Northern Sotho, Translate files. Tonga, Zulu: 22.7%, Xhosa: 16%, Afrikaans . used as a language of instruction in primary schools, and in some This produces something like the English tut-tut. They refer to themselves as the amaXhosa and their language as isiXhosa. [9] It has perhaps the heaviest functional load of click consonants in a Bantu language (approximately tied with Yeyi), with one count finding that 10% of basic vocabulary items contained a click.[10]. Xhosa is a Bantu language that is closely related to Ndebele and Swazi and is characterized by the unique click sounds for some letters. 1: . 2000. Agreements usually reflect part of the original class with which the word agrees. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [22], Proportion of the South African population that speaks Xhosa at home, These are analogous to the slack-voice nasals mh, nh, etc. 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. The following table gives an overview of Xhosa noun classes, arranged according to singular-plural pairs. Other languages have little more than 1,000 speakers while several are known to have become extinct. Xhosa Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster No part of this site shall be reproduced, copied, or otherwise distributed without the express, written consent of SouthAfrica.com. is awesome for learning key words and phrases in Xhosa, especially if you want to use it for travel purposes. Xhosa Tribe, Xhosa Language and Xhosa Culture in South Africa A Beginner's Guide Khoisan: Africa's Clicking Languages . Their language is often called the 'click ' language because of its three dominant clicks, which entered the isi Xhosa language when the Nguni arrivals mixed with the Khoisan. 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 Kxa family is a relatively distant relationship formally demonstrated in 2010.[11]. These sounds were borrowed from the Khoisan languages of the original inhabitants of the area. Hidden Languages of the World: Xhosa Language - Day Translations Blog Xhosa is a Bantu language spoken in South Africa, mainly in the (Let's learn together!). They are called upon for guidance, support. [citation needed]Presently, approximately nine million Xhosa . All rights reserved. Loma, Tswana, 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. The other Khoisan languages are unrecognized and marginalized, especially in South Africa. Their language is often called the click, language because of its three dominant clicks, which. 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. An estimated 15% of Xhosa vocabulary is of Khoisan origin. Southern Khoisan languages have a very high ratio of words containing clicks as compared to those that do not contain them. The Xhosa language is a member of the Bantu family and is closely related to Zulu. Ancestors of the Xhosa migrated to the east coast of Africa and came across Khoisan-speaking people; "as a result of this contact, the Xhosa people borrowed some Khoisan words along with their pronunciation, for instance, the click sounds of the Khoisan languages". The word "Xhosa" is derived from the Khoisan language and means "angry men". Forming part of Durban's vibrant Golden Mile, the Bay of Plenty lies at the heart of the beachfront, with high-rise hotels and apartment buildings making the most of the stunning sea view. 2014 - 2023. Lingala, 2005. ''Studies in African Linguistic Classification.'' Michele creates language learning guides and courses for travel. Xhosa language - Wikipedia 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. 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. It forms part of the ornamentation that reflects the different stages of a woman, s life. They are thought to have migrated to this region along the east coast of Africa and through central Africa. [12] It is the second most common Bantu home language in South Africa as a whole. Most of the languages are endangered, and several are moribund or extinct. Xhosa Language - Dialects & Structure - MustGo Ever since Xhosa and Zulu were reduced to a written form in the early 19th century, Xhosa and Zulu writers have produced various works of fiction, ranging from poetry to novels. 'The adaptation of non-click consonants in Xhosa'. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site. 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. What I love most about uTalk 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. Tuu: A New Name for the Southern Khoisan Family, in Tom Gldemann (ed.). Languages Gulper/Khoisan Peoples/About World Languages/Wikipedia/The Week. In, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 12:02. For example. The majority of languages which contain clicks originate with the Khoisan languages. 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. Khoisan languages are best known for their use of click consonants as phonemes. 1998. The linguistic use of clicks, whether original or borrowed, is restricted to these few African languages, with one exception: Damin. Maore, / Let us know where you'll be watching this weekend. A certain headdress will be a worn by a newly married girl, while a woman who has just given birth to her first child will wear a differently styled headdress. The Khoisan I Meeting the Khoisan I Khoisan Click Language Konjo, The Xhosa language is properly referred to as isiXhosa. http://www.salanguages.com/isixhosa/xhowrd.htm In contrast to the San who spoke highly divergent languages, the Khoikhoi spoke closely related dialects of the same language. When visiting the Eastern Cape be sure to ask an amaXhosa to teach you a few phrases, they are certain to be willing to share their unique language with you. This ritual vocabulary of the Lardil of Australia contains some words with clicks together with other peculiar sounds, but the use of clicks is limited, and they have a symbolic value in addition to their linguistic function. This site is not affiliated with any government entity associated with a name similar to the site domain name. magazines and newspapers in Xhosa, as well as TV and radio programmes, [12] However, this classification is not widely accepted. Learn the local language with my unique 80/20 method. Swati, Densely populated with uncommon consonants, Xhosa consists of the usual pulmonic egressive sounds (used in English), ejectives, 15 clicks and an implosive. The Khoe family appears to have migrated to southern Africa not long before the Bantu expansion. Duala, In Nguni. Lambya, There is some indication that Sandawe (about 40,000 speakers in Tanzania) may be related to the Khoe family, such as a congruent pronominal system and some good Swadesh-list matches, but not enough to establish regular sound correspondences. 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. When consonants are prenasalised, their pronunciation and spelling may change. However, there is no scientific proof to support this hypothesis since all languages use sound symbolism to a lesser or greater extent. Start learning here! The official name of the language is isiXhosa, with the key word Xhosa being derived from the Khoisan Language. The name Khoisan is a compound word formed with the native words khoi "person" and san "forager", meaning 'persons who forage in the bush" or "bushmen". "Phonetic Correspondences among Khoisan Affricates." Ngqika is considered to be the standard variety. Learning Xhosa is a challenging, but rewarding experience. The verb "nga" has a variety of forms . However, the Dutch used the word stotteraarto more specifically describe the clicking sounds used in the Khoisan languages. The 'X' in Xhosa, for example, represents a type of . Xhosa is spoken as a first language by 8.2 million people and by 11 million as a second language in South Africa, mostly in Eastern Cape Province and Transkei. In fact, these differences are so pronounced as to suggest that in a linguistic discussion the term Khoisan should be used only in a loose typological sense to refer to a group of languages that share some features of sound structure (mainly involving clicks) and not as the name of a language family in the strict sensesuch as Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, or Bantuin which some shared features are found at all levels of structure and these features are assumed to have been inherited from a common ancestral language. 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. Other Southeastern Bantu languages are Zulu, Swati (Swazi), Sotho, Tswana, Venda, and Ndebele. A palatal click is a sharp pop made by drawing the tongue down quickly from the roof of the mouth. #VisitSouthAfrica https://t.co/EHxIRKzU37, RT @FIAFormulaE: The Rainbow Nation Xhosa Language in South Africa | SouthAfrica.com There are a number of print publications in Xhosa, or in Xhosa and English. They are descended from the Nguni, who began migrating south from central and northern Africa more than a thousand years ago. Khoisan languages, characterised by implosive consonants or 'clicks', belonged to a totally different language family from those of the Bantu speakers. This term, now considered derogatory, means stutterer in Dutch. Today, the few scholars working on these languages treat the three [southern groups] as independent language families that cannot or can no longer be shown to be genetically related" (p.841). XXhosa tradition is an extremely powerful social force binding together these people of Eastern Cape province, most evident in Xhosa beliefs revering their ancestors. National Treasures The verb is modified by affixes to mark subject, object, tense, aspect and mood. Xhosa: [noun] a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Eastern Cape province. The Xhosa people, or Xhosa-speaking people (/ k s , k o s /; Xhosa pronunciation: [ksa] ()) are a Nguni ethnic group whose traditional homeland is primarily the Cape Provinces of South Africa.They are the second largest ethnic group in Southern Africa and are native speakers of the IsiXhosa language. 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. As with other South African languages, Xhosa is characterized by respectful forms of address for elders and in-laws. Xhosa, Herero, The Languages of Africa | Infoplease Are Xhosa and Zulu Bantu, Khoisan or mixed? - Quora http://learn101.org/xhosa.php Omissions? Gogo, Xhosa language, Xhosa formerly spelled Xosa, a Bantu language spoken by seven million people in South Africa, especially in Eastern province. Other Bantu Languages include the Xhosa and Zulu languages, two languages famous for their large number of click consonants developed through their extended interaction with the Khoisan languages of Southern Africa. Xhosa is rich in uncommon consonants. Get her free guide 9 reasons youre not fluentYET & how to fix it! Others think that Xhosa-speaking children should be taught in their native language in the early grades. Tumbuka, Mpondo (Pondo), Xesibe, Bomwana, Gaika, Gcaleka, Thembu, Mpondomise, Ndlambe (Ethnologue). 1971. Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Foreign language learning is real world education, /c, , , , x, , / have no equivalents in English. You can unsubscribe at any time. in a spirit of brotherhood. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Luvale, http://www.youtube.com/user/XhosaKhaya #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. 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. However, not all noun classes can be so easily defined. Indeed, the use of the term 'Khoikhoi' meaning . Soga, Though these are still under debate, one frequently accepted dialect grouping is as follows: Xhosa (original), Bhaca, Gcaleka, Thembu, Mpondomise, Ngqika, Mpondo, Mfengu and Bomvana. Those who speak this language typically form part of the ethnic group called the amaXhosa and refer to their language as isiXhosa. Like other Southern Bantu languages, Xhosa has borrowed words from the Khoisan languages, as well as from English and Afrikaans. Starostin (2013) gives the following classification of the Khoisan "macrofamily," which he considers to be a single coherent language family. The spirits of those who have passed on are honoured in rituals and ceremonies. [8] Despite their shared clicks, the Khoisan languages diverge significantly from each other. #VisitSouthAfrica https://t.co/xwXs0dxd2l, We've got you covered! 1. The debate about these relationships remains a prominent feature in the linguistic study of Khoisan languages, and the disagreements that sustain it have never been satisfactorily resolved. Additional phonemes use sequences of multiple letters. They are marked with an apostrophe //. 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. The normal word order in Xhosa is Verb-Object (the subject is part of the verb compound). The only widespread Khoisan language is Khoekhoe (also known as Khoekhoegowab, Nm or Damara) of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, with a quarter of a million speakers; Sandawe in Tanzania is second in number with some 4080,000, some monolingual; and the Kung language of the northern Kalahari spoken by some 16,000 or so people. Mbunda, Learn more about the Khoisan language family on Ethnologue. For much of the 20th century, they were thought to be genealogically related to each other, but this is no longer accepted. 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. Includes English and Italian translations with pronuncation guide. At the secondary level, instruction in schools serving Xhosa-speaking students is in English. Xhosa (isiXhosa) is the southernmost member of the Bantoid group of the Niger-Congo language family in Africa. What Languages are Used in the Black Panther Movie? - Day Translations Blog In 1996[update], the literacy rate for first-language Xhosa speakers was estimated at 50%.[15]. Kuria, The Xhosa language (Isixhosa), of which there are variations, is part of the Nguni language group. #CapeTownEPrix Home South African Culture and Tradition Explored Languages of South Africa Xhosa Language of the Eastern Cape. https://www.memrise.com/course/1572/xhosa-an-intro/ ), Gldemann, Tom and Edward D. Elderkin (forthcoming) '. They are called upon for guidance, support, or to turn the tide of fortune. Khoisan Last but not least is the Khoisan family with between 40 - 70 members. Chichewa, Xhosa uses a system of tones to distinguish words that would otherwise sound the same. Ikizu, According to the 2011 census there As an example, the composition of the verb In the sentence Un-ntwana u-ya-wa-sel-a ama-nzi One child drinks water is shown below. In, Honken, Henry. Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika is part of the national anthem of South Africa, national anthem of Tanzania and Zambia, and the former anthem of Zimbabwe and Namibia. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Clicks are stops produced with two points of contact in the mouth: one forward and one in the back. 2. Its great for beginners getting started in a language and invaluable for intermediates looking to fill in gaps in their vocabulary and pronunciation. Thus, a more correct spelling is Khoesaan. 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. A brief history of African click words | The Week Learn how your comment data is processed. Xhosa is an unusual and attractive sounding language, though difficult to master. We use the verb "have" to denote possession, ownership, and other related meanings. If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. second language speakers. Khoisan languages | Britannica . Xhosa has a Roman-based orthography which was developed by missionaries in the 19th century and adapted to represent the sounds of the language. Xhosa - definition of Xhosa by The Free Dictionary Long vowels are phonemic but are usually not written except for and , which are each sequences of two vowels with different tones that are realized as long vowels with contour tones ( highlow = falling, lowhigh = rising). Is Xhosa a Khoisan language? #CapeTownEPrix Xhosa Translation Services: Xhosa to English and - Language Scientific 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. Day 1 and 2 highlights of the Africa Green Economic Summit The word lives on, however, in the names of several African animal and plant species, such as the Hottentot Fig or Carpobrotus. "History of Click-Speaking Populations of Africa Inferred from mtDNA and Y Chromosome Genetic Variation", "The Kxa Family: A New Khoisan Genealogy", . Family words | Take a look at Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Xhosa. Xhosa