# Arabic Afrikaans

Arabic Afrikaans (Afrikaans: Arabies Afrikaans, Arabic Afrikaans: عربس افركانس) or Lisan-e-Afrikaans (Arabic Afrikaans: لسانِ افرکانس) is a form of Afrikaans written in the Perso-Arabic script. It began in the 1830s in the madrasa in Cape Town, South Africa. Beside a 16th-century manuscript in the German language written with Arabic script, it is the only Germanic language known to have been written in the Perso-Arabic script. Arabic Afrikaans is not a mixed language.

## Letters
### Overview

The Arabic Afrikaans (Afrikaans: alifbe) is a variant of the Perso-Arabic Script used to write Afrikaans. It consists of 36 letters:
Afrikaans Alphabet :
| Yy | Ww | - | Hh | Nn | Mm | Ll | Gg/gg Gh/gh | Kk/Cc | W/w | Ff/Vv | Ng/ng | Gg/Gh gg/gh | Ch/Gh ch/gh | - | Zz | Tt | Zz | Ss | Sj sj | Ss/Cc | Ss | Zz | Rr | Zz | Dd/Tt | Ch ch | Hh | Xx | Tj tj | Dj dj | Ss | Tt/Dd | Pp/Bb | Bb | - |
| Arabic Alphabet ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ی | و | ء | ہ | ن | م | ل | گ | ک | ڤ | ف | ڠ | ݝ | غ | ع | ظ | ط | ض | ص | ش | س | ژ | ز | ر | ذ | د | خ | ح | ݗ | چ | ج | ث | ت | پ | ب | ا |
| IPA value ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| j | w | ʔ | ɦ | n | m | l | g | k | v | f | ŋ | g | ɣ | ʔ(ʕ) | z | t | z | s | ʃ | s | ʒ | z | r | z(ð) | d | x | ɦ(ħ) | ks | t͡ʃ | d͡ʒ | s(θ) | t | p | b | ʔ |
Note: This alphabet is the Persian form of the Arabic alphabet, with 36 letters, including extra letters for sounds that are not in the Arabic alphabet.

### Vowels

| Afrikaans Latin Alphabet | Pronunciation | Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet |
| a | /ɐ/ | ـَ |
| aa | /ɑː/ | ـَآ،ـَا |
| ie | /i/ | ـِ |
| eeu/eu/uu | /iʊ/ɪə/y/ | ـِى |
| e/è | /ɛ/ | ىٖ |
| oe | /u/ | ـُ |
| oo | /ʊə/ | ـُوْ |
| oei/ooi | /uɪ/ɔːɪ/ | ـُوی |
| ô | /ɔː/ | ـُو |
| î | /əː/ | ـَـِى |
| ee | /eə/ | ـِىْ |
| e | /ɛ/ | ویْ |
| i | /i~ə/ | ـِـَ |
| ê | /eː/ɛː/ | ـَـِـٖ |
| o | /ɔ/ | ـَـُ |
| i | /ə/ | ـٖى،ـَـِ |
| û | /œ/œː/ | ـَوی |
| ei | /ɛi/ | آی |
| ai | /aj/ | ـَى |
| aai | /ɑːi/ | ـَای،آی |

## Texts

Seventy-four Arabic Afrikaans texts are extant. The earliest, the "Hidyat al-Islam", is dated 1845, though its source manuscript no longer exists. The oldest surviving manuscript, which describes the basic Islamic learning, was written by the imam Abdul-Kahhar ibn Abdul-Malik in 1868. The most professional version was written in 1869 by Abu Bakr Effendi, who came from Istanbul to the Cape in 1862.

## Uiteensetting van die Godsdiens

One of the best examples of this literature was Uiteensetting van die Godsdiens (Exposition of the Religion), a book laying out Islamic traditions according to the Hanafi religious law. Written by Abu Bakr Effendi, it was printed using Arabic script throughout, but contained transcriptions of Afrikaans.
According to one of the three experts in this field, the German Hans Kähler [de], about 20 people were responsible for the text, but the most important contributors to Arabic Afrikaans opinion were:
* Abdul Kahhar ibn Hajji Abdul Malik (early 19th century)
* Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Baha ud-Din (mid-19th century)
* Ismail ibn Muhammad Hanif (mid-19th century)
* Abd ur-Rahman ibn Muhammad Al-Iraqi (late 19th century), and
* Abu Bakr Effendi (late 19th century).
This is a paragraph of the book Uiteensetting van die godsdiens:
* Transcription of the Arabic-alphabet text. The italics mark non-Afrikaans words:
    Iek bagent diesie kitab met Allah (ta'ala) sain naam. Allah (ta'ala) es rizq giefar ien dunya fer al wat liefandag ies. Allah (ta'ala) es beriengar ien die gannat ien dag ahirat fer al die miesie an djinns wat oewhap iman gadoet het. Al die dank an parais es rieg fer Allah (ta'ala) alien. Allah (ta'ala) het gagief fer oewhans Islam sain agama. Islam sain agama oek waas gawies fantefoewhar Ibrahim sain agama... An Allah (ta'ala) het gamaak die Qur'an rasulullah sain hadit fer seker dalil fer oewhans... An Allah (ta'ala) het galaat oewhans wiet die riegtie wieg fan die ilms an gahelp fer oewhans oewham ta lier ander miesie oewhap die riegtie manierie.
* Translation into modern standard Afrikaans:
    Ek begin hierdie boek met Allah (hy is verhewe) se naam. Allah (h.i.v.) is onderhouer in die wêreld vir al wat lewendig is. Allah (h.i.v.) is bringer in die paradys in die laaste dag vir al die mense en djinns wat oop iman gedoen het (m.a.w. in die geloof gesterwe het). Al die dank en prys is reg vir Allah (h.i.v.) alleen. Allah het gegee vir ons Islam se godsdiens. Islam se godsdiens ook was gewees vantevore Abraham se godsdiens...En Allah (h.i.v.) het gemaak die Koran en die profeet se hadit vir seker bewys vir ons...En Allah (h.i.v.) het gelaat ons weet die regte weg van die godsdienswetenskappe en gehelp vir ons om te leer ander mense op die regte manier.
The Arabic-alphabet version uses an Arabic word in several places where modern Afrikaans uses a Germanic word, e.g. dunya دنيا for wêreld, meaning 'world'. The Arabic words are entirely unknown in Afrikaans.
Without the above Translation into modern standard Afrikaans (which is in itself not standard Afrikaans although much closer to it), it is nearly impossible for an Afrikaans-speaking person to understand the above Transcription of the Arabic-alphabet text. Some words do however appear to resemble phonetic transliterations between Arabic script and the version of Afrikaans spoken by Cape Coloured people, mixed with Dutch.
Islam arrived among the Malays during the early 15th century and these works were most likely teaching tools; a way for Muslim teachers to instruct Malay slaves in the Cape while not necessarily being able to speak Dutch very well or at all.

## Qur'an

An example that used Arabic vowels was a handwritten Arabic–Afrikaans bilingual Quran (perhaps written in the 1880s). In it, for example, Surah 67, Ayah 1 says:
| | Arabic: | Afrikaans: |
| No diacritics | تبارك الذي بيده الملك | ان دى كونڠ سكپ اس بيدى هوك الله تعالا ان ڤارلك الله تعالا اس باس فر الدى اتس |
| With diacritics | تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِيْ بِيَدِهِ ٱلمُلْكُ | ان دى كُوْنِڠْ سْكَپْ اس بِيْدِىْ هُوْكَ الله تعالا ان ڤَارْلِكْ الله تعالَا اِسْ بَاس فَِرْ اَلْدِىْ اِتْسْ |
| Transliterated | tabāraka -llaḏī bi-yadihi l-mulk[u] | °n dī kūniň skap is bīdī hūka Allah taʿālā °n vārlik Allah taʿālā is bās fir aldī its |
| In Conventional Afrikaans | Geseënd is Hy in wie se hand die koninkryk is. | En die koningskap is by die hoë Allah taʿālā en waarlik Allah taʿālā is die baas van alle dinge. |
| In English | Blessed is the One in Whose hand is the kingdom. | And the kingship is with the high Allah (may He be exalted) and truly Allah (may He be exalted) is the boss of all things. |
(° = vowel sign missing, ň = /ŋ/ as in "king", ʿ = ayn, underlined = in Arabic.)
Here in the Afrikaans text:
* /ŋ/ ň is written as ayn but with three dots above ڠ‎
* /v/ v is written as ڤ‎
* /f/ f in "fir" has both an /a/ vowel and an /i/ vowel.
* The letter of prolongation in ī and ū has sukūn.
* The Afrikaans preposition by is written as part of the next word, likely by copying Arabic language usage with some prepositions.
* The Afrikaans word al = "all" is written as part of the next word, likely by copying Arabic language usage with al- = "the".

## Lexicon

| Arabic Afrikaans | Arabic Afrikaans | English translation | Etymology | Afrikaans Equivalent | Afrikaans Equivalent |
| Kitaab | کتاب | book | Arabic كتاب | Boek | بک |
| dunya | دنیا | world | Arabic دنيا | Wêreld | ڤرلت |
| Aql | عقل | intellect | Arabic عقل | | |
| Ilm | علم | knowledge | Arabic علم | Kennis | کنس |
| Waqt | وقت | time | Arabic وقت | tyd | تآیت |
| Akhirat | آخرت | Hereafter | Arabic آخرت | hierna | هرنا |
| Halaal | حلال | permitted | Arabic حلال | | |
| Haraam | حرام | Forbidden | Arabic حرام | | |
| Haq | حق | rights | Arabic حق | reg | رخ |
| Maqsad | مقصد | Goal | Arabic مقصد | doel | دل |
| Sawal | سوال | Question | Arabic سوال | vraag | فراخ |
| Jawab | جواب | Answer | Arabic جواب | Antwoord | انتڤیرت |
| Jannat | جنت | heaven | Arabic جنة (construct case) | hemel | همل |
| Jahanaam | جهنم | Hell | Arabic جهنم | hel | هیل |
| Izzat | عزت | respect | Arabic عزة (construct case) | respek | رسپیک |
| Zillat / Dhillat | ذلت | disrespect | Arabic ذلة (construct case) | beledigen | بلدغی |
| awwal | اول | start, beginning | Arabic اول | begin | بغن |
| akhir | آخر | end, last | Arabic آخر | einde | اندی |
| din | دین | religion | Arabic دين | godsdiens | ختسدنس |
| Rizq | رزق | sustenance | Arabic رزق | | |
| ustad | استاد | teacher | Persian استاد | onderwyser | اندرڤآیزر |
| Qaiser | قیصر | Caesar | Arabic قيصر from Latin | Caesar | تسزغ/ سزغ |
| lisan | لسان | language | Arabic لسان | taal | تال |
| dua | دعا | prayer | Arabic دعاء | bed | بت |
| sabr | صبر | patience | Arabic صبر | geduld | غدلت |
| salat namaz | صلات نماز | ritual prayer | Arabic صلاة (construct case), Persian (نماز) | rituele gebed | برتییل خبویت |
| dawat | دعوت | invitation (Islamic missionary activity) | Arabic دعوة (construct case) | uitnodiging | اوییتنودغڠ |
| Falsafah | فلسفه | philosophy | Arabic فلسفة from Greek | filosofie | فلوسوفی |
| Fitnah | فتنه | trial and tribulation | Arabic فتنة ("strife" / "sedition") | burgeroorlog | بویرخررلخ |
| ibaadat | عبادت | worship | Arabic عبادة (construct case) | aanbidding | آنبدڠ |
| iman | ایمان | faith | Arabic إيمان | geloof | خلوف |
| millat | ملت | personal law | Ottoman Turkish ملت from Arabic ملة (construct case) | persoonlike reg | پرسنلک رخ |
| yaqin | یقین | certainty, | Arabic يقين | sekerheid | زکرہآیت |
| Usul | اصول | principles | Arabic أصول | beginsel | بغنسل |
| Barakat | برکت | blessing | Arabic بركة (construct case) | seën | سن |
| hasan | حسن | good | Arabic حسن | goed | غت |
| hikmat | حکمت | wisdom | Arabic حکمة (construct case) | wysheid | ڤسهت |
| Baazaar | بازار | market | Persian بازار | Baazaar | بازار |
| nikah | نکاح | marriage | Arabic نكاح (archaic) | bruiloft | بروییلفت |
| Qiyaamat | قیامت | Day of Resurrection | Arabic قيامة (construct case, "judgment day") | dag des oordeels | دخ دی اوردلس |
| alam | عالم | world | Arabic عالم | Wêreld | ڤرلت |
| insan | انسان | human | Arabic إنسان | mens | منس |
| haiwan | حیوان | animal | Arabic حيوان | dier | در |
| jahil | جاهل | ignorant | Arabic جاهل | onwetend | انڤتنت |
| wazir | وزیر | minister | Arabic وزير | minister | منستر |
| daftar | دفتر | notebook | Arabic دفتر | Notaboek | نوتابک |
| fasad | فساد | corruption | Arabic فساد | korrupsie | کریپس |
| hayat | حیات | life | Arabic حياة (construct case) | lewe | لوی |
| maut | موت | death | Arabic موت | dood | دوت |
| sabt | سبت | saturday | Arabic سبت | Saterdag | ساترداخ |
| shams | شمس | sun | Arabic شمس | son | سن |
| junub | جنوب | south | Arabic جنوب | suid | سویت |
| qamar | قمر | moon | Arabic قمر | maan | مان |
| najm | نجم | star | Arabic نجم | ster | ستیر |
| zawja | زوجه | wife | Arabic زوجة | vrou | فروی |
| zawj | زوج | couple | Arabic زوج | paar | پار |
| shamaal | شمال | north | Arabic شمال | noord | نورت |
| gharb/maghrib | مغرب غرب | west | Arabic مغرب غرب | wes | ڤیست |
| yaum | یوم | day | Arabic يوم | dag | دخ |
| laylat | لیلت | night | Arabic ليلة (construct case) | nag | نخ |
| sharq/mashriq | مشرق شرق | east | Arabic مشرق شرق | oost | اوست |

## Numerals

Arabic Afrikaans used Eastern Arabic numerals. The following is the list of basic cardinal numerals with the spelling in the Afrikaans Latin alphabet:
| Arabic form | Number | Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet (with diacritics) | Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet (without diacritics) | Afrikaans Latin Alphabet |
| ٠‎ | 0 | نَویل/صِفِر | نویل/صفر | nul |
| ١‎ | 1 | اَِٖن | ان | een |
| ٢‎ | 2 | تڤِیْ | تڤی | twee |
| ٣‎ | 3 | درِ | در | drie |
| ٤‎ | 4 | ڤِر | ڤر | vier |
| ٥‎ | 5 | ڤآیف | ڤآیف | vyf |
| ٦‎ | 6 | سیٖس | سیس | ses |
| ٧‎ | 7 | سَِٖڤٖی | سڤی | sewe |
| ٨‎ | 8 | اَخت | اخت | agt |
| ٩‎ | 9 | نَِٖغٖی | نغی | nege |
| ١٠‎ | 10 | تنٖ | تن | tien |