General Knowledge · 3
What is the only language that uses click consonant sounds as part of its phonemes?
Answer
Khoisan languages
The Khoisan languages of southern Africa are unique in using click consonant sounds (produced by sucking air into the mouth and releasing it sharply) as distinct phonemes. These clicking sounds represent about 25% of the consonant inventory in some Khoisan languages. The !Kung people of the Kalahari Desert speak one of the most famous Khoisan languages.
💡 Did you know?
Khoisan languages use click sounds as real consonants; the sound written as '!' in !Kung is a dental click used in actual words.
Other options people guess
- Swahili
- Arabic
- Khmer
Topics
- language
- Africa
- linguistics
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