Xóõ language

Taa, also referred to as ǃXóõ, is a Tuu language distinguished by its extensive array of phonemes, potentially the most extensive globally. It is particularly remarkable for its significant functional load of click consonants, with studies indicating that 82% of fundamental vocabulary items initiate with a click sound. The majority of its speakers reside in Botswana, with a few hundred located in Namibia. The speakers identify themselves as ǃXoon (plural: ǃXooŋake) or ʼNǀohan (plural: Nǀumde), depending on their dialect. The Tuu languages represent one of the three primary language families that constitute the Khoisan languages. As of 2011, the number of Taa speakers was approximately 2,500. The term "Taa" translates to 'human being,' while the local designation for the language is Taa ǂaan, derived from ǂaan meaning 'language.' The ethnonym ǃXoon is utilized at the peripheries of the Taa-speaking region, though it is not commonly used by speakers in the central areas. Most current speakers of Taa belong to the ethnic groups ǃXoon (plural: ǃXooŋake) or ʼNǀohan (plural: Nǀumde). Taa exhibits several distinctive characteristics in common with West ǂʼAmkoe and Gǀui, which are collectively regarded as part of the Kalahari Basin sprachbund.