Khoisan languages

As Khoisan languages ​​languages ​​in southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Botswana ) and in Tanzania are referred to, the phoneme inventory contains the clicking noises and do not belong to the Niger - Congo languages ​​, the nilosaharischen or Afro-Asiatic languages. The Khoisan languages ​​do not form a genetic unit ( family of languages ​​), but include as a linguistic area at least three language families as well as some isolated languages. An all Khoisan languages ​​common proto-language can not be reconstructed.

Khoisansprechende peoples are the San, Khoi Khoi, Nama and Damara. In Tanzania, the Hadza and also provide the Sandawe. Overall, the number of speakers is estimated at about 150,000.

Characteristic of the Khoisan languages ​​, the clicking sounds and extensive Phoneminventare are ( holds the record with 164 phonemes! XOo ). Also typical are noun class systems.

Prior to the expansion of the Bantu lived Khoisan ethnic groups in more northern parts of Africa. Of them, some Bantu languages ​​in southern Africa as well as perhaps the spoken language in Kenya Dahalo took over also the clicking noises, but they are not considered Khoisan languages ​​, since they can be assigned to other language families. Perhaps the clicks are in the Khoisan languages ​​relics of a " proto-language " of humanity, but corresponding theories are controversial.

Language Families of the Khoisan languages

Within the Khoisan languages ​​, the following language families can be reconstructed using the methods of comparative linguistics.

Hadza

  • Hadza (isolated, 800 speakers in Tanzania)

Sandawe

  • Sandawe (isolated, 40,000 speakers in Tanzania)

Khoe Kwadi

Also known by the older name of Central Khoisan languages.

  • Kwadi [ After Güldemann T. and R. Voßen, in Heine / Nurse ( 2000): isolated language ]
  • Khoe Khoekhoe Nama ( 250,000 speakers, dialect continuum that includes Damara, Hai ǁ ǂ Aakhoe and om )
  • Eini ( extinct)
  • South Khoekhoe Korana (6 speakers, dying out ), see also Koranna
  • Xiri (90 speakers, dialect continuum, dying out )
  • East Tshu - Khwe (Eastern Kalahari ) Shua ( 6,000 speakers, dialect continuum that includes Deti, Tsixa, | Xaise and Ganádi )
  • Tsoa ( 9,300 speakers, dialect continuum that includes Cirecire and Kua )
  • Kxoe ( 11,000 speakers, dialect continuum, including ǁ Ani and Buga )
  • Naro ( 14,000 speakers, dialect continuum )
  • G | ui- G ǁ ana ( 4,500 speakers, dialect continuum that includes G | ui, G ǁ ana and ǂ Haba )

Tuu

Also known by the older name of South Khoisan languages. Of the two main branches of this family is now only ever spoken a language.

  • ! Ui N ǁ ng, N | uu (8 speakers in South Africa, dying out )
  • | Xam
  • Vaal - Orange: ǂ Ungkue, ǁ ǁ e ×
  • Outliers: ǁ Xegwi, Gã ne!
  • Taa East: xoo ( 4,200 speakers, mostly in Botswana )
  • West: N | amani, N | u ǁ en
  • Lower Nosop: | Auni, | Haasi

Ju - ǂ HOA

Also known by the older name of North Khoisan languages.

  • Ju

The Ju - language is a dialect continuum with about 45,000 speakers. Among her better-known dialects Xũũ, Ju! ( Kung! ) | Hoan or ǂ ǁ a Kxau.

  • ǂ Hoa ( 200 speakers in Botswana ) [ According to T. Güldemann and R. Voßen, in Heine / Nurse ( 2000): isolated language ]

Possible internal relations

North and Südkhoisan and ǂ HOA in this case have each other especially many typological similarities, without this having to be genetic, such as the basic word order subject-verb - object (SVO ) and little inflectional morphology in contrast to the Central Khoisan languages ​​, the word order subject-object - verb ( SOV ) and have a rich inflection.

A genetic relationship between Khoe and Kwadi and probably also Sandawe is accepted by Güldemann / Elderkin. There is evidence, for example, the singular personal pronoun of these languages ​​( Proto - Khoe - Kwadi is a common, reconstructed precursor of Khoe and Kwadi ):

Language family Language isolate Khoikhoi Nama people Sandawe people Xiri language Linguistic typology Languages of Namibia Bernd Heine Ernst Oswald Johannes Westphal
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