Korana language
Encyclopedia
Korana, or ǃOra, is a moribund
Khoe language
of South Africa
. An ethnic Korana population (also called Griqua) of 10,000 live in South Africa, and perhaps Botswana
, with perhaps half a dozen elderly speakers as of 2008.
ǃOra is related to Nama
, and the sound systems are broadly similar. However, ǃOra has an ejective velar affricate, /kxʼ/, which is not found in Nama, both as a pulmonic consonant and as a click accompaniment
. In addition, about half of all lexical words in ǃOra began with a click, compared to a quarter in Nama.
ǃOra is principally recorded in a notebook by Carl Meinhof
from 1879 which contains five short stories; some addition work was done in Ponelis (1975). As of 2009, EuroBABEL project is searching for remaining speakers.
Moribund
Moribund refers to a literal or figurative state of near-death.Moribund may also refer to:* "Le Moribond", a song by Jacques Brel which became better known for its rewritten English-language version, "Seasons in the Sun"...
Khoe language
Khoe languages
The Khoe languages are the largest of the non-Bantu language families indigenous to southern Africa. They are often considered to be a branch of a suspected Khoisan language family, and are known as Central Khoisan in that scenario. The nearest relative of the Khoe family is the extinct and poorly...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. An ethnic Korana population (also called Griqua) of 10,000 live in South Africa, and perhaps Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, with perhaps half a dozen elderly speakers as of 2008.
ǃOra is related to Nama
Nama language
The Khoekhoe language, or Khoekhoegowab, also known by the ethnic term Nàmá and previously the now-discouraged term Hottentot, is the most widespread of the Khoisan languages. It belongs to the Khoe language family, and is spoken in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa by three ethnic groups, the...
, and the sound systems are broadly similar. However, ǃOra has an ejective velar affricate, /kxʼ/, which is not found in Nama, both as a pulmonic consonant and as a click accompaniment
Click consonant
Clicks are speech sounds found as consonants in many languages of southern Africa, and in three languages of East Africa. Examples of these sounds familiar to English speakers are the tsk! tsk! or tut-tut used to express disapproval or pity, the tchick! used to spur on a horse, and the...
. In addition, about half of all lexical words in ǃOra began with a click, compared to a quarter in Nama.
ǃOra is principally recorded in a notebook by Carl Meinhof
Carl Meinhof
Carl Friedrich Michael Meinhof was a German linguist and one of the first linguists to study African languages.-Early years and career:...
from 1879 which contains five short stories; some addition work was done in Ponelis (1975). As of 2009, EuroBABEL project is searching for remaining speakers.