Ten Dutch words that made it into English | The Netherlands by numbers The Netherlands by numbers People, habits, things, places – you name it, we list it Menu 26 Replies Dutch may be a struggle to learn but hey, you know a good few Dutch words already. Here’s 10 that have sneaked into the English language. 1. Baas turned into boss. The true origin of the word is a bit blurry but a Dutch ship’s captain was called ‘baas’ in the 17th century, as, presumably, in ‘De baas heeft de Britten weer eens een poepje laten ruiken’, or The boss licked the Brits in another sea battle’. A vrolijke Dutch family 2. Vrolijk (cheerful, jolly) found its way into English as frolic, a romp. Possibly this reflects the historic perception of the Dutch as gin-swilling, heavy-footed merry makers. Now the Dutch can be as elegantly vrolijk as the next nationality. 3. Grof (coarse) turned into gruff in English. Is this another character trait attributed to the Dutch? It is called ‘direct’ in today’s speech. 4.

Kielhalen became keelhauling, probably because the Dutch liked to do a lot of it. It’s one of many nautical terms the seafaring Dutch contributed to the English language. Baas (boss), sloep (sloop), yacht (yacht), schoener (schooner) and, inevitably, wrak (wreck) are some of them. 5. Kwakzalver was shortened to quack. Have a look at Jan Steen’s version of one in the Rijksmuseum. His paintings provide an interesting peek into the lives of ordinary people in the 17th century. Don’t take more than one 6. Koekje became cookie. ‘Koekje erbij?’, or would you like a cookie with that? was a successful advertisement slogan for Liga biscuits which made fun of the Dutch idea that things don’t get ‘gezelli’ until you are offered a biscuit. 7. Dijk turned into dike. Well, obviously. The Dutch never stopped talking about dikes and the word seeped into the English language through sheer force of usage. There is no escaping accijns 8.

Accijns turned into excise by way of excijs, or tax. A Dutch invention if ever there was one. 9. Droge waere. A middle Dutch phrase meaning ‘dry wares’. This may be the origin of ‘drugs’ (drugs (medication) consisted of herbs) (pronounced ‘druks’ in Dutch as in Hij is aan de druks, he is on drugs) 10. Polder, pomp became polder and pump, another obvious reference to the Dutch obsession with getting that darned water out and keeping it out. Share this: Apartheid | Define Apartheid at Dictionary.com apartheid [uh-pahrt-hahyt, -heyt, uh-pahr-tahyt, -teyt] /əˈpɑrt haɪt, -heɪt, əˈpɑr taɪt, -teɪt/ Spell noun 1. (in the Republic of South Africa) a rigid former policy of segregating and economically and politically oppressing the nonwhite population. 2. any system or practice that separates people according to color, ethnicity, caste, etc.

Origin of apartheid 1945-50; < Afrikaans, equivalent to apart apart + -heid -hood Related forms Examples from the Web for apartheid Expand Apartheid Ambiguity Yousef Munayyer November 4, 2012 Before Fidel, when segregation was in full swing, the Cuban apartheid meant many clubs and parks still refused black Cubans entry. British Dictionary definitions for apartheid Expand (in South Africa) the official government policy of racial segregation; officially renounced in 1992 Word Origin C20: Afrikaans, from apartapart + -heid-hood Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for apartheid Expand n.

1947 (policy begun 1948), from Afrikaans apartheid (1929 in a South African socio-political context), literally "separateness," from Dutch apart "separate" (from French àpart; see apart ) + suffix -heid, cognate of English -hood . The official English synonym was separate development (1955). "Segregation" is such an active word that it suggests someone is trying to segregate someone else. So the word "apartheid" was introduced. Now it has such a stench in the nostrils of the world, they are referring to "autogenous development." [Alan Paton, "New York Times," Oct. 24, 1960] Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper South African English is lekker! South African English is lekker! South African English is lekker! 10 Oct 2013 Tweet on Twitter South Africans speak English, but that doesn’t mean you’ll always understand us. Our “robots” are nothing like R2D2, “just now” doesn’t mean immediately, and “babbelas” is not a shampoo.

South African English has a flavour all its own, borrowing freely from Afrikaans, which is similar to Dutch and Flemish, as well as from the country’s many African languages. Some words come from colonial-era Malay and Portuguese immigrants. Note: In many words derived from Afrikaans, the letter “g” is pronounced in the same way as the “ch” in the Scottish “loch” or the German “achtung” – a kind of growl at the back of the throat. In the pronunciation guides below, the spelling for this sound is given as “gh”. A abba: Carry a child secured to one’s back with a blanket. From the Khoi-San. amasi: [pronounced “um-ah-see”] A popular drink of thick sour milk. From isiZulu. An alternative name is maas. apartheid: [ap-art-hate] Literally “apart-ness” in Afrikaans, apartheid was the policy of racial separation, and the resulting oppression of the black majority, implemented by the National Party from 1948 to 1990.

Read more: A short history of South Africa ag: [agh] Generally used at the beginning of a sentence, to express resignation or irritation, as in: “Ag no man! What did you do that for?” B bagel: [bay-gell] An overly groomed materialistic young man, and the male version of a kugel . bakgat: [buck-ghut] Well done, cool, awesome. bakkie: [buck-ee] A pick-up truck. bergie: : [bear-ghee] From the Afrikaans berg, “mountain”, originally referring to vagrants who sheltered in the forests of Cape Town’s Table Mountain and now a word for anyone who is down and out. biltong: [bill-tong] This South African favourite is dried and salted meat, similar to beef jerky, although it can be made from ostrich, kudu or any other red meat. Read more: South African cuisine bioscope: A cinema or movie theatre, originally a defunct international English word that has survived longer in South Africa because of the influence of the Afrikaans, bioskoop.

