A discourse-based documentation of San varieties in the Western Sandveld Region (Central district, Botswana)
The Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP) provides grants worldwide for the documentation of endangered languages and knowledge. Grantees create audiovisual collections with transcription and translations of endangered languages and practices. These collections are preserved and made freely available through the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR).
The Western Sandveld Region, in Central District, Botswana, is host to several highly endangered and unrelated 'Khoisan' languages spoken by San foragers of the Kalahari. Furthermore, ethnographic references from the 70s suggest completely undiscovered languages may still exist in the region. This project focuses on the documentation and description of Tshwa, a barely described East Kalahari Khoe language of the Khoe-Kwadi family (approx. 900 speakers). The project aims to create a diverse and culturally rich corpus of natural discourse, and a sociolinguistic study to shed light on the linguistic heritage of this part of the Kalahari.
Primary investigator: Lee J. Pratchett
Project Details
Location: Botswana, Southern Africa, Africa
Organiser(s):
Endangered Languages Documentation Programme
Project partner(s): Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
Funder(s):
Arcadia
Funding received: £119,516.00
Commencement Date: 01/2012
Project Status: Active
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