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How many click consonants do Xhosa and Zulu use?
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The Nguni languages of southern Africa, which include Zulu and Xhosa, are believed to have borrowed their click consonants from Khoisan languages.1
Contrary to the assumption that these languages utilize the full range of clicks found in some Khoisan groups, Zulu and Xhosa have incorporated only three click consonants into their respective phonological systems.2