Central ǃKung
Central ǃKung, or Central Ju, is a language of the ǃKung dialect cluster, spoken in a small area of northern Namibia: Neitsas, in Grootfontein district, and Gaub, in Tsumeb district. It is frequently identified as Grootfontein ǃXuun, as most research has been done in Grootfontein. An identifying feature of Central ǃKung is a fifth series of clicks that are often retroflex. While Northern and Southern ǃKung are not mutually intelligible, it is not yet clear to what extent Central ǃKung is intermediate between them or intelligible with either.
Dialects
Two dialects are identified as being Central ǃKung based on grammatical features:- Central ǃKung
- * Gaub
- * Neitsas
In Grootfontein ǃKung words which Doke and others have described as having retroflex clicks, Vedder described a second series of lateral clicks in Gaub ǃKung. The retroflex clicks have also been reported as having a lateral release.
Phonology
Grootfontein ǃKung is unusual in having true retroflex clicks, which are subapical for some speakers and have lateral release, as in the word for 'water', . There are thus five places of articulation in Grootfontein clicks,. These come in eight series, here represented with the retroflex articulation:Otherwise, the Grootfontein inventory is similar to that of Ekoka ǃKung, except that it lacks the voiced affricates.
The Grootfontein ǃKung language has a relatively large phonological inventory: