Afrikaans is a language with roots in multiple languages and cultures. Hence there are various languages similar to Afrikaans.
While Afrikaans has their unique accent, spelling, and pronunciation, other languages share some similarities with it.
6 Languages Similar To Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken mainly in South Africa and Namibia.
It evolved from the Dutch vernacular of Holland (Hollands) and was once known as Cape Dutch or Kitchen Dutch.
The origin of Afrikaans dates back to 1652 when the first Europeans arrived in the south of Africa from Europe.
Since then, the language has evolved and adapted to its environment over centuries.
Afrikaans is the official language of South Africa and Namibia. But it is also spoken in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.
It is the lingua franca of South African culture and is one of eleven languages recognized by the Constitution. Fourteen million people speak it in South Africa and Namibia.
The Afrikaans language developed from Dutch (Dutch-based creole languages) beginning in the late 17th century.
It was first used by the inhabitants of Cape Town and its surrounding areas, mostly Dutch colonists from the Netherlands.
Over time, it grew to include words and phrases drawn from other languages spoken in Africa, including languages native to Namibia and elsewhere in Europe and the world.
West Germanic languages, particularly Dutch, Low Franconian, and Luxembourgish, are the most closely related to Afrikaans.
Other similar languages include Frisian languages, English, Scots, and Yiddish.
Afrikaans has also been influenced by various languages spoken in Africa, including languages native to Namibia, such as Nama, Damara, and Kavango languages.
Languages from other regions, including Portuguese and African languages, also influenced it.
1. Dutch:
One of the languages most closely related to Afrikaans is Dutch. Dutch is a West Germanic language and the official language of the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the European Union.
Dutch is spoken by around 28 million people and is the closest language to Afrikaans.
Consequently, it strongly influences the development of Afrikaans, and both languages share similar grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary.
Dutch has its roots in Old Frankish, closely related to English, German, and the Frisian languages.
It is a desendant of languages spoken by the Germanic tribes who settled in the Netherlands during the 5th century.
Similarities:
Dutch and Afrikaans are both West Germanic languages that have been heavily influenced by each other over the centuries.
Afrikaans is mutually intelligible with Dutch, and both languages share similar grammar, for example, the use of “t” as a masculine article rather than the Dutch “de” and the feminine article being “-e“.
The languages also share similar pronunciation and vocabulary.
For example, Afrikaans retains the same pronunciation of “j” as Dutch, and words like “lastig” (troublesome) and “luisteren” (listen) are almost identical in both languages.
Another similarity is that both languages have a large percentage of loanwords from languages such as Malay, Portuguese, and English.
Afrikaans has been developed from Dutch dialects spoken by the Dutch settlers in South Africa. Hence it is the most similar to Dutch than any language.
Differences:
Although the languages are similar, there are some differences between languages.
One evident difference is that modern Afrikaans has lost much of their complex verb system, which the Dutch still preserve.
There are also some pronunciation and spelling differences between ‘languages, such as the Afrikaans “g” is pronounced more like an English “h” than the Dutch “g“.
As Afrikaans is a language derived from Dutch, many people who speak Dutch will be able to understand Afrikaans.
However, the two languages have evolved and now differ in several aspects. Aspects like pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary are different.
For example, Afrikaans use the letter ‘c‘, whereas Dutch use ‘k‘.
Even so the two languages are quite similar to each other in various aspects.
2. Luxembourgish:
Luxembourgish, or Letzebuergesch, is a West Germanic language spoken mainly in Luxembourg.
It is spoken by about 400,000 people worldwide and is the national language of Luxembourg.
Luxembourgish was developed in the 19th century by mixing languages spoken by migrants from Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxembourg.
It has been the official language of Luxembourg since 1984 and is also spoken in Northern France, Western Germany, and Belgium.
It is closely related to Dutch and shares many similarities with Afrikaans, including grammar and pronunciation.
These languages are part of the same family tree but have developed differently due to regional influences.
Similarities:
Afrikaans and Luxembourgish share many common features in their grammar, such as noun declension and verb conjugation.
For example, both languages use singular and plural forms of nouns and verbs, and both languages have a past tense.
