Sandawe
Khoisan (proposed isolate or with Hadza)
Sandawe is a click language of central Tanzania, sometimes proposed as a Khoe relative or grouped with Hadza, but generally considered a language isolate. It has four phonemic click types (dental, alveolar, lateral, palatal) and a five-tone system, making it one of the phonologically most complex languages in Africa. About 60,000 Sandawe live in the rocky uplands of Dodoma Region, retaining hunter-gatherer traditions and rock-art heritage that link them culturally to the Khoesan world.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Sandawe
Water
tsʼa
/tsʼa/
Fire
tsʼoo
/tsʼoː/
Sun
kʼɔɔ
/kʼɔː/
Moon
tsoa
/tsoa/
Mother
yei
/jei/
Father
ai
/ai/
Eat
ǁee
/ǁeː/
Drink
ʔee
/ʔeː/
Love
kalokisi
/kalokisi/
Heart
ǁʼampoo
/ǁʼampoː/
Tree
hetsʼee
/hetsʼeː/
House
ge
/ɡe/
Dog
ǀɔɔ
/ǀɔː/
Cat
misho
/miʃo/
Hand
kxʼaa
/kxʼaː/
Eye
gaa
/ɡaː/
Hello
gabaeesa
/ɡabaeːsa/
Thank you
musʼokoyo
/musʼokojo/
One
tsʼekʼe
/tsʼekʼe/
Good
tlʼobe
/tɬʼobe/
Words compared
Compared with related Khoisan (proposed isolate or with Hadza) languages
| Meaning | Sandawe | Wayuu | Aguacateco | Berom | Coyutla Totonac | Yucatec Maya | Hausa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tsʼa /tsʼa/ | wuin /wuin/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | bí /bi/ | xkán /ʃkán/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | ruwa /ɾuwaː/ |
| Fire | tsʼoo /tsʼoː/ | siki /siki/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | cá /tʃa/ | lhk'uyat /ɬkʼujat/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ | wuta /wuta/ |
| Sun | kʼɔɔ /kʼɔː/ | kaʼi /kaʔi/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | kọs /kɔs/ | chichiní /tʃitʃiní/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ | rana /ɾaːnaː/ |
| Moon | tsoa /tsoa/ | kashi /kaʃi/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | cwèl /tʃwel/ | papá /papá/ | uj /uh/ | wata /wata/ |
| Mother | yei /jei/ | ei /ei/ | naa /naː/ | ne /ne/ | tsé /tsé/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | uwa /uwaː/ |
| Father | ai /ai/ | ashi /aʃi/ | mam /mam/ | da /da/ | tlat /tɬat/ | taata /taːta/ | uba /ubaː/ |
| Eat | ǁee /ǁeː/ | ekaa /ekaː/ | wii /wiː/ | rì /ɾi/ | waan /waːn/ | jaant /haːnt/ | ci /tʃiː/ |
| Drink | ʔee /ʔeː/ | asaa /asaː/ | uuk /uːk/ | nyaŋ /ɲaŋ/ | oqoo /oqoː/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ | sha /ʃaː/ |
| Love | kalokisi /kalokisi/ | alasüin /alasɨin/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | shìr /ʃiɾ/ | pa'ksuu /paʔksuː/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ | ƙauna /kʼauna/ |
| Heart | ǁʼampoo /ǁʼampoː/ | aaʼin /aːʔin/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | kúgú /kuɡu/ | naku /naku/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ | zuciya /zutʃija/ |
| Tree | hetsʼee /hetsʼeː/ | wunuʼu /wunuʔu/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | kàn /kan/ | k'iwi /kʼiwi/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | bishiya /biʃija/ |
| House | ge /ɡe/ | miichi /miːtʃi/ | nya /ɲa/ | wùm /wum/ | chiki /tʃiki/ | naj /nah/ | gida /ɡida/ |
| Dog | ǀɔɔ /ǀɔː/ | erü /eɾɨː/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | cà /tʃa/ | chichi /tʃitʃi/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | kare /kaɾe/ |
| Cat | misho /miʃo/ | misho /miʃo/ | mis /mis/ | mìshí /miʃi/ | mishtu /miʃtu/ | miis /miːs/ | kyanwa /kʲanwa/ |
| Hand | kxʼaa /kxʼaː/ | ajapü /axapɨ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kpàá /kpaː/ | maka /maka/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | hannu /hanːu/ |
| Eye | gaa /ɡaː/ | oʼu /oʔu/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | nyíí /ɲiː/ | lakgastapu /lakɡastapu/ | ich /itʃ/ | ido /idoː/ |
| Hello | gabaeesa /ɡabaeːsa/ | jamaya /xamaja/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | kèèlé /keːle/ | tlen lhítat /tɬen ɬítat/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ | sannu /sanːu/ |
| Thank you | musʼokoyo /musʼokojo/ | talé /tale/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | gèyak /ɡejak/ | pa'xkatkatsiniyán /paʔʃkatkatsinijan/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ | na gode /na ɡode/ |
| One | tsʼekʼe /tsʼekʼe/ | wanee /waneː/ | jun /hun/ | kòp /kop/ | aktum /aktum/ | jun /hun/ | ɗaya /ɗaja/ |
| Good | tlʼobe /tɬʼobe/ | anasü /anasɨ/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | mwa /mwa/ | tlen /tɬen/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ | nagari /naɡaɾi/ |
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