Central ǃKung (ǃXun)

Central ǃKung is a Kxʼa language spoken in northern Namibia. In particular, in the Neitsas District of the Grootfontein Constituency in the north of the Otjozondjupa Region, and in the Gaub District in the Tsumeb Constituency in the south of the Oshikoto Region. These areas each have their own dialect.

Central ǃKung is also known as Central ǃXun, Central Ju, ǃXuun or Grootfontein ǃXuun. It is related to Northern ǃKung (Ekoka) and Southern ǃKung (Julʼhoan), but they are not mutually intelligible. There appear to be several ways to write Central ǃKung with the Latin alphabet.

Central ǃKung alphabet and pronunciation

Central ǃKung alphabet and pronunciation
Central ǃKung clicks

Download an alphabet chart for Central ǃKung (Excel)
Download details of the Central ǃKung alphabet and pronunciation provided by Wolfram Siegel (PDF)

Notes

Central ǃKung, or more specifically, the Neitsas dialect (a.k.a. Grootfontein ǃKung), is the only language in the world known to have retroflex clicks. As they are so rare, there are several ways to represent them with the IPA, the most common of which is /𝼊/. The only font I know of that includes this character is BabelStone Roman. [More details].

Vowels are nasalized when followed by n, pronounced with a breathy voice when followed by h, and pharygealized when followed by q. For example an [ã], ah [aʱ] and aq [aˤ]. Some nasal vowels can also be breathy, anh [ãʱ], or pharyngeal, anq [ãˤ].

Sample sentences

mí má kȍhà hŋ́ gǀȕì ō ǁȁhìn-ā ō hȁ ō gǀè gù ǀxūúnnu
I must see the hyena to tell it to come catch the crocodile lying there.
hȁ má kò kē ǁȁn̏ kú cŋ̏ djūí kā hȁ ǁàȅ-ā tí kē TB ǁ'à-ān tí
He was not supposed to drink beer anymore because he had tuberculosis.
hȁ má kò ǁáúlè ǃxō
He is supposed to hunt elephants but he didn't.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_ǃKung#Sample

Sample video in Central ǃKung

Links

Information about Central ǃKung
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_%C7%83Kung
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/cent2300

Kxʼa languages

ǂ’Amkoe (ǂHoan), Central ǃKung, Ekoka ǃKung, Gǀui, Juǀʼhoan

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 28.10.24. Last modified: 28.10.24

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