Undated
Southern Africa and parts of Tanzania
The Khoisan language family is characterized in the excerpt by click sounds and by the predominance of speakers identified with San populations. Most Khoisan languages are spoken in southern Africa, while Hadza and Sandawe occur farther north in Tanzania. The classification divides the family into Hadza, Sandawe, and South African Khoisan, although alternative proposals separate some of these groups into independent families.
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The Story
Khoisan is described as a language family whose languages share click sounds. Most of its speakers are associated in the passage with San populations, giving the family a distinctive linguistic and regional profile. Its principal distribution is in southern Africa, with two smaller northern populations located in Tanzania.
The classification divides Khoisan into three branches: Hadza, Sandawe, and South African Khoisan. South African Khoisan is further divided into Northern, Central, and Southern groups. The Northern group contains Auen and Kung languages; the Central group includes Hiechware, Naron, and Khoi-Khoi; and Southern San is described as the most internally differentiated grouping.
The excerpt also records an alternative view associated with E. O. J. Westphal, who divides the grouping into Sandawe-Khoi-Khoi and Hadza-San. Under that proposal, the relationship between Hadza and San is not considered completely established. These competing classifications demonstrate the uncertainty surrounding long-distance linguistic relationships.
Undated
Southern Africa and parts of Tanzania
The Khoisan language family is characterized in the excerpt by click sounds and by the predominance of speakers identified with San populations. Most Khoisan languages are spoken in southern Africa, while Hadza and Sandawe occur farther north in Tanzania. The classification divides the family into Hadza, Sandawe, and South African Khoisan, although alternative proposals separate some of these groups into independent families.
Continue exploring
The Story
Khoisan is described as a language family whose languages share click sounds. Most of its speakers are associated in the passage with San populations, giving the family a distinctive linguistic and regional profile. Its principal distribution is in southern Africa, with two smaller northern populations located in Tanzania.
The classification divides Khoisan into three branches: Hadza, Sandawe, and South African Khoisan. South African Khoisan is further divided into Northern, Central, and Southern groups. The Northern group contains Auen and Kung languages; the Central group includes Hiechware, Naron, and Khoi-Khoi; and Southern San is described as the most internally differentiated grouping.
The excerpt also records an alternative view associated with E. O. J. Westphal, who divides the grouping into Sandawe-Khoi-Khoi and Hadza-San. Under that proposal, the relationship between Hadza and San is not considered completely established. These competing classifications demonstrate the uncertainty surrounding long-distance linguistic relationships.
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