Dorpstreet
Photo by Willem Malherbe

Johannes Gert Hendrik Combrink was born on 2 May 1939, at Westdene near Johannesburg. He matriculated from High School DF Malan in Johannesburg in 1955 and studied languages (Afrikaans and Dutch, German and Sesotho) at the University of Witwatersrand (BA 1958, BA hons in Afrikaans-Dutch, both cum laude, 1959) and obtained a D Litt et Phil at the Municipal University of Amsterdam, cum laude, in 1962. In 1966 he received a PhD from the University of Pretoria, cum laude, with the thesis: Betekenis en Sintaksis.
Postdoctoral studies: Universities of London and Cambridge, University of North Carolina, Catholic University of Louvain, PJ Meertens Institute in Amsterdam and University of Maryland.
Academic Career:
Temporary junior lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch, University of the Witwatersrand 1959-1960
Lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1963-1964
Senior lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch, University of Natal, Durban, 1965 - 1970
Professor in General Linguistics, University of Port Elizabeth, 1971-1974. Head of the Department
Professor in Afrikaans Linguistics, University of Stellenbosch, 1975 to 1995
Head of the Department for three periods of three years each
Together with his colleague, Johan Spies, he contributed regularly to a newspaper column on Afrikaans language and style: Ons Taalgereedskap and later: Taalskatkis.
He was Chairman of the Taalkommissie (Afrikaans Language Commission) of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (SAAWK) and it's Terminologiekomitee. He produced programmes on Afrikaans for broadcasting (Radiosondergrense) and TV (SAUK).
Following his retirement Johan Combrink was concerned with the Stigting vir Afrikaans and served as project leader of Vriende van Afrikaans, which he helped install. He was also a founding member of the South African Translation Institute.
He enjoyed playing with words, gemstone cutting, calligraphy, philately and meeting friends.
Johan Combrink's students gave him the nickname 'Deepthroat'. He was married to Louise, a senior lecturer in Afrikaans and Didactics in the Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University and now chairman of Vriende van Afrikaans. They had three children: Herman, Freja and Wienand. Johan Combrink died on 25 July 1999, at Stellenbosch.

Johan Combrink was 'n moderne Afrikaanse taalreus van wie die bydraes en impak nog behoorlik beskryf moet word.
Karel Prinsloo

Click for web pages Huldeblyk -- Johan Combrink and at Janus: Deep Throat van Afrikaans