I was wondering if there were people who were interested in learning/teaching an African language out there. Even though African languages are not among the top international languages, there must be people who would like learn one for one of the following reasons:
it might be important for business reasons
you might be a linguist
you might want to learn about your ancestral herritage
you might be planning to move to Africa
you might be from Africa but have no or little knowlege of African languages
you might be an African who would like to learn a second African language
you might be an interesting person
you might want to speak to Nelson Mandela in his mother tongue
I decided not to post this in the language exchange section, because I’d like to read other people’s points of view on the subject.
We could easily start an African language group.
Not one of the top international languages are from Africa. African themselves communicate in English, French and Portuguese.
It’s a pitty.
I know there are people from various regions in Africa and they could get involved. I know people from Malawi who could teach Chichewa, people from South Africa who could teach isiZulu, isiXhosa seSotho and seTswana.
I could teach basic isiXhosa.
By the way, do you notice the way all the languages begin with a prefix, chi, isi and se? All these languages have a common origin.
isiXhosa is one of the languages that have clicks.
Here are some of them:
cela (ask)
xela (say)
iqela (group)
xhela (slaughter)
qhela (get used to)
ncinci (small)
nxila (be drunk)
nqanda (round up cattle, or something else)
ingca (grass)
ingxaxeba (take part in something)
umchamo (urine)
ixhala (a worry, problem)
qha (only)
Here is a sentence full of clicks:
Iqaqa laziqikaqika kwaze kwaqhawuka uqhoqhoqho.
Here are some pictures of some amaXhosa smoking what is called “umbhekaphesheya” (it goes oversees/to the other side) which is only smoked by women.
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]I found a working knowledge of Afrikaans(Boer) handy for a few jobs in the area.
That might be a good one for learning conversationally.[/quote]
Despite the misleading name, it’s not really an African language - it’s just a dialect of Dutch. It’d be like calling English or Spanish an “American” language. An imperialistic importation from Europe.
[quote=“mod lang”][quote=“TainanCowboy”]I found a working knowledge of Afrikaans(Boer) handy for a few jobs in the area.
That might be a good one for learning conversationally.[/quote]Despite the misleading name, it’s not really an African language - it’s just a dialect of Dutch. It’d be like calling English or Spanish an “American” language. An imperialistic importation from Europe.[/quote]Hmmm…its spoken by people who were born in Africa. Whose parents, grandparents and in many cases great-grandparents and further were born in Africa.
Most languages incorporate vestiges of another as part of their overall composition. Nothing unusual in that.
“Imperialistic importation” …? Hardly unique on the African frontier, or should I say veld. Most of the tribal languages mentioned are “imports” due to tribal migration or area conquest by tribal warfare.
Just tossing out another option…
Lots of people’s European ancestors have been living in North and South America for centuries…doesn’t make English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese “American” languages. Anyway, isn’t Afrikaans at least 95% Dutch? Not that different from American/British English, so it shouldn’t be considered a separate language, but a dialect of Dutch.
I think the OP’s intention was to ask about indigenous African languages (hence the exclusion of English, Portuguese and French). Other languages that are spoken in Africa but are not indigenous include Afrikaans and Arabic.
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]I found a working knowledge of Afrikaans(Boer) handy for a few jobs in the area.
That might be a good one for learning conversationally.[/quote]
Usually when people speak of African languages they don’t refer to Afrikaans, even though the language was born and bred in Africa. You also need to be aware of the fact that Afrikaans is no longer a “Boer” language spoken only by whites. In fact, the word “Boer” can be very insulting, depending on who is using it, and how it is used. I met this Russian guy one night who kept referring to me as a “Boer”, and boy, I can tell you I was not too happy about it.
[quote=“twonavels”][quote=“TainanCowboy”]I found a working knowledge of Afrikaans(Boer) handy for a few jobs in the area.
