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Greetings in Khoisan Languages

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Ethnologue lists 27 languages in the Khoisan language family. 

There are 14 of these languages on this page.

   

 

 

 

||Gana [gnk] (Botswana.)

Xai o general greeting

© 1995 - 2011 by Jennifer Runner. www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/

|Gwi [gwj] (Botswana.)

Xai o general greeting

 

Hai||om [hgm] (Namiba.)

Am thai general greeting
Mati sa? how are you?
ǂKhai tsi? how are you?
  ǂKhai ta go reply to ǂKhai tsi
!Gãise? how are you?
!Khub õase general greeting, literally "nothing bad to tell"

 

Ju|'hoan [ktz] (Namibia: northeastern region.)

≠Xáí o general greeting
≠Xáí general greeting
Tuwa morning greeting
  G||àán afternoon greeting
A baah ≠xai how are you?
A re ko hatcé? how are you?
!Ka tseya? how are you? spoken to a man
!Ka tsiya? how are you? spoken to a woman

 

Korana [kqz] (South Africa.)

!kai //oab morning greeting
!kai tsēb afternoon greeting
!kai  !uib evening greeting

 

!Kung-Ekoka [knw] (Namibia: Okavango and Ovamboland.)

!Gao general greeting
ǂKha tseya? greeting spoken to a man
ǂKha tsiya? greeting spoken to a woman
Tuwa morning greeting
ǂKhai tsi? how are you? in the ǂAkhoe dialect
ǂKhai ta go reply to ǂKhai tsi
ǂKhai du go morning greeting in the ǂAkhoe dialect
!Gãise? how are you? in the ǂAkhoe  dialect
!Gãise reply to !Gãise in the ǂAkhoe dialect
!Khub õase? how are you? (literally, "nothing bad to tell?") in the ǂAkhoe dialect
!Khub õase reply to !Khub õase
Ombilis |khoa? how are you? in the ǂAkhoe dialect
Ombilis ge reply to Ombilis |khoa
Moro morning greeting in the ǂAkhoe dialect (from Afrikaans, more)
Meta midday greeting in the ǂAkhoe dialect (from Afrikaans, middag)
Xunda evening in the ǂAkhoe dialect (from Afrikaans, gooeienaand)
Wa lale po morning greeting in the ǂAkhoe dialect (from Owambo)
Wa uala po afternoon greeting in the ǂAkhoe dialect (from Owambo)
Tokera tsi? evening greeting in the ǂAkhoe dialect (from Owambo)
Tango fango evening greeting in the ǂAkhoe dialect (from Owambo)

 

Maligo [mwj] (Angola: Kwando River area.)

|xòa

morning greeting
ǂxòa morning greeting

 

Nama [naq] (Namibia and South Africa.)

  !gâi ||goas morning greeting
  !gâi ||hoas morning greeting
  !gâi tses afternoon greeting
  !gâi !uis evening greeting
  !gâi !hoes evening greeting
  !gâi !oes evening and nighttime greeting
  ≠khaits du go? how are you? used in the morning ("did you sleep well?")
 

Mî re?

how are you?
  !gâi gan gans reply to Mî re
 

≠hanu a gan gans

reply to Mî re
 

Mî du re?

how are you?
  Mati sa ti axaro? how are you?
  Mati sa? how are you?
  !gâi a reply to Mati sa
  !gâi i ge a reply to Mati sa
  Khei ta ge ko reply to Mati sa
  !gâi ≠angus greeting when meeting someone for the first time

 

N|u [nto] (South Africa.)

  !hoi ca general greeting in the ǂKhomani dialect
  !'hunkia general greeting in the ǂKhomani dialect
 

!O!ung [oun] (Angola.)

|xòa

morning greeting
ǂxòa morning greeting

 

Sandawe [sad] (Tanzania: Dodoma region.)

Hatshipatli general greeting
Laapone general greeting
Laasga reply to Laapone
Hikkiana? how are you?
Angga reply to Hikkiana
Peǁ'okuwasu general greeting
Arega'a reply to Peǁ'okuwasu
Sayona'are greeting used when beginning a conversation
Golobaxena evening greeting
Putl'umaga reply to Golobaxena
Putl'umane reply to Golobaxena
Hikiana general greeting used in the Kondoa District
Angaa reply to Hikiana in the Kondoa District

 

Vasekela [knw] (Namibia: Caprivi.)

!Gao general greeting

 

|Xam [xam] (South Africa.)

!Gau-e kke morning greeting
!Gau-e tuken kke reply to !Gau-e kke
!Gau-e kke kan o morning greeting spoken to one man
!Gau-e kke kan gu we morning greeting spoken to a group of men
||Kuonna kke midday greeting
||Kuonna tuken kke reply to ||Kuonna kke
!Kui kke afternoon greeting
!Kui tuken kke reply to !Kui kke
!Kui ||xa kke afternoon greeting
Kkuerre kkuerre kke evening greeting
Kkuerre kkuerre tuken kke reply to Kkuerre kkuerre kke
Ga kke nighttime greeting
Ga tuken kke reply to Ga kke

 

Xiri [xii] (South Africa. Namibia)

tAbete general greeting in the Eastern Cape Khoekhoe dialect (18th century)
tKwamoutsi morning greeting in the Eastern Cape Khoekhoe dialect (18th century)
tsKormoutsti evening greeting in the Eastern Cape Khoekhoe dialect (18th century)
 
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Last updated on September 5, 2011.