Any fellow language geeks out there?
Having been a student of English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai and Lao I consider myself to be somewhat of a language geek. I've always been fascinated by the tonal "click" languages of Africa, especially Xhosa.
The Click Song is a famous Xhosa song performed for years by Miriam Makeba, a beloved South African singer.
YouTube has several videos of her performing "The Click Song." Here are two, from 1966 and 1979.
That is so cool! The 1979 version, with her lead-in explanation, is especially great. "... it isn't a 'noise'; it's my language!"
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I'm quite familiar with this language, as my dad is a native South African and has a pretty good knowledge of it. :)
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How widely is the "click" sound found in African languages? If memory serves, the !Kung language also has the same sound.
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Come and see The Lion King. Tshidi Manye (Rafiki) can "click" like the true South African woman she is. Almost 85% of the cast is from South Africa and their language is used during the show.
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This song is awesome... My future mother in law is actually friends with her.... She is an amazing woman.
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I had a workmate who was South African and could speak Zulu....it was pretty amazing
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