Julia's guide Willie Komani describes the Xhosa 'click' language - South Africa Walks - BBC Four

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Having tackled treks across the UK, Julia Bradbury embarks on a grand adventure in South Africa. As the world prepares to focus its attention on the World Cup host nation, Julia sets out on four very different walks that explore South Africa's claim to be 'a world in one country'.
Julia is a regular visitor to the Rainbow Nation, but this is her chance to go far beyond the normal tourist destinations to a series of increasingly remote locations. However, these are all walks that any reasonably adventurous walker could embark on and they offer a fresh and personal perspective on a friendly and fascinating country that is so often misunderstood.
The southernmost coastline of Africa is home to the sun-drenched Garden Route. With fabulous beaches and immense flora and fauna, this is an increasingly-popular holiday spot. But Julia's walk reveals secrets of the history of the Rainbow Nation. She even encounters research set to show that this abundant spot gave rise to the modern human race. With her Xhosa guide Willie bringing every feature to life, Julia finds her first walk an absolute delight. Here is proof of South Africa's warm and friendly welcome and of the constant surprises it has to offer.
#bbc
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[@rishikushwaha6874]

i want to hear an argument in this language .

[@damariuswarfield134]

Rishi Kushwaha I got you Villager 1:Click click clack click clack! Villager2:click clack click click clack click click! Villager1:clack clack click clack clack click! Villager2:click click click click clack click click!(Door slams loudly)

[@dscorner_]

It's horrendous!!

[@Chopper-AK47]

@@damariuswarfield134 lol 😂

[@OKANGUVEN99]

Put spoons in a pot Secure the pots lid Throw the pot down the stairs İ'd imagine something like this :D

[@rehema2018]

Rishi Kushwaha same 😂😂😂😂😂

[@conbatengineer]

I dated a south African girl the other day........we just clicked

[@progamerman27]

*JESUS* what were was that clicking and moaning man? Plug your headphones next time buddy

[@mynameisgladiator1933]

You are a blasphemer. Hell awaits you.

[@WilliamTravisIto]

You dated a white girl?

[@victorj9582]

@@mynameisgladiator1933 Your profile picture is a Gladiator, which is known to represent rome during the medieval times, which at its time was known to host deadly gladiator matches in which men fought for their lives in a saddening fight to the death, whether it were the slaves who hoped to be free or the poor who fought for spare change. All done for the sake of the public's entertainment.

[@mynameisgladiator1933]

@@victorj9582 My retorts: 1) "medieval times" - good one. You're about 1000 to 1500 years off on that one. 2) "which is known to represent rome" - wow. Nonsensical statement though I know what you're trying to say. Are you 8? 3)Finally, I am truly sorry if my avatar triggers you so grievously. Don't you have a safe space and a puppy dog available to help you recover from your trauma?

[@tyanne]

tongue twisters must be insane

[@Wavemaninawe]

More like jaw breakers.

[@just__dgmwt3753]

@@Wavemaninawe yea..

[@lekholokoelekotsoanamoloi9593]

You just heard one .

[@heyapostleG777]

He's explaining the clicks and then proceeds to sing what we in the West know as the "Click Song by Miriam Makeba" She was also Xhosa. I love this language so much and wish that there were teachers here in the US to teach me the language.

[@shadowhenge7118]

Man i love this language. Its like a whole missing aspect of communication in all others.

[@michaelolin2219]

I'm doing OK with French on Duolingo (I'm actually American French), but this would without doubt knock that owl off the branch for good lol

[@KMNone-wc6si]

Coolest language.

[@mambooooooo917]

Try n/u or Taa/!Xóõ

[@ogdogcookiefn3426]

In deed. I am fascinated by it.

[@AtlasNyx7]

The unique yet fascinating language I liked the most was the Silbo Gomero, the whistle language.

[@jess5427]

Russian is my favourite, but this rocks. The guy was really nice, aww

[@kathysahagian7478]

Yes variety, the spice of life. I like listening to other languages and accents too

[@ArtInLynch]

Click bait

[@ShadowcoreNot]

HAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAH

[@siyavuyamgulwa1941]

That's is kind of ofencive

[@littleman7514]

Siyavuya Mgulwa ofencive

[@ussvincent1119]

d o n t l e a v e m e

[@danielw7732]

So funny

[@mangeloarkz6245]

i like the way how she curiously love the language .

