'Afrikaans' originates from Dutch, specifically the word 'Afrikaansch,' where 'Afrika' referred to the continent of Africa and '-ansch' was a suffix meaning 'related to.'

'Afrikaansch' transformed into the modern English word 'Afrikaans' through the influence of the Afrikaans-speaking community in South Africa.

Initially, it meant 'related to Africa,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'the language spoken in South Africa and Namibia.'