Where are Khoe languages spoken ?

These languages are spoken in Namibia and in the Kalahari Desert.

Total number of speakers (estimates)

Approximately 300 000 according to SIL’s ethnologue.com

Classification

The group of Khoe languages has between 4 and 10 languages depending on the source.

Isolates :

Sandawe

Kwadi : extinct

Khoe Proper (or Central Khoisan)

Khoekhoe

North Branch

Nama

Eini

South Branch

Korana : 6 speakers according to Unesco (2008)

Xiri (alternative name : griqua ) : 87 speakers according to Unesco (2000)

Kalahari (Tshue-Kwe)

East Branch

Shua

Tsoa

West Branch

Kxoe (alternative name: ǁani, khwe, xun, continuum dialectal)

Naro

Gllana (alternative name: gxana)

Comments on the classification

We have base our classification on the one provided by Wikipedia.

The Khoe languages have been classified as one of the three branches of the hypothetical Khoisan group, more specifically as Central Khoisan More recently, Güldmann and Elderkin (To appear) have shown by way of the comparative method that the Khoe languages are genetically related to Sandawe (Tanzania) and the extinct language Kwadi (Angola) However, the actual existence of the Khoisan group is highly controversial at the present time, and it is preferable to put these languages into a distinct group, for the time being at least.

Depending on the classification, one can find a varying number of languages for this group, made up of many dialectical groups that influence each other.

The affiliation of Sandawe to the Khoe group has not yet been fully demonstrated, but it is considered to be a promising hypothesis. The same is true of Kwadi, which, it seems, is now extinct.

Khoekhoe languages are either perceived as a grouping of 5 distinct languages or as one dialect cluster.

In addition, some have put Shua and Tsoa in one dialect cluster called Shua-Tsoa.

Are Khoe languages endangered?

Some of these languages are extinct (Kwadi and Korana), and many are probably endangered but we have no precise data concerning their vitality, for the moment.

Ethnographic elements

This section will be developed subsequently.

Linguistic details

This section will be developed subsequently.

Sources:

An unpublished article by Tom Güldeman, of the Max Planck Institut and Edward D. Elderkin:

http://email.eva.mpg.de/~gueldema/pdf/Gueldemann_Elderkin.pdf