Taa Language
Taa /ˈtɑː/, also known as !Xoon, ǃXóõ /ˈkoʊ/ or Tsasi, is a Khoisan language known for its large number of phonemes, perhaps the largest in the world. As of 2007, it was spoken by about 6,000 people. These are mainly in Botswana, but a few hundred live in Namibia. The people call themselves ǃXoon (pl. ǃXooŋake) or ‘N|ohan (pl. N|umde), depending on the dialect they speak.
Taa is the word for 'human being'; the local name of the language is Taa ǂaan, from ǂaan 'language'. !Xoon is an ethnonym used at opposite ends of the Taa-speaking area, but not by Taa speakers in between. Most living Taa speakers are ethnic ǃXoon (plural ǃXooŋake) or 'Nǀohan (plural Nǀumde).
Read more about Taa Language: Relatives, Alternate Names, Dialects, Phonology, Grammar, Example Phrases
Famous quotes containing the word language:
“Denotation by means of sounds and markings is a remarkable abstraction. Three letters designate God for me; several lines a million things. How easy becomes the manipulation of the universe here, how evident the concentration of the intellectual world! Language is the dynamics of the spiritual realm. One word of command moves armies; the word liberty entire nations.”
—Novalis [Friedrich Von Hardenberg] (1772–1801)