Why are Khoisan languages known for click consonants?

The origin of click consonants in Khoisan languages remains a mystery, and there is no definitive evidence explaining why these languages are known for them.1

While some have speculated that clicks may have evolved as natural vocal adaptations—such as hunters using them to camouflage their presence or mimic environmental sounds—this theory has proven fruitless. Although there are instances where clicks function symbolically, such as in onomatopoeia, their standard linguistic role is as unremarkable as that of any other consonant, like b or s.12

Furthermore, it is important to clarify that "Khoisan" is a loose typological term rather than a strict language family, as these languages differ significantly in vocabulary, sentence structure, and word formation. While they share the use of clicks as a primary feature of their sound structure, this resemblance has not provided sufficient evidence to establish clear genetic affiliations between them or their relationship to other African languages.1