Here's why:
* Origin: Afrikaans developed from 17th-century Dutch dialects spoken by European settlers in South Africa. This means it has roots in a much older language.
* Evolution: Languages constantly evolve. New languages emerge through processes like pidginization (simplified languages used for communication between speakers of different languages) and creolization (when pidgins become the native language of a community). Many modern languages, including English, have undergone such processes, making their origins complex.
* Modern Language Creation: In the 20th and 21st centuries, there have been deliberate attempts to create new languages. Some examples include:
* Toki Pona: A minimalist language designed for simplicity and ease of learning.
* Lojban: A constructed language based on logic and designed to be unambiguous.
* Volapük: An early attempt to create a universal language (though it ultimately failed).
While the precise age of a language is often difficult to pinpoint, these constructed languages are generally considered younger than Afrikaans.