Nama - Khoekhoe
< Moore | Major Languages | Ndebele, Northern >
Categories: Languages, Namibia, NW South Africa, Western Botswana
On this page... (hide)
- 1. Classification / Classification
- 2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
- 3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
- 4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
- 5. Usage / Utilisation
- 6. Orthography / Orthographe
- 7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
- 8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
- 9. Comments / Remarques
- 10. References / Références
1. Classification / Classification
Nama is a Khoisan language whose subclassification is widely contested; Greenberg lists it as Central South African Khoisan; Westphal considers it Khoikhoi. (Webbook?)
Ethnologue? lists the classification as: Khoe-Kwadi, Khoe, Khoekhoe, Central, Nama
Nama is evidently the ethnic group name. The language is also called Khoekhoe (from the endonym, Khoekhoegowab).
2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
Nama is spoken from the Kaukau Veld in northern Namibia to Cape Province in South Africa. (Webbook)
3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
According to Ethnologue (accessed 2016-1):
- 200,000 in Namibia (2006)
- 50,900 in South Africa (2006)
- 200 in Botswana (2006)
- Population total all countries: 251,100
4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
According to Ethnologue (accessed 2007):
- Damara
- Sesfontein Damara (reported to be unintelligible to speakers of other dialects)
- Namidama
- Central Damara
- Nama
Wikipedia (accessed 2015-11-16) indicates three main dialects:
- Nama–Damara, incl. Sesfontein Damara
- Haiǁom
- ǂĀkhoe
5. Usage / Utilisation
Nama is a regional language. It is currently being introduced as a university subject at The Academy (Windhoek). (Webbook)
According to Ethnologue (accessed 2007):
- (Namibia): National language. Offered as a school subject. Can be studied up to doctoral level at U. of Namibia, also used in administration
- (South Africa): Language of secondary education
- (Botswana): Literacy rate:
- L1: ?
- L2: 80% Tswana, 10% English
6. Orthography / Orthographe
6.1 Status / Statut
An authorized orthography for Nama exists. (Webbook) [Need more details.]
6.2 Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple
Omniglot has a sample alphabet and text: http://www.omniglot.com/writing/nama.htm
The Wikipedia article on Nama language also includes a sample text.
A sample text is shown on the "Language Museum" site: http://www.language-museum.com/n/nama.htm
7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
7.1 Fonts / Polices
7.2 Keyboard layouts / Dispositions de clavier
7.3 Content on computers & internet / Contenu en informatique et sur l'Internet
7.4 Localized software / Logiciels localisés
Not aware of any localisation efforts for this language.
7.5 Language codes / Codes de langue
Khoekhoe / Nama
- ISO 639-1: -
- ISO 639-2: -
- ISO 639-3: naq
Hai||om (Haikom)
- ISO 639-3: hgm
(ISO 639-2 for Khoisan languages is khi)
7.6 Other / Autre
8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
8.1 Individuals (experts) / Individuelles (experts)
8.2 Institutions / Institutions
8.3 On the internet / Sur la toile
9. Comments / Remarques
10. References / Références
Dwyer, David (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/hiermenu.html (page on "Nama," http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/Nama_root.html )
SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Hai||om," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/hgm
______, "Khoekhoe," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/naq
SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/codes.asp
U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2: Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages: Alpha-3 codes arranged alphabetically by the English name of language," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php
Wikipedia, "ǂAakhoe dialect," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ǂAakhoe_dialect
______, "Khoekhoe language," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoekhoe_language
< Moore | Major Languages | Ndebele, Northern >
Categories: Languages, NW South Africa, Western Botswana