[@alphabah9822]

When he sang Miriam Makeba’s song, it gave me goosebumps

[@WannaBwalker]

Sick beatboxing

[@Frankie-uj8oo]

When your beatboxing and you end up telling a fairytale

[@KirillKiMo]

The skunk rolls over in the grass. And sprains its windpipe. Iqaqa liziqikaqika kuqaqaqa laqawuka uqoqoqo.

[@Wavemaninawe]

Was the skunk trying to practice Xhosa on Duolingo?

[@tripthongUwU]

Those Q's sounds are stronger than Arabic Q (Qaf), for your information

[@JulietRobin]

This is a beautiful language. My current project includes learning two songs which includes Pata Pata.

[@JJFlashBang]

This truly is incredible how it’s a specific set of clicks to help create words. If that’s how this language works. Really shows how some languages can be vastly different in our wide expanse of human biodiversity. Makes me wonder what some other African tribal languages sounded like before European colonization and how much about them we could’ve studied and learned. What a shame.

[@dscorner_]

Some of them still sound the same.

[@Jbarack98]

Gotta throw in colonization. Smh

[@worldwideworldwide4173]

@@Jbarack98 yes. It’s highly important to throw in colonization because it’s the same reason why thousands of languages are also still disappearing now from generation-to-generation. It all started with colonialism that involved the establishment of a centralized foreign authority within a stolen territory run by colonial official. Portuguese, Italian, French, Spanish, and English are not languages native to Africa, yet they are official languages in African countries only because of colonialism. The history is very important to throw in. This video itself is an example why.

[@davidniedjaco9869]

Yes..love making this into a liberal political agenda

[@davidniedjaco9869]

With that reasoning one could say that middle eastern languages are not native to Europe but they are rapidly increasing..give it another 100 or so years and the middle eastern languages, culture, and religion will supplant European traditions..but I'm sure you're ok with that. Is that okay, or is it okay to have a double standard?

[@LG-nh4bs]

"He got a click in his name." - Russell Peter

[@swaystar1235]

imagine some song in their language is literally just beatboxing

[@moraga7370]

There’s a lot of really good music out there in Xhosa! Miriam makeba sung a lot of songs in Xhosa, I recommend them.

[@AlleyCatGhost]

This must be preserved. It's so unique and interesting

[@yoliswambebe619]

What must be preserved? Haybo, this language is spoken at this very moment in SA. This is the mother tongue of the late SA President Nelson Mandela, home language of former President Thabo Mbeki, Mama Winnie Mandela not some language spoken by small group of ppl.

[@theofrustus3170]

@@yoliswambebe619 I'm relieved hearing this. It's a beautiful language. I'm a Bengali, only us Bangalis from (Bangladesh) have shed blood , given our lives to protect our mother tongue. For those 5 brave heroes (Rafiq, Shafiq,Salam, Zabbar, Barkot ) who gave their lives and were shot down by the Pakistani military(1971), every year at 21st February we celebrate the International mother language day in their honor and sacrifice .

[@ohhi5237]

it is. its now on youtube

[@paulflute]

fancy being paid to make a TV documentary about a language..writing a script, flying out there.. getting to meet these amazing people.. and STILL not making the effort to learn how to pronounce even the name of the language.. embarrassing ..

[@PlantShopAfrica]

What an absolute shame. Embarrassing actually.

[@Asriel10304]

I cringed when she was like " Oh oh do it again"

[@Aurora-FX]

paulflute they’re Not linguist idiot

[@ogdogcookiefn3426]

Third Reich an actual IDIOT calling someone else one. You didnt think your response through did you? Or you just have very low expectations of people!

[@Asriel10304]

@@Aurora-FX are you saying that research should not have gone into it? Bumbaclaat

[@quanagyrl4317]

Absolutely amazing!

[@uncoverthetruth6171]

every polyglot in the world wants to take on the challenge of learning this language lol

[@PHATB0Y20]

When I have a son he’s going to get all clicks in his name

[@Bravilor]

Hahaha, like "can't wait to have a son just so I can harass him". The moment he's born like "aaah, you fell now did you!"

