Van Huyssteen, Gerhard B. 2018. “Norme vir ‘huidiglik’ [Norms for ‘huidiglik’].” Literator 39 (2):a1526. doi: https://doi.org/10.4102/lit.v39i2.1526.
Van Huyssteen 2018b
English: Afrikaans, orthography, prescriptive linguistics
Afrikaans: Afrikaans, ortografie, preskriptiewe linguistiek
English: Norms of huidiglik. In Afrikaans; huidiglik is a truly Janus-faced word: it is being used with high frequency in especially spoken language; while at the same time being one of the biggest language pet-peeves of language practitioners (and even ordinary speakers of Afrikaans). When asked why huidiglik should be avoided; these language practitioners and language users often cannot provide any reasoning about it. A comprehensive literature review also reveals that linguists and language practitioners often give contradictory; or even linguistically incorrect reasons for why huidiglik is supposedly not acceptable in (standard) Afrikaans. By comparing a variety of normative grammaticographic sources (such as reference guides and prescriptive grammars); this article shows that: (1) huidiglik originated; on a balance of probability; in the 1970s in the South African Parliament; and (2) apart from stylistic preferences (e.g. that it sounds pretentious; feigned and affectatious); none of the linguistic arguments against huidiglik holds water. In a supplementary article in this issue of the journal it is being illustrated that huidiglik is alive and well in written (Standard) Afrikaans.
Afrikaans:
In: Afrikaans
On: Afrikaans