Which Bantu languages borrowed click consonants from Khoisan languages?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Several Bantu languages have incorporated click consonants into their phonological systems through long-term linguistic and cultural contact with Khoisan languages.

The Bantu languages known to have borrowed these sounds include:

  • Gciriku (Diriku) and Yei (Yeye), spoken in Botswana and Namibia, which have incorporated the four-click system found in many Khoisan languages.12
  • Mbukushu, also spoken in Botswana and Namibia.2
  • Zulu and Xhosa, which are Nguni languages of southern Africa that have integrated three click consonants into their respective languages.123
  • Sotho, which has also been influenced by this contact.2

While these languages are considered full-fledged click languages, they are "derivatively so," as the clicks were acquired through external influence rather than being an original feature of the Bantu language family.1