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Each of the first five headings below is an established language family, as well as a branch of a putative Khoisan phylum. However, the Khoisan relationship is not supported by comparative linguistics, and the term is often used for convenience without any implication of linguistic validity, much as are Papuan and Australian . The inclusion of Hadza is especially doubtful, and it appears to be a Language Isolate .

Not all "click languages" are called Khoisan; some belong to other established familes. For convenience, they are listed here:



HADZA

  • Hadza (200-800 speakers in Tanzania)

    • Hadza appears to be unrelated to any other language.



SANDAWE

  • Sandawe (40,000 speakers in Tanzania)

    • There is some indication that Sandawe may be related to the Khoe-Kwadi family, but the relationship remains speculative.



KHOE-KWADI (OR ''CENTRAL KHOISAN)''

Kwadi is widely thought to be related to the Khoe family, but it is quite distinct and little data is available.


Kwadi

  • Kwadi (Extinct, Angola.)



Khoe

The Khoe Family is both the most numerous and diverse family of Khoisan languages, with seven living languages and over a quarter million speakers.

Khoekhoe


=North Khoekhoe

  • Nama (250,000 speakers. Ethnonyms Khoekhoegowab, Damara. A dialect cluster including ‡Aakhoe and Hai‖’om)



=South Khoekhoe

  • Korana (Extinct. Ethnonym !Goragowap.)

  • Xiri (90 speakers. Moribund. A dialect cluster.)



Tshu-Khwe (or ''Kalahari)''


=East Tshu-Khwe (East Kalahari)

  • Shua (6000 speakers. A dialect cluster including Deti, Ts’ixa, /Xaise, and Ganádi)

  • Tsoa (9300 speakers. A dialect cluster including Cire Cire and Kua)



=West Tshu-Khwe (West Kalahari)

  • Kxoe (11,000 speakers. A dialect cluster including ‖Ani and Buga)

  • Naro (14,000 speakers. A dialect cluster.)

  • G‖ana-G/wi (4500 speakers. A dialect cluster including G‖ana , G/wi , and ‡Haba)



TUU (OR ''SOUTHERN KHOISAN)''

There are two language clusters in the Tuu Family which are clearly related to each other. They are typologically very similar to the Juu languages (below), but do not appear to be related to them genealogically.

Ta’a



!Kwi



JUU (ALSO ''!KUNG'' OR ''NORTHERN KHOISAN)''

The Juu family consists of a single dialect cluster.


‡HOAN

It appears that ‡Hoan may be related to the Juu family, but the relationship remains speculative.
  • ‡Hõã (200 speakers, Botswana. Moribund.)



OTHER


Hai‖’om

A Hai‖’om language is listed in most Khoisan references. A century ago the Hai‖’om people spoke a Ju dialect, probably close to !Kung, but they now speak a divergent dialect of Nama. Thus their language is variously said to be extinct or to have 16,000 speakers, to be Ju or to be Khoe. (Their numbers have been included under Nama above.) They are known as the ''Saa'' by the Nama, and this is the source of the word '' San ''.