Interesting

In South Africa, multilingualism is more likely to be a result of poverty than wealth. And switching between several languages in one conversation is common. You sometimes don’t even realise you are doing it.

Bar graph and pie chart showing South Africa’s languages, according to the 2022census. South Africa’s 12 official languages are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana (Sesotho sa Leboa), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, ans South African Sign Language. Other major languages include Khoi, Nama, San, Shona, Chichewa and Portuguese.

It’s actually quite difficult if you try to learn Swedish as an English speaker. People hear your accent and switch to English!

Hobos and vagabonds used to leave these symbols on surfaces to alert other travelers about the area.

Author: Janet Carr

Fashion, beauty and animal loving language consultant from South Africa living in Stockholm, Sweden.

3 thoughts

  1. The Ship of Theseus has been replaced by Trigger’s Broom here in the UK
    Trigger was a character in Only Fools And Horses. He was a municipal road sweeper, who’d been using the same broom every day of his working life. Apart, that is from the bristles, head, handle all of which had been frequently replaced at different times during his career 😉

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  2. Morning Janet

    Your article on SA languages is interesting. There is a 13th language and that is the Afrikaans dialect of “Cape Flats speak”. Eg the use of the word “Jy” in afrikaans (means you in english). In Cape Flats speak it is “Tjy” or “Djy”. Also the quant saying Tjou ma se……”. Dialect and crudeness it sure is.

    Hard to translate but there it is.

    Jack

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