Since no recent study has been done about Afrikaans Fisher language the aim of this article is to give an updated linguistic description of this variety.1 Heiberg (1957) conducted a previous study. Varieties change all the time (D'Arcy, 2015:484) and Afrikaans Fisher language is no exception. Due to Covid-19 the researchers were unable to focus exclusively on subsistence fisher communities. Covid anxiousness led to the fact that many fishers did not want to take part in this qualitative study, in which, inter alia, questionnaires and interviews were used (Blume, 2023:35). All fishers indicating their willingness to participate were chosen as respondents if they were between 18 and 75 years of age. The sample of forty fishers is therefore small but is supplemented by various other sources. The areas covered were the coastal areas of the Eastern, Southwestern and Western Cape (Blume, 2023:35). Afrikaans Fisher language has been influenced by different languages, especially Dutch, Portuguese, Malay and English and is recognised as a variety due to several unique words and expressions. Stell, Luffin and Rakiep (2008:293) indicate that the initial Malay and Creole Portuguese of the 20th century led to the development of Muslim Afrikaans. Heiberg (1957:96) explains that the names of certain types offish have an Eastern origin and that they most probably show Malay or Portuguese influence, for example: daeraad: Portuguese, dorado, English dageraad (Blume, 2023:80). Dutch words like dòòdstròòm, kabbelau, omweer/onweer, platvisch (to mention a few) show remarkable similarities with Afrikaans (see Overdiep, 1940; Blume, 2023:108). The list below indicates examples of English influence: bait: something to lure the fish with bait caster: somebody who uses live bait to catch fish beaut: (noun) - a big or pretty fish beautiful: to describe a fish that is big or pretty bottom feeders: Amongst others steenbras, kapenaars, Rooi Roman, Miss Lucy, etcetera cast: fishing method using a hook, line, sinker and bait catch and release: catch fish and throw them back into the water chum, chumming: use bait to get a lot of fish in one place coffee grinder: a type of pulley drag, smooth drag: the breaks on the pulley - "die drag is smooth". dropshot: hook made of steel with a built-in sinker and bait which is used to catch fish edge - "daai edge gee": have a better chance of a catch happy days: exclamation of joy hook-up, double hook-up: when fish bite or when more than one fish is caught on one hook live bait: bait that is alive pink prawn: type of sand or mud prawn popper: artificial bait in the form of small fish pull: when you can see that a fish bites because of the movement of the line rocket: used to describe a fast fish - "Hy swem soos 'n rocket." run: when thefish bit but try to swim away with the hook and bait. The Afrikaans equivalents loop and hardloop are also used. single: when only one hook is used size: when a fish is legally big enough spinner: type of bait made of metal which turns around in the water tentacle: a type of bait, specifically octopus tentacle tooth wire: strong line used to catch fish trawl: method of pulling bait behind a boat trigger: "hongerkliertjie trigger": stimulation of the glands on certain types offish, usually when the chum method is used try wind: used instead of probeer inkatrol unbelievable: emotional exclamation wangle: manipulate tools to function as they should Hybrid (English and Afrikaans) forms are frequently used: The following English fish names are used: banded galjoen: also known as bastard galjoen, demba. belman: other names are baardman, belvis, tasselfish. bronze bream: alternative names are hottentot, das, Jan Bruin, John Brown, fat fish, copper bream, Nyizala, butterfish, etcetera. bronzy: variant of bronze bream. cob: kabeljou flatty: frequently used in the Eastern Cape instead of Kaapse stompneus. garrick: also called leervis, leerfish grunter: instead of knorhaan gruntertjie: instead of knorhaan Miss Lucy: instead of rooistompneus pig/pig nose: instead of witneussteenbras pyltail (stingray): instead of pylstert, skerpneuspylstert, blou pylstert, vlinderrog raggie: from ragged toothed shark instead of yellow shark, brown shark shad: (Afrikaans: elf) swart musselcracker: (Afrikaans: poenskop). This fish is also known as black biskop, witbek, black steenbras, saqomolo, swartbiskop. Most fishers use either musselcracker or poenskop. tiger: instead of tiger shark wit musselcracker: Also known as brusher, mussel crusher, silver steenbras, white biskop. Most fishers use musselcracker instead of biskop. yellowtail: Seriola lalandi (Blume, 2023:155-157). Fisher language differs in terms of degrees of standardisation as certain words also occur in the general vocabulary, as indicated in the latest Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (HAT). Some words are not standardised as they are English words, for example shad (instead of elf) or they consist of hybrid forms, containing English and Afrikaans elements, like raggie for a specific type of shark. Other words and expressions are not included in the HAT, probably as they are not so well-known or frequently used in the general lexicon, for example bonnie/ bonnietjie instead of bonito. Stylistic variation is evident in the usage of the frequently used informal word flattie instead of stompneus. The degree of education can also lead to variation, as in skuide for skuite and kiewe for kieue. Certain meaning distinctions relating to Fisher language do not occur in the HAT, for example mas used as a verb and the meaning distinction "small boat" at the lemma bakkie.
Afrikaanse visserstaal is deur verskillende tale beïnvloed, waaronder veral Nederlands, Portugees, Maleis en Engels en word as variëteit onderskei op grond van heelwat unieke woorde en uitdrukkings. Daar is min geografiese differensiasie tussen Oos-Kaapse en Wes-Kaapse visserstaal as gevolg van die dialekkontinuum (Blume, 2023). Woorde in Afrikaanse visserstaal verskil ten opsigte van gestandaardiseerdheid deurdat sommige woorde ook in die algemene woordeskat voorkom, soos in die nuutste HAT aangedui. Sommige woorde is nie gestandaardiseer nie aangesien hulle Engelse woorde is, byvoorbeeld shad, of 'n hibridiese vorm van Engels en Afrikaans is, byvoorbeeld raggie. Ander woorde en uitdrukkings is nie in die HAT opgeneem nie, waarskynlik omdat hulle nie so bekend/gebruiklik is in die algemene leksikon nie, byvoorbeeld bonnie/bonnietjie in plaas van die standaardwoord bonito. Stylvlakverskille kom voor by die Standaardafrikaanse woord stompneus teenoorflatty (informeel). Laasgenoemde word eerder onder die vissers gebruik. Dit geld ook vir die gebruik van visserman teenoor visterman. Enkele woorde in HAT6 bevat nie die visserstaal-betekenisonderskeiding nie, byvoorbeeld bakkie en mas as werkwoord.