SANParks.org Forums

Hence my snotklap comment above.

Opskop - Upkick , for having a party .
And Makietie - also meaning a party .

Some wonderful expressions coming through which illustrates how descriptive and sensory Afrikaans really can be. Which is why I become exasperated when hearing the younger generation sidestepping their heritage and turning everything into an anglicism. For example, why is a car now a "kar" and not a "motor" as it always was? The worst I've heard is a "pavement" for a pavement, instead of the classic "sypaadjie". Luckily words like biltong, boerewors, veld, and berg have been absorbed into English and will always remain Afrikaans.

Gesiggies (flowers), niksnut (someone who is naughty) and O wee! (Oh dear).

I agree OWN, Afrikaans is a wonderfully descriptive language with great poetics sayings. It is a pity some of its mother tonguers reduce it to boring and vague cliches.

Eina: a great word, no matter how you say it, usually loudly, and it comes with the relevant facial expression!
Gogga - horrible like a parkmore prawn, or ok like a grey bug.
guava, as in, he fell on his.....
Hap, as in give me a hap (of you pie), or like Hap-oor (for those older folk who remember our memorable ellie at Addo)
Isit? as in the Russians are coming, or I'm getting married next week.
My favourite - jawellnofine. What you say to your bank manager when he calls to tell you that you're overdrawn, or your SO tells you off.....
Just now: this is any time from the next five mintes to in, well, a while. In Aus, just now means right now!
Poitjie - another favourite, this conjures up thoughts of garlic and onion infused lamb shanks, cooked slowly, and half the fun was making the fire and coals earlier that day, then the bottle or two of red that was needed to wash this down. Of course you had finished off the Castles while making the fire. This is hot demanding work that requires constant rehydration.

One I've also heard is if somebody is cross with you,Hy Moet maar vir die selfde prys weer regkom.

He must come right again for the same price.

I think we may as well change this whole thread into Afrikaans

Jammer OOM

South Africans can get away with only buying/wearing half a garment, or using half a 'tool'.

Some of us buy and wear a trouser or a jean and (how the heck do they DO it?) cut with a scissor!

When South Africans undergo medical treatment, it is quite normal for them to be ‘under the doctor’. This does not mean that the doctor is sitting on them or worse, but that they are being treated by him for something or other.

Then there are those ( like me ) who have " mixed " marriages . I am Afrikaans , my SO is South African English , and we speak to each other in English . My familie used to speak to her only in Afrikaans ( calling her a rooinek ) , and she spoke back to them in South African English Afrikaans .
We have a daughter and a son , who grew up totally bi-lingual . She spoke to them in English and I speak to them in Afrikaans . The children went to Afrikaans schools , but speak to each other in English , and they speak English at home with their children , but I speak to my grand children in Afrikaans ( mainly ) .( Hey , I even speak Afrikaans to my dog ) .

I know a girl (afrikaans) that stayed with me in dorm at varsity that spoke French to all cats????

My father's second wife , also Afrikaans, was fluent in French, as anyone who annoyed her found out.

My Grandad learn to speak German after he got marriede to find out what my granny and her sisters were gossiping about in the kitchen.

Funny familie storie of the 2 brother arguing about a latin term and one of the staff on the farm corrected them. Found out that the grandad thought it was funny years prior to teach the "pickinin" that was in charge of helping him latin when he was unable to sleep at night.