biscuit: In South Africa a cookie is known as a “biscuit”. The word is also a term of affection, as in, “Hey, you biscuit”. bliksem: To beat up, hit or punch; or a mischievous person. blooming: [blimmin] A variation on “very”, as in, “That new bakkie is blimmin big.” bobotie: [buh-boor-tee] A dish of Malay origin, made with minced meat and spices, and topped with an egg sauce. boerewors: [boor-uh-vors] Literally, “farmer’s sausage”. A savoury sausage developed by the Boers – today’s Afrikaners – some 200 years ago, boerewors is South African food at its most traditional. boet: [like “book”, with a t] A term of affection, from the Afrikaans for “brother”. boma: [bow-mah] An open thatched structure used for dinners, entertainment and parties. bonsella: Surprise gift, something extra, or a bribe. From isiZulu.

born frees: South Africans who were born into a democratic South Africa – that is, after 1994. bosberaad: [borse-bah-raad] A strategy meeting or conference, usually held in a remote bushveld location, such as a game farm. bottle store: liquor store, off-licence. braai: [br-eye] An outdoor barbecue, where meat such as steak, chicken and boerewors are cooked, served with pap and bredie. bredie: [brear-dee] A traditional South African mutton stew, first brought to the country by Malay immigrants. It now refers to any kind of stew. bru: [brew] A term of affection, shortened from Afrikaans broer, meaning “brother”. An example would be, “Hey, my bru, howzit ?” bunny chow: Delicious and cheap food on the go, bunny chow is curry served in a hollowed-out half-loaf of bread, generally sold in greasy-spoon cafes .

bushveld: [bush-felt] Taken from the Afrikaans bosveld [“bush field”], the bushveld is a terrain of thick scrubby trees and bush in dense thickets, with grassy groundcover between. C cafe: [kaf-ay, kaff-ee or kayff] The ubiquitous small neighbourhood convenience store, often found on street corners and stocking cigarettes, cold drinks and newspapers. chill bru : Relax, my mate. Take it easy. china: To most people, China is the world’s most populous country, but to a South African it can mean something entirely different. China means “good friend”, as in, “This oke’s my china”. It’s one of the few Cockney rhyming slang words to survive in the country, coming from “china plate” = “mate”. chommie: Friend, from the English, “chum”. cooldrink, colddrink: This is the common term for a soda, such as Coca-Cola. Ask for “a soda” in South Africa, and you will receive a club soda.

D dassie: The rock hyrax, a small herbivore that lives in mountainous habitats and is reputed to be the species mostly closely related to the elephant. The name comes from the Afrikaans das, meaning “badger”. deurmekaar: [dee-oor-muh-car] Afrikaans for confused, disorganised or stupid, as in, “He’s a bit deurmekaar“. dinges: [ding-us] A thing, thingamabob, whatzit, whatchamacallit or whatsizname, as in, “When is dinges coming around?” doek: [like book] A head scarf worn to protect a woman’s hair. dolos: Interlocking blocks of concrete in an H-shape, with one arm rotated through 90º. The dolos is a South African invention used to protect seawalls and preserve beaches from erosion. The name comes from the Afrikaans word for the knuckle bones in an animal’s leg. The plural is dolosse. donga: A natural ditch resulting from severe soil erosion. From the isiZulu for “wall”. donner: [dor-nuh] Beat up.

From the Afrikaans donder, meaning “thunder”. dop: [dawp] An alcoholic drink: “Can I pour you a dop?” It can also mean failure: “I dopped the test.” dorp: A small town on the platteland . droewors: [droo-uh-vors] Dried boerewors , similar to biltong . dummy: A baby’s pacifier. dumpie: A South African beer served in a brown 340ml bottle. Durbs: The city of Durban. Read more: Head for the Durban beachfront dwaal: [dwarl] Lack of concentration or focus: “Sorry, I was in a bit of a dwaal. Could you repeat that?” E eina: [ay-nuh or ay-nar] Ouch! Can also mean “sore”. eish: [aysh] Used to express surprise, wonder, frustration or outrage: “Eish! That cut was eina!” F Fixed up: Used to mean “that’s good” or “sorted”. Example: “Let’s meet at the restaurant.” The reply: “Fixed up.” flog: No whips implied.

South Africans use flog to mean “sell”, as in, “I think it’s time I flogged this old car.” frikkadel: [frik-kuh-dell] A traditional meatball. fundi: [foon-dee] Expert. From the Nguni, umfundisi, meaning “teacher” or “preacher”. fynbos: [fayn-baws] “Fine bush” in Afrikaans, fynbos is a vegetation type unique to the Cape Floral Region, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Made up of some 6 000 plant species, including many types of protea. G gatvol: [ghut-foll] Taken from Afrikaans, this means “fed up”, as in “ Jislaaik , my china , I’m gatvol of working in this hot sun.” Translation: “Gee, my friend, I’m fed up with working in this hot sun.” gogga, goggo: [gho-gha or gho-gho] Insect, bug. From the Khoikhoi xo-xon.

gogo: [goh-goh] Grandmother or elderly woman, from isiZulu. graze: Eat. H hang of: Very or big, as in, “It’s hang of a difficult”, or, “I had a hang of a problem”. hanepoot: [haa-nah-poort] A sweet wine made from the muscat blanc d’Alexandrie grape cultivar. hap: [hup] Taste, bite, as in, “Take a hap of this”. hey: This popular expression can be used as a standalone question meaning “pardon” or “what”, as in, “Hey? What did you say?” Or it can be used to prompt affirmation or agreement, as in, “It was a great film, hey?” homelands: The spurious “independent” states in which black South Africans were forced to take citizenship under the policy of apartheid . Also known as bantustans. howzit: A traditional South African greeting that translates roughly as “How are you?”, “How are things?”, or simply “Hello”. I indaba: [in-daa-bah] A conference or expo, from the isiZulu word meaning “a matter for discussion”.

