Arabic Afrikaans (Afrikaans: ; ) or Lisan-e-Afrikaans () is a form of Afrikaans written in the Perso-Arabic script which began in the madrasas of Cape Town, South Africa in the 1830s. Apart from a 16th-century manuscript in the German language written with Arabic script,compare the Lutheran hymn in the following picture. [Martin Luther]: . In: [Anon.]: Meǧmūʿa. [o.O.u.J.] fol. 40r.-41v. http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00642162 also the digitalization of the full picture http://data.onb.ac.at/dtl/3373545 (accessed 2019-01-15). it is the only Germanic language known to have been written in the Perso-Arabic script. Arabic Afrikaans is not a mixed language.
Extant texts Seventy-four Arabic Afrikaans texts are extant. The earliest, the Hidyat al-Islam, is dated 1845, although its source manuscript no longer exists. The oldest surviving manuscript was written by the imam Abdul-Kahhar ibn Abdul-Malik in 1868 and describes basic Islamic learning. Islam had arrived among the Malays during the early 15th century and these works were most likely teaching tools, a way for Muslim teachers to instruct Malay slaves in the Cape while not necessarily being able to speak Dutch very well or at all.
According to the German , one of the primary scholars in the linguistics of Arabic Afrikaans, about 20 people were responsible for these Arabic Afrikaans texts, with the most important contributors being Abdul Kahhar ibn Hajji Abdul Malik in the early 19th century; Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Baha ud-Din and Ismail ibn Muhammad Hanif in the mid-19th century; and Abd ur-Rahman ibn Muhammad Al-Iraqi and Abu Bakr Effendi in the late 19th century.
Exposition of the Religion
The most professional version of an Arabic Afrikaans text was written in 1869 by Abu Bakr Effendi, who came from Istanbul to the Cape in 1862. Entitled (Exposition of the Religion) it laid out Islamic traditions according to the Hanafi religious law and was printed using Arabic script throughout, including transcriptions of Afrikaans. However, without translation it is nearly impossible for an Afrikaans-speaking person to understand the text, although some words in Exposition of the Religion do appear to resemble phonetic transliterations between Arabic script and the version of Afrikaans spoken by Cape Coloured people, mixed with Dutch.
For example, here is a paragraph of the book transcribed from the Arabic-alphabet text. The italics mark non-Afrikaans words. "Iek bagent diesie kitab met Allah (ta'ala) sain naam. Allah (ta'ala) es rizq giefar ien dunya fer al wat liefandag ies. Allah (ta'ala) es beriengar ien die gannat ien dag ahirat fer al die miesie an djinns wat oewhap iman gadoet het. Al die dank an parais es rieg fer Allah (ta'ala) alien. Allah (ta'ala) het gagief fer oewhans Islam sain agama. Islam sain agama oek waas gawies fantefoewhar Ibrahim sain agama... An Allah (ta'ala) het gamaak die Qur'an rasulullah sain hadit fer seker dalil fer oewhans... An Allah (ta'ala) het galaat oewhans wiet die riegtie wieg fan die ilms an gahelp fer oewhans oewham ta lier ander miesie oewhap die riegtie manierie." Here is the same paragraph translated into modern standard Afrikaans.
The first Arabic-alphabet version above uses an Arabic word in several places where modern Afrikaans uses a Germanic word since the Arabic words are entirely unknown in Afrikaans. For example, in the first line of the translation – meaning 'world' – is used for in the original.
Bilingual Qur'an A bilingual Arabic/Afrikaans Qur'an – perhaps written in the 1880s – used Arabic vowels. For example, Surah 67, Ayah 1 says:Michael Cook, The Koran, A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, , p. 93
Arabic: Afrikaans: No diacritics With diacritics Transliterated °n dī kūniň skap is bīdī hūka Allah taʿālā °n vārlik Allah taʿālā is bās fir aldī its. In Conventional Afrikaans Geseënd is Hy in wie se hand die koninkryk is. En die koningskap is by die hoë Allah taʿālā en waarlik Allah taʿālā is die baas van alle dinge. In English Blessed is the One in Whose hand is the kingdom. And the kingship is with the high Allah (may He be exalted) and truly Allah (may He be exalted) is the boss of all things. (° = vowel sign missing, ň = /ŋ/ as in "king", ʿ = ayn, underlined = in Arabic.)
In the Afrikaans text: ň is written as ayn but with three dots above . v is written as . f in "fir" has both an vowel and an vowel. The letter of prolongation in and has sukūn. The Afrikaans preposition is written as part of the next word, likely by copying Arabic language usage with some prepositions. The Afrikaans word = "all" is written as part of the next word, likely by copying Arabic language usage with - = "the".
Elements of the language
Script The Arabic Afrikaans script () used to write Afrikaans is a variant of the Perso-Arabic script and consists of 36 letters, as follows: ,, The Persian form of the Arabic alphabet also consists of 36 letters, but also includes extra letters for sounds that are not in the Arabic alphabet, as follows.
