I'm Chevãn Van Rooi, the 'Kaapse Student'. I am currently pursuing a joint PhD in linguistics at the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and Utrecht University (The Netherlands). I have been awarded a four-year NRF-Nuffic PhD scholarship.

Why Kaapse Student? The term has a dual significance. First, it reflects my roots in Cape Town, often referred to as "Kaap" in Kaaps/Afrikaans (e.g., "Ek is vanni Kaap", tranlated into English:  "I'm from Cape Town"). Secondly, it highlights the focus of my research: the Kaaps language. Hence, I am the Kaapse Student, studying Kaaps.

Kaaps

Kaaps, as its name suggests, has its roots in Cape Town. It has a rich history and is spoken predominantly on the Cape Flats in South Africa. Just as a gold mine holds valuable treasures beneath the earth's surface, Kaaps is a linguistic treasure trove deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Cape. Syntactically, who knows what we will discover?