Gǁana language

Gǁana
Native toBotswana
EthnicityGǁana
Native speakers
2,500 (2013)
Khoe–Kwadi
  • Khoe
    • Kalahari (Tshu–Khwe)
      • West
        • Gǁana
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
gnk – Gǁana
gwj – Gǀwi
Glottologanaa1239
ELP||Gana
||Gana [sic] is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Gǁana (pronounced /ˈɡɑːnə/ GAH-nə in English, and also spelled ǁGana, ǁ᪶Ana, Gxana, Dxana, Xgana) is a Khoe language and dialect cluster of Botswana. It is closely related to Naro, and includes the well-known dialect Gǀwi, which has the majority of speakers.

The double pipe at the beginning of the name "Gǁana" represents a click like the English interjection used when saying giddy-ap to a horse. For the clicks and other sounds found in Gǁana, see Gǀwi dialect.

Dialects

References

  1. ↑ Gǁana at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
    Gǀwi at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ↑ Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (Report) (3rd ed.). UNESCO. 2010. p. 37.
  3. ↑ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin (eds.). "Gana". Glottolog . Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

Sources