Afrikaans Alphabet Yy Ww - Hh Nn Mm Ll Gg/gg Gh/gh Kk/Cc W/w Ff/Vv Ng/ng Gg/Gh gg/gh Ch/Gh ch/gh - Zz Tt Zz SsSj sjSs/Cc Ss Zz Rr Zz Dd/TtCh ch HhXxTj tjDj dj Ss Tt/Dd Pp/BbBb - Arabic Alphabetي و ء ہ ن م ل گ ك ڤ ف ڠ ݝغع ظطض صشسژ ز ر ذ د خ ح ݗ چ ج ث ت پ ب ا IPA valuejwʔɦnmlgkvfŋgɣʔ(ʕ)ztzsʃsʒzrz(ð)dxɦ(ħ)kst͡ʃd͡ʒs(θ)tpbʔ
Vowels The following is a list of vowels used in Arabic Afrikaans. Afrikaans Latin Alphabet PronunciationAfrikaans Arabic Alphabet a ـَaa ـَآ، ـَاi/e ـِeeu/eu/uu ـِىe ىٖoe ـُoo ـُوْoei/ooi ـُویô ـُوî ـَـِىee ـِىْe ویْi ـِـَê ـَـِـٖo ـَـُi ـٖى،ـَـِû ـَویei آیai ـَىaai ـَای، آی Consonants The following is a list of consonants used in Arabic Afrikaans. + Consonant phonemes Labial Alveolar Post-alveolar Velar Uvular Glottal Nasal Plosive () () Fricative () Approximant Rhotic
Numerals The following is a list of basic cardinal numerals used in Arabic Afrikaans, with their Afrikaans Latin alphabet equivalents. Arabic form Number Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet (with diacritics) Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet (without diacritics) Afrikaans Latin Alphabet 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Lexicon The following are some key words in Arabic Afrikaans, with their Afrikaans equivalents. Arabic AfrikaansEnglish translationEtymologyAfrikaans Equivalent Kitaab کتاب book Arabic كتاب Boek بک dunya دنیا world Arabic دنيا Wêreld ڤرلت Aql عقل intellect Arabic عقل Ilm علم knowledge Arabic علم Kennis کنس Waqt وقت time Arabic وقت tyd تآیت Akhirat آخرة hereafter Arabic آخرة hierna هرنا Halaal حلال permitted Arabic حلال Haraam حرام forbidden Arabic حرام Haq حق rights Arabic حق reg رخ Maqsad مقصد goal Arabic مقصد doel دل Sawal سوال question Arabic سوال vraag فراخ Jawab جواب answer Arabic جواب Antwoord انتڤیرت Jannat جنت heaven Arabic جنة (construct case)hemel همل Jahanaam جهنم hell Arabic جهنم hel هیل Izzat عزت respect Arabic عزة (construct case) respek رسپیک Zillat / Dhillat ذلت disrespect Arabic ذلة (construct case) beledigen بلدغی awwal اول start, beginning Arabic اول begin بغن akhir آخر end, last Arabic آخر einde اندی din دین religion Arabic دين godsdiens ختسدنس Rizq رزق sustenance Arabic رزق ustad استاد teacher Persian onderwyser اندرڤآیزر Qaiser قیصر Caesar Arabic قيصر from Latin Caesar تسزغ/ سزغ lisan لسان language Arabic لسان taal تال dua دعا prayer Arabic دعاء bed بت sabr صبر patience Arabic صبر geduld غدلت salat صلات نماز ritual prayer Arabic صلاة (construct case), Persian ()rituele gebed برتییل خبویت dawat دعوت invitation(Islamic missionary activity) Arabic دعوة (construct case) uitnodiging اوییتنودغڠ Falsafah فلسفه philosophy Arabic فلسفة from Greek filosofie فلوسوفی Fitnah فتنه trial and tribulation Arabic فتنة ("strife" / "sedition") burgeroorlog بویرخررلخ ibaadat عبادت worship Arabic عبادة (construct case) aanbidding آنبدڠ iman ایمان faith Arabic إيمان geloof خلوف millat ملت personal law Ottoman Turkish from Arabic (construct case) persoonlike reg پرسنلک رخ yaqin یقین certainty, Arabic يقين sekerheid زکرہآیت Usul اصول principles Arabic أصول beginsel بغنسل Barakat برکت blessing Arabic بركة (construct case) seën سن hasan حسن good Arabic حسن goed غت hikmat حکمت wisdom Arabic حکمة (construct case) wysheid ڤسهت Baazaar بازار market Persian Baazaar بازار nikah نکاح marriage Arabic نكاح (archaic)bruiloft بروییلفت Qiyaamat قیامت Day of Resurrection Arabic قيامة (construct case, "judgment day") dag des oordeels دخ دی اوردلس alam عالم world Arabic عالم Wêreld ڤرلت insan انسان human Arabic إنسان mens منس haiwan حیوان animal Arabic حيوان dier در jahil جاهل ignorant Arabic جاهل onwetend انڤتنت wazir وزیر minister Arabic وزير minister منستر daftar دفتر notebook Arabic دفتر Notaboek نوتابک fasad فساد corruption Arabic فساد korrupsie کریپس hayat حیات life Arabic حياة (construct case) lewe لوی maut موت death Arabic موت dood دوت sabt سبت Saturday Arabic سبت Saterdag ساترداخ shams شمس sun Arabic شمس son سن junub جنوب south Arabic جنوب suid سویت qamar قمر moon Arabic قمر maan مان najm نجم star Arabic نجم ster ستیر zawja زوجه wife Arabic زوجة vrou فروی zawj زوج couple Arabic زوج paar پار shamaal شمال north Arabic شمال noord نورت gharb/maghrib مغرب غرب west Arabic مغرب غرب wes ڤیست yaum یوم day Arabic يوم dag دخ laylat لیلت night Arabic ليلة (construct case) nag نخ sharq/mashriq مشرق شرق east Arabic مشرق شرق oost اوست See also Aljamiado Cape Malays Islam in South Africa
References
Further reading
External links "Abu Bakr se 'Uiteensetting van die Godsdiens'", A. van Selms, 1979, North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam/Oxford/New York. (online version Abu Bakr Effendi, Uiteensetting van die godsdiens · dbnl)