[@artem0924]

Vod Kinockers Russel Peters community here xD

[@twaldy]

Good reference

[@peregrinocinzento]

That's a fascinating language! I really would like to learn it. Unfortunately i'm forced to believe that there're not xhosa teachers in my country. I've learned some languages by myself... I mean, with some good books and translators avaiable in the internet, but i think it's not that easy with xhosa.

[@Bozewani]

I will teach you Xhosa I speak the language Ndiafundi isiXhosa Ndiathetha olwimi

[@Patrickf5087]

@SarcasMiss imagine what it would be like when we leave solar system

[@prossyyav7609]

you can use some youtube video to get started

[@ZomziWeAfrika]

@@Bozewani Bit you can’t write it

[@ashwinnmyburgh9364]

@@ZomziWeAfrika Dude, "Ndiafundi isiXhosa Ndiathetha olwimi" is written Xhosa. What are you trying to say here?

[@grahamesau1150]

so cool to listen to!

[@katty01]

This sounds SO beautiful ❤️

[@worldwideworldwide4173]

Wow! She’s lucky. I wish I was there too. This is intriguing stuff to me, and fun.

[@Cybernaut551]

Absolutely stunning! Ngokuqinisekileyo iyamangalisa!

[@hugobosske]

These guys speak the click language so good that you would think that they are talking normally and that clicks are background sound

[@user-jq8bi6jc4i]

اللهم انت ربي لا اله إلا انت خلقتني وانا عبدك وانا على عهدك و وعدك ما استطعت اعوذ بك من شر ماصنعت ابوء لك بنعمتك علي وابوء بذنبي فغفر لي فإنه لايغفر الذنوب الا انت.

[@busybee8418]

I'm Nigerian and i like south Africa

[@joegranchelli415]

Mad respect to this dude for fluently speaking at least 2 of the worlds most difficult languages.

[@Nora-iz5qk]

جايين من عند نايف حمدان؟؟😂😂😭😭

[@jaemfully4912]

Dis man knows de way

[@londonbrotherson263]

I know the way

[@seanspartan2023]

@@londonbrotherson263 You not know de way

[@londonbrotherson263]

@@seanspartan2023 No, u do knot know da wae!

[@subspace2913]

damn it, jojo references can't stop following me around

[@evillolipop2704]

『Cat T.』 I know right

[@f3nt0]

Amazing!!!!

[@Ali-yw4cn]

الي جاين من نايف حمدان 😅✌️

[@ivanckh_1651]

Very beautiful language

[@ZungleIF]

a very chill man

[@monsterversemanticore7061]

This is very satisfying to listen to

[@roskell95]

she's just laughing at him like he's a novelty... inappropriate, I found this fascinating! would love to learn more

[@MegaMiraBai]

Wonderful

[@craftykidshd8140]

That’s awesome! It sounds like a beatboxing to me.

[@SubstratumMaxima]

Amazing

[@edd2184]

This is absolutely amazing I cannot imagine the complexity of this language 🤯. On the other hand... We have people that can't separate "there", "their" and "they're" Or heaven help, if you throw in a "your" or "you're" into a sentence 🙄.

[@aphrodieMonkey]

Lol I promise u english is indeed immensely more complex

[@edd2184]

@@aphrodieMonkey I highly doubt it, there are literally positions to teach English in most countries around the world. Several of my former classmates do it professionally and have been teaching abroad for years.

[@cherifmoses5514]

I love this language

[@stoplayin21]

This is so amazing I love him how can people invade and do harm to people like that

[@kathysahagian7478]

Only white guys could

[@Jbarack98]

These people lived drastically different lives 500 years ago. They wouldn’t be as peaceful or civil as you would like to believe. Just read historical accounts about tribal Africans from the Chinese, Arabs or Europeans. Woke culture has completely distorted history.

[@littlebugsmith]

@@Jbarack98 Why do you think they were so hostile in the first place? Surely it had nothing to do with whites brutally conquering their land and terrorizing their people. I thought you hicks loved self defense against intruders

[@FunnyFawkesGuy]

​@@littlebugsmith Actually, Africa had a rich history of advance military strategy and tactics long before the arrival of European colonizers. The narrative that "vulnerable, peaceful Africans" took up the "shameful and barbaric ways of war" as a response to colonizers is condescending and infantilizes pre-colonial African tribes. It belittles the impressive military history and conquests of the Xhosa. If you want to know more, I highly recommend Richard Reid's "War in Pre-Colonial Eastern Africa." Super good read, can't recommend it enough!