inyanga : A traditional herbalist and healer. is it: [as one word: izit] An expression frequently used in conversation and equivalent to, “Is that so?” J ja: [yaa] Yes. jawelnofine: Literally, “yes, well, no, fine”, all scrunched into a single word and similar to the rhetorical expression, “How about that?” jislaaik: [yis-like] An expression of outrage or surprise: “Jislaaik, I just saw Elvis!” jol: [jawl] A versatile word with many meanings, including “party”, “disco”, “having fun”, or just “thing”. Jozi: [jo-zee] The city of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, which is also known as Joburg or Joeys. Read more: Joburg on the move just now: If a South African tells you they will do something “just now”, they mean they’ll do it in the near future – not immediately, as in, “I’ll do the dishes just now.” K kasie: [kaa-see] Shortened form of lokasie, “location” in Afrikaans, the older word for township .

Refers to the low-income dormitory suburbs outside cities and towns to which black South Africans were confined during the apartheid era. khaya: [k-eye-ya] Home. From the Nguni group of languages. kif: Cool, neat, great or wonderful. From the Arabic kayf, meaning enjoyment or wellbeing. knobkierie: [k-nob-kee-ree] A fighting stick with a knob on the business end. From the Afrikaans knop [“knob”] and the Khoi-San kirri or keeri, meaning “stick”. koeksister: [kook-sister] A traditional Malay and now also Afrikaner sweet, made from twisted yeast dough, deep fried and dipped in syrup. The right-wing enclave of Orania in the Northern Cape even has its own statue to the koeksister. The word comes from the Dutch koek (“cake”) and sissen, meaning “to sizzle”. koki: [koh-key] A coloured marker or felt-tip pen. koppie: [kor-pie] A small hill. kraal: An enclosure for livestock, or a rural village of huts surrounded by a stockade.

The word may come from the Portuguese curral [“corral”], or from the Dutch kraal, meaning bead, as in the beads of a necklace – kraals are generally round in shape. kugel: [koo-gell] An overly groomed materialistic young woman, from the Yiddish for a plain pudding garnished as a delicacy. A bagel is the male variety. kwaito: [kw-eye-toe] The music of South Africa’s urban black youth, a mixture of South African disco, hip hop, R&B, ragga, and a heavy dose of house music beats. Read more: Kwaito: much more than music kwela: [kw-eh-la] A popular form of township music from the 1950s, based on the pennywhistle, a cheap and simple instrument taken up by street performers. The term kwela comes from the isiZulu for “get up”, though in township slang it also referred to the police vans, the kwela-kwela. It is said that the young men who played the pennywhistle on street corners also acted as lookouts to warn those drinking in illegal shebeens of the arrival of the cops.

L laatlammetjie: [laart-lum-et-chie] The youngest child of a family, born [mostly by accident] to older parents and many years younger than its siblings. The word means “late lamb” in Afrikaans. laduma!: [la-doo-mah] A popular cheer celebrating goals scored at soccer matches, from the isiZulu for “it thunders”. lappie: [luppie] A cleaning cloth. lekgotla: [lek-ghot-lah] A planning or strategy session. lekker: [lekk-irr with a rolling r] Nice, good, great, cool or tasty. M Madiba: [muh-dee-buh] An affectionate name for former President Nelson Mandela, and the name of his clan. Read more: Nelson Mandela make a plan: devise a way to overcome difficulties. “Leave it to me, I’ll make a plan.” mal: [mull] Mad, from Afrikaans. mampara: [mum-puh-rah] An idiot, a silly person. From the Sotho languages.

mampoer: [mum-poo-er] Extremely potent brandy made from peaches or other fruit, similar to American moonshine. See witblitz . Marmite: Trade name of a dark-coloured spread made from vegetable extract and used on bread or toast. mealie: [pronounce mih-lih] Maize or corn. A mealie is a maize cob, and mealie meal is maize meal, the staple diet of South Africa, which is mostly cooked into pap . From the Afrikaans mielie. moegoe: [moo-ghoo] A fool, buffoon, idiot or simpleton. mossie: [morse-ee] Common name of the Cape sparrow, also applied to the house sparrow, and sometimes used to refer to any small undistinguished wild bird. Mzansi: [m-zun-zee] A popular word for South Africa. N naartjie: [nar-chee] The South African word for tangerine, Citrus reticulata. nappy: A baby’s diaper. nca: Fine, beautiful. Pronounced with a downward click of the tongue.

ne: [neh] “Really?” or “is that so?” Often used sarcastically. now-now: Shortly, in a bit, as in, “I’ll be there now-now.” O oke, ou: A man, similar to “guy” or “bloke”. The word “ou” [oh] can be used interchangeably. P pap: [pup] The staple food of South Africa, a porridge made from mealie meal (maize meal) cooked with water and salt to a fairly stiff consistency, stywepap being the stiffest. “Pap” can also mean weak or tired. papsak: [pup-suck] Cheap box wine sold in its foil container, without the box. pasop: [pus-orp] An Afrikaans word meaning “beware” or “watch out”. pavement: South Africans walk on pavements and drive cars on the road [at least that’s the idea]. The pavement is the sidewalk. piet-my-vrou: [peet-may-frow] The red-chested cuckoo, Cuculus solitarus.

The name, an approximation of the bird’s call, literally means “Peter my wife” in Afrikaans. platteland: [plutt-uh-lunt] Farmland, countryside. Literally flat land in Afrikaans, it now refers to any rural area in which agriculture takes place, including the mountainous Cape winelands. Gallery: South Africa’s countryside potjiekos: [poi-chee-kors] Traditional Afrikaner food, generally a rich stew, cooked in a three-legged cast-iron pot over a fire. The word means “little-pot food” in Afrikaans. puffadder: A viper or adder of the species Britis arietans. From the Afrikaans pofadder. R rand: The South African currency, which is made up of 100 cents. The name comes from the Witwatersrand (Dutch for “white waters ridge”), the region in Gauteng province in which most of the country’s gold deposits are found. robots: Traffic lights. rock up: To arrive somewhere unannounced or uninvited.

