Kgalagadi language

Kgalagadi
Kalahari
SheKgalagadi
Native toBotswana
EthnicityKgalagadi
Native speakers
65,400 (2015)
Language codes
ISO 639-3xkv
Glottologkgal1244
S.311 (ex-S.31d)
ELPKgalagadi
Linguasphere99-AUT-eh

Kgalagadi is a Bantu language spoken in Botswana, along the South African border. It is spoken by about 40,000 people. In the language, it is known as Shekgalagari.

Classification

Kgalagadi (also rendered Kgalagari, Kgalagarhi, Kgalagari, Khalagari, Khalakadi, Kxhalaxadi, Qhalaxarzi, Shekgalagadi, Shekgalagari, Kqalaqadi) is most closely related to Tswana, and until recently was classified as a dialect of Tswana.

Dialects include Shengologa, Sheshaga, Shebolaongwe, Shelala, Shekhena, Sheritjhauba and Shekgwatheng.

Phonology

Vowels

FrontCentral Back
Close i u
Close-mid e ~ ɪ o ~ ʊ
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

Consonants

Labial Dental Alveolar Post-
alveolar		 Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
plain lab. plain lab. plain lab.
Stop voiceless p t̪ c cʷ k q
aspirated pʰ t̪ʰ cʰ cʰʷ kʰ qʰ
voiced b d̪ ɟ g
Affricate voiceless t͡s t͡sʷ t͡ʃ t͡ʃʷ
aspirated t͡sʰ t͡sʰʷ t͡ʃʰ t͡ʃʰʷ
voiced (d͡z) d͡ʒ
Fricative voiceless s ʃ ʃʷ χ h
voiced z ʒ ʒʷ (ɦ)
Nasal m (n̪) n ɲ ŋ
Trill r
Approximant l j w

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Kgalagadi". Ethnologue. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ↑ Kgalagadi language at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  4. ↑ Solé, Maria-Josep; Hyman, Larry M.; Monaka, Kemmonye C. (2009). "More on Post-nasal Devoicing: The Case of Shekgalagari". UC Berkeley PhonLab Annual Report. 5: 299–320. doi:10.5070/P70gk0g18d. eISSN 2768-5047.
  5. ↑ Lukusa, Stephen T. M.; Kemmonye, C. Monaka (2008). Shekgalagari grammar: A descriptive analysis of the language and its vocabulary. Cape Town: Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society. OCLC 391963723.
  6. ↑ Dickens, Patrick J. (1986). Qhalaxarzi phonology (PDF) (MA thesis). University of the Witwatersrand.