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Towards a genealogical classification of Taa dialects

  • Christfried Naumann
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Beyond ‘Khoisan’
This chapter is in the book Beyond ‘Khoisan’

Abstract

This paper briefly summarises the current state of research on the classification of Taa. It suggests a genealogical (historical) classification based on the evidence of grammatical and phonological features in the data from 20 varieties. The split between West !Xoon of Namibia and the remaining varieties is argued to be historically deeper than the division between western dialects and eastern dialects identified by Traill (1974b, 1985). The resulting tree suggests a scenario whereby Taa would have spread from west to east.

Abstract

This paper briefly summarises the current state of research on the classification of Taa. It suggests a genealogical (historical) classification based on the evidence of grammatical and phonological features in the data from 20 varieties. The split between West !Xoon of Namibia and the remaining varieties is argued to be historically deeper than the division between western dialects and eastern dialects identified by Traill (1974b, 1985). The resulting tree suggests a scenario whereby Taa would have spread from west to east.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Foreword and acknowledgments ix
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. ‘Khoisan’ linguistic classification today 1
  6. PART I. Cross-areal perspectives
  7. Molecular anthropological perspectives on the Kalahari Basin area 45
  8. ‘Khoisan’ sibling terminologies in historical perspective 69
  9. Clicks, prosodies and Khoisan 103
  10. PART II. The Khoe-Kwadi family
  11. Verb serialisation in northern dialects of Khoekhoegowab 125
  12. Areal and inherited aspects of compound verbs in Khoekhoe 153
  13. PART III. The Kx’a family
  14. Demonstrative and relative constructions in Ju 181
  15. N!aqriaxe (ǂ’Amkoe) spatial terms from a genealogical and areal perspective 209
  16. ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective 233
  17. PART IV. The Tuu family
  18. The Lower Nossob varieties of Tuu 257
  19. Towards a genealogical classification of Taa dialects 283
  20. Master list of references 303
  21. Language (group) index 325
  22. Subject index 329
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.330.11nau

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Foreword and acknowledgments ix
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. ‘Khoisan’ linguistic classification today 1
  6. PART I. Cross-areal perspectives
  7. Molecular anthropological perspectives on the Kalahari Basin area 45
  8. ‘Khoisan’ sibling terminologies in historical perspective 69
  9. Clicks, prosodies and Khoisan 103
  10. PART II. The Khoe-Kwadi family
  11. Verb serialisation in northern dialects of Khoekhoegowab 125
  12. Areal and inherited aspects of compound verbs in Khoekhoe 153
  13. PART III. The Kx’a family
  14. Demonstrative and relative constructions in Ju 181
  15. N!aqriaxe (ǂ’Amkoe) spatial terms from a genealogical and areal perspective 209
  16. ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective 233
  17. PART IV. The Tuu family
  18. The Lower Nossob varieties of Tuu 257
  19. Towards a genealogical classification of Taa dialects 283
  20. Master list of references 303
  21. Language (group) index 325
  22. Subject index 329
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