The Influence of English on Afrikaans

[p. 202]

7.6 Unassimilated loanwords

Even highly educated speakers of Afrikaans are likely to use any number of English words in their Afrikaans in the course of a day, and such words defy listing. Nevertheless, there are some words which recur with surprising regularity in the speech of many individuals. The following is a list of such words, very few of which are ever likely to be found in writing:

adenoids

alright

anyway

army

bioscope^1.

bloody

bloomin(g) (cf. p. 282)

bother

brag, bragger (cf. p. 203)

bunk

bye bye

ceiling

clue

cope

cubbyhole

cute

fancy

flippin(g) (cf. p. 282)

flirt (n. and v.)

garage^2.

gasket

gentleman

genuine

grand

image

in any case

issue

job

lapel

like^3.

lot (die hele lot)

mango

mind you

moan (cf. p. 202)

never mind

nice

no ways

organise

paint(er)^4.

panic (verb)

plain

polony^5.

radiator^1.

settle

skip

slang^2.

speedcops

(uit) spite

stupid

ta ta

tan (n. and v.)

time (v.)

township

trifle

uncle, auntie

watch

worry (v.)

1. Although the written language uses bioskoop, the unassimilated English pronunciation is very commonly heard in the spoken language. Compare note 2 below.

2. According to prescriptive works garage and radiator have been assimilated in pronunciation but in practice they have not and thus belong in this category. Unlike the other words in the list, however, they are found in the written language. The same applies to slang, sometimes assimilated to sleng. (cf. p. 199)

3. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish whether a speaker is using the loanword like outright, assimilating it somewhat to the phonology of Afrikaans by pronouncing it as [ləik] or whether in fact the indigenous verb lyk is being equated with its English cognate. (cf. p. 227) Mansvelt (1884: 97) comments on the occurrence of lyk with this meaning in the late nineteenth century and Visagie (Die Brandwag, 27/9/46) seemed convinced that ek like dit belonged to the past even in 1946; he was wrong. (cf. p. 200-201)

4. Van der Merwe and Ponelis (1982: 155) claim: ‘Saam met pynter raak ook pynt (naamwoord en ww.) in die omgangstaal al hoe stewiger gevestig.’

5. Although HAT spells the word as if it has been assimilated, polonie, it has not undergone phonological assimilation at all.

1. Although the written language uses bioskoop, the unassimilated English pronunciation is very commonly heard in the spoken language. Compare note 2 below.

2. According to prescriptive works garage and radiator have been assimilated in pronunciation but in practice they have not and thus belong in this category. Unlike the other words in the list, however, they are found in the written language. The same applies to slang, sometimes assimilated to sleng. (cf. p. 199)