Afrikaans is a unique language with its own grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Although it originated from Dutch, it has evolved to become a distinct language on its own. Here, we will discuss 5 major ways in which Afrikaans differs from Dutch.
1. Pronunciation:
One of the most notable differences between Afrikaans and Dutch is their pronunciation. Afrikaans has a simplified pronunciation with fewer vowels and consonants, while Dutch has a more complex pronunciation with many vowel combinations. For example, ‘boom’ is pronounced as ‘boem’ in Afrikaans.
2. Vocabulary:
While Afrikaans shares many words with Dutch, it has also incorporated many words from other languages such as Malay, Portuguese and indigenous African languages. This has resulted in a unique vocabulary that is not found in Dutch. For example, ‘lekker’ means ‘nice’ or ‘good’ in Afrikaans, but does not exist in Dutch.
3. Grammatical structure:
Afrikaans has a simpler grammatical structure compared to Dutch. It does not have gender-specific articles and possessive pronouns, unlike Dutch. Additionally, Afrikaans uses double negatives, whereas Dutch does not.
4. Spelling:
The spelling of Afrikaans also differs from that of Dutch. Afrikaans uses a simplified spelling system without many diphthong combinations. For example, ‘ou’ and ‘au’ combinations in Dutch become ‘ou’ in Afrikaans.
5. Slang and colloquialisms:
Afrikaans has evolved its own slang and colloquialisms, which are not used in Dutch. These words add flavor to the language and make it more expressive. For example, ‘braai’ means ‘BBQ’ in Afrikaans.
In summary, Afrikaans has become a distinct language on its own, even though it originated from Dutch. Its pronunciation, vocabulary, grammatical structure, spelling, as well as its slang and colloquialisms, are all unique and distinguish it from Dutch.