Afrikaans

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A language of South Africa

ISO 639-3
afr
Autonym
Afrikaans
User Population

17,160,000 in South Africa, all users. L1 users: 6,860,000 in South Africa (2013 UNSD), decreasing. L2 users: 10,300,000 (Webb 2002). Total users in all countries: 17,631,780 (as L1: 7,331,780; as L2: 10,300,000).

Location

Widespread; fewer speakers in East Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Constitution, Art 6(1)), has been designated, along with English, as an official language in all 9 provinces.

Classification
Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian
Dialects

Cape Afrikaans (West Cape Afrikaans), Orange River Afrikaans, East Cape Afrikaans. A variant of the Dutch [nld] spoken by the 17th century colonists, with some lexical and syntactic borrowings from Malay [zlm], Bantu languages, Khoisan languages, Portuguese [por], and other European languages.

Typology

SVO (SOV in subordinate clauses); prepositions; noun head final; definite and indefinite articles; passives; tense; 20 consonants, 16 vowels, 9 diphthongs; non-tonal; free stress.

Language Use

Some also use English [eng].

Language Development

Taught in some primary and secondary schools from grade 4; taught as subject in grades 1–3. Taught in some tertiary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1933–2000.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Afrikaans
Writing

Braille script [Brai], used since 1953. Latin script [Latn], primary usage.

Other Comments

Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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