Why is tsotsitaal a mixed language?

Why is tsotsitaal a mixed language?

Tsotsitaal, the original variety, is based on Afrikaans, in which were originally added Tswana terms, and later terms from Zulu and other South African languages. Tsotsitaal spread first as a criminal language, as it had the power of insuring secrecy in the speech: only criminals at first could understand it.

Is tsotsitaal a pidgin?

Tsotsitaal is essentially a language made up of elements of Afrikaans and other languages spoken in South Africa. As a pidgin, it developed rapidly as a means of verbal communication between people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds in the urban milieux.

What language do people from Soweto speak?

The people of Soweto speak Zulu. They also speak Sotho, Tswana, and Xhosa, intermingled with a number of different vernacular dialects. They speak English and passable Afrikaans if they choose to.

What does Frostana mean?

Particularly favored is the intensifier blind (meaning “very”) and the verb frostana (from Afrikaans verstaan, “to understand”), giving rise to several versions of the phrase: ngiyakufrostana blind blind! ( literally, “I understand you totally”).

What is a township Tsotsi?

‘Tsotsi’ is also a slang term for a young black criminal, and the movie focuses on one such living in a wretched township on the outskirts of Johannesburg. He’s in his teens, illiterate and innumerate, and has taken the name Tsotsi as a nom de guerre to keep the horrors of his past at a distance.

Where is Afrikaans spoken in South Africa?

Like several other South African languages, Afrikaans is a cross-border language spanning sizeable communities of speakers in Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. In South Africa and Namibia it’s spoken across all social indices, by the poor and the rich, by rural and urban people, by the under-educated and the educated.

What does sullivant mean?

The old Gaelic name used by the Sullivant family in Ireland was O Suileabhain, which is partially derived from the word “suil,” which means “eye.” The surname probably means either one-eyed or hawk-eyed.

What is Kokomane in Setswana?

Kokomana. /ko-ko-ma-na / Grammar:noun. A great grandchild.

Who is Isaiah in Tsotsi?

Isaiah is a young man in the service of the church who is oppressed by the white landlord of the church grounds. His name means salvation which is symbolic because he saves Tsotsi from his past by inviting him to return to the church to be cleansed of his sins.

Is Afrikaans spoken in Zimbabwe?

Today, Afrikaans is spoken by a small minority of Zimbabweans, less than one percent of the population and the number of whom has declined significantly since 1980. Today’s, Afrikaans speakers in Zimbabwe are typically recent Afrikaner immigrants from South Africa or their descendants.

What does Salibet mean?

Salibet Cream is a prescription medicine having a combination of medicines that is used to treat eczema and psoriasis. It provides relief from redness, itching and swelling. It removes the dead skin cells and helps in softening the skin.