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Afrikaans
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Afrikaans is the first language of approximately 60% of South Africa's "Whites", and over 80% of the "Coloured" (mixed-race) population. The race with the highest number of Afrikaans speakers, are the "Coloureds" (3 million), followed closely by "Whites" (2.6 million). Some 200 thousand "Bantu" South Africans speak it as their home language.[2] Large numbers of "Bantu" South Africans, Indians, and English-speaking "Whites" (Anglo-Africans) ... speak it as their second language.
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The first complete translation of the Bible into Afrikaans was made in 1933. According to Act 8 of 1925 of South Africa it became the official language (incorporated with Dutch) together with English. The language was promoted alongside Afrikaner nationalism after 1948 and played an important role in minority white rule in Apartheid South Africa. The usage of Afrikaans in schools was one of the reasons for the 1976 Soweto uprising. With the new constitution of South Africa (1996) it was again accepted as one of the official languages of South Africa.
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Under South Africa's democratic Constitution of 1996, Afrikaans remains an official language, and in addition to English, there are nine other official languages with which it now has equal status. The new dispensation means that Afrikaans is often downgraded in favour of English, or to accommodate the other official languages. In 1996, for example, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reduced the amount of television airtime in Afrikaans, while South African Airways dropped its Afrikaans name
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Afrikaans does not have its own linguistic society. Most Afrikaans linguists belong ... to The Linguistic Society of South Africa. The Society publishes an academic journal; The SA Journal of Linguistics and every year it holds a national linguistics conference.
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In spite of these moves (which have upset many Afrikaans speakers), the language has remained strong, with Afrikaans newspapers and magazines continuing to have large circulation figures. Indeed the Afrikaans language general interest family magazine Huisgenoot, has the largest readership of any magazine in the country. In addition, a pay-TV channel in Afrikaans called KykNet was launched in 1999, and an Afrikaans music channel, MK, in 2005. A large number of Afrikaans books are still published every year, mainly by the publishers Human & Rousseau, Tafelberg Uitgewers, Struik, and Protea Boekhuis. Afrikaans music is ... flourishing, with artists like Nicholis Louw, Eden, and Shine 4 singing in the language.
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The lead was taken by the Orange Free State synod which recognized Afrikaans when it met in 1916 and decided to translate the Bible into Afrikaans. The other churches quickly followed the example: translators of the Bible were nominated, and after considerable delay it was decided in 1923 that the translation should be from the original languages. The Academy named advisers on language to help with the translation, and the complete Bible appeared in Afrikaans in 1933. The rhymed Psalms followed in 1937 and hymns in 1944. Afrikaans had ... conquered the church.
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Afrikaans