Click words which isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans have in common

Abstract

The Khoekhoe-branch languages of the broader Khoe language family contributed to the lexicon and the phonology of multiple other languages in South Africa both prior to and during the colonial period. Despite a series of catastrophic shift events that have led to the extinction or endangerment of these languages, the outcomes of their considerable sociolinguistic influence endure to this day. Unfortunately, resources that offer ready access to the etyma of Khoekhoe loanwords are limited, and the few that do exist rely on outdated sources and employ inaccessible orthographies. This etymological paper explores the diffusion of Khoekhoe-branch loanwords across multiple unrelated languages, focusing specifically on click loanwords that entered both isiZulu and isiXhosa as well as regional varieties of Afrikaans documented during field research in the Northern Cape. Click loanwords into seTswana and seSotho are also compared as necessary. Comparison of how the same etymon was adapted into different languages allows for contrastive discussion of how click consonants behave under different contact conditions while also demonstrating the considerable areal expanse of the linguistic influence historically wielded by the Khoekhoe languages. Some preliminary discussion of click loan from isiXhosa into Afrikaans is also offered, highlighting how click consonants can continue to undergo productive diffusion long after the extinction of their original donor language. It is hoped that this exploration will encourage increased interest in click loanwords as an areal feature specifically of modern South Africa and in the development of more accessible etymological resources.