Here's a breakdown of how it happened:
* Dutch Colonization: Dutch settlers arrived in South Africa in the 17th century.
* Language Evolution: Over time, the Dutch language spoken by the settlers began to evolve, influenced by:
* Contact with other languages: This included languages spoken by indigenous people of South Africa, as well as other European languages spoken by settlers.
* Geographic isolation: Being separated from the Netherlands, the language developed its own unique features.
* Standardization: In the 19th century, Afrikaans began to be seen as a distinct language, and efforts were made to standardize it.
* Recognition: Afrikaans was officially recognized as a language in South Africa in 1925.
Though it has its roots in Dutch, Afrikaans is now considered a separate language, with its own unique grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.