South African English

South African English

Part of a series on the
Culture of South Africa
History
People
Languages
  • Afrikaans
  • English
  • Ndebele
  • Northern Sotho
  • Sotho
  • Swazi
  • Tswana
  • Tsonga
  • Venda
  • Xhosa
  • Zulu
Traditions
Mythology and folklore
Cuisine
Festivals
  • Public holidays
Religion
Art
Literature
  • Writers
  • Poets
Music and performing arts
  • Musicians
Media
  • Radio
  • Television
  • Cinema
Sport
Monuments
  • World Heritage Sites
Symbols
  • Flag
  • National anthem
  • Coat of arms
Culture portal
South Africa portal

The term South African English (SAfrE, SAfrEng, SAE, en-ZA) is applied to the first-language dialects of English spoken by South Africans, with the L1 English variety spoken by Zimbabweans, Zambians and Namibians, being recognised as offshoots.

There is some social and regional variation within South African English. Social variation within South African English has been classified into three groupings: Cultivated, closely approximating Received Pronunciation and associated with upper class; General, a social indicator of the middle class, and Broad, associated with the working class, and closely approximating the second-language Afrikaans-English variety. This is similar to the case in Australian English.

Read more about South African English:  Pronunciation, Demographics, English Academy of Southern Africa, Examples of South African Accents

Famous quotes containing the words south, african and/or english:

    During Prohibition days, when South Carolina was actively advertising the iodine content of its vegetables, the Hell Hole brand of ‘liquid corn’ was notorious with its waggish slogan: ‘Not a Goiter in a Gallon.’
    —Administration in the State of Sout, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)

    The treatment of African and African American culture in our education was no different from their treatment in Tarzan movies.
    Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)

    He utters substantial English thoughts in plainest English dialects.... Indeed, for fluency and skill in the use of the English tongue, he is a master unrivaled. His felicity and power of expression surpass even his special merits as historian and critic.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)