ǁXegwi language
| ǁXegwi | |
|---|---|
| giǁkwi꞉gwi kiǁkwi꞉gwi | |
| Native to | South Africa |
| Region | Lake Chrissie |
| Ethnicity | Tlou-tle |
| Extinct | 1988, with the death of Jopi Mabinda |
Tuu
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | xeg |
xeg.html | |
| Glottolog | xegw1238 |
ǁXegwi (pronounced /ˈzɛɡwiː/ ZEH-gwee), also known as Batwa, is an extinct ǃKwi language spoken at Lake Chrissie in South Africa, near the Swazi border. The last known speaker, Jopi Mabinda, was murdered in 1988. However, a reporter for the South African newspaper Mail & Guardian reports that ǁXegwi may still be spoken in the Chrissiesmeer district.
The ǁXegwi name for their language has been spelled giǁkwi꞉gwi or kiǁkwi꞉gwi. Their name for themselves has been transcribed tlou tle or kxlou-kxle, presumably [k͡𝼄ouk͡𝼄e]. The Nguni (Zulu and Swazi) called them (a)batwa, amaNkqeshe, amaNgqwigqwi; the Sotho called them Baroa/Barwa.