It’s the kind of thing friends do: “I was going to go out but then my china rocked up.” rooibos: [roy-borss] Afrikaans for red bush, this popular South African tea made from the Cyclopia genistoides bush is gaining worldwide popularity for its health benefits. Read more: SA cuisine: glossary of terms rooinek: [roy-neck] English-speaking South African, from the Afrikaans for red neck, but without the connotations given the term in the US. It was first coined by Afrikaners decades ago to refer to immigrant Englishmen, whose white necks were particularly prone to sunburn. rubbish bin: Alternatively dustbin or dirt bin. Garbage can. S samoosa: [suh-moo-suh] A small, spicy, triangular-shaped pie deep-fried in oil. Originally made by the Indian and Malay communities, samoosas – known as samosas in Britain – are popular with all South Africans. sangoma: [sun-go-mah] Traditional healer or diviner. sarmie: Sandwich. scale, scaly: To “scale something” means to steal it. A “scaly person” is not to be trusted.

shame: Broadly denotes sympathetic feeling. A South African admiring a baby, kitten or puppy might say, “Ag shame!”, to emphasise its cuteness. sharp: Often doubled up for effect as sharp- sharp! , this word is used as a greeting, a farewell, for agreement, or just to express enthusiasm. shebeen: A township tavern, illegal under the apartheid regime, often set up in a private house and frequented by black South Africans. The word is originally Gaelic. shongololo: Large brown millipede, from the isiZulu ukushonga, meaning “to roll up”. sjambok: [sham-bok] A stout leather whip made from animal hide. skebenga: [ska-beng-gah] Gangster, crook, criminal. From the Nguni word for gangster. See also skelm or skollie . skelm: [skellem] A shifty or untrustworthy person; a criminal. skinner: [skinner] Gossip, from Afrikaans.

A person who gossips is known as a skinnerbek: “ Jislaaik , bru , I’m going to donner that skinnerbek for skinnering about me.” Translation: “Gee, my friend, I’m going to hit that guy for gossiping about me.” skollie: [skoh-li] Gangster, criminal, from the Greek skolios, meaning crooked. skop, skiet en donner: [skorp, skeet en donner] Action movie. Taken from Afrikaans, it literally means “kick, shoot and beat up”. skrik: Fright. “I caught a big skrik” means, “I got a big fright”. skrik vir niks: Scared of nothing. slap chips: [slup chips] French fries, usually soft, oily and vinegar-drenched, bought in a brown paper bag. Slap is Afrikaans for “limp”, which is how French fries are generally made here. smaak stukkend: Love to bits. In Afrikaans smaak means “like”, and stukkend means “broken”. smokes: Cigarettes.

snoek: [like book] A popular and tasty fish, often eaten smoked. A snoek braai is a real South African treat. sosatie: [soh-saa-tee] A kebab, often lamb on a stick. spanspek: [spun-speck] Cantaloupe, an orange-fleshed melon. The word comes from the Afrikaans Spaanse spek, meaning “Spanish bacon”. The story goes that Juana Smith, the Spanish wife of 19th-century Cape governor Harry Smith, insisted on eating melon instead of bacon for breakfast, causing her bemused Afrikaans-speaking servants to coin the word. spaza: Informal township shop. spookgerook: [spoo-ahk-ghah-roo-ahk] Literally, in Afrikaans, “ghost-smoked”. Used jokingly, the word means “mad” or “paranoid”. stoep: [stup] Porch or verandah. stompie: A cigarette butt. From the Afrikaans stomp, meaning “stump”.

The expression “picking up stompies” means intruding into a conversation at its tail end, with little information about its content. stroppy: Difficult, unco-operative, argumentative or stubborn. struesbob: [s-true-zz-bob] “As true as Bob”, as true as God, the gospel truth. T takkies: Running shoes or sneakers. “Fat takkies” are extra- wide tyres. tannie: [tunny] An Afrikaans word meaning “auntie”, but also used to refer to any older female of authority. taxi: Not a metered car with a single occupant, but a minibus used to transport a large number of people, and the most common way of getting around in South Africa. to die for: An expression popular in the affluent suburbs of Johannesburg and Cape Town, denoting enthusiastic approval for an object or person: “That necklace is to die for.” tom: Money. toppie: Old man. townships: Low-income dormitory suburbs outside cities and towns – effectively ghettos – to which black South Africans were confined during the apartheid era. toyi-toyi: A knees-up protest dance.

tsotsi: A gangster, hoodlum or thug – and the title of South Africa’s first Oscar-winning movie. tune grief: Cause trouble. U ubuntu: Southern African humanist philosophy that holds as its central tenet that a person is a person through others. veld: [felt] Open grassland. From the Dutch for “field”. velskoen: [fell-skun] Simple, unworked leather shoes. vetkoek: [fet-cook] “Fat cake” in Afrikaans, vetkoek is a doughnut-sized bread roll made from deep-fried yeast dough. Mainly served with a savoury mince filling, it is artery-clogging and delicious. voetsek: [foot-sak] Go away, buzz off. voetstoots: [foot-stoots] “As is” or “with all its faults”. The term is used when advertising, for example, a car or house for sale. If the item is sold “voetstoots”, the buyer may not claim for any defects, hidden or otherwise, discovered after the sale. From the Dutch met de voet te stoten, meaning “to kick”.

vrot: [frot] Rotten or smelly. vuvuzela: [voo-voo-zeh-lah] A large, colourful plastic trumpet with the sound of a foghorn, blown enthusiastically by virtually everyone in the crowd at soccer matches. According to some, the word comes from the isiZulu for “making noise”. English language | Britannica.com English language Last Updated: 5-20-2016 English language, West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family that is closely related to Frisian , German , and Dutch (in Belgium called Flemish) languages. English originated in England and is now widely spoken on six continents. It is the primary language of the United States , the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia , Ireland , New Zealand , and various small island nations in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean . It is also an official language of India , the Philippines , Singapore , and many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa . English is the first choice of foreign language in most other countries of the world, ...

