Elsie Vaalbooi

Elsie Vaalbooi (born c. 1901, died 7 October 2002[1]) of Rietfontein in the Northern Cape was a South African woman who was a member of the ǂKhomani (Nǁnǂe) San or Bushmen and one of the last speakers of the Nǁng language (better known by the name of the primary dialect, Nǀuu). In the 1990s there was concern amongst the ǂKhomani leadership about loss of the Nǁng language: many of those of the community who could speak a KhoeSan language actually spoke Nama. Linguist Anthony Traill interviewed Vaalbooi in 1997, when she was in her late nineties.[2] The South African San Institute became involved in the pursuit of information on the language and, with the help of Vaalbooi, they were able to trace a further ten people who could speak the language.[3]

Elsie Vaalbooi's work on the preservation of the Nǀuu language has been carried forward through a Nǀuu language school, initiated by Katrina Esau (AKA "Ouma Geelmeid"), in Upington.

Northern Cape Motto

In 1997 Elsie Vaalbooi assisted linguists and provincial officials in providing a motto for the Northern Cape Province, Sa ||a !aĩsi 'uĩsi (“We go to a better life”), which is in the Nǀu dialect of the Nǁnǂe (ǂKhomani) people.

gollark: Just like them then.
gollark: Just slow down the molecules in water?
gollark: Rotate a few octillion apio forms.
gollark: Consume memetic beeite.
gollark: Although I guess cyber does this to most things.

References
Footnotes
  1. Tongue-tied: The imminent death of a rich African language
  2. Chamberlin, p. 110
  3. McDonald, p. 139
Sources
  • Chamberlin, J. Edward (2006), If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories?, Carcanet, ISBN 1-85754-849-3
  • McDonald, David A. (2004), Environmental Justice in South Africa, Juta and Company Ltd, ISBN 1-919713-66-2


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