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Title Speakers living and languages dying: The endangerment of !XoÌoÌƒ and øHua in Botswana
Full text http://hdl.handle.net/11070/2398
Date 2017
Author(s) Moumakwa, Tshiamiso V.; Monaka, Kemmonye C.
Abstract !XoÌoÌƒ and øHua are San languages spoken in Botswana, with !XoÌoÌƒ also cross-bordering into South Africa and Namibia. !XoÌoÌƒ is a Southern Khoesan language genetically affiliated to the Taa branch of Khoesan languages. The classification of øHua has been rather problematic. It has been classified with Southern Khoesan or Northern Khoesan, as an isolate or into the Ju-øHoan conglomerate. Both of these languages are acutely endangered. The objective of this article to is address the classification of !XoÌoÌƒ and øHua, discuss the geographical spread in Botswana and lay out factors that lead to their acute endangerment in the country. The paper argues that endangering factors include the San relocation exercise in Botswana, contact with powerful Bantu groups and the current anguage/ language-in-education policy. The collective effect of these factors is the obliteration of !XoÌoÌƒ and the øHua cultures and languages, and the domination and marginalization of these people in the land of their birth. The paper further recommends that this decimation of !XoÌoÌƒ and øHua language and culture could be curbed by an enabling political will, documentation of these cultures and languages, the development of orthographies if possible, among other things.
Subject(s) !Xòo; øHua
Language en
Publisher University of Namibia
Type of publication Article
Identifier Moumakwa, T.V., & Monaka, K.C. (2017). Speakers living and languages dying: The endangerment of !XoÌoÌƒ and øHua in Botswana. JULACE: Journal of University of Namibia Language Centre, 2(1), 71-92.
Repository Windhoek - University of Namibia
Added to C-A: 2021-01-28;07:55:02