Arabic Afrikaans

Arabic Afrikaans عربس افركانس
Script type	Abjad
Direction	Right-to-left
Languages	Afrikaans
Related scripts
Parent systems	Proto-Sinaitic Phoenician Aramaic Nabataean Arabic Arabic Afrikaans

Arabic Afrikaans (Afrikaans: Arabies Afrikaans, Arabic Afrikaans: عربس افركانس) or Lisan-e-Afrikaans (لسانِ افرکانس) is a form of Afrikaans written in the Arabic script. It began in the 1830s in the madrasa in Cape Town. Beside a 16th-century manuscript in the German language written with Arabic script, it is the only Germanic language known to have been written in the Arabic script. Arabic Afrikaans is not a mixed language.

Letters

Overview

the Arabic Afrikāns alphabet

ݗ‎	خ‎	ح‎	چ‎	ج‎	ث‎	ت‎	پ‎	ب‎	ا‎
ksā	khā	hā	chīm	jīm	sā thā	tā	pā	bā	’alif
ط‎	ض‎	ص‎	ش‎	س‎	ژ‎	ز‎	ر‎	ذ‎	د‎
tāh	zād dād	sād	shīn	sīn	zhā	zā	rā	zāl dhāl	dāl
گ‎	ک‎	ق‎	ڤ‎	ف‎	ڠ‎	ݝ‎	غ‎	ع‎	ظ‎
gāf	kāf	qāf	vā	fā	ngīn	gīn	ghīn	aīn	zāh dāh
ے‎	ی‎	أ،ؤ،ئ‎	ء‎	و‎	ه‎	ن‎	م‎	ل‎	لا‎
yā	yā	hamzā alif, hamza wāw, hamza yā	hamzā	wāw	hā	nūn	mīm	lām	lām alif

The Arabic Afrikaans (Afrikaans: alifbe) is a variant of the Arabic alphabet used to write Afrikaans. It consists of 36 letters:

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

Ss

Sj sj

Ss/Cc

Ss

Zz

Rr

Zz

Dd/Tt

Ch ch

Hh

Xx

Tj tj

Dj dj

Ss

Tt/Dd

Pp/Bb

Bb

-

Arabic Alphabet

ی

و

ء

ہ

ن

م

ل

گ

ک

ڤ

ف

ڠ

ݝ

غ

ع

ظ

ط

ض

ص

ش

س

ژ

ز

ر

ذ

د

خ

ح

ݗ

چ

ج

ث

ت

پ

ب

ا

IPA value

j

w

ʔ

ɦ

n

m

l

g

k

v

f

ŋ

g

ɣ

ʔ(ʕ)

z

t

z

s

ʃ

s

ʒ

z

r

z(ð)

d

x

ɦ(ħ)

ks

t͡ʃ

d͡ʒ

s(θ)

t

p

b

ʔ

Note: This alphabet is the Persian form of the Arabic alphabet, with 36 letters, including extra letters for sounds that are not in the Arabic alphabet.

Vowels

Afrikaans Latin Alphabet	Pronunciation	Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet
a	/ɐ/	ـَ
aa	/ɑː/	ـَآ،ـَا
ie	/i/	ـِ
eeu/eu/uu	/iʊ/ɪə/y/	ـِى
e/è	/ɛ/	ىٖ
oe	/u/	ـُ
oo	/ʊə/	ـُوْ
oei/ooi	/uɪ/ɔːɪ/	ـُوی
ô	/ɔː/	ـُو
î	/əː/	ـَـِى
ee	/eə/	ـِىْ
e	/ɛ/	ویْ
i	/i~ə/	ـِـَ
ê	/eː/ɛː/	ـَـِـٖ
o	/ɔ/	ـَـُ
i	/ə/	ـٖى،ـَـِ
û	/œ/œː/	ـَوی
ei	/ɛi/	آی
ai	/aj/	ـَى
aai	/ɑːi/	ـَای،آی

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes

		Labial	Alveolar	Post- alveolar	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
Nasal		m	n		ŋ
Plosive	voiceless	p	t	t͡ʃ	k	(q)	(ʔ)
	voiced	b	d	d͡ʒ	ɡ
Fricative	voiceless	f	s	ʃ		χ
	voiced	v	z	ʒ		(ʁ)	ɦ
Approximant		w	l	j
Rhotic			r

Texts

Arabisi-Afrikaans 1872

Seventy-four Arabic Afrikaans texts are extant. The earliest, the "Hidyat al-Islam", is dated 1845, though its source manuscript no longer exists. The oldest surviving manuscript, which describes the basic Islamic learning, was written by the imam Abdul-Kahhar ibn Abdul-Malik in 1868. The most professional version was written in 1869 by Abu Bakr Effendi, who came from Istanbul to the Cape in 1862.

Uiteensetting van die Godsdiens

One of the best examples of this literature was Uiteensetting van die Godsdiens (Exposition of the Religion), a book laying out Islamic traditions according to the Hanafi religious law. Written by Abu Bakr Effendi, it was printed using Arabic script throughout, but contained transcriptions of Afrikaans.

