Khoekhoe etymology : List with all references

Number : 16

Proto-Bushman : *ɳ!̯a^hʔ-

Meaning : big; to grow

Khoisan etymology : Khoisan etymology

Proto-Ju : *ɳ!̯aʔa

Bushman > Ju : Bushman > Ju

Proto-Taa : *ʔ!nā^hʔni

Bushman > Taa : Bushman > Taa

Proto-!Wi : *ɳ!ai

Bushman > !Wi : Bushman > !Wi

Notes : Used with various extensions in SK (*ɳ!̯a^hʔ-ni, *ɳ!̯a^hʔ-i).

North Khoisan etymology :

Proto-Ju: *ɳ!̯aʔa

Tonal pattern: LX [j] ~ LL [k] ~ ML [e]

Meaning: big

Peripheral Khoisan etymology: Peripheral Khoisan etymology

Juǀʼhoan : ɳ!ã̏ʔã̀ "to be big, be fat, be old (of people), be adult, be grown-up (sg. subj.)" // ɳ!ȁ-ɳ!ã̏ʔã̀ "fast, loudly, in a big way, much"

Juǀʼhoan (Snyman): ɳ!aʔa

ǀǀAuǀǀen : ɳ!a ~ ɳ!aː ~ ɳ!aː-si

!Kung (Lloyd) : ɳǀǀʔá // ɳǀǀé ắ ~ ɳǀǀĕ-ã́ ~ ɳǀǀĕ ǀǀá "to be large, increase"

!Kung (Doke): -ɳ!̯ʔa

!Kung (Weich): ɳǀǀãʔã

!O!Kung (Bleek) : ɳǀǀa ~ ɳǀǀaː

Kavango : ɳǀǀàʔà

Ekoka : ɳǀǀà ~ ɳǀǀāʔà

Tsumkwe : ɳ!ã̄ʔà

Tsintsabis : ɳ!ã̄ʔà

Okongo : ɳǀǀã̄ʔà

Leeunes : ɳ!̯ã̀ʔa

Mpunguvlei : ɳǀǀã̀ʔá

Cuito : ɳǀǀã̀ʔá

Cuando : ɳǀǀã̀ʔá

South Omatako : ɳ!àʔá

North Omatako : ɳ!àʔá

Kameeldoring : ɳ!àʔá

Lister : ɳ!ã̀ʔá

Notes : The nasalisation in several dialects is unclear; since it does not function within NK as a morphological marker, it probably gets transferred onto the vowel under the influence of the nasal efflux.

References : Bleek 471, 474, 511, 612, 613, 618; Dickens 249, 250; Heikkinen 1986; KH 137; Snyman 25; Snyman 1997: 61; Weich 57.

RefLex number: 1147

nkhet-tonal,nkhet-meaning,nkhet-prnum,nkhet-juh,nkhet-juh_sn,nkhet-aue,nkhet-kng,nkhet-dkk,nkhet-wei,nkhet-okn,nkhet-kvn,nkhet-ekk,nkhet-tsu,nkhet-tsi,nkhet-oko,nkhet-lee,nkhet-mpu,nkhet-cui,nkhet-cua,nkhet-oms,nkhet-omn,nkhet-kam,nkhet-lis,nkhet-notes,nkhet-refer,nkhet-reflex,

South Khoisan (Taa subgroup) etymology :

Proto-Taa : *ʔ!nā^hʔni

Meaning : to grow physically, mature

!Xoong : ʔ!nāhʔni

References : Traill 98.

South Khoisan (!Wi subgroup) etymology :

Proto-!Wi : *ɳ!ai (*ǂ-)

Meaning : big, many

Bushman etymology : Bushman etymology

//Ng : !nai, !na̰i, !nã̰ĩ "big, many"; !nē, !nẽ̄ "to be many, big"

N|huki : ǂnãĩ "big" (?); ǂãĩ si "many"

#Khomani : !naitjukwe "old man" (Mg.)

//Kxau : !nai "big", !nai⁺n̥⁺ "many"

Notes : The N|huki forms with ǂ- look positively related to the respective ||Ng forms in Bleek 1956, and the ! - ǂ correspondence between Bleek's ||Ng and N|huki is quite usual. However, Maingard's ǂKhomani and Meinhof's ||Kxau also have !-, despite usually representing the palatal click ǂ- adequately (cf. "dog", etc.). External data also points against ǂ-. Since the N|huki forms are only attested in the speech of one informant, they could be incorrect or reflect some particularities of that idiolect.

References : Bleek 472, 473, 477; NFn; Meinhof 1929: 185, 188.