(100 of 14,696 words) Learn about “global English.” 14 English words you probably didn’t know have Dutch origins | Dutch Language Blog When you take on the challenge of learning Dutch, native speakers will commend you for trying your hand at their “really difficult” language. Flickr Creative Commons / Irargerich Their eyes will widen in admiration as they tell you “Dutch is such a hard language to learn.” They’ve got a point… it sure ain’t easy. But the good news for us English speakers is that our languages are quite similar, particularly if you speak the American variety. And it makes sense, too. After all, the Dutch were some of the first Europeans to settle in America. Holland, Michigan and New York’s Brooklyn and Harlem remain as tributes to America’s strong Dutch roots. In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4.6 million Americans (1.5% of the United States’ population) identified themselves as having Dutch ancestry. As a result, much of the (American) English language comes from the Dutch. Take a look at the list below for the words we nabbed from the Netherlands and what they mean in Dutch.

You may be surprised at some of the words on the list.

Boss – comes from the word baas, which has the exact same meaning in Dutch as it does in English Yankee – this one is a combo of two of the most popular Dutch names for boys at the time: Jan and Kees –> Jan-Kees –> Yankee Coleslaw – in Dutch, it’s koolsla, which literally means “cabbage salad” Landscape – we get this one from landschap, which has the same meaning in both languages Cookie – is based on the Dutch word koekje (“biscuit” or “cookie”), which is sometimes written/pronounced koekie Cruise – the origin for this word is the Dutch verb kruisen, which means “to cross” Frolic – here, we took from the word vrolijk, which means “happy” or “cheerful” Pump – change the ‘u’ to an ‘o,’ and you get the word pomp, which means “pump” (as in a gas or bicycle pump) Rucksack – comes directly from the word rugzak, literally “back bag,” also known as backpack Roster – just add an ‘o’ and you get the Dutch word rooster (“schedule” or “timetable”) Spook – spelled exactly

 the same in both languages, in Dutch, a spook is a ghost, phantom, or spirit Waffle – in Dutch, it’s spelled a bit differently (wafel), but they mean the same thing Wagon – is not that far removed from it’s Dutch ancestor the wagen (used when referring to trains) Onslaught – the Dutch word, aanslag, has the exact same meaning This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if what you’ve seen here intrigues you and you’d like to know more, Wikipedia has an excellent collection of English words of Dutch origin .

Another interesting tidbit: While there are several languages that are supposedly easier for native English speakers to learn because of their similarities, the closest language to English is Friesian, which is spoken in Friesland, a province in the Netherlands. The languages of South Africa The languages of South Africa The languages of South Africa 06 Sep 2015 Tweet on Twitter We’re not called the rainbow nation for nothing. South Africa has 11 official languages, and scores of unofficial ones. English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial public life – but only the fifth most spoken home language. The country’s democratic Constitution, which came into effect on 4 February 1997, recognises 11 official languages, to which the state guarantees equal status. Introduction Besides the 11 official languages, scores of others – African, European, Asian – are spoken in South Africa, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa. Languages spoken here, and mentioned in the Constitution, are the Khoi, Nama and San languages, sign language, Arabic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu and Urdu.

There are also a few indigenous creoles and pidgins. English is generally understood across the country, being the language of business, politics and the media, and is regarded as the country’s lingua franca. But it only ranks a joint fifth (with Setswana) as a home language. South Africa’s linguistic diversity means all 11 languages have had a profound effect on each other. South African English, for example, is littered with words and phrases from Afrikaans, isiZulu, Nama, and other African languages. And African-language speakers often pepper their speech with English and Afrikaans, as this isiZulu example recorded in Soweto by MJH Mfusi shows (English is in italics, and Afrikaans in bold): “I-Chiefs isidle nge-referee’s * Spoken as a home language ** Unspecified and not applicable are excluded Source: Census 2011 Most South Africans are multilingual, able to speak more than one language. English- and Afrikaans-speaking people tend not to have much ability in indigenous languages, but are fairly fluent in each other’s language. Most South Africans speak English, which is fairly ubiquitous in official and commercial public life.

The country’s other lingua franca is isiZulu. isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, and isiNdebele are collectively referred to as the Nguni languages, and have many similarities in syntax and grammar. The Sotho languages – Setswana, Sesotho sa Leboa, and Sesotho – also have much in common. Many of South Africa’s linguistic groups share a common ancestry. But as groupings and clans broke up in search of autonomy and greener pastures for their livestock, variations of the common languages evolved. Provincial variations The languages you will hear most frequently spoken in South Africa depend on where in the country you are. isiXhosa, for instance, is spoken by around 80% of South Africans in the Eastern Cape, while 78% of people in KwaZulu-Natal speak isiZulu. isiZulu is also the most frequently spoken home language in Gauteng, but at a much smaller percentage. The Western and Northern Cape provinces, Afrikaans comes into its own.

