Abstract
This chapter focuses on the historical development of genitive variation in White South African English (WSAfE), taking into consideration the longstanding English–Afrikaans contact situation in South Africa and the similarities between the constructions in English and Afrikaans. On the basis of a diachronic comparative study of WSAfE and Afrikaans (with British English functioning as a baseline) we aim to assess if and how the close contact between these two languages in South Africa has constrained the choice of genitive construction with non-animate possessors in WSAfE over the past 100 years. Overall, our analysis suggests that the development of genitive variation has run in tandem in the two languages, with both languages affecting each other over time. We also find that these cross-linguistic influence effects are mediated by register.
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