-
The Nama people
The Nama people are an indigenous African ethnic group primarily found in Namibia, with smaller populations in Botswana and South Africa. They are part of the larger Khoikhoi ethnic group, which includes the Khoisan people, known for their distinctive click languages. The Nama speak the Nama language, which belongs to the Khoe-Kwadi language family. While many Nama people retain their native language, Afrikaans has become widely spoken due to historical and socio-political influences. Historically, the Nama lived as pastoralists, herding cattle, sheep, and goats in the arid regions of southern Africa, particularly around the Orange River in southern Namibia and northern South Africa. Their nomadic lifestyle was adapted to the…
-
The Khoekhoe
The Khoekhoe, formerly known as the Khoikhoi, are an indigenous group of pastoralists from Southern Africa. Traditionally nomadic, the Khoekhoe have a deep connection to the land and livestock, particularly Nguni cattle, which were central to their way of life. They are often grouped with the San people, who are primarily hunter-gatherers, but the Khoekhoe’s distinct pastoral lifestyle set them apart. The Khoekhoe language is part of the Khoe language family, which also includes dialects spoken by various San groups, and is known for its unique click sounds. Historically, the Khoekhoe inhabited the regions that now comprise parts of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. They were some of the first…
-
The Khoisan languages
The Khoisan languages are a group of African languages primarily spoken in southern and eastern Africa. They are known for their distinctive use of click consonants, a feature that sets them apart from other language families. The term “Khoisan” was originally used to group these languages together, but modern linguistics now recognizes that they belong to at least three separate language families, and some languages are isolates with no known relatives. These families are the Khoe, Kxʼa, and Tuu, while the Sandawe and Hadza languages of East Africa were once included but are now considered distinct from the Khoisan group. Khoisan languages are mostly spoken by the Khoikhoi and San…
