Afrikaans Language Monument

The Afrikaans Language Monument () is the only monument in the world dedicated to a language. It is on a hill overlooking the Teachers' Training College in Paarl, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Completed in 1975, it was built to celebrate the 100 years birthday of Afrikaans being declared as a different language from Dutch.

The monument is made of tapering structures of a convex and concave nature. They show the influences of different languages and cultures on Afrikaans itself. They are also a symbol of political developments in South Africa, as follows:
 Clear West - the European source of the language
 Magical Africa - the African influences on the language
 Bridge - between Europe and Africa
 Afrikaans - the language itself
 Republic - declared in 1961
 Malay language and culture

 Inscriptions 
On a large inscription at the entrance, two quotes from important Afrikaans poets are written.
 van Wyk Louw inscription 
  -- N.P. van Wyk Louw
 "Afrikaans is the language that connects Western Europe and Africa... It forms a bridge between the large, shining West and the magical Africa... And what great things may come from their union – that is maybe what lies ahead for Afrikaans to discover. But what we must never forget, is that this change of country and landscape sharpened, kneaded and knitted this newly-becoming language... And so Afrikaans became able to speak out from this new land... Our task lies in the use that we make and will make of this gleaming tool..."

 Langenhoven inscription 
  -- C.J. Langenhoven
 "If we plant a row of poles down this hall now, ten poles, to represent the last ten years, and on each pole we make a mark at a height from the floor corresponding to the relative written use of Afrikaans in the respective year, and we draw a line, from the first here near the floor to the last over there against the loft, then the line would describe a rapidly rising arc, not only quickly rising, but rising in a quickly increasing manner. Let us now, in our imagination, extend the arc for the ten coming years from now. See you, sirs, where the point shall be, outside in the blue sky high over Bloemfontein, in the year 1924."

 Dit Is Ons Erns 
The phrase "DIT IS ONS ERNS" ("we are earnest [about this]", or "this is our earnestness") is inscribed on the pathway leading up to the monument.

Category:Monuments and memorials in South Africa
Category:Afrikaans