afrikaans
Meaning
a language that developed from 17th-century Dutch, spoken in south africa and namibia.
relating to the afrikaans language or its speakers.
Structure
Usage
she is fluent in both english and afrikaans.
the afrikaans translation of the book is very popular.
many traditional afrikaans songs tell stories of the region's history.
Etymology
the word 'afrikaans' is a direct borrowing from dutch, where it originally meant 'african' or 'pertaining to africa'. it is formed from 'afrika', the dutch name for the continent of africa, and the adjectival suffix '-aans'. the language was initially known as 'cape dutch' or 'kitchen dutch', but in the late 19th century, the name 'afrikaans' was adopted to signify its distinct identity as a language that developed from dutch in africa. its evolution reflects the colonial history and linguistic adaptation of dutch settlers in southern africa.
Analysis
afrika (from dutch 'afrika', from latin 'africa', the continent); ans (dutch suffix '-aans', from latin '-anus', forming adjectives meaning 'pertaining to' or 'from').