At the secondary level, instruction in schools serving Xhosa-speaking students is in English. It is a national of Namibia, along with English and a number of other regional languages. Swati and Ndebele, and mutually intelligible with them to some extent. You can unsubscribe at any time. Numbers | These are divided into North, Central and South Khoisan groups belonging to southern Africa, plus two Tanzanian isolates, Sandawe and Hadza (Hatsa), which possess a few words, affixes, and particles that justify the assumption of a distant relationship with Khoisan. When aspirated clicks (ch, xh, qh) are prenasalised, the silent letter k is added (nkc, nkx, nkq) to prevent confusion with the nasal clicks nc, nx, nq, and are actually distinct sounds. Fricatives become affricated and, if voiceless, they become ejectives as well: mf is pronounced [pf], ndl is pronounced [nd], n+hl becomes ntl [nt], n+z becomes ndz [ndz], n+q becomes [n] etc. . Emeritus Professor of African Studies; former Director, Institute for African Studies, University of Cologne. Nguni languages are, in turn, classified under the much larger abstraction of Bantu languages. Nguni languages of southern Africa, which include Zulu and Xhosa, are believed to have borrowed their clicks from Khoisan languages. Total number of users in all countries is 19.2 million (Ethnologue). All Khoisan languages but two are indigenous to southern Africa and belong to three language families. Tones are rarely marked in the written language, but they can be indicated a [], [], [], []. Xhosa (/ks, kos/,[5][6][7] Xhosa pronunciation:[ksa]), formerly spelled Xosa and also known by its local name isiXhosa, is a Nguni language and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Xhosa's click consonants were most likely borrowed from the Khoisan This produces an audible noise. Mende, Zinza, In Xhosa, the verb "have" is represented by the word "nga" and its various forms. The Tanzanian languages, Sandawe and Hadza, use only three basic clicks: |, , and !. It is also spoken in Botswana and Lesotho. The basic clicks are four: dental (|), alveolar (! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xhosa_language This distinctive linguistic characteristic was adopted by a number of neighbouring Bantu languages, such as Xhosa and Zulu in South Africa. The normal word order in Xhosa is Verb-Object (the subject is part of the verb compound). (Their numbers have been included under Nama above.) http://ilanguages.org/xhosa.php The phonology of Xhosa is characterized by a simple vowel inventory and a complex system of consonants. An estimated 15% of Xhosa vocabulary is of Khoisan origin. The Nguni languages are unique among Bantu languages in that they have imploded "clicking" phonemes. The various parts of the sentence must agree in both class and number.[12]. It forms part of the ornamentation that reflects the different stages of a woman, s life. ), Khoisan Linguistic Studies . The best-known performer of Xhosa songs outside South Africa was Miriam Makeba, whose Click Song #1 (Xhosa Qongqothwane) and "Click Song #2" (Baxabene Ooxam) are known for their large number of click sounds. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Not all languages using clicks as phonemes are considered Khoisan. They are marked with an apostrophe //. The more notable characteristic is their depressor effect on the tone of the syllable.[19]. Mwani, For example. Learning Xhosa is a challenging, but rewarding experience. It is closely related to Zulu, Swati, and Ndebele. Khoisan languages Bushman languages, also called San languages, loose grouping of languages that confusingly have been considered to be a separate group within the Khoisan languages. Most of the languages in South Africa that involve tongue-clicking originate from the indigenous Khoisan people, who included plenty of different clicks in their speech and language. Some languages have become extinct and others are endangered. Making the Khoisan languages amongst the most ancient of all human tongues. In, Honken, Henry. Xhosa is a Bantu language spoken in South Africa, mainly in the Thus, the word for people is abantu in all these languages. The sustainability village focused on boo https://t.co/BDeRnlGHot, Experience the most exciting electric street racing here in Cape Town as the world's best street racers battle. https://t.co/ZihxkpWwe7, Undoubtedly the best spots to experience unbridled views of the Mother City. In this lesson, we will be focusing on the different uses of "nga" and how to use it correctly in different contexts. As a balance to consonant complexity, strict rules restrict clicks and most of the non-clicks to the beginning of a word being followed always by a vowel. The Origins of the Xhosa Language The Xhosa Language has its roots in South Africa from an ethnic group known as the amaXhosa. Comorian, . Don't let the learning stop here. Vowels can be either short or long. In 1996[update], the literacy rate for first-language Xhosa speakers was estimated at 50%.