The !Xoo was difficult to find examples of words and phrases but here are some.
!Xoo is spoken in the Southern Hemisphere which would mean on this day the light would be returning and not shortening like it does in the Northern hemisphere. So the !Xoo speakers are heading towards summer while we are heading towards winter. Because Botswana is very very close to the equator the light and darkness does not change much like it would if one was clicking sounds in Antarctica or Alaska.
Viena Ten phrases
spread out
chase
be close together
lie horizontal
be out reach
rub with hands
walk slowly
poison
grey haired
close mouth
Ezra Ten Phrases
be careful
be split
soften
not to be
small
fly
delicious
neck
grass
tree
History
!Xoo or Taa language is in the Khoisan language family spoken by about 4,000 people in Botswana and Namibia by people who live a rugged life in and near Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park. !Xóõ uses all five places of articulation click sounds.
Story from UCLA phonetics language archive
Long ago ǃaǀi and Boroǁxao went hunting after wildebeest at Kang, whose tracks they had seen in the road. When the two were leaving Taketshwane they saw ǂa̰asa and he told them of a young springbok which was at the water hole, whose hoof was hurt and who was not able to run. They agreed to go to it wanting to kill it and sell its skin to the whiteman’s store at Kang. But then ǃaǀi refused and said he was extremely hungry and wanted to hunt the wildebeest and eat their meat. If he could do that he would return to the young springbok and kill it. Boroǁxao agreed but ǂa̰asa refused and said that he was the oldest person amongst themselves and he knew a lot. Were they to kill the springbok they would get a lot of money and they could go and buy things from the whiteman in Kang; they could buy food and eat and not be hungry. Boroǁxao asked ǂa̰asa whether he no longer approved of hunting when he felt hungry and whether he was now a whiteman or Bantu buying food and not hunting for it. ǂa̰asa became angry with them and told them to go and hunt. He was the one who would see money, not them, idiots that they were; so he went off to the water hole where the young springbok was.
In !Xoo
uʰǁeiasa ku ǀa̰alute iǀʰabu ǂŋʉmate ce ǂabe ǀeǁŋei. i ǀŋəu iǂʼi ǀa̰alia̰a ǃxã isa ʘan i ʘan̩ i ǃgoa ǁxobe isa ǁaniǂŋu i ǁoe. uʰ ka ba si ce ʔi qalʲe ci ǃoa̰a i gǃxaʼaɟe i ǁʼubea ʘaɟe ce ʔʘaɟe iʼa ikxʼoa ʘan̩ i kʰʉma ǁxobe iǂam ǂʼe ʘaɟe. ci dao tsʰoe uʰ a ǀŋe ǂa̰asa xabeka ǁʉʘa tʉʉm̩ ǁʼa ce i ʘʰaite be aʰʼao ʼan eʰ ka ǂŋɜʰn̩ tuǁei. ǂa̰asa kakũ iǁʼan̩ ǀŋa gǃkqʼom iǁʉ̰ʉn ʘʰai tuǁei te eʰkaba tana i tẽʼẽ be ǂʼãõ ku ci dza̰ai iǁʰoa a ǀŋa ʼansa kuǁʼanate ǂŋʉm̩. uʰǁei kxʼaɟe i ʘʰaite ka ǂxõĩsasa ǂʼa ǃŋa̰a. ǂa̰asa kakũ i ǁʼan̩ ʼe ʘaɟe tuǁei a ǃʰae ce.
LANGUAGE MADNESS 