Kaarte

Kaarte is the Afrikaans plural of kaart. The term covers several senses, most commonly playing cards and maps. In everyday speech the intended meaning is usually clear from context, with kaarte used for playing cards in a game and for geographic maps in travel or planning discussions.

Etymology: The word kaarte derives from the Dutch kaart, which itself traces to Old French carte and Latin carta. It has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as German Karte and English card, all sharing the sense of a sheet, card, or map.

Usage: In Afrikaans, kaarte can refer to playing cards in a deck or to maps. The plural form indicates quantity, as in a few cards or several maps. In written and formal contexts, the noun generally appears in lowercase, following standard Afrikaans capitalization rules.

See also: kaart, kaartspel, kaart (map).