[15]. Accent I'm fluent in Xhosa. We have loved having you in our country ! Amongs https://t.co/Un48auA2t0, South African Tourism's initiatives and projects within the "growing green economy" are highlighted through partner https://t.co/BlBqEBi0pj, Were proud and excited to be associated with @CapeTownEprix in hosting the first ABB FIA Formula E World champions https://t.co/0prwWK7DrC, It is great to hear you are feeling our vibe Mpho! [14] Also, a small community of Xhosa speakers (18,000) live in Quthing District, Lesotho.[15]. Other figures are the huge lightning bird (. The number of Khoisan speakers has declined drastically in the last three centuries due to European colonisation, demographic pressures and changing lifestyles. One of the main reasons for the decline is that bilingual Khoisan speakers shift to the dominant language of the area and stop teaching the language to their children. Xhosa is an official language in South Africa and Zimbabe, and is Xhosa is a member of the Southeastern, or Nguni, subgroup of the Bantu group of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. nangokweemfanelo. Author of. Choose your English to Xhosa translation service. Xhosa is categorized as a Bantu language and is representative of the south-western Nguni subfamily group. Terms of Use It is a Bantu language closely related to Zulu, Swazi, and Ndebele. 3. An alveolar click sounds like the popping of a cork made by putting the tongue just behind the ridge in back of the front teeth. The Xhosa noun consists of two essential parts, the prefix and the stem. You can unsubscribe at any time. Nama, in particular, has a long tradition of literacy. Xhosa (isiXhosa) is the southernmost member of the Bantoid group of the Niger-Congo language family in Africa. I will never give away, trade or sell your email address. There is a series of six dental clicks, represented by the letter c, similar to the sound represented in English by "tut-tut" or "tsk-tsk"; a series of six alveolar lateral clicks, represented by the letter x, similar to the sound used to call horses; and a series of alveolar clicks, represented by the letter q, that sound somewhat like a cork pulled from a bottle. Indeed, the use of the term 'Khoikhoi' meaning . 3 The placeholder N in the prefixes iN- and iiN- is a nasal consonant which assimilates in place to the following consonant (producing an im- before vowels), but is typically absent in loanwords. Eton, Kiga, Rafiki, the sagely mandrill chants Xhosa on The Lion King and its reboot. A Xhosa initiate, undergoing a . A preliminary classification of the !X and u'hasi dialects. "History of Click-Speaking Populations of Africa Inferred from mtDNA and Y Chromosome Genetic Variation", "The Kxa Family: A New Khoisan Genealogy", . Xhosa nouns belong to 17 different classes, roughly based on semantic categories, e.g., there are classes for human beings, animals, plants, objects of various shapes, etc. The X and H languages are even more complex. Italian for Confident Conversations (A2-B2). (Free PDF Download). Makhuwa, They refer to themselves as the amaXhosa and their language as isiXhosa. Baucom, Kenneth L. 1974. Xhosa is one of the 11 official languages recognized by the South African Constitution, and in 2006 it was determined that just over 7 million South Africans speak Xhosa as a home language. We use the verb "have" to denote possession, ownership, and other related meanings. Only phonemic, and thus reflected orthographically, for. women are easily recognised by their heavy dress, matching turban and coloured dots decorating their faces. Songe, Views on views on views Sources Planning a trip? Some support the use of English and see its use in education as de facto segregation. are about 8.2 million native speakers of Xhosa, and another 11 million 1998. However, tones are usually not indicated in writing. How difficult is it to learn Xhosa? Is Xhosa a Khoisan language? The original and unique use of clicks in the Khoisan languages has invited speculation that these unusual sounds might reflect an earlier stage in the evolution of language when sounds were natural vocal adaptations to the environment. Grazie! 2000. is that you can jump around their extensive library of topics and choose what you want to learn, when you want, and at your own pace. The following table gives an overview of Xhosa noun classes, arranged according to singular-plural pairs. . The verb root occupies the 0 position. Xhosa, There are some exceptions, for instance, the Sandawe language in Tanzania whose speakers have maintained a relatively stable linguistic community. Janina Brutt-Griffler claims, "given that such colonial borders were generally arbitrarily drawn, they grouped large numbers of ethnic groups that spoke many languages." Other figures are the huge lightning bird (impundudu), and the gentleabantubomlambo aquatic human-like beings who accept into their family those who