Predominant languages by province (Census 2011 figures) are: Eastern Cape – isiXhosa (78.8%), Afrikaans (10.6%) Free State – Sesotho (64.2%), Afrikaans (12.7%) Gauteng – isiZulu (19.8%), English (13.3%), Afrikaans (12.4%), Sesotho (11.6%) KwaZulu-Natal – isiZulu (77.8%), English (13.2%) Limpopo – Sesotho (52.9%), Xitsonga (17%), Tshivenda (16.7%) Mpumalanga – siSwati (27.7%), isiZulu (24.1%), Xitsonga (10.4%), isiNdebele (10.1%) Northern Cape – Afrikaans (53.8%), Setswana (33.1%) North West – Setswana (63.4%), Afrikaans (9%) Western Cape – Afrikaans (49.7%), isiXhosa (24.7%), English (

20.3%) Source: Statistics SA Afrikaans Afrikaans is the third most common language in South Africa.

It is spoken by 13.5% of the population, or 6 855 082 people – mainly “coloured” and white South Africans. The language has its roots in 17th century Dutch, with influences from English, Malay, German, Portuguese, French, and some African languages. One of the first works of written Afrikaans was Bayaan-ud-djyn, an Islamic tract written in Arabic script by Abu Bakr. Initially known as Cape Dutch, Afrikaans was largely a spoken language for people living in the Cape, with proper Dutch the formal, written language. Afrikaans came into its own with the growth of Afrikaner identity, being declared an official language – with English – of the Union of South Africa in 1925. The language was promoted alongside Afrikaner nationalism after 1948 and played an important role in minority white rule in apartheid South Africa. The 1976 schoolchildren’s uprising was sparked by the proposed imposition of Afrikaans in township schools. Afrikaans is spoken mainly by white Afrikaners, coloured South Africans and sections of the black population.

Although the language has European roots, today the majority of Afrikaans-speakers are not white. Most Afrikaans speakers live in the Western Cape, where it is the language of just less than half (48.4%) of the provincial population. It is also common in Gauteng, where 12.2% of the provincial population consider Afrikaans to be their home language. Afrikaans is the dominant language in the Northern Cape, spoken by more than half (53%) of the provincial population. Afrikaans is spoken by 12.4% of the Free State’s population, 10.4% of the people of the Eastern Cape, and 8.8% of the people of North West. Home language to: 13.5% of the population (6 855 082 people) Linguistic lineage: Indo-European > Germanic > West Germanic > Low Franconian > Afrikaans Source: Census 2011 and Ethnologue English English has been both a highly influential language in South Africa, and a language influenced, in turn, by adaptation in the country’s different communities. Around half of the country’s people have a speaking knowledge of English.

English was declared the official language of the Cape Colony in 1822 (replacing Dutch), and the stated language policy of the government of the time was one of Anglicisation. On the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, which united the former Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State with the Cape and Natal colonies, English was made the official language together with Dutch, which was replaced by Afrikaans in 1925. Today, English is South Africa’s lingua franca, and the primary language of government, business, and commerce. The new education curriculum makes two languages compulsory at school, with English the language of learning and teaching at most schools and tertiary educations. According to the 2011 census, English is spoken as a home language by almost 5- million people (or 8.2% of the population). South Africa’s Asian people, most of whom are Indian in origin, are largely English-speaking, although many also retain their languages of origin. There is also a significant group of Chinese South Africans, also largely English-speaking but who also retain their languages of origin as well.

South African English is an established and unique dialect, with strong influences from Afrikaans and the country’s many African languages. For example: “The old lady has been tuning me grief all avie, after she bust me and the okes gooi-ing yooees in her tjor”, would translate as: “My mother has been shouting at me all afternoon after she caught my friends and I doing U-turns in her car.” As a home language, English is most common in Gauteng, where more than a third (32.8%) of all English-speaking South Africans are found, making up 13% of the provincial population. Just less than a third (27.3%) of English speakers live in KwaZulu Natal, where it is the language of 13% of the people in the province, and 23.5% in the Western Cape, where it is spoken by 19.7% of the provincial population.

Home language to: 9.6% of the population (4 892 623 people) Linguistic lineage: Indo-European > Germanic > West Germanic > English Source: Statistics SA and Ethnologue isiNdebele isiNdebele, the language of the Ndebele people, is one of South Africa’s four Nguni languages. The Ndebele were originally an offshoot of the Nguni people of KwaZulu- Natal, while the languages amaNala and amaNzunza are related to those of Zimbabwe’s amaNdebele people. Like the country’s other African languages, isiNdebele is a tonal language, governed by the noun, which dominates the sentence. isiNdebele is a minority language, spoken by only 2% of South Africa’s population, or just over 1-million people. It is largely found in Mpumalanga, where 37% of its speakers are found, or 10% of the provincial population. More than a third of isiNdebele speakers reside in Gauteng, but make up only 3% of the province’s population.

Home language to: 2.1% of the population (1 090 223 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Nguni > isNdebele Alternate and historical names: Tabele, Tebele, Ndebele, Sindebele, Northern Ndebele Source: Statistics SA and Ethnologue isiXhosa South Africa’s second-largest language, isiXhosa is spoken by 16% of all South Africans, or 8-million people. It is a regional language, with a third of its speakers living in the Eastern Cape, where it is the language of almost 78% of the provincial population. It’s also strong in the bordering Western Cape, where 17% of all isiXhosa speakers live, making up nearly a quarter (24%) of the provincial population.

There are a fair number of isiXhosa speakers in the Free State (7.5%), Gauteng (6.6%), North West (5.5%) and the Nothern Cape (5.3%) and Gauteng, but it is not widely spoken in the other provinces. isiXhosa is one of the country’s four Nguni languages. It too is a tonal language, governed by the noun, which dominates the sentence. While it shares much of its words and grammar with isiZulu, 15% of its vocabulary is estimated to be of Khoekhoe (Khoisan, or Khoi and Bushman) origin.

