The Lower Nossob varieties of Tuu
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Tom Güldemann
Abstract
North of the confluence of the Nossob, Auob, and Molopo Rivers in the Kalahari, several speech varieties of San groups have been attested, if only poorly, by linguistic data, notably ǀ’Auni and (Ku)ǀHaasi. Their relationship to the Tuu family (earlier referred to as ‘Southern Khoisan’) and their closer affiliation with each other, allowing one to subsume them under the term ‘Lower Nossob’, are so far undisputed. However, their exact position within Tuu is equivocal. While most early scholars have assigned them to the !Ui branch of Tuu, there are robust linguistic and sociolinguistic indications that a closer genealogical relation to the Taa group of Tuu is more probable. This genealogical affiliation has been partly obscured by subsequent language contact with the northernmost !Ui language complex Nǁng.
Abstract
North of the confluence of the Nossob, Auob, and Molopo Rivers in the Kalahari, several speech varieties of San groups have been attested, if only poorly, by linguistic data, notably ǀ’Auni and (Ku)ǀHaasi. Their relationship to the Tuu family (earlier referred to as ‘Southern Khoisan’) and their closer affiliation with each other, allowing one to subsume them under the term ‘Lower Nossob’, are so far undisputed. However, their exact position within Tuu is equivocal. While most early scholars have assigned them to the !Ui branch of Tuu, there are robust linguistic and sociolinguistic indications that a closer genealogical relation to the Taa group of Tuu is more probable. This genealogical affiliation has been partly obscured by subsequent language contact with the northernmost !Ui language complex Nǁng.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword and acknowledgments ix
- Abbreviations xi
- ‘Khoisan’ linguistic classification today 1
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PART I. Cross-areal perspectives
- Molecular anthropological perspectives on the Kalahari Basin area 45
- ‘Khoisan’ sibling terminologies in historical perspective 69
- Clicks, prosodies and Khoisan 103
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PART II. The Khoe-Kwadi family
- Verb serialisation in northern dialects of Khoekhoegowab 125
- Areal and inherited aspects of compound verbs in Khoekhoe 153
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PART III. The Kx’a family
- Demonstrative and relative constructions in Ju 181
- N!aqriaxe (ǂ’Amkoe) spatial terms from a genealogical and areal perspective 209
- ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective 233
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PART IV. The Tuu family
- The Lower Nossob varieties of Tuu 257
- Towards a genealogical classification of Taa dialects 283
- Master list of references 303
- Language (group) index 325
- Subject index 329
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword and acknowledgments ix
- Abbreviations xi
- ‘Khoisan’ linguistic classification today 1
-
PART I. Cross-areal perspectives
- Molecular anthropological perspectives on the Kalahari Basin area 45
- ‘Khoisan’ sibling terminologies in historical perspective 69
- Clicks, prosodies and Khoisan 103
-
PART II. The Khoe-Kwadi family
- Verb serialisation in northern dialects of Khoekhoegowab 125
- Areal and inherited aspects of compound verbs in Khoekhoe 153
-
PART III. The Kx’a family
- Demonstrative and relative constructions in Ju 181
- N!aqriaxe (ǂ’Amkoe) spatial terms from a genealogical and areal perspective 209
- ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective 233
-
PART IV. The Tuu family
- The Lower Nossob varieties of Tuu 257
- Towards a genealogical classification of Taa dialects 283
- Master list of references 303
- Language (group) index 325
- Subject index 329
