The Khoe languages comprise the most diverse of the language families that existed in southern Africa prior to the Bantu expansion. They form one branch of a suspected Khoisan language family, and are known as Central Khoisan in that scenario. Current distribution of Human Language Families Most languages are known to belong to language families. ... The Bantu refer to over 400 different ethnic groups in Africa, from Cameroon to South Africa, united by a common language family, the Bantu languages, and in many cases common customs. ... Map showing the distribution of the Khoi-San languages. ...

They were the first Khoisan languages known to European colonists. The most numerous and only well known Khoe language is Nama, also known as Khoekhoegowab or Hottentot of Namibia. Most of the rest of the family is found in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. Nàmá, previously called Hottentot, is the most populous and widespread of the Khoisan languages. ... The Khoikhoi (men of men) or Khoi are a division of the Khoisan ethnic group of south-western Africa, closely related to the Bushmen (San). ... The Kalahari Desert (shown in red) The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in southern Africa extending to some 900,000 km² and covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. ...

The Khoe dialects are famous for their clicks, though these are not as extensive as in other Khoisan language families. There are two primary branches of the family, Khoekhoe of Namibia and South Africa, and Tshu-Khwe of Botswana and Zimbabwe. Except for Nama, they are under pressure from national or regional languages such as Tswana. Clicks are stops produced with two articulatory closures in the oral cavity. ... Tswana, also known as Setswana, is a Bantu language. ...

Classification

Language classifications may list one or two dozen Khoe languages. However, many of these are members of dialect clusters, so there is a level of subjectivity involved in counting them. Counting each cluster as a unit results in eight languages: A dialect continuum is a range of dialects spoken across a large geographical area, differing only slightly between areas that are geographically close, and gradually decreasing in mutual intelligibility as the distances become greater. ...

Khoekhoe

North Khoekhoe

• Nama (250 000 speakers. Ethnonyms Khoekhoen, Nama, Damara. A dialect cluster including ‡Aakhoe and Hai//om)
• Eini (Extinct.)

South Khoekhoe Nàmá, previously called Hottentot, is the most populous and widespread of the Khoisan languages. ... The Damara are a people who live in Namibia. ... The Hai//om are a Khoisan people of Namibia numbering 16,000. ...

• Korana (Extinct. Ethnonym !Goragowap.)
• Xiri (90 speakers. Moribund. A dialect cluster also known as Griqua or Cape Hottentot.)

Tshu-Khwe (Kalahari)

East Tshu-Khwe (East Kalahari) Korana is an endangered or even extinct Khoisan language of South Africa. ... Xiri is a Khoisan language of South Africa, originally spoken by a small group of Coloureds. ...

• Shua (6000 speakers. A dialect cluster including Deti, Ts’ixa, /Xaise, and Ganádi)
• Tsoa (9300 speakers. A dialect cluster including Cire Cire and Kua)

West Tshu-Khwe (West Kalahari) Shua is a Khoisan language of Botswana. ... Tsoa is a Khoisan language of Botswana and Zimbabwe spoken by about 9300 speakers (Cook 2004). ...

• Kxoe (11 000 speakers. A dialect cluster including ‖Ani and Buga)
• Naro (14 000 speakers. A dialect cluster.)
• G‖ana-G/wi (4500 speakers. A dialect cluster including G‖ana, G/wi, and ‡Haba)

The nearest relative of the Khoe languages appears to be the extinct and poorly attested Kwadi language of Angola. This larger group is sometimes called Khoe-Kwadi. Kxoe is a Khoisan language of Namibia, Angola, Botswana, South Africa, and Zambia. ... ‖Ani or /Anda is a Khoisan language of Botswana with about 1,000 speakers. ... Naro is a Khoisan language of Botswana and Namibia. ... G‖ana (also spelled Gxana, Dxana) is a Khoisan language of Botswana with about 2000 speakers (2004 Cook). ... G/wi or Gǀui (sometimes spelled Dcui) is a Khoisan language of Botswana with 2,500 speakers (2004 Cook). ... Kwadi is an extinct Khoisan language of Angola. ...