Home language to: 16% of the population (8 154 258 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Nguni > isiXhosa Alternate and historical names: Xhosa, Xosa, Koosa Dialects: Gealeka, Ndlambe, Gaika (Ncqika), Thembu, Bomvana, Mpondomse (Mpondomisi), Mpondo, Xesibe, Rhathabe, Bhaca, Cele, Hlubi, Mfengu. Source: Statistics SA and Ethnologue isiZulu isiZulu is the most common language in South Africa, spoken by nearly 23% of the total population, or 11.6-million people. It’s the language of South Africa’s largest ethnic group, the Zulu people, who take their name from the chief who founded the royal line in the 16th century. The warrior king Shaka raised the nation to prominence in the early 19th century. The current monarch is King Goodwill Zwelithini.

A tonal language and one of the country’s four Nguni languages, isiZulu is closely related to isiXhosa. It is probably the most widely understood African language in South Africa, spoken from the Cape to Zimbabwe. The writing of Zulu was started by missionaries in what was then Natal in the 19th century, with the first Zulu translation of the bible produced in 1883. isiZulu is an extremely regional language, with 77.8% of its speakers to be found in KwaZulu-Natal. More than 18% of isiZulu speakers are to be found in Gauteng, the second province in which it is in the majority, with its speakers making up 19.5% of the provincial population. In Mpumalanga it is spoken by nearly a quarter of the population, who make up 7.6% of all South African isiZulu speakers. The presence of the language in the remaining six provinces is negligible.

Home language to: 22.7% of the population (11 587 374 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Nguni > isiZulu Alternate and historical names: Zulu, Zunda Dialects: Lala, Qwabe Source: Census 2011 and Ethnologue Sesotho sa Leboa Sesotho sa Leboa, or Northern Sotho, is referred to as Sepedi in the Constitution. However, this is inaccurate, as Sepedi is just one of some 30 dialects of the Northern Sotho language, and linguists do not consider that the two are not interchangeable. Sesotho sa Leboa is the fourth most common language in South Africa, spoken as a home language by 9.1% of the population, or 4.6-million people. It is one of South Africa’s three Sotho languages, with different dialect clusters found in the area where it is spoken.

Sesotho sa Leboa is the language of Limpopo, where it is spoken by more than half of the provincial population. In fact, 61% of all people who speak Sesotho sa Leboa live in Limpopo. It is also found in Gauteng, where nearly third (27.8%) of Sesotho sa Leboa speakers are to be found, making up 10.5% of the population. In Mpumalanga, 9.3% of the population speak Sesotho sa Leboa, or 8% of all speakers of the language. Confusion in the Constitution: According to the Parliamentary Monitoring Group, the language was mentioned correctly as Sesotho sa Leboa in the interim Constitution of 1993. However, when the final version of the Constitution came into law in 1996, the language had been changed to Sepedi. The reason for the change has not been established. References to Sesotho sa Leboa were retained in the nine other translations.

The Pan South African Language Board (Pansalb), set up by the government to promote multilingualism and language rights, supports the use of Sesotho sa Leboa, but says it also uses both words in certain structures to avoid conflict.

Home language to: 9.1% of the population (4 618 576 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Sotho-Tswana > Sotho > Northern Sotho Alternate and historical names: Pedi, Sepedi, Northern Sotho, Sesotho sa Leboa Dialects: Masemola (Masemula, Tau), Kgaga (Kxaxa, Khaga), Koni (Kone), Tswene (Tsweni), Gananwa (Xananwa, Hananwa), Pulana, Phalaborwa (Phalaburwa, Thephalaborwa), Khutswe (Khutswi, Kutswe), Lobedu (Lubedu, Lovedu, Khelobedu), Tlokwa (Tlokoa, Tokwa, Dogwa), Pai, Dzwabo (Thabine-Roka-Nareng), Kopa, Matlala-Moletshi.

Dialects Pai, Kutswe, and Pulana are more divergent and sometimes called “Eastern Sotho”. Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa and Setswana are largely mutually intelligible, but have generally been considered separate languages. Source: Statistics SA and Ethnologue Sesotho Sesotho is another of South Africa’s three Sotho languages, spoken by 7.6% of the country’s population, or 3.8-million people. It is the language of the Free State, which borders the kingdom of Lesotho, a country entirely surrounded by South African territory. Sesotho is spoken by 62.6% of the Free State population, with almost half of all Sesotho-speaking South Africans living there. It is also found in Gauteng, where it is spoken by 11% of the provincial population, which is more than a third (36%) of all Sesotho-speaking South Africans. In North West it is spoken by 5.7% of people who live there. Sesotho was one of the first African languages to be rendered in written form, and it has an extensive literature.

Sesotho writing was initiated by the missionaries Casalis and Arbousset of the Paris Evangelical Mission, who arrived at Thaba Bosiu in 1833. The original written form was based on the Tlokwa dialect, but today is mostly based on the Kwena and Fokeng dialects, although there are variations. The first work of Sesotho literature was Thomas Mofolo’s classic novel Chaka, which was completed in 1910 and published in 1925, with the first English translation produced in 1930. The book reinvents the legendary Zulu king Shaka, portraying him as a heroic but tragic figure, a monarch to rival Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Home language to: 7.6% of the population (3 849 563 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Sotho-Tswana > Sotho > Sesotho Alternate and historical names: Suto, Suthu, Souto, Sisutho, Southern Sotho Dialects: Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa and Setswana are largely mutually intelligible, but have generally been considered separate languages. Source: Statistics SA and Ethnologue Setswana Setswana is largely found in North West, a province bordering the country of Botswana, where the language dominates. One of South Africa’s three Sotho languages, it is the country’s sixth most common home language, being spoken by 8% of the total population, or just over 4-million people. Setswana is spoken by 63.4% of all North West residents, where 53.8% of all Setswana- speaking South Africans live.

