Book excerpt: The development of Afrikaans is investigated within its sociohistorical context from the beginnings of the Afrikaans speech community in the 17th century to the present. Language contact in the loose and heterogeneous early Cape society gave rise to a divergent variety of Dutch later to be named Afrikaans. There was extensive borrowing as well as creolisation due to the strong presence of foreigners who had to acquire Dutch rapidly and under adverse social conditions. Changes in the linguistic core and functions of Afrikaans are set forth in a number of chapters.