Gǁana (pronounced in English, and also spelled ''ǁGana, Gxana, Dxana, Xgana'') is a
Khoe dialect cluster
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulate over distance so that widely separated vari ...
of
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kal ...
. It is closely related to
Naro, and includes the well-known dialect
Gǀwi, which has the majority of speakers.
The double pipe at the beginning of the name "Gǁana" represents a click like the English interjection used when saying ''giddy-ap'' to a horse. For the clicks and other sounds found in Gǁana, see
Gǀwi dialect.
Dialects
*
Gǀwi
*Domkhoe
*Gǁaa(khwe)
*Kǀhessákhoe
References
Sources
* Brenzinger, Matthias (2011) "The twelve modern Khoisan languages." In Witzlack-Makarevich & Ernszt (eds.), ''Khoisan languages and linguistics: proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, Riezlern / Kleinwalsertal'' (Research in Khoisan Studies 29). Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag.
External links
Gǁana basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
Khoe languages
Languages of Botswana
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