It is also found in the Northern Cape, where it is spoken by 33% of the provincial population, as well as in Gauteng (9.1%) and the Free State (5.2%). Setswana was the first Sotho language to have a written form. In 1806, Heinrich Lictenstein wrote Upon the Language of the Beetjuana (as a British protectorate, Botswana was originally known as Bechuanaland). In 1818, Dr Robert Moffat from the London Missionary Society arrived among the Batlhaping in Kudumane, and built Botswana’s first school. In 1825 he realised that he must use and write Setswana in his teachings, and began a long translation of the Bible into Setswana, which was finally completed in 1857. One of most famous Setswana speakers was the intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator and writer Sol T Plaatje. A founder member of the African National Congress, Plaatje was fluent in at least seven languages, and translated the works of Shakespeare into Setswana.

Home language to: 8% of the population (4 067 248 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Sotho-Tswana > Tswana Alternate and historical names: Chuana, Coana, Cuana, Tswana, Sechuana, Beetjuans Dialects: Hurutshe, Kwena, Ngwato, Ngwaketse, Tlhaping, Rolong, Tlokwa, Kgatla, Lete (originally a non-Tswana tribe). Other dialects include Khurutshe, Kubung, and Nare. Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa and Setswana are largely mutually intelligible, but are separate languages. Source: Census 2011 and Ethnologue siSwati SisSwati is one of South Africa’s minority languages, spoken by only 2.5% of South Africans, or just under 1.3-million people.

It is the language of the Swazi nation, spoken mainly in eastern Mpumalanga, an area that borders the Kingdom of Swaziland. The Swazi people originated from the Pongola river valley in KwaZulu-Natal, migrating from there to Swaziland. Their country was under British control from 1903 to 1968. The vast majority (85%) of sisSwati speakers live in Mpumalanga, where they are the majority linguistic group, making up 27.4% of the provincial population. Just over 10% of siSwati speakers are found in Gauteng, where they make up only 1.1% of the population. SiSwati is one of South Africa’s four Nguni languages, and is closely related to isiZulu. But much has been done in the last few decades to enforce the differences between the languages for the purpose of standardising siSwati.

Home language to: 2.5% of the population (1 297 046 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Nguni > siSwati Alternate and historical names: Swazi, isiSwazi, Swati, Tekela, Tekeza Dialects: Baca, Hlubi, Phuthi Source: Statistics SA and Ethnologue Tshivenda Tshivenda is generally regarded as a language isolate among S-group languages. While the Nguni group, for example, has four languages (isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati and isiNdebele), the Venda group has only one – Tshivenda. It is the tongue the Venda people, who are culturally closer to the Shona people of Zimbabwe than to any other South African group. Another of South Africa’s minority languages, it is spoken by 2.4% of South Africans, or a little more than 1.2-million people.

It is concentrated in the province of Limpopo, where almost 74% of Tshivenda speakers live, or 16.7% of the provincial population. Another 22.5% of Tshivenda speakers live in Gauteng, where they make up 2.3% of the population. Tshivenda shares features with Shona and Sesotho sa Leboa, with some influence from Nguni languages. The Tshipani variety of the language is used as the standard. The Venda people first settled in the Soutpansberg Mountains region, where the ruins of their first capital, Dzata’s, can still be found.

Home language to: 2.4% of the population (1 209 388 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Tshivenda Alternate and historical names: Venda, Chivenda Dialects: Phani, Tavha-Tsindi, Ilafuri, Manda, Guvhu, Mbedzi, Lembetu Source: Statistics SA and Ethnologue Xitsonga The Tsonga people came to South Africa long after most other African people, settling in the Limpopo River valley. Their language, Xitsonga, is spoken by 4.5% of the national population, or around 2.3- million people. It is found in Limpopo (39.8% of Xitsonga speakers and 17% of the provincial population), Gauteng (34.9% of speakers and 6.6% of the population) and Mpumalanga (18.3% and 10.4%).

It is also found in eastern Limpopo and Mumalanga, areas near the border of the country of Mozambique, as well as in southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe. Xitsonga is similar to Xishangana, the language of the Shangaan people, with some Nguni influences. Home language to: 4.5% of the population (2 277 148 people) Linguistic lineage: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta- Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > S group > Tswa-Ronga > Xitsonga Alternate and historical names: Tsonga, Shitsonga, Thonga, Tonga, Shangana, Shangaan Dialects: Luleke (Xiluleke), Gwamba (Gwapa), Changana, Hlave, Kande, N’walungu (Shingwalungu), Xonga, Jonga (Dzonga), Nkuma, Songa, Nhlanganu (Shihlanganu).

“Tsonga” can be used to describe Xishangana (Shangana or Changana), Tswa, and Ronga, although it is often used interchangeably with Xishangana, the most prestigious of the three. All are recognised as languages, although they are mutually intelligible. Source: Census 2011 and Ethnologue Indigenous creoles and pidgins Tsotsi taal, an amalgam of Afrikaans, English and a number of African languages, is widely spoken in urban areas, mainly by males. The word “tsotsi” means “gangster” or “hoodlum” – given the association with urban criminality – while “taal” is Afrikaans for “language”. Otherwise known as Iscamtho, tsotsi taal developed in cities and townships to facilitate communication between the different language groups. It is a dynamic language, with new words and phrases added regularly. Fanagalo is a pidgin that developed on South Africa’s gold mines, to allow communication between white supervisors and African labourers during the colonial and apartheid era.

It is essentially a simplified version of isiZulu and isiXhosa – about 70% of the lexicon is from isiZulu – and incorporates elements from English, Dutch, Afrikaans and Portuguese. Source: SAinfo reporter and MediaClubSouthAfrica.com – get free high-resolution photos and professional feature articles from Brand South Africa’s media service. Reviewed: August 2015 Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See: Using SAinfo material TAGS

Question: From which language do we get the words 'apartheid' and 'yacht'?
Answer: DUTCH