Afrikaans.
Notes on Meaning
- The term Afrikaans specifically refers to the language. When referring to the people or culture, the terms Afrikaner (for a person) and Afrikaner (as a modifier, e.g., Afrikaner culture) are more precise, though "Afrikaans" is sometimes used adjectivally in a broader cultural sense (e.g., Afrikaans literature).
Adjective
- belonging or relating to white people of South Africa whose ancestors were Dutch or to their language
- an Afrikaans couple
- Afrikaner support
Noun
- an official language of the Republic of South Africa; closely related to Dutch and Flemish