Khoisan Language
The Khoisan people speak alanguage which incorporates many click sounds. Broadly speaking, there are two languagesidentified - Hottentot (Khoikoi) and Bushman (San), with manydialects which evolved from it.
Look at the Motto !ke e:/xarra //ke and try to formulate the sound as described below.
// this sign is used when writing San words with a click - similar to thesound made when urging a horse to move.
/ another click sound, like the ' tutting' sound made when expressingsympathy.
! a tongue click which has the sound of cork poppingfrom a bottle.
# with one slash only, sounds like the sucking of a baby with tongue just behindthe teeth.
Withcolonisation by the Europeans and the spread by Africans into the Khoisanhomelands, Khoisan languages have suffered, with many dying out.
Inthe late 19th century, scholars such as the late Dr William Bleek were aware ofthis threat. He studied what was then known as the Bushman language andwas able to capture and reproduce a written version. In his studies, beganin the 1870's, he learnt the languages with the help of Bushman prisonersworking in Table Bay harbour on the construction of a breakwater.
Whilethe /Xam language has become extinct, efforts are being made to ensure thatexisting Khoisan languages do not suffer the same fate. The majority ofKhoisan people live in the Northern Cape and that province's EducationDepartment plans to introduce four languages into schools. These are: Nama,!Xu, Khwe and Khomani. It is hoped that initiatives like these willrevitalise these languages and urgent action is needed, since surveys revealedthat, for example, only 6,000 inhabitants still speak the Nama language.
Back to Top