[@MaxCadyS]

@@FunnyFawkesGuy advanced military strategy compared to what, animals? They have never posed a threat to any serious European force.

[@tweakfinals173]

Yo he nailed it spot on

[@strictlyaroundtheworld3489]

I've heard story's on KZbin like conspiracies I know his sounds random but even here on earth we have the craziest languages it's so beautiful in a way but imagine all the languages in the universe some we will probably never comprehend

[@g7eit]

Brilliant

[@alahitsaudia8978]

جااي من سناب نايف حمدان 😂♥️🤷🏻‍♂️

[@pfhrmb]

I can imagine him walking down a street talking on the phone and loads of dogs just following him like he's the pied piper as if they're being called

[@dizzyblaze01]

Lmao 🤣

[@yoliswambebe619]

And you think its funny?

[@ivyme5783]

@@yoliswambebe619 yes

[@yoliswambebe619]

@@ivyme5783 yehake, hay unexesha, qha ulityela ebudengeni.

[@faisalomrny4225]

اللي جاي من طرف ابو حمدان يرفع ايده😂😂😂

[@user-gj6gr9ek9e]

اللي جاي من نايف حمدان😂👋🏽

[@waya121]

thats cool!!

[@oscarkirk456]

Epic

[@anakiria2566]

does anyone now the tune he is singing? it lifted my spirits!

[@gracekania2604]

Check out the click song, that's whar people call it . It's on the voice south africa. Amazing.

[@justadjustor8993]

He has beautiful eyes.

[@ZillyCatboi]

1:13 bruh he didnt summon a healing spell

[@fadys6369]

جاي من نايف حمدان 😹😹♥️

[@Sthuthukile]

People have to remember that the clicks are only consonants, just like the English c, q and x. There are other sounds other than the clicks, like vowels

[@amgguy2145]

She’s so entertained

[@HelloMyNamesNino]

I had trouble learning this language then it all just clicked.

[@jaredaustin2634]

Omg wow!!!

[@pinoyako9830]

Maybe the only language that is truly connected to music.

[@ohhi5237]

to edm? dubstep? CLICK CLICK ZAK ZAK TING CLICK CLICK DROP YOUR ASSSSSS

[@user-od2hx5ur3s]

من اللي جاي من سنابات نايف حمدان😂

[@salimaagmir2924]

Yes

[@ZomziWeAfrika]

My beautiful language

[@KevinGoldman]

"There are 5 clicks in my Xhosa language" *Produces 6 sounds!*

[@christopheroptimusprime2631]

Beautiful man I wish I was on the hill with him

[@wulliemack7094]

On the ranch we all speak Xhosa even though my home tongue is Afrikaans and use English on here and th some of my friends ,,Its easy to make the clicks as most people all ready use them think when you look at some thing and think it rubbish ,you click your tongue to the roof of your mouth,,Its getting the right click that is the problem,,

[@Czar_Moss]

its so insane bro its like hes knocking on wood while speaking

[@abdullahimohamed652]

I wonder if all Xhosa people sound like Madiba, listen when he is saying " that is a very difficult thing to say"

[@user-iv2hn5dj6f]

جاين من طرف ابو حمدان 😭😭

[@khanimran1238]

Yo that is so cool man me like that I would like to learn that In my line of work it would keep me one step ahead fa real

[@duduwe8071]

THey born as natural skilled Beatboxer

[@BenwaysPatient]

Never seen or heard something like this before. This is funny as hell

[@fernandoramoa7079]

Love it. There's no way you can be aggressive in this language

[@TheEpicGamerSubscribe]

I want to see a football commentator with this language 🤣🤣🤣

[@sihlem444]

TheEpicGamer the best actually... it isn’t even that complicated but obviously we grew up hearing these words and overtime they just form part of your vocab

[@yungcraka_]

He spittin

[@captainuky]

I wish there’s a Course class for African languages... I really want to visit and gathered with their natives... 😻😻🧔🏻🧔🏻

[@matthewcox7985]

Recommended prerequisite class: Beat Box 101.

[@subhosmithabhaduri8004]

Damn I want to hear them sing

[@ashileeafniroll9879]

Those clicks sounds like the clicks in the Tekken 7 command list when u view a move

[@