Afrikaans "just grew' from the soil of South Africa. In the human melting pot of the Cape it was inevitable that, from the original Dutch spoken by the first settlers, a colloquial form would be evolved by people such as the Khoikhoi and slaves from Malaya, Indonesia, Madagascar and West Africa.
These diverse peoples all needed to communicate and a modified version of Dutch, with many words from the other languages, was used as a language common to all. It developed further as Huguenot settlers added words and altered the sound of other words.
The Monument's design has specific meanings: Three linked columns symbolise the contribution of the Western world to Afrikaans, three rounded shapes represent the contribution of Africa, and a wall for the contribution of the Malaysian people.
A fountain symbolizes new ideas and a pillar soaring 57 meters above the fountain represents the growth of the language. The pillar is hollow, and light from above pours down it, illuminating the fountain. A second pillar represents the political development of South Africa and its close associations with the growth of Afrikaans.
The museum is located in the Gideon Malherbe House in the centre of Paarl.
Open:
Mon. to Sun. 08:00–17:00 (Apr. to Sep.)
08:00–20:00 (Oct. tot Mar.)
24 Dec. & 1 Jan.: 08:00–12:00
Closed: Christmas and New Year's Day
