Afrikaans

American  

[af-ri-kahns, -kahnz] / ˌæf rɪˈkɑns, -ˈkɑnz /

noun

1. Also called the Taal.  an official language of South Africa, developed out of the speech of 17th-century settlers from Holland and still very like Dutch.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to Afrikaans or Afrikaners.

Afrikaans British  

/ ˌæfrɪˈkɑːns, -ˈkɑːnz /

noun

1. Sometimes called: South African Dutch.  one of the official languages of the Republic of South Africa, closely related to Dutch

---

Etymology

Origin of Afrikaans

1895–1900; < Dutch, equivalent to Afrikaan native of Africa + -s -ish ¹

Example Sentences

As they grew up, they dropped N|uu altogether, speaking only Afrikaans.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

When he was 5 years old, tens of thousands of Black South African children protested the government’s policy to impose Afrikaans, the Dutch-based language of the apartheid state, in schools.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2025

Mbonambi denied the accusation, saying he had used an Afrikaans phrase that had been misconstrued, and World Rugby decided there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2024

The National Party formalized racial segregation policies in a system known as apartheid, an Afrikaans word that means “apartness” or “separateness.”

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2024

Each student’s curriculum was rounded off by the Afrikaans, English and vernacular languages.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane