The Influence of English on Afrikaans

8.2 Perspectives for further research

A more thorough study of many of the linguistic phenomena dealt with in chapter seven could and should be made. The vast wealth of material has prevented me from treating every aspect of English influence in the detail it may warrant. Several of the categories dealt with here could be the subject of individual monographs in themselves, but there was a need for a work that attempted to encompass all forms of influence.

As mentioned on p. 169, I purposely refrain from assessing whether the structures I discuss are sufficiently ingeburger to be regarded as correct Afrikaans by all native-speakers. My reason, apart from not being in a position to make such an assessment because I am a non-native-speaker, is also due to the lack of unanimity that I am sure one would be confronted with if one were to attempt to ascertain what is generally recognised as correct. Nevertheless, it could be useful if another scholar were to take my corpus, expand it if necessary, and devise a means of soliciting the reactions of a broad spectrum of native-speakers to these phenomena, thereby providing the Taalkommissie, for example, with empirical data upon which to base future prescriptions.

A matter which I have only briefly dealt with but which could provoke the curiosity of some scholars, is a diachronic study of some of the linguistic constructions I have observed. Clearly there would be quite substantial practical problems in adopting a diachronic approach to anglicisms, but it was obvious from the reading I did that many of them have been in the language for a long time, while others have since passed into oblivion. Such a study would add a further valuable perspective to my work.

It is hinted at by Le Roux (1952: 34, 37) that there is possibly even a regional perspective to the topic; Du Plessis' (1983) study of Johannesburgse omgangstaal is an initial step in that direction. There is possibly

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room for more such regional studies as well as for studies that look at the topic from a social and/or racial point of view.

It would also be possible to combine the historical and geographical perspectives and look, for example, at whether English had made greater inroads in the nineteenth century into the Afrikaans of the Cape Colony than into that of the Boer republics. One expects that that was quite possibly the case, but there is as yet no study that attempts to prove or disprove this tenet.

One could look too at the success or otherwise of puristic drives in certain professions. Certain vaktaalwoordeboeke have now been in existence for a considerable length of time, but to what extent have their recommendations been adopted by the people in those fields?

A systematic study of HAT's attitude to recognised anglicisms - and eventually of WAT's attitude too - could be beneficial to the consistency of future editions of that dictionary. Or the attitude to specific anglicisms in Bosman, Van der Merwe and Hiemstra's Tweetalige Woordeboek (1984), widely consulted by many Afrikaners instead of HAT for information on Afrikaans unconnected with its English equivalents, could be compared with that of HAT to highlight the ambivalence and inconsistency that exist with regard to many common anglicisms in the language. It is to be expected that the first volumes of WAT will be totally outdated in the course of time - if they are not already - with respect to anglicisms which were not recognised in the 1950's and 1960's but which Afrikaners have now accepted and in some cases have even lost all awareness that those structures were once considered anglicisms and thus unacceptable.

Rousseau's (1937) sub-chapter on basterwoorde (p. 110-72) is so good and basically of such lasting validity that it deserves updating and rewriting in modern phraseology with the necessary adaptions in the light of modern knowledge and the situation as it is now. (cf. p. l01)

The topic of anglicisms in Afrikaans is in fact open-ended because of the extent of the influence to date, but above all because it is an ongoing process. The subject is a controversial one but is also one of vital importance to South African society. Undoubtedly this work will not be the last word on the issue and hopefully it will provoke reactions and more importantly, further research.