Exceptional Facts about Africa Language that is Worth Knowing

In Africa, it is estimated that there are 1,800 languages spoken across the continent.  There are some languages such as Yoruba, Hausa, and Swahili that millions of people speak.  However, there are others such as Dahalo, Shabo, and Laal which are only spoken by a few hundred.

Some exceptional facts about Africa language include the following:

•    The only country in Africa that speaks the same language (Somali) among their people is Somalia.
•    Many African languages include a clicking sound that is usually pronounced as other sounds at the same time.  In order to do this properly, you must learn it early in childhood.
•    There is a wide diversity of sign languages in Africa, wherein many of their genetic classification has not yet been worked out.
•    For special purposes, several languages in the continent are also whistled.
Language Families

Generally, African languages are divided into four families namely, Khoisan, Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afro-Asiatic.  These classifications do not include several other languages that are unclassified, as well as sign languages.

When you look at the history of many African countries, you will notice that they have searched for national unity after gaining independence.  Because of this, they elected only one language for people to use in education and government.

In recent years however, there has been an increasing awareness of the facts about Africa language and they realized the great importance of multilingualism or linguistic diversity.

Language Features

Some language features appear cross-linguistically common to the other languages that are spoken in Africa.  Even if there are other features that seem to be uncommon, the similarities in language is said to emanate from similar cultural background and language contact (which results to some language borrowing).

Frequently, there is only one term being used for both meat and animal.  In addition, the word nyama or nama for meat/animal is particularly widespread.  Other common features and facts about Africa language consist of certain phoneme types, labial-velar stops, clicks, initial nasal clusters on consonants, and lower high vowels.

Language Tone

Tonal languages are particularly numerous in Africa.  The Khoisan and Nilo-Saharan, as well as a large majority of Niger-Congo language are fully tonal.  Futhermore, tonal languages are also found in Chadic, Omotic, as well as in the East and South Cushitic Afro-Asiatic branches.

Some tonal languages are also found around the world, most notably in South-America (Brazil and Mexico), Austronesia, and Asia.  Generally, tonal processes like downdrift, downstep, tone shift, and tone spread make up some of the characteristics considered as true facts about Africa language.  GP