San People

San Symbols and Flag

No official national flag

but symbolic motifs includ
・Bow and Arrow:Survival and hunting.
・Animal Tracks:Connection to nature.
・Spiritual Dances:Sometimes depicted in symbolic artwork.

Language

San languages fall within the broader Khoisan language family.

San Language Features

Features

・Use of click consonants (|, ǀ, ǃ, ǂ, ǁ) not found in most other languages.
・Flexible word order and rich verbal morphology.

Main San languages include

・Juǀʼhoan
・!Kung
・Nǁng, among others.

Linguistic Characteristics and Writing System of Juǀ’hoan

Language Classification and Historical Background

Juǀ’hoan is spoken by the San people (also known as Bushmen) in northwestern Botswana and northeastern Namibia. Previously grouped broadly under the Khoisan languages due to their characteristic click consonants, Juǀ’hoan belongs specifically to the Northern Khoisan language cluster, Ju-ǃKung. Recent research reclassifies Juǀ’hoan under the Kx’a language family. Considered one of the oldest linguistic groups in Africa, the Juǀ’hoan speakers number a few thousand, facing marginalization and minimal educational support in Botswana.

Phonetic Features

Juǀ’hoan is distinguished by its extensive use of click consonants, such as dental "ǀ," lateral "ǁ," alveolar "ǃ," and palatal "ǂ," each with voiced, voiceless, and ejective variations. The language also features vowel distinctions based on length, nasalization, glottalization, whisper phonation, and a four-level tonal system, creating a highly complex phonological inventory.

Writing System

Juǀ’hoan traditionally had no writing system until a Latin-based orthography was developed in the 1970s. A practical and standardized writing system was formalized in Namibia in the 1990s through collaboration between linguist Patrick Dickens and the Juǀ’hoan community. Click sounds are represented by unique symbols (ǀ, ǁ, ǃ, ǂ) with special fonts required for digital rendering.

An example of the written Juǀ’hoan language includes children's multilingual picture dictionaries and storybooks, demonstrating the use of special symbols and Latin characters.

Sources (International Databases)

・repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp
repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp
・en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
・peoplesoftheworld.org
peoplesoftheworld.org
・endangeredlanguages.com
endangeredlanguages.com
・peoplesoftheworld.org
peoplesoftheworld.org
・peacefulsocieties.uncg.edu
peacefulsocieties.uncg.edu

Common Māori Greetings and Phrases

Notes

・Ntxoov zoo can mean both "hello" and "how are you?"
・Regional variations are common in Miao language expressions.

Region

Continent: Oceania
Region:Primarily in southern China (Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan), and spread to Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.

Language Origins

・Khoisan languages are believed to be among the oldest language families in human history.
・Genetic studies show the San people retain some of the oldest human DNA lineages.
・Click sounds may have offered advantages for hunting and stealth communication.

Writing System

・Traditionally oral： writing was not historically used.
・Modern writing employs Latin script, with special symbols for clicks.
・Clicks are represented with unique characters like | ǀ ǃ ǂ ǁ.

Detailed Habitat

・Botswana:Central Kalahari region.
・Namibia:Northern and eastern areas.
・South Africa: Northern Cape province.
・Zimbabwe and Angola:Smaller communities.

Traditional Games of the San People

Traditional San (Juǀ’hoansi) Games

Children's Hunting Play

Among the Juǀ’hoansi San, children learn life skills through hunting play, crafting small bows, arrows, and slingshots to hunt birds and small animals. Girls mimic gathering practices using small baskets. This type of play emphasizes cooperative learning rather than competitive outcomes, aligning with the egalitarian and non-competitive cultural values of the San community. Adults rarely interfere directly, and older children teach younger ones through imitation and collaborative play.

Musical and Dance Games

Music and rhythm-based games hold significant social value. Community members gather at dusk, singing and dancing together, reinforcing social cohesion. Traditional trance dances performed by adults are also imitated by children, bridging daily life with ceremonial practices.

Prominent traditional games include rope-skipping, melon games, and "war games," each accompanied by distinct songs. The war game (n!àì) involves teams performing rhythmic songs and gesture-based mime competitions, emphasizing timing and improvisational skills. Originating from ceremonial "porcupine games" associated with successful hunts, the war game evolved into a non-exclusive, everyday entertainment, reflecting the adaptation of traditional practices due to modern restrictions on hunting.

San (Juǀ’hoansi) games thus serve dual purposes: children's learning and adult social rituals, preserving cultural heritage and values across generations.

References
Academic and ethnographic sources on Juǀ’hoan language classification, phonetics, orthography, children's play among the San, traditional games, and associated music and cultural meanings.

1.Bow and Arrow Play

・Children practice hunting skills using small bows.

２．Tracking Games

・Following animal tracks in playful competitions.

３．Spirit Dance Imitation

・Children mimic adult healing dances for fun.

Introduction video

The San people's culture, language, and way of life offer a profound glimpse into the resilience and adaptability of humanity's ancient roots.

Sources (International Databases)

・researchgate.net
researchgate.net
・peacefulsocieties.uncg.edu
peacefulsocieties.uncg.edu
・link.springer.com
link.springer.com
・greengirlsinafrica.com
greengirlsinafrica.com
・repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp
repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp
・collections.peabody.harvard.ed
collections.peabody.harvard.edu