According to one of the three experts in this field, the German Hans Kähler, about 20 people were responsible for the text, but the most important contributors to Arabic Afrikaans opinion were:

• Abdul Kahhar ibn Hajji Abdul Malik (early 19th century)
• Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Baha ud-Din (mid-19th century)
• Ismail ibn Muhammad Hanif (mid-19th century)
• Abd ur-Rahman ibn Muhammad Al-Iraqi (late 19th century), and
• Abu Bakr Effendi (late 19th century).

This is a paragraph of the book Uiteensetting van die godsdiens:

• Transcription of 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.

• Translation into modern standard Afrikaans:

  Ek begin hierdie boek met Allah (hy is verhewe) se naam. Allah (h.i.v.) is onderhouer in die wêreld vir al wat lewendig is. Allah (h.i.v.) is bringer in die paradys in die laaste dag vir al die mense en djinns wat oop iman gedoen het (m.a.w. in die geloof gesterwe het). Al die dank en prys is reg vir Allah (h.i.v.) alleen. Allah het gegee vir ons Islam se godsdiens. Islam se godsdiens ook was gewees vantevore Abraham se godsdiens...En Allah (h.i.v.) het gemaak die Koran en die profeet se hadit vir seker bewys vir ons...En Allah (h.i.v.) het gelaat ons weet die regte weg van die godsdienswetenskappe en gehelp vir ons om te leer ander mense op die regte manier.

The Arabic-alphabet version uses an Arabic word in several places where modern Afrikaans uses a Germanic word, e.g. dunya دنيا for wêreld, meaning 'world'. The Arabic words are entirely unknown in Afrikaans.

Without the above Translation into modern standard Afrikaans (which is in itself not standard Afrikaans although much closer to it), it is nearly impossible for an Afrikaans-speaking person to understand the above Transcription of the Arabic-alphabet text. Some words do however appear to resemble phonetic transliterations between Arabic script and the version of Afrikaans spoken by Cape Coloured people, mixed with Dutch.

Islam 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.

Qur'an

An example that used Arabic vowels was a handwritten Arabic–Afrikaans bilingual Quran (perhaps written in the 1880s). In it, for example, Surah 67, Ayah 1 says:

	Arabic:	Afrikaans:
No diacritics	تبارك الذي بيده الملك	ان دى كونڠ سكپ اس بيدى هوك الله تعالا ان ڤارلك الله تعالا اس باس فر الدى اتس
With diacritics	تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِيْ بِيَدِهِ ٱلمُلْكُ	ان دى كُوْنِڠْ سْكَپْ اس بِيْدِىْ هُوْكَ الله تعالا ان ڤَارْلِكْ الله تعالَا اِسْ بَاس فَِرْ اَلْدِىْ اِتْسْ
Transliterated	tabāraka -llaḏī bi-yadihi l-mulk[u]	°n dī kūnuň 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.)

Here in the Afrikaans text:

• /ŋ/ ň is written as ayn but with three dots above ڠ‎
• /v/ v is written as ڤ‎
• /f/ f in "fir" has both an /a/ vowel and an /i/ vowel.
• The letter of prolongation in ī and ū has sukūn.
• The Afrikaans preposition by is written as part of the next word, likely by copying Arabic language usage with some prepositions.
• The Afrikaans word al = "all" is written as part of the next word, likely by copying Arabic language usage with al- = "the".

Lexicon

Arabic Afrikaans		English translation	Etymology	Afrikaans 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	آخرت	Hereafter	Arabic آخرت	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 استاد	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 namaz	صلات نماز	ritual prayer	Arabic صلاة (construct case), Persian (نماز)	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 ملت from Arabic ملة (construct case)	persoonlike reg	پرسنلک رخ
yaqin	یقین	certainty,	Arabic يقين	zekerheid	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 بازار	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	west	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

Numerals

Arabic Afrikaans used Eastern Arabic numerals. The following is the list of basic cardinal numerals with the spelling in the Afrikaans Latin alphabet:

Arabic form	Number	Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet (with diacritics)	Afrikaans Arabic Alphabet (without diacritics)	Afrikaans Latin Alphabet
٠‎	0	نَویل/صِفِر	نویل/صفر	nul
١‎	1	اَِٖن	ان	een
٢‎	2	تڤِیْ	تڤی	twee
٣‎	3	درِ	در	drie
٤‎	4	ڤِر	ڤر	vier
٥‎	5	ڤآیف	ڤآیف	vyf
٦‎	6	سیٖس	سیس	ses
٧‎	7	سَِٖڤٖی	سڤی	sewe
٨‎	8	اَخت	اخت	agt
٩‎	9	نَِٖغٖی	نغی	nege
١٠‎	10	تنٖ	تن	tien

See also

• Aljamiado
• Cape Malays
• Islam in South Africa

References

• "Abu Bakr se 'Uiteensetting van die Godsdiens'", A. van Selms, 1979, North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam/Oxford/New York. ISBN 0-7204-8450-2 (online version Abu Bakr Effendi, Uiteensetting van die godsdiens · dbnl)

External links

• Media related to Arabic Afrikaans at Wikimedia Commons