Khoekhoegowab
/ˌkʰuːkʰuːɡoʊˈwɑːb/noun
A standardized name for the Khoe language continuum spoken chiefly in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.
Did you know?The name combines Khoekhoe, meaning “people” or “person,” with gowab, “language” or “speech,” making it a rare everyday linguistic name that explicitly centers its speakers.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial Khoe languages
Khoe
*khoe
“Reconstructed root meaning “person” or “human”; the exact prehistoric form is reconstructed rather than directly recorded.”
Early Nama usage
Nama
khoe
“Person or human being.”
Early Nama usage
Nama
khoekhoe
“People or humans; reduplication serves as a plural or collective formation in the Khoe languages.”
19th Century
Nama
gowab
“Language, speech, or utterance.”
20th Century
Nama
Khoekhoegowab
“The language of the Khoekhoe; a compound of khoekhoe and gowab.”
Modern English
English
Khoekhoegowab
“The standardized modern name used especially for the closely related Khoe varieties traditionally called Nama, Damara, and Haiǁom.”