Juǀʼhoan language

language
name=Unicode|Juǀʼhoan
nativename=Unicode|Zuǀʼhõasi
familycolor=Khoisan
states=Namibia, Botswana
region=near border with Angola
speakers=5,000–10,000
fam1=Juu-ǂHoan
fam2=Juu
iso3=ktz

Unicode|Juǀʼhoan (also called Unicode|Zhuǀʼhõasi, Unicode|Dzuǀʼoasi, Unicode|Zû-ǀhoa, Unicode|JuǀʼHoansi) is a Khoisan language spoken in the Northwest District of Botswana by about 5,000 people (as of 2002) and by perhaps a comparable number across the border in Namibia. It is a cluster of eastern dialects of the Ju dialect continuum that includes Unicode|ǃKung (Unicode|ǃXũũ) and Unicode|ǂKxʼauǁʼein. It is part of a Southern dialect cluster of the Ju languages according to Snyman (1997). Four varieties are distinguished: Epukiro, Tsumkwe, Rundu, and Omatako.

Phonetics

Unicode|Juǀʼhoan has four tones.

There are 5 vowel qualities, IPA|/i e a o u/. However, these may be nasalized, glottalized, murmured, or combinations of these, and most of these possibilities occur both long and short. The qualities IPA|/a/ and IPA|/o/ may also be pharyngealized and strident. Thus, there are a good 30 vowel phonemes, perhaps more, depending on one's analysis. There are, in addition, many vowel sequences and diphthongs.

Unicode|Juǀʼhoan has an unusually large number of consonants, as seen below, including clicks and clusters with mixed voicing. Phonemes in parentheses are only found in loan words. For brevity, only the alveolar clicks are listed with the other consonants; the complete set of clicks is found below.

The 1994 orthography also has "ih, eh, ah, oh, uh" for breathy (murmured) vowels, and "ihn, ahn, ohn, uhn" for breathy nasal vowels. However, Snyman maintains that these are positional variants of low-tone vowels, and not needed in an orthography.

One of the clicks (*) is not attested.

Bibliography

*Snyman, Jan W. (1975) "Unicode|Zuǀʼhõasi Fonologie en Woordeboek". Cape Town: AA Balkema.
*Snyman, Jan W. (1983) 'Unicode|Zuǀʼhõasi, a Khoisan Dialect of South West Africa/Namibia', in Dihoff, Ivan R. (ed.) "Current Approaches to African Linguistics Vol 1", 115–125.
*Snyman, Jan W. (1997) 'A preliminary classification of the Unicode|ǃXũũ and Unicode|Zuǀʼhõasi Dialects', in Haacke, W.H.G. & Elderkin, E.D. (eds.) "Namibian Languages: Reports and Papers". (Namibian African Studies, 4). Köln: Rüdiger Köppe, 21–106.
*Snyman, Jan W. (n.d.) "An Official Orthography for Žu|'hõasi Kokx'oi." Pretoria.

Films

*1980 - "The Gods Must Be Crazy"
*2003 - "Journey of Man"

External links

* [http://ling.cornell.edu/khoisan/ju/ju.htm Unicode|Juǀʼhoan sound files at Cornell]
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ktz Ethnologue Report for Unicode|Juǀʼhoan]