Khoisan languages

In linguistics, an areal feature is any typological feature shared by languages within the same geographical area. Resemblances between two or more languages (whether typological or in vocabulary) can be due to genetic relation (descent from a common ancestor language), or due to borrowing at some time in the past between languages that were not necessarily genetically related. When little or no direct documentation of ancestor languages is available, it ...

Including:

• Areal feature linguistics - Bibliography

Read more here: » Areal feature linguistics: Encyclopedia - Areal feature linguistics

!Xóõ is a Khoisan language with a very large number of phonemes, the most of any known language. These include many clicks and vowel phonations. !Xóõ is spoken in Botswana (mainly) and Namibia by about 4,200 people as of 2002. !Xóõ language - Relatives. Until the rediscovery of a few elderly speakers of N/u in the 1990s, !Xóõ was thought to be the last surviving member of the Ta’a-!Kwi language family. (Note: Ethnologue currently lists ‡Hõã as a relative. This is an error.)< ...

Including:

• !Xóõ language - Relatives
• !Xóõ language - Alternate names
• !Xóõ language - Phonemes
• !Xóõ language - Tones
• !Xóõ language - Vowels
• !Xóõ language - Consonants
• !Xóõ language - Grammar

Read more here: » !Xóõ language: Encyclopedia - !Xóõ language

In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language that is characterized by an open configuration of the vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, which are characterized by a constriction or closure at one or more points along the vocal tract. A vowel is also understood to be syllabic: an equivalent open but non-syllabic sound is called a semivowel. In all languages, vowels form the nucleus or peak of syllables, whereas consonants form the onset and (in languag ...

Including:

• Vowel - Articulation
• Vowel - Height
• Vowel - Backness
• Vowel - Roundedness
• Vowel - Nasalization
• Vowel - Phonation
• Vowel - Tongue root retraction
• Vowel - Secondary narrowings in the vocal tract
• Vowel - Tenseness/checked vowels vs. free vowels
• Vowel - Acoustics
• Vowel - Prosody and intonation
• Vowel - Monophthongs diphthongs triphthongs
• Vowel - Vowels in languages
• Vowel - Vowel systems
• Vowel - Written vowels
• Vowel - Written vowels in writing systems

Read more here: » Vowel: Encyclopedia - Vowel

Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. It is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, about 18% of the South African population. Click consonants feature prominently in the sounds of this language. Even the name, "Xhosa", begins with a click. In IPA, the name of the language is pronounced [kǁʰoːsa]. Xhosa language - Overview. Xhosa language - History. The name Xhosa refers to one of their legenda ...

Including:

• Xhosa language - Overview
• Xhosa language - History
• Xhosa language - Geographic distribution
• Xhosa language - Dialects
• Xhosa language - Language
• Xhosa language - Sounds
• Xhosa language - Grammar
• Xhosa language - Writing system

Read more here: » Xhosa language: Encyclopedia - Xhosa language

Xiri, or in Dutch orthography Griqua (ethnonym Xirigowap, also called "Cape Hottentot"), is a Khoisan language of South Africa. It is related to Nama. Xiri was once spoken by Griqua along the entire coast of South Africa from Namibia to Lesotho, but it is now moribund, with less than a hundred scattered speakers left. Xiri language - External link. The Ethnologue Report for Xiri Khoisan languages  (classification) Nama | Naro | N/u | Sandawe ...

Including:

• Xiri language - External link

Read more here: » Xiri language: Encyclopedia - Xiri language

‖Xegwi is an extinct !Kwi language of South Africa, near the Swazi border. The last known speaker died in 1988. ‖Xegwi is also known as Batwa. ‖Xegwi language - External link. The Ethnologue Report for ‖Xegwi Khoisan languages  (classification) Nama | Naro | N/u | Sandawe | Seroa | Shua | Tsoa | /Xam | ‖Xegwi | Xiri | !Xóõ ...

