Kw'adza language
Encyclopedia
Kw'adza is an extinct Afroasiatic language formerly spoken in Tanzania
in the Mbulu District. The last speaker died sometime between 1976 and 1999. It is poorly attested, and apart from perhaps being close to Aasax, its classification is not certain; although it has a large number of identifiably Cushitic roots, the numerals itame 'one' and be'a ~ mbɛa 'two', for example, suggest a connection with Hadza
.
/ɡ/ and /l/ have the allophones [dʒ] and [ɽ] before front vowels. /tʃʼ/ is 'mildly' ejective. Ehret reports that /kʼ/ and /kʼʷ/ are voiced [ɡ, ɡʷ] if a preceding consonant is voiced.
Vowels are /a e i o u/.
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
in the Mbulu District. The last speaker died sometime between 1976 and 1999. It is poorly attested, and apart from perhaps being close to Aasax, its classification is not certain; although it has a large number of identifiably Cushitic roots, the numerals itame 'one' and be'a ~ mbɛa 'two', for example, suggest a connection with Hadza
Hadza language
Hadza is a language isolate spoken by fewer than a thousand Hadza people along the shores of Lake Eyasi in Tanzania, the last full-time hunter-gatherers in Africa. Despite the small number of speakers, language use is vigorous, with most children learning it...
.
Phonology
The phonology is not certain, but the following has been suggested (Ehret 1980):| m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||
| b | d | ɡ | ɡʷ | |||
| p | t | k | kʷ | ʔ | ||
| tsʼ | tɬʼ | tʃʼ | kʼ | kʼʷ | ||
| f | s | ɬ | x | xʷ | h | |
| β̞ | dz | l | j |
/ɡ/ and /l/ have the allophones [dʒ] and [ɽ] before front vowels. /tʃʼ/ is 'mildly' ejective. Ehret reports that /kʼ/ and /kʼʷ/ are voiced [ɡ, ɡʷ] if a preceding consonant is voiced.
Vowels are /a e i o u/.