Both languages also have similar phonology, with only minor differences in pronunciation.
A significant portion of the vocabulary in Afrikaans and Luxembourgish comes from languages such as French, Dutch, and German.
For example, the words “to take” and “to give” are similar in both languages.
Overall, Luxembourgish is very similar to Afrikaans, making it an easy language for someone who speaks Afrikaans to learn.
Differences:
Despite the similarities between Afrikaans and Luxembourgish, some distinct differences exist between the languages.
One of the most noticeable differences is that Luxembourgish has three genders – masculine, feminine, and neuter – while Afrikaans only has two.
Additionally, Luxembourgish uses a wider range of verb tenses than Afrikaans, which can make forming sentences more complex.
Finally, Luxembourgish has a larger vocabulary than Afrikaans, meaning many words in Luxembourgish don’t have an equivalent.
Learning Luxembourgish can be both rewarding and challenging for someone who speaks Afrikaans.
While the languages are similar enough to make learning easier, many differences still make it an interesting experience.
3. Low Franconian:
Low Franconian languages are spoken in the Netherlands and northern Belgium, such as Dutch and Limburgish.
They are spoken by about 22 million people, making them the most widely spoken languages in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Low Franconian languages have a long and complex history, stretching back to the Middle Ages.
At the time, this area was home to numerous Germanic dialects that gradually developed into distinct languages over centuries of cultural exchange and political turmoil.
They share many similarities with Afrikaans, including a similar pronunciation system, grammar, and some of the same words.
Similarities:
Both languages have a V2 word order, meaning that the verb comes second in the sentence.
So, for example, “Ik wil gaan” in Afrikaans means “I want to go,” while Low Franconian languages would say something like “Ik wol gaan.”
Both languages also have similar vowel sounds. Some of the consonants are different, though, as Low Franconian languages often use a soft th sound while Afrikaans languages use a hard th sound.
Both languages also share the same basic lexicon, which comprises similar words in meaning and pronunciation.
For example, “hond” in Afrikaans means dog, while “huund” in Low Franconian languages means the same thing.
They also use many of the same conjugations and declensions for verbs and nouns. In addition, they share similar pronouns, such as “jou” (you) and “ons” (we).
Low Franconian languages, like Afrikaans, also use many Germanic words. Such as “boer” (farmer) and “koei” (cow).
Differences:
Despite the similarities, there are some differences between Afrikaans and Low Franconian languages.
For example, verbs must agree with their subjects in Afrikaans, while Low Franconian languages do not have this requirement.
Low Franconian languages also use a softer sound, while Afrikaans languages use a harder sound.
Additionally, Afrikaans is written with the Latin alphabet, while Low Franconian languages are written in an older version of German. Despite the differences, the languages are still closely related.
4. Flemish:
Flemish is another language closely related to Afrikaans. Flemish is spoken in the Flanders region of Belgium and is considered the Dutch language with a German twist.
Around 6 million people speak it. Flemish is similar to Afrikaans in terms of grammar and vocabulary, although it does differ slightly.
Flemish has its roots in the languages spoken during the Middle Ages.
During this time, languages like Low German and Dutch were mainly spoken in the lowlands of modern-day Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Over time, these languages evolved into what is now known as Flemish. Dutch heavily influenced the language and had a similar grammar and vocabulary, though some differences exist.
Since Flemish originates in Dutch, it is almost mutually intelligible with Afrikaans.
Similarities:
Both languages have their roots in Dutch languages from the Middle Ages. Both languages use the same Latin alphabet and share similar grammar rules.
For example, they both use the same verb conjugations and noun declensions. The vocabularies of both languages are very similar, with many words having the same meaning or being easily derived from one another.
For example, the Flemish word “boom” is nearly identical to the Afrikaans word “boom.”
The two languages have similar nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Additionally, they possess a shared grammar structure and syntax.
Overall, Flemish and Afrikaans are languages that are very closely related linguistically. Afrikaans and Flemish speakers can easily understand each other with practice.
Differences:
Despite their similarities, there are some main differences between Flemish and Afrikaans. For instance, Afrikaans has adopted words from other languages, such as Dutch and English.