Including:

• ‖Xegwi language - External link

Read more here: » ‖Xegwi language: Encyclopedia - ‖Xegwi language

‖Ani or /Anda is a Khoisan language of Botswana with about 1,000 speakers. It is a member of the Kxoe dialect continuum. ‖Ani is one of a few languages with uvular clicks. The double pipe at the beginning of the name "‖Ani" represents a click like the English interjection used when saying giddy-ap to a horse. ‖Ani language - External link. The Ethnologue Report for ‖Ani Khoisan languages  (classification) Nama | Naro | ...

Including:

• ‖Ani language - External link

Read more here: » ‖Ani language: Encyclopedia - ‖Ani language

‡Kx’au‖’ein is a group of mostly southwestern dialects of the Ju dialect continuum of Botswana and Namibia with about 4000 speakers (2004 Cook). ‡Kx’au‖’ein language - Dialect. Nogau ‡Kx’au‖’ein language - External link. The Ethnologue Report for ‡Kx’au‖’ei Khoisan languages  (classification) Nama | Naro | N/u | Sandawe | Seroa | Shua | Tsoa | /Xam | ‖Xegwi | Xiri | !XóõIncluding:

• ‡Kx’au‖’ein language - Dialect
• ‡Kx’au‖’ein language - External link

Read more here: » ‡Kx’au‖’ein language: Encyclopedia - ‡Kx’au‖’ein language

Clicks are stops produced with two articulatory closures in the oral cavity. The pocket of air enclosed between the two closures is rarefied by a sucking action of the tongue. The release of the more forward closure produces what in many cases are the loudest consonants in the language, although in some languages such as Hadza, clicks are more subtle and may even be mistaken for ejective stops. Clicks appear more stop-like or more affricate-like depending on their place of articulation: Clicks involving an apical alveolar or laminal p ...

Including:

• Click consonant - Distribution
• Click consonant - Types of clicks
• Click consonant - Transcription
• Click consonant - Accompaniments
• Click consonant - Releases
• Click consonant - Inventories of click releases
• Click consonant - Names found in the literature
• Click consonant - Click loss

Read more here: » Click consonant: Encyclopedia - Click consonant

South Africa has 11 official languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Swati, Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa. In this regard it is second only to India in number. As a result, there are many official names for the country. The country also recognises eight non-official languages: Fanagalo, Lobedu, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, South African Sign Language, Khoe, Nama and San. These non-official languages may be used in certain official uses in limited areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Nevertheless, their populations are not such ...

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South Africa, South Africa - Languages, South Africa - History, South Africa - Government, South Africa - Politics, South Africa - Provinces, South Africa - Geography, South Africa - Flora and fauna, South Africa - Economy, South Africa - Agriculture, South Africa - Demographics, South Africa - Culture, South Africa - Crime, South Africa - Military, South Africa - Media, South Africa - International rankings

Read more here: » South Africa: Encyclopedia II - South Africa - Languages

Xam-i ke ’a ǀúrún hòán tì kàó’ao káísep ’a ǀaísa, ǀóm ̊ǁxáí, xápú kxáó, tsií !háése ra !xóés !’áróma. Tsií maátsekám ̊ǁóakas hòásàp ke ǂxam xam-à !árop !naa ǂ’oá tsií ̊ǁ’iip tì ǀaísìpà síí kèrè ǀnoóku náú ǀúrún ǀxáa. Tsií maá tsèes hòásàp ke ̊ǁ’iipà kèrè ’óa-ǀxií tàn’aose. Tsií nee ǂhòas ke ǀúrún !húùp ...

See also:

Nama language, Nama language - Classification, Nama language - Geographic distribution, Nama language - Dialects, Nama language - Sounds, Nama language - Phonemes, Nama language - Non-clicks, Nama language - Clicks, Nama language - Grammar, Nama language - Example, Nama language - English Translation, Nama language - Trivia

Read more here: » Nama language: Encyclopedia II - Nama language - Example

List of South Africa-related topics - Events. Zulu War (see also Anglo-Zulu War) Boer War Pretoria Convention Sharpeville Massacre Rivonia Trial List of South Africa-related topics - Historical Groups. Azanian Peoples Liberation Army Democratic Party (South Africa) (DP) Dutch East India Company National Party Umkhonto we Sizwe List of South Africa- ...

See also:

List of South Africa-related topics, List of South Africa-related topics - South Africa, List of South Africa-related topics - History, List of South Africa-related topics - Events, List of South Africa-related topics - Historical Groups, List of South Africa-related topics - Places, List of South Africa-related topics - Misc, List of South Africa-related topics - Politics, List of South Africa-related topics - Offices, List of South Africa-related topics - Legislation, List of South Africa-related topics - Policy, List of South Africa-related topics - Parties, List of South Africa-related topics - International associations, List of South Africa-related topics - Misc, List of South Africa-related topics - Labour, List of South Africa-related topics - Culture, List of South Africa-related topics - Language & Ethnicity, List of South Africa-related topics - Geography, List of South Africa-related topics - Persons, List of South Africa-related topics - Education, List of South Africa-related topics - Flora, List of South Africa-related topics - Fauna, List of South Africa-related topics - Institutions & Groups, List of South Africa-related topics - Sports, List of South Africa-related topics - Companies, List of South Africa-related topics - Misc.

Read more here: » List of South Africa-related topics: Encyclopedia II - List of South Africa-related topics - History

List of Khoisan languages - Khoekhoe. Nama (250,000 speakers. Ethnonyms Khoekhoegowab, Damara. A dialect cluster including ‡Aakhoe and Hai‖’om) Korana (Extinct. Ethnonym !Goragowap.) Xiri (90 speakers. Moribund. A dialect cluster.) List of Khoisan languages - Tshu-Khwe. Shua (6000 speakers. A dialect cluster including Deti, Ts’ixa, /Xaise, and Ganádi) See also:

List of Khoisan languages, List of Khoisan languages - Hadza, List of Khoisan languages - Sandawe, List of Khoisan languages - Khoe or Central Khoisan, List of Khoisan languages - Khoekhoe, List of Khoisan languages - Tshu-Khwe, List of Khoisan languages - Ta’a-!Kwi or Southern Khoisan, List of Khoisan languages - Ta’a, List of Khoisan languages - !Kwi, List of Khoisan languages - Ju !Kung or Northern Khoisan, List of Khoisan languages - Unclassified, List of Khoisan languages - ‡Hoan, List of Khoisan languages - Kwadi, List of Khoisan languages - Other

Read more here: » List of Khoisan languages: Encyclopedia II - List of Khoisan languages - Khoe or Central Khoisan

There is currently a dictionary of the Kxoe language. See also: ‖Ani ...

See also:

Kxoe language, Kxoe language - User breakdown, Kxoe language - Dialects, Kxoe language - Other, Kxoe language - External link

Read more here: » Kxoe language: Encyclopedia II - Kxoe language - Other

There are five recognized languages in the Northwest Caucasian family: Abkhaz, Abaza, Kabardian or East Circassian, Adyghe or West Circassian, and Ubykh. They are classified as follows: Abkhaz-Abaza dialects Abaza (45,000 speakers) Abkhaz (Abxaz) (110,000) Circassian dialects (Cherkess) Adyghe (Adyge) (500,000) Kabardian (1,000,000) Ubykh (Ubyx) (extinct) Northwest Caucasian languages - Circassian dialect continuum. Circassian (or Cherkess) is a cover term for the series of diale ...

See also:

Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian languages - Main features, Northwest Caucasian languages - Phonetics, Northwest Caucasian languages - Grammar, Northwest Caucasian languages - Classification, Northwest Caucasian languages - Circassian dialect continuum, Northwest Caucasian languages - Abkhaz-Abaza dialect continuum, Northwest Caucasian languages - Ubykh Ubyx language, Northwest Caucasian languages - Relationship to other language families, Northwest Caucasian languages - Connections to Hattic, Northwest Caucasian languages - Connections to Indo-European, Northwest Caucasian languages - North Caucasian family, Northwest Caucasian languages - Higher-level connections

Read more here: » Northwest Caucasian languages: Encyclopedia II - Northwest Caucasian languages - Classification

Languages that are tonal include: Some of the Sino-Tibetan languages, including the numerically most important ones. Most forms of Chinese are strongly tonal (an exception is Shanghainese, where the system has collapsed to one of pitch accent); while some of the Tibetan languages, including the standard languages of Lhasa and Bhutan, and Burmese are more marginally tonal. However Nepal Bhasa, the original language of Kathmandu, is non-tonal, as are several Tibetan dialects and many or most of the other Tibeto-Burman languages.See also:

Tone linguistics, Tone linguistics - Tonal languages, Tone linguistics - Origin of tone, Tone linguistics - Tone as a distinguishing feature, Tone linguistics - Register and contour tones, Tone linguistics - Notational systems, Tone linguistics - Africa, Tone linguistics - Asia, Tone linguistics - The Americas, Tone linguistics - Europe, Tone linguistics - Tonal languages and music, Tone linguistics - Bibliography

Read more here: » Tone linguistics: Encyclopedia II - Tone linguistics - Tonal languages

The third form of initiation in human language is velaric initiation: initiation at the velum, or soft palate. (In a few languages the closure may also be uvular, but the term 'velaric' covers both.) Velaric stops are also called clicks. This velaric airstream is almost universally ingressive. To perform velaric ingressive initiation, one raises the back of one's tongue back so that air cannot pass it (as when pronouncing a velar or uvular stop), and simultaneously does the same with the front of the tongue or the ...

See also:

Initiation phonetics, Initiation phonetics - Pulmonic initiation, Initiation phonetics - Glottalic initiation, Initiation phonetics - Velaric initiation

Read more here: » Initiation phonetics: Encyclopedia II - Initiation phonetics - Velaric initiation

Ju/’hoan has four tones. There are 5 vowel qualities, [i e a o u]. However, these may be nasalized, glottalized, mumured, or combinations of these, and most of these possibilities occur both long and short. The qualities [a] and [o] may also be pharyngealized and strident. This produces a good 30 vowels, perhaps more, depending on one's analysis. There are ...

See also:

Ju/’hoan language, Ju/’hoan language - Phonetics, Ju/’hoan language - Bibliography, Ju/’hoan language - External link

Read more here: » Ju/’hoan language: Encyclopedia II - Ju/’hoan language - Phonetics

The lateral clicks are common in Khoisan languages and the neighboring Nguni languages (e.g. Zulu, Xhosa). Lateral alveolar click - Xhosa and Zulu. In the Nguni languages, the tenuis click is denoted by the letter x, the murmured click by gx, the aspirated click by xh (as in "Xhosa"), and the nasal click by nx. The prenasalized clicks are written ngx and nkx. ...

See also:

Lateral alveolar click, Lateral alveolar click - Features, Lateral alveolar click - Another lateral click, Lateral alveolar click - In English, Lateral alveolar click - In other languages, Lateral alveolar click - Xhosa and Zulu

Read more here: » Lateral alveolar click: Encyclopedia II - Lateral alveolar click - In other languages

Xhosa language - Sounds. Xhosa has a simple set of vowels, but it is rich in uncommon consonants. Besides normal pulmonic egressive sounds, as in English, it has twelve clicks, plus ejectives and an implosive. The four dental clicks are made with the tongue on the back of the teeth, and are similar to the sound represented in English by "tut-tut" or "tsk-tsk" to reprimand someone. The second four are lateral, made by the tongue at the sides of the mouth, and are similar to the sound used to call horses. The remai ...

See also:

Xhosa language, Xhosa language - Overview, Xhosa language - History, Xhosa language - Geographic distribution, Xhosa language - Dialects, Xhosa language - Language, Xhosa language - Sounds, Xhosa language - Grammar, Xhosa language - Writing system

Read more here: » Xhosa language: Encyclopedia II - Xhosa language - Language