Khoisan

American  

[koi-sahn] / ˈkɔɪ sɑn /

noun

1. a family of languages found chiefly in southern Africa and including the languages of the San and the Khoikhoi.

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adjective

1. of or belonging to Khoisan.

Khoisan British  

/ ˈkɔɪsɑːn, kɔɪˈsɑːn /

noun

1. a family of languages spoken in southern Africa by the Khoikhoi and Bushmen and by two small groups in Tanzania. A characteristic phonological feature of these languages is the use of suction stops (clicks)

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adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or belonging to this family of languages

Example Sentences

In fact, many of the words in the southern Bantu language that relate to cattle and cattle-herding practices are derived from Khoisan.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

For the Khoisan people of southern Africa, it’s an archer confronting zebras and a lion.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 18, 2023

Recently, Amazon halted a sizable investment in Cape Town after the descendants of the Khoisan people asserted that the Amazon facilities were being built on their ancestral lands.

From Washington Post • Apr. 26, 2022

The collective was a broad coalition of First Nations groups, said Zenzile Khoisan, one of its leaders, adding that the consultation with the developer was effective.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2022

The Khoisan area of southern Africa is surprisingly small for a people so distinct in anatomy and language.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond