Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides information about names for days of the week in the Nama (Khoekhoe) language Of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.
This post also includes two YouTube videos of people speaking Nama.
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series that provides information about and lists for day names in various African languages. Click the "African languages days of the week" tag to find other posts in this ongoing series.
The content of this post is presented for linguistic, cultural, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/04/seven-videos-of-nama-stap-nama-step.html for a pancocojams post that showcases nine videos of a Nama dance form called "Nama Strap" (also known as "Nama Step" or "Riel").
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE NAMA LANGUAGE
Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoekhoe_language
"The Khoekhoe language... also known by the ethnic term Nama /ˈnɑːmə/[3] and formerly as Hottentot, is the most widespread of those non-Bantu languages of southern Africa that contain "click" sounds and have therefore been loosely classified as Khoisan. It belongs to the Khoe language family, and is spoken in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa by three ethnic groups, the Nama, Damara, and Haiǁom. A smaller fraction of mostly Nama and Damara who fled the 1904-1908 Namibian War of National Resistance also speak the language in Botswana, while Khoena (previously Colored) are working hard ton [sic] revive the language in South Africa.
[...]
The name for Khoekhoegowab speakers, Khoekhoen, in English khoe is a "person", with reduplication and the suffix -n to indicate the plural[citation needed]. Georg Friedrich Wreede was the first European to study the language, after arriving in Cape Town in 1659.
Khoekhoe is a national language in Namibia, where it is used for teaching up to the university level as well as in the public administration[citation needed]. In Namibia and South Africa, state-owned broadcasting corporations produce and broadcast radio programmes in Khoekhoegowab.
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Excerpt #2
From http://www.omniglot.com/writing/khoekhoe.htm
"Khoekhoe (Khoekhoegowab)
Khoekhoe is a Khoisan languages spoken by approximately 250,000 people in parts of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. It is spoken by three ethnic groups of people: the Nama (Khoekhoen), Damar and Haiǁom, and is also known as Nama.
Khoekhoe is a national language in Nambia and is used in education at all levels, as well as on the radio. There are also Khoekhoe radio programmes in South Africa.
In the past the term Hottentot was used to refer to the Khoekhoe language and those who spoke it. This name was coined by early Dutch settlers, who, upon hearing the language spoken, thought that all the natives were saying was 'hot' and 'tot'. It is now considered rascist and is no longer used.
The first European to study the Khoekhoe language was Georg Friedricj Wreede, who arrived in Cape Town in 1659."....
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Excerpt #3
From http://www.omniglot.com/language/time/days.htm
"Khoekhoe (Nama)
Mantaxtses, ǂgurotses (Monday)
Denstaxtses, ǀgamǀîtses (Tuesday)
Wunstaxtses, !nonaǁîtses (Wednesday)
Donertaxtses, hakaǁîtses (Thursday)
Fraitaxtse, koroǁîtses (Friday)
Satertaxtses, !naniǁîtses (Saturday)
Sontaxtses, hûǁîtses (Sunday)"
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: KhoeKhoegowab Lesson No:1
Easy Languages, Uploaded on Dec 28, 2006
KhoeKhoegowab is the most populous and widespread of the Khoisan languages. It belongs to the Khoe language family, and is spoken in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa by the Namaqua, Damara, and Haillom, as well as smaller ethnic groups such as the #Khomani. The name for Nama speakers, Khoekhoen, is from the Nama word khoe "person", with reduplication and the suffix -n to indicate the plural.
Thusnelda Dausas and Gabriel /Khoeseb are two young teachers from the primery school, a small school vilage called Baumgartsbrunn in Namibia.
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Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread
Gladys Baya, 2007
"I can't even hear the diference between the four of them! :-( Next time someone tells me English sounds are difficult, I'll send them to study KhoeKhoegowab!
Thanks for the lesson!"
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pusifut, 2007
"they dont speak with the clicks because they want to, they speak because its part of their language. its just like how english speakers are perhaps one of the only peoplep to use th certain words
2007"
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Stephen Blake. 2012
"Thank you for posting these lessons. I teach high school human geography in Tennessee USA and my classes had a lot of fun trying to speak Khoisan. They asked me to find out the name and artist of that very catchy tune you play at the end. Could you please tell me if you can?
Kindest regards
Stephen"
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Reply
Easy Languages, 2012
"The name of the artist is: The Dogg
I don't remember the name of the song but you find a lot of his stuff on youtube. He is a very well know Namibian Kwaito - Style musician.
Last year he let us to make a video clip with him to advertise the idea of using digital media on internet by high school students. If you search for "The Dogg" on my channel you could see it. Most of it was done in our partner school in Windhoek.
Thank you for your interest. Namibia is unbelievable beautiful country. "
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Анастасия Юрь Ева, 2013
"Khosa and Zulu are easier, because the clicks are different and easier to make. I need a better description of how to place the tongue to make the clicks for KhoeKhoegowab."
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Another commenter wrote that the correct spelling is "Xhosa".
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Jonathan Canfield, 2016
"Those sounds are pretty hard to distinguish, for beginners. Thanks for the lesson. It was informative and clear."
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Example #2: KhoeKhoegowab Lesson No:3
Easy Languages, Uploaded on Dec 31, 2006
KhoeKhoegowab is the most populous and widespread of the Khoisan languages. It belongs to the Khoe language family, and is spoken in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa by the Namaqua, Damara, and Haillom, as well as smaller ethnic groups such as the #Khomani. The name for Nama speakers, Khoekhoen, is from the Nama word khoe "person", with reduplication and the suffix -n to indicate the plural.
Thusnelda Dausas and Gabriel /Khoeseb are two young teachers from the primery school, a small school vilage called Baumgartsbrunn in Namibia.
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Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
"AdmiralXolo, 2012
"Lol this is easy for Zulu and Xhosa speakers like myself.Althou we don't have as many clicks as the khoi but this is kinda fun"
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