Two significant moments in the history of Kaaps

Abstract

Two matters are considered in this paper.(i) The identification of the first version of Kaaps, the progenitor of Afrikaans. The earliestversion of Kaaps was recorded during the first period of the history of Afrikaans – theperiod prior to 1652. This period commences with the first visits to the Cape by Dutchmariners. The written records of Kaaps dating from that period are older than anyother manifestation of forms in Afrikaans. Some of these early words are currently stillin use among speakers of Kaaps, while others have been incorporated into StandardAfrikaans, or appear in dictionaries and the AWS (Afrikaanse Woordelys en Spelreëls –Wordlist and Spelling rules for Afrikaans). Some even continue to survive in the spokenAfrikaans of a number of regional dialects. Reference is also made in this chapter tohow Kaaps eventually developed and played an important role in the shaping of othervarieties of Afrikaans.(ii) The circumstances leading to the incorporation of elements of other varieties into the coredescription of Afrikaans. In describing Afrikaans, language historians usually ask whereparticular words and constructions come from. But the question how is actually ofgreater value when investigating the development of Afrikaans. Ek (I) is a word inKaaps which was, over time, absorbed into general use in Afrikaans. An analysis ofhow this process took place reveals that the ‘how’ questions are of greater importancein the history of the language than the ‘when’ and ‘where’ questions. The true story ofAfrikaans is a socio-historical one. Destigmatization, and the circumstances leading tochanging norms, are evoked by the ‘how’ questions.