ǂAkhoe Haiǁom is an endangered idiom of Namibia. It is treated as a separate language by some linguists and as a dialect of the language (dialect cluster) Khoekhoegowab by others. About 250,000 persons speak a dialect of Khoekhoegowab (also called Khoekhoe or Nama), but the number of speakers of ǂAkhoe Haiǁom is difficult to estimate, it may be about 7,500. A standardized form of Nama is used in Namibia in administration and education. ǂAkhoe Haiǁom has preserved some old words and grammatical forms that are no longer found in other dialects (source: DoBeS ǂAkhoe Haiǁom project).
Sounds of language – clicks
The language belongs to the Khoe (or Central Khoisan) group. Like other Khoisan languages, it uses clicks – obviously, for two of them are contained in the name ǂAkhoe Haiǁom. Read more about the sounds of language in the Book of Knowledge (Chapter 4).
Video clip
Watch the speakers of ǂAkhoe Haiǁom chatting and playing a clapping game.
Further information and resources
- DoBeS ǂAkhoe Haiǁom project. This site contains short information on the language and culture as well as several samples (videos, audios). The ǂAkhoe Haiǁom corpus in the DoBeS archive offers more information and resources for registered users.