drown. Kinyarwanda, Learn the local language with her 80/20 method for less than the cost of eating at a tourist trap restaurant Start learning today! Privacy Policy . ''Studies in African Linguistic Classification.'' They are better described as slack voiced than as breathy voiced. However, there is no scientific proof to support this hypothesis since all languages use sound symbolism to a lesser or greater extent. The ceremonial slaughtering of animals is one of the many ways by which ancestors are invoked. Implosive consonants are produced by inhaling rather than exhaling the air. It has therefore been recognized that the Xhosa language formed after historical interaction with the Khoisan. The small town of De Aar is located in the central Groot Karoo along the railway line between Cape Town and Kimberley, which was established in the late 1800s. A member of a Bantu people inhabiting the eastern part of Cape Province, South Africa. Duala, https://www.memrise.com/course/1572/xhosa-an-intro/ languages as a result of long and extensive interaction between the The Khoisan (Khoesan) language family is the smallest of the language families of Africa. Similarly, the tenuis (plain) clicks are often glottalised, with a long voice onset time, but that is uncommon. Like other Southern Bantu languages, Xhosa has borrowed words from the Khoisan languages, as well as from English and Afrikaans. / Bemba, It is also taught in universities. A Niger-Congo language and a member of the Bantu family (Nguni group), spoken by more than 5 million people in the south-eastern part of South Africa, most notably in Cape Province and Transkei; also known as isiXhosa. The origin of clicks remains a mystery. Although vowel length distinguishes word meaning, the length is not represented in writing, except for and . Xhosa has a complex system of consonants, including some uncommon ones. Northern Sotho, No change when the following consonant is itself a nasal. Tuu: A New Name for the Southern Khoisan Family, in Tom Gldemann (ed.). This is usually a misnomer for ejective consonants, which are found across much of the world, or is a reference to paralinguistic use of clicks such as English tsk! Ngqika is considered to be the standard variety. Planning a trip? Other Southeastern Bantu languages are Zulu, Swati (Swazi), Sotho, Tswana, Venda, and Ndebele. Jita, [1] [2] Khoisan is defined as those languages that have click consonants and do not belong to other African language families. Like what you see? Soga, [15], The role of indigenous languages in South Africa is complex and ambiguous. Xhosa is an official language in South Africa and Zimbabe, and is used as a language of instruction in primary schools, and in some secondary schools. The Khoisan languages ( / ksn /; also Khoesan or Khoesaan) are a number of African languages once classified together, originally by Joseph Greenberg. It is also taught in universities. Masaaba, Khoisan Last but not least is the Khoisan family with between 40 - 70 members. The Xhosa number approximately 7.1-million, the majority of whom live in Eastern Cape, and ancient traditions remain strong in this proud people. The town itself receives an abundant supply of water from an underground source, which is referred to as All trademarks and web sites that appear throughout this site are the property of their respective owners. Other languages have little more than 1,000 speakers while several are known to have become extinct. Xhosa is part of the branch of Nguni languages, which also include Zulu, Southern Ndebele and Northern Ndebele, called the Zunda languages. Khoisan languages are best known for their use of click consonants as phonemes. Below are some common words and sentences in Xhosa. Michele creates language learning guides and courses for travel. The Khoisan people, who at various points have been referred to using the derogatory terms 'Bushmen' and 'Hottentots', as well as Kung, Kxoe, Khoi Khoi, Ovahimba, San, Vatua and !Xu, are an ethno-linguistic group that has traditionally been marginalised throughout South African history. This process can skip rightwards to non-local syllables (i.e. The spirits of those who have passed on are honoured in rituals and ceremonies. Xhosa is closely related to Zulu, 1998. There are no definite or indefinite articles. Ikizu, When consonants are prenasalised, their pronunciation and spelling may change. Adjectives, possessive pronouns and demonstratives come after the noun they modify. It is one of the eleven official languages of the Republic of South Africa. Because I believe in uTalk so much, I reached out to them and weve teamed up to offer you an exclusive 30% OFF reader discount across all of uTalks 140 languages! [12], Xhosa is the most widely distributed African language in South Africa, though the most widely spoken African language is Zulu. Umbundu, The name Khoisan derives from the name of the Khoe-Khoe (also known as the Hottentot) group of South Africa and the San (Bushmen) group of Namibia. In Voeltz, Erhard Friedrich Karl (ed.). There are two groups of languages in southern Africa that have clicks: the Khoisan languages and certain languages of the Niger-Congo family, most notably Zulu and Xhosa. Xhosa (formerly spelled Xosa) is an official language of South Africa, natively spoken by around 7.9 million people which is about around 16% of the population of South Africa. Most of the languages are endangered, and several are moribund or extinct. The name Khoisan derives from the name of the Khoikhoi (people people or real people) group of South Africa and the San (Bushmen) group of Namibia. Tribal Wars and European Persecution . 