Khoekhoe
/ˈkɔɪkɔɪ/South African
noun
1A member of a southern African people distinguished by short stature, yellow-brown skin, and tightly-curled hair, and speaking a language characterized by click sounds.
- The only branch of the Khoekhoe surviving as a group are the Nama of Namibia, although other ethnic groups continue to speak the Khoekhoe languages.Recently, the distinction between the Khoekhoe and the San (Bushmen) has come to be seen by some as mistaken, and is understood as describing differences of lifestyle rather than of ethnicity..
2Any of the group of languages or dialects spoken by the Khoekhoe.
adjective
Of or relating to the Khoekhoe or their languages.
Origin
Early 19th century; earliest use found in John Barrow. From Khoekhoe khoe-khoe, self-designation from khoe- human + khoe human being, person. The α and some forms represent borrowings from Khoekhoe words of the same family which are formed from the base compound khoe-khoe by suffixation. The some forms show the 3rd person masculine singular suffix -b (formerly spelt †-p), i.e. their sense is ‘man belonging to the Khoekhoe people’. The some forms show the 3rd person neuter or common gender plural suffix -n, i.e. their sense is ‘several members of the Khoekhoe people’ or ‘the Khoekhoe people collectively’. However, in English, the distinction between these suffixes is often ignored; compare e.g. quots. 1801, 1969, 2005 at sense A. 1.