On the other hand, Flemish is more conservative and has retained its original form more closely.
In terms of pronunciation, Afrikaans tends to be a bit softer than Flemish. In addition, Flemish contains many nasal sounds, while Afrikaans does not.
Another difference is that Afrikaans has adopted words from other languages, such as Dutch and English.
Finally, Flemish is written using a modified version of the Latin alphabet, while Afrikaans uses its unique script. However, despite the differences between Afrikaans and Flemish, the languages share many similarities.
5. English:
English is a West Germanic language first spoken in early medieval England. It evolved from languages such as Old English, Scots and Anglo-Saxon languages.
The modern form of the language is closely related to Dutch, German, and Swedish.
English is the most widely spoken language in South Africa and one of the official languages.
English is spoken by almost all South Africans, regardless of their mother tongue. In addition, it is spoken by more than half the population as a first language.
English was introduced to South Africa by British colonists in the 18th century. It is a Germanic language, although it has also been heavily influenced by languages such as Latin, French, and Dutch.
Many Afrikaans speakers can understand English since 79% of all words used by Afrikaans speakers can also be found in English.
Similarities:
There are various similarities between Afrikaans and the English language. Both languages are derived from the West Germanic languages.
Both languages use the Roman alphabet and have similar pronunciation rules. For example, the pronunciation of some Afrikaans words is almost identical to English.
Another similarity is that both languages use the same order for their sentence structure. For example, the word order in both languages is subject-verb-object.
In addition, Afrikaans has also borrowed a lot of vocabulary from English and vice versa.
Differences:
Though both languages have many similarities, there are a few key differences between Afrikaans and English.
For starters, the grammar rules of Afrikaans are more complex than those of English. For example, in Afrikaans, word order is important for forming sentences.
That means that if you change the order of two words in a sentence, it can drastically change its meaning.
In addition, Afrikaans rely heavily on inflectional endings to form words and change their meaning. That means that when you add an ending to a word, it will have a different meaning than the original word.
English does not practice this type of grammar. Finally, one major difference between Afrikaans and English is the pronunciation of words.
Afrikaans has a much more nasalized sound than English, so it can be difficult for someone who needs to learn the language to pronounce words properly.
6. Yiddish:
Yiddish is a Germanic language developed by the Ashkenazi Jews, and languages like Hebrew, Aramaic, and Slavic languages have greatly influenced it.
Yiddish originated in the 10th century in northern France and Germany, where it developed as a fusion of languages spoken by Jewish immigrants.
It was adopted by Jews living in Central and Eastern Europe and became the primary language for many Ashkenazi Jews until World War II.
In the 19th century, Yiddish became an important tool of Hasidic Judaism, and it is still used today in some Orthodox Jewish communities.
Similarities:
Yiddish and Afrikaans both originated in languages spoken by immigrants and have elements of multiple languages.
They both also use the Latin alphabet, although Yiddish uses Hebrew characters.
The syntax of both languages is also similar, with verb-subject-object order being the primary form.
For example, in both languages, sentences begin with the verb and end with the object. Germanic languages, including Dutch and German, heavily influence both languages.
Differences:
The main differences between Yiddish and Afrikaans lie in the vocabulary. While both languages share some cognates, they often have very different words for common concepts.
Additionally, while Germanic languages heavily influence both languages, Yiddish also has elements of Slavic languages like Russian and Ukrainian.
Regarding syntax, Yiddish tends to use more complex sentence structures than Afrikaans.
Overall, languages like Yiddish and Afrikaans are similar in many ways but differ in certain aspects of vocabulary and syntax.
Knowing these differences can help linguists better understand both languages.
It can also aid those who wish to learn one language or the other as they will better understand the differences between them.
Final Thoughts:
There are various languages similar to Afrikaans, but none are the same.
Afrikaans is a unique language with its own grammar rules, pronunciation rules, and vocabulary.
Learning this language can be difficult for someone not already familiar with it.
Still, it can also be rewarding and allow you to communicate with many more people worldwide.
Whether you’re looking to learn a language similar to Afrikaans or something completely different, make sure you research and understand the language nuances to get the most out of your journey.
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