'The adaptation of non-click consonants in Xhosa'. Anthony Traill noted the Khoisan languages' extreme variation. Herero, Luchazi, According to the 2011 census there Consequently, the languages with the greatest numbers of consonants in the world are Khoisan. They are descended from the Nguni, who began migrating south from central and northern Africa more than a thousand years ago. However, the Dutch used the word stotteraarto more specifically describe the clicking sounds used in the Khoisan languages. Genetically, the Hadza people are unrelated to the Khoisan peoples of Southern Africa, and their closest relatives may be among the Pygmies of Central Africa. With about 800 speakers in Tanzania, Hadza is no longer seen as a Khoisan language and appears to be unrelated to any other language. For the Mande language spoken in Burkina Faso, see, Map showing the distribution of the Khoisan languages (yellow), Grammatically, the southern Khoisan languages are generally, Greenberg, Joseph H. 1955. Zulu: 22.7%, Xhosa: 16%, Afrikaans . Please check your inbox to confirm your email. A palatal click is a sharp pop made by drawing the tongue down quickly from the roof of the mouth. Today, the Khoisan languages are spoken only in southwestern Africa, in the region around the Kalahari Desert extending from Angola to South Africa, and in one small area of Tanzania. Group of African language families with click consonants, "San language" redirects here. The language is an important part of Khois. Do you think English would be more interesting with similar click sounds? While palatalisation occurred historically, it is still productive, as is shown by palatalization before the passive suffix /-w/ and before diminutive suffix /-ana/. iliso (eye), uluhlu (list). In the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the language spoken in the fictional African nation of Wakanda is Xhosa. The Khoikhoi were once called Hottentots by Europeans. "Types of sound correspondence patterns in Khoisan languages." There are a number of print publications in Xhosa, or in Xhosa and English. Mpondo (Pondo), Xesibe, Bomwana, Gaika, Gcaleka, Thembu, Mpondomise, Ndlambe (Ethnologue). (Click here for an audio sample of the extinct !Ora language.) Venda, Believed to be the oldest of the four language families, it is the smallest of the four and is found mainly in Southern Africa. Want my "9 Steps to Reach Fluency Faster" playbook? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [8] Despite their shared clicks, the Khoisan languages diverge significantly from each other. No idea what a clicking language is? For Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler "wanted to make it a priority to use Xhosa as much as possible" in the script, and provided dialect coaches for the film's actors. Xhosa has an inventory of ten vowels: [a], [~e], [i], [~o] and [u] written a, e, i, o and u in order, all occurring in both long and short. 15% of its vocabulary is estimated to be of Khoekhoe (Khoisan) origin. As in other Bantu languages, nouns in Xhosa are classified into morphological classes, or genders (15 in Xhosa), with different prefixes for both singular and plural. [12] It is the second most common Bantu home language in South Africa as a whole. Loma, The status of Xhosa, like all other African languages in the Republic of South Africa, is complex. Interestingly, the word Xhosa is from the Khoisan language and means The angry men. All click and most non-click consonants appear at the beginning of words and are followed by a vowel. Implosive consonants Xhosa, derived from the Khoisan language, refers to "angry men." The majority of the South African languages that use tongue-clicking have roots in the indigenous Khoisan . Chichewa, Snyman, Jan Winston. 9 reasons youre not fluentYET & how to fix it! We look forward to https://t.co/QcOGOzgax0, In collaboration with Advertising Week and Hartbeat, the Nelson Mandela foundation presents the Healing Power of La https://t.co/ati9CUOaa0, upon for guidance, support and to turn the tide of favour, , the majority of whom live in Eastern Cape, , and ancient traditions remain strong in this proud people, A certain amount of intermarriage with the Khoisan people they found here, Enchantment winds through the Xhosa language, dress and rituals. Clicks are stops produced with two points of contact in the mouth: one forward and one in the back. 4. Mandekan, Tentative distribution of the Khoisan languages, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Khoisan-languages, Fu Jen Catholic University - Graduate School of Linguistics - The Khoisan Language Family. This click is like the sound people make to call horses. Xhosa is rich in uncommon consonants. F https://t.co/s7IkqA9Utl, It feels good to have @KevinHart4real also known as Mpho here in Johannesburg, South Africa. Copyright 19982023 Simon Ager | Email: | Hosted by Kualo, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xhosa_language, https://www.memrise.com/course/1572/xhosa-an-intro/, http://xhosaculture.co.za/about-us/learn-xhosa/, https://www.twinkl.co.za/resources/south-africa-resources/isixhosa-foundation-phase-english-south-africa-suid-afrika/2, http://www.freelang.net/dictionary/xhosa.php, http://www.salanguages.com/isixhosa/xhowrd.htm, http://www.southafricalogue.com/travel-tips/south-african-phrases-xhosa.html. They are called upon for guidance, support, or to turn the tide of fortune. The local Khoisan children speak mainly Afrikaans but Katrina Esau hopes this will change over time . Subscribe to my newsletter to receive detailed travel guides, exclusive travel and language learning tips, priority access to giveaways and more! Xhosa is listed amongst South Africa's 11 official languages and is spoken by approximately 18% of the country's population (plus-minus 7.9 million individuals). Clicks are spreading to a few additional neighboring languages. In Haacke, Wilfrid and Elderkin, Edward Derek (eds. #CapeTownEPrix It is closely related to Zulu, Swati, and Ndebele. Its speakers and people belonging to the group are called isiXhosa. Beadwork similar to the Ndebele is an integral aspect of Xhosa tradition. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. (Let's learn together!). Most syllables end in a vowel, and there are no consonant clusters. #CapeTownEPrix Contact Us, 8.2 million people and by 11 million as a second language in South Africa, mostly in Eastern Cape Province and Transkei. The Khoisan language family is the smallest of the language families of Africa. At present, Xhosa is used as the main language of instruction in many primary schools and some secondary schools, but is largely replaced by English after the early primary grades, even in schools mainly serving Xhosa-speaking communities. New Haven: Compass Publishing Company. I don't know, but I think you can compare them to Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. The Tuu family consists of two language clusters, which are related to each other at about the distance of Khoekhoe and Tshukhwe within Khoe. Their most distinctive linguistic characteristic is the original and extensive use of click consonants, a feature which has spread through cultural and linguistic contact into a number of Bantu (Niger-Congo) languagessuch as Xhosa, Zulu, and Sotho in South Africa and Gciriku (Diriku), Yei (Yeye), and Mbukushu in Botswana and Namibiaand into Dahalo, a Cushitic (Afro-Asiatic) language of Kenya. Anthony Traill at first accepted Khoisan (Traill 1986), but by 1998 concluded that it could not be demonstrated with current data and methods, rejecting it as based on a single typological criterion: the presence of clicks. [12] It is the second most common Bantu home language in South Africa as a whole. Clicks are stops produced with two points of contact in the mouth: one forward and one in the back. The ceremonial slaughtering of animals is one of the many ways by which ancestors are invoked. (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), Some corrections to this page by Michael Peter Fstumum, Information about Xhosa | Occasionally other languages are said by laypeople to have "click" sounds. As a Bantu language, Xhosa and Zulu people are often able to understand one another. Tumbuka, Translate files. Gusii, While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The word "Xhosa" is derived from the Khoisan language and means "angry men". Xhosa is a tonal language with two inherent phonemic tones: low and high. Tonga, Xhosa is used in primary schools up to the second grade and is studied as a subject in both primary and secondary schools up to the tenth grade. Literary works, including prose and poetry, are available in Xhosa, as are newspapers and magazines. Although Xhosa and Zulu are similar enough to be considered dialects of one language, Xhosa and Zulu speakers consider them to be separate languages. Sample basic vocabulary for Khoisan language families: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. #VisitSouthAfrica https://t.co/ncCaKrq4Fa, The Summit includes a Sustainability Village that aims to boost the local economy and power positive economic activ https://t.co/OEOnUXyWdU, Clareb accessories is your one stop shop for all things, unique earrings, necklaces, bracelets.