grammatical constraints and motivations for - University of the ...

have always been exposed simultaneously. Perhaps codeswitching is not merely a
linguistic phenomenon displayed by speakers on the Cape Flats, but rather an
indication of the type of Afrikaans which previous generations had spoken as their
home language.
As mentioned earlier, Afrikaans was syntactically, lexically and semantically
influenced by English (Combrink, 1978 cited in Young, 1988), but only later
became “pure”, standard Afrikaans when all foreign elements were removed from
the language during its standardization in the twentieth century (Webb & Kembo-
Sure, 2000).
In the past, the Coloured community developed negative attitudes toward
Afrikaans because of the apartheid system. At this time, they began to develop
more positive attitudes towards English. Kaapse Afrikaans may, in this way, be
the result of positive attitudes toward English and negative attitudes towards
standard Afrikaans combined with respect for the language that generations of
speakers grew up with in the comforts of their homes.
Young (1988: 411) argues that “the increasing use of English to replace Afrikaans
is politically inspired and often motivated by a wish for upward mobility, rather
than out of appraisal of English as a superior language per se.”
Swanepoel (1992) comments that the movement towards ‘Kaapse Afrikaans’ has
its origin in black nationalism and speakers became mobilized for the freedom
struggle through this variety. Further, Swanepoel (1992: 146) also suggests that
one of the characteristics towards this sense of language nationalism is the strong
sentiments toward Standard Afrikaans combined with its identification with
Africa:
Die Kaapse beweging rondom Kaapse Afrikaans het byvoorbeeld sy breëre
voiding in swart nasionalisme end die sprekers van Kaapse Afrikaans word deur
hierdie variëteit gemobiliseer vir die bevrydingstryd. Een van die kenmerke van
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