| Shua | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Botswana |
Native speakers | 2,000 (2013)[1] |
Khoe–Kwadi
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | shg |
| Glottolog | shua1254 |
| ELP | Shua |
Shua /ˈʃuːə/ SHOO-ə, or Shwakhwe, is a Khoe language (Central Khoisan) of Botswana. It is spoken in central Botswana (in Nata and its surroundings), and in parts of the Chobe District in the extreme north of Botswana. There are approximately 6,000 speakers (Cook 2004) and approximately 2,000 out of those 6,000 speakers are native speakers.[2] The linguistic variety spoken in the township of Nata in northeast Botswana is highly endangered and spoken fluently only by adults over about thirty years of age.[3] The term Shwakhwe means people (khwe) from the salty area (shwa).