Dinamika van Kaaps-Hollands - belangrike nuwe insigte in die ontwikkeling en standaardisering van Afrikaans

Abstract

In the standardization of languages ,a single regional and/or social dialect is often presupposed which forms the phonological, morphological, and syntactic base of the new standard language. In the case of Afrikaans it was not otherwise. But cases of standard languages which are based on a single regional or social dialect are rare. In most cases standard languages have been shaped by a process of dialect levelling and koinization. In the case of Afrikaans this has been a central point of departure of most historical linguists. The so-called philological school viewed Afrikaans as the outcome of a "natural" process of language change boosted by forces of second language learning. This has been disputed by historical linguists such as Den Besten and Roberge who view language contact as a central force. But the actual fusing process which remodelled the dynamic social dialect continuum which was Cape Dutch has not received much attention. In this article the new insights which the work of Ana Deumert sheds on the standardization and development of modern Standard Afrikaans is discussed in relation to other theoretical view points.