Shua language

Shua
Native toBotswana
Native speakers
2,000 (2013)[1]
Khoe–Kwadi
  • Khoe
    • Kalahari (Tshu–Khwe)
      • East
        • Shua
Language codes
ISO 639-3shg
Glottologshua1254
ELPShua

Shua /ˈʃə/ SHOO, 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).

  1. ^ "Shua". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  2. ^ "Shua". Ethnologue.com. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  3. ^ McGregor, William B. (2017). "Unusual manner constructions in Shua (Khoe-Kwadi, Botswana)". Linguistics. 55 (4): 859. doi:10.1515/ling-2017-0013. S2CID 148649962.