is part of the branch of Nguni languages, which also include Zulu, Southern Ndebele and Northern Ndebele, called the Zunda languages. Tone, stress and vowel length are not indicated. Most of the languages are unwritten, but Nama and Naro have Latin-based orthographies. It is one of the eleven official languages of the Republic of South Africa. This produces an audible noise. In South Africa, 19.1 million speak the language, with 8.1 million speaking it as their first language. [12], Xhosa is the most widely distributed African language in South Africa, though the most widely spoken African language is Zulu. There are five places of articulation at which click consonants occur. Janina Brutt-Griffler claims, "given that such colonial borders were generally arbitrarily drawn, they grouped large numbers of ethnic groups that spoke many languages." They Nguni languages of southern Africa, which include Zulu and Xhosa, are believed to have borrowed their clicks from Khoisan languages. Tsonga, Comorian, Sandawe is not related to Hadza, despite their proximity. for $0.07/word. De Aar is the commercial center for the wool production and livestock farming industry in this semi-arid region of South Africa. Nguni languages are, in turn, classified under the much larger abstraction of Bantu languages. Interestingly, the word Xhosa is from the Khoisan language and means The angry men. 2 is- and iz- replace isi- and izi- respectively before stems beginning with a vowel, e.g. Below are some common words and sentences in Xhosa. The Bantu languages adopted the use of clicks from neighboring, displaced, or absorbed Khoisan populations (or from other Bantu languages), often through intermarriage, while the Dahalo are thought to have retained clicks from an earlier language when they shifted to speaking a Cushitic language; if so, the pre-Dahalo language may have been something like Hadza or Sandawe. The origin of Khoisan click consonants and their peculiarly African provenance therefore remains a mystery. Xhosa language, Xhosa formerly spelled Xosa, a Bantu language spoken by seven million people in South Africa, especially in Eastern province. Learning materials, Information about the Xhosa language All Rights Reserved. 1998. See also Khoisan languages, which contains several audio clips. However, some of the letters have a different pronunciation from English. Xhosa is an official language in South Africa and Zimbabe, and is Making the Khoisan languages amongst the most ancient of all human tongues. 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 South African Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts in Xhosa on both radio (on Umhlobo Wenene FM) and television, and films, plays and music are also produced in the language. and is made by putting the tongue just behind the front teeth. Italian for Confident Conversations (A2-B2). Ejective consonants are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis, raising air pressure in the mouth, so when the sound is released, there is a noticeable burst of air accompanying the release. The Khoisan languages were once spoken across all of southern Africa from southern Angola in the west to Swaziland in the east and the Cape of Good Hope in the south (see the map). South Khoisan includes a couple of endangered and several extinct languages of the Kalahari Desert. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. If you want detailed destinations guides, languages learning tips, and travel phrase guides, then you've come to the right place! The Xhosa language employs 26 letters from the Latin alphabet. Xhosa has several dialects, including Mpondo (Pondo), Xesibe, Bomwana, Gaika, Gcaleka, Thembu, Mpondomise, Ndlambe (Ethnologue). Author of, Professor Emeritus, Department of Linguistics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Nama is used in education and in the media. It is also taught in universities. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'omniglot_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',141,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-omniglot_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Download an alphabet chart for Xhosa (Excel). Zinza, See Khoe languages for speculations on the linguistic history of the region. 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. But, as with any language, Xhosa had a rich history of oral traditions from which the society taught, informed, and entertained one another. 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. Interestingly, the word Xhosa is from the Khoisan language and means "The angry men". [20] The Bantu ancestor of Xhosa did not have clicks, which attests to a strong historical contact with a Khoisan language that did. Their use in education has been governed by legislation, beginning with the Bantu Education Act, 1953.[12]. Marking of the plural number depends on the noun class. Zulu, Languages written with the Latin alphabet, if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'omniglot_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_2',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-omniglot_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'omniglot_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',147,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-omniglot_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1'); .large-mobile-banner-1-multi-147{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}.
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