Eish, But Is It English? - Celebrating The South African Variety (Hardcover)

Did you know that there was English in South Africa before the English? Have you ever wondered where the words ‘tsotsi’, ‘larney’, ‘gogga’ and ‘chakalaka’ come from? Do you know that the first sentence uttered by a South African in English was ‘Coeree home go’, by a kidnapped Khoikhoi man in 1613?

South Africa is home to several unique varieties of English. This entertaining book traces the evolution of the language in the country, looking at the diverse forms of English spoken here, where they come from and how they fit into the world spectrum of English.

Humorous and informative, it outlines the distinctive features of South African English and is packed with examples and explanations of common expressions, slang, pronunciations and typically South African words and phrases, including ‘bunny chow’, ‘just now’, ‘veldskoen’, ‘sundowner’ and, of course, ‘eish’. The text is enriched with up-to-date, often hilarious illustrations of key concepts.