That might be a good one for learning conversationally.[/quote]
Usually when people speak of African languages they don’t refer to Afrikaans, even though the language was born and bred in Africa.[/quote]
Yes, I was aware of this and was hoping someone would raise this point. It is an African language.[quote=“twonavels”] You also need to be aware of the fact that Afrikaans is no longer a “Boer” language spoken only by whites.[/quote] Again, yes. I was aware of this. I met & worked with many different persons who had spoken Afrikaans, as well as other languages, since their birth.[quote=“twonavels”] In fact, the word “Boer” can be very insulting, depending on who is using it, and how it is used. I met this Russian guy one night who kept referring to me as a “Boer”, and boy, I can tell you I was not too happy about it.[/quote]Thus the power of politics in the linguistics world. I think its, as you say, how the term is used - in this case as a perjorative term - that causes the problem.
There can be a lot of baggage attached to words. <-- unbelievable post of the obvious…geesh…sorry.
Twonavels, did you read Taffy’s post, the one right above yours? Afrikaans was not “born and bred” in South Africa. It was born and bred in Holland. Trying to claim it as a separate language is a totally political demarkation, one that is not supported by linguistic divergence from standard Dutch.
Um, I hate to argue this with a Saffer, but I disagree. American English was not “born and bred” in the US, it was born and raised in England and then took on a distinctive style. Likewise for Afrikaans, it originated outside Africa and evolved after contact with African (and other) languages. Afrikaans is still pretty similar to Dutch (from what I have read) and whether it’s a different language or a dialect of Dutch (language and dialect being tricksy terms at the best of times), it’s still not an indigenous African language, to my mind - it’s an import. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I still think that the OP’s definition excludes Afrikaans.
Yes, I was aware of this and was hoping someone would raise this point. It is an African language.[/quote]
No argument there, TC. It’s the “born and bred” bit I don’t agree with. And if you’re going by language family, then it’s classified as a Germanic language.
Taffy, Twonavels -
Good points all; and I think there may be other points not yet mentioned which might add further to the Afrikaans question.
I bring it up because I think its an interesting point - not for any political reasons.
As an aside - I had a lad from the Kroonstad area working for me in Beaumont, Texas of all places. He would delight in telling that he was an “African-American.” His Afrikaans accent was very very strong. Most people thought he was German or Dutch.
He was explaining the situation so constantly he really found it to be a pain. He finally would just agree with whatever people suggested he might be.
Kind of funny - but also a bit sad for him.
It is spoken by different ethnic groups, not only within the borders of South Africa, but also in other Southern African countries, like Namibia.
Its vocabulary is derived mostly from Dutch and is therefore a Germanic language.
Certain sound changes have taken place. Here are a few examples:
skaap from schaap (sheep)
suid from zuid (south)
Certain sounds have fallen away
eg from echt (true/real)
Spelling
dyk from dijk
Words have been added from other languages
English: I can’t think of one right now
Khoi-San: Karos
isiNtu: donga, mamba
Malay: piesang, piering, rotang, blatjang,
Afrikaans and Dutch are not as mutually intelligible as UK English and American English.
It does take some effort to understand Dutch and Flemmish.
The grammar has been simplified. There seems to be no grammatical gender left in Afrikaans.
Afrikaans is recognized as a community language in Australia.
I’m not a “Groot Gees” at Afrikaans, so I’m open to correction.
Saying Afikaans isn’t an African language might offend certain people. Saying Afrikaans isn’t a European language will offend others. I would like to stay neutral on that topic.
Although my intention was to promote African languages with more than 5% African vocabulary, I really don’t see why Afrikaans should be left out. It is also a marginalized language. Underdogs of the world unite!
Because of Afrikaans some African languages have absorbed Germanic words. In Xhosa people greet by saying “Molo!” which is derived from “Goeie more!” which is similar to “morrow” and “tomorrow” in English and “morgen” in German. There was no “r” in Xhosa originally and was replaced by “l”.
We’ve really gone off the topic. I’m still commited to the idea of starting African language exchange groups.
