# Kgalagadi language

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Sotho–Tswana language of southern Botswana

Kgalagadi Kalahari SheKgalagadi Native to Botswana Ethnicity Kgalagadi Native speakers 65,400 (2015)[1] Language family Niger-Congo Atlantic–Congo Volta-Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Southern Bantoid Bantu Southern Bantu Sotho–Tswana Kgalagadi Language codes ISO 639-3 xkv Glottolog kgal1244 Guthrie code S.311 (ex-S.31d)[2] ELP Kgalagadi Linguasphere incl. varieties 99-AUT-eha to 99-AUT-ehc 99-AUT-eh incl. varieties 99-AUT-eha to 99-AUT-ehc

**Kgalagadi** is a [Bantu language](/source/Bantu_languages) spoken in [Botswana](/source/Botswana), along the [South African](/source/South_Africa) border. It is spoken by about 40,000 people.[3] In the language, it is known as *Shekgalagari*.

## Classification

Kgalagadi (also rendered *Kgalagari, Kgalagarhi, Kgalagari, Khalagari, Khalakadi, Kxhalaxadi, Qhalaxarzi, Shekgalagadi, Shekgalagari, Kqalaqadi*) is most closely related to [Tswana](/source/Tswana_language), and until recently was classified as a dialect of [Tswana](/source/Tswana_language).[2]

Dialects include *Shengologa, Sheshaga, Shebolaongwe, Shelala, Shekhena, Sheritjhauba* and *Shekgwatheng.*

## Phonology

### Vowels

Front Central Back Close i u Close-mid e ~ ɪ o ~ ʊ Open-mid ɛ ɔ Open a

- Close-mid vowels /e, o/ are frequently heard as near-close sounds [ɪ, ʊ] among speakers in free variation.

### Consonants

Labial Dental Alveolar Post- alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal plain lab. plain lab. plain lab. Stop voiceless p t̪ c cʷ k q aspirated pʰ t̪ʰ cʰ cʰʷ kʰ qʰ voiced b d̪ ɟ g Affricate voiceless t͡s t͡sʷ t͡ʃ t͡ʃʷ aspirated t͡sʰ t͡sʰʷ t͡ʃʰ t͡ʃʰʷ voiced (d͡z) d͡ʒ Fricative voiceless s ʃ ʃʷ χ h voiced z ʒ ʒʷ (ɦ) Nasal m (n̪) n ɲ ŋ Trill r Approximant l j w

- Click sounds /ʘ, ǀ, ǀŋ, ǃŋ/ are also said to occur, but mostly in rare cases.[4]

- A voiceless trill [r̥] may also occur phonemically among dialects, and may also be pronounced as breathy [r̤] in intervocalic positions.

- /r/ may also be heard as a flap [ɾ].

- /n/ may also be heard as [n̪] in free variation, or when preceding dental stops.

- /qʰ/ may also be heard as [q͡χʰ] in free variation.

- Lateral affricates [t͡ɬ, t͡ɬʰ] may occur from loanwords.[5]

- Sounds /z, ʒ/ can be pronounced in free variation as affricates [d͡z, d͡ʒ] in the Bolaongwe dialect.

- /h/ can be heard as voiced [ɦ] when in intervocalic positions.[6]

## Notes and references

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Kgalagadi"](https://www.ethnologue.com/language/xkv). *Ethnologue*. Retrieved 14 August 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Guthrie_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Guthrie_2-1) Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. [New Updated Guthrie List Online](https://web.archive.org/web/20180203191542/http://goto.glocalnet.net/mahopapers/nuglonline.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-e18_3-0)** [Kgalagadi language](https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xkv/) at *[Ethnologue](/source/Ethnologue)* (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Solé, Maria-Josep; Hyman, Larry M.; Monaka, Kemmonye C. (2009). "More on Post-nasal Devoicing: The Case of Shekgalagari". *UC Berkeley PhonLab Annual Report*. **5**: 299–320. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.5070/P70gk0g18d](https://doi.org/10.5070%2FP70gk0g18d). [eISSN](/source/EISSN_(identifier)) [2768-5047](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2768-5047).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Lukusa, Stephen T. M.; Kemmonye, C. Monaka (2008). *Shekgalagari grammar: A descriptive analysis of the language and its vocabulary*. Cape Town: Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [391963723](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/391963723).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Dickens, Patrick J. (1986). [*Qhalaxarzi phonology*](https://files.core.ac.uk/download/39675170.pdf) (PDF) (MA thesis). University of the Witwatersrand.

***[Kgalagadi language test](https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wp/xkv)*** of [Wikipedia](/source/Wikipedia) at [Wikimedia Incubator](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Incubator)

v t e Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S) (by Guthrie classification) Zone N N10 N11 Manda N12 Ngoni N13 Matengo N14 Mpoto N15 Tonga [N101 Ndendeule N102 Nindi N121 Ngoni of Malawi N20 N21 Tumbuka [N201 Mwera of Mbamba Bay N30 N31a Nyanja N31b Cewa N31c Manganja N40 N41 Nsenga N42 Kunda N43 Nyungwe N44 Sena N45[44] Rue N46[44] Podzo [N441 Sena-Malawi Zone P P10 P11 Ndengereko P12 Ruihi P13 Matumbi P14 Ngindo P15 Mbunga P20 P21 Yao P22 Mwera P23 Makonde P24 Ndonde P25 Mabiha P30 P31 Makua P32 Lomwe P33 Ngulu P34 Cuabo [P311 Koti P312 Sakati P331 Lomwe of Malawi P341 Moniga Zone R R10 R11 Umbundu R12 Ndombe R13 Nyaneka R14 Khumbi [R101 Kuvale R102 Kwisi R103 Mbali R20 R21 Kwanyama R22 Ndonga R23 Kwambi R24 Ngandyera [R211 Kafima R212 Evale R213 Mbandja R214 Mbalanhu R215 Ndongwena R216 Kwankwa R217 Dombondola R218 Esinga R241 Kwaluudhi R242 Kolonkadhi-Eunda R30 R31 Herero [R311 North-West Herero R312 Botswana Herero R40 R41 Yei Zone S S10 S11 Korekore S12 Zezuru S13a Manyika S13b Tebe S14 Karanga S15 Ndau S16 Kalanga S20 S21 Venda S30 S31a Tswana S31b Kgatla S31c Ngwatu S31d[311] Khalaxadi S32a Pedi S32b Lobedu S33 Sotho [S301 Phalaborwa S302 Kutswe S303 Pai S304 Pulana S40 S41 Xhosa S42 Zulu S43 Swati S44 (Northern) Ndebele [S401 Old Mfengu S402 Bhaca S403 Hlubi S404 Phuthi S405 Nhlangwini S406 Lala S407 South Ndebele S408 Sumayela Ndebele S50 S51 Tswa S52[53] Gwamba S53 Tsonga S54 Ronga [S511 Hlengwe S60 S61 Copi S62 Tonga [S611 Lenge Italics indicate extinct languages. Languages between parentheses are varieties of the language on their left. The Guthrie classification is geographic and its groupings do not imply a relationship between the languages within them. Narrow Bantu languages by Guthrie classification zone templates Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones A–B) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones C–D) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones E–H) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kgalagadi language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kgalagadi_language) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kgalagadi_language?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.