Khoekhoe Loanwords in isiXhosa and isiZulu

Abstract A precolonial language contact event between languages in the Nguni group of the Bantu family and extinct undocumented languages in the Khoekhoe branch of the Khoe family left an enduring impact on the linguistic landscape of South Africa. isiXhosa and isiZulu gained a massive lexis of Khoekhoe loanwords that remains understudied. Prior research has focused primarily on the behaviour of click consonants during loan, and more general descriptions of phonological and morphological adaptations are lacking. This paper describes some general adaptive processes, with the especial aim of facilitating the improved detection of loanwords. By comparing the extant Khoekhoe-branch languages Nama, Damara, and Kora with the loaned Khoekhoe-branch material preserved in isiXhosa and isiZulu, details of the phonology and morphology of the undocumented Khoekhoe donor languages are inferred. Finally, comparative material from the Kalahari-branch languages in the Kwadi - Khoe family is also introduced to compensate for lacunae in the historical linguistic record.