Many of the languages spoken today have roots in some of the world's oldest civilizations . However, many other languages that we interact with are fairly new. Some languages have a blend of both the old and the new (such as English). One of the youngest languages in the world is actually Afrikaans, which has been spoken in South Africa for around 300 years or so. Despite this, the language was actually only officially recognized exactly 100 years ago, as of 2025. Now, it's one of South Africa's 12 officially recognized languages.

Afrikaans emerged as a unique blend of cultures around South Africa's Cape after Dutch settlers interacted with local indigenous peoples and slaves. Thus, this new language is rich, complex, and controversial, as it blends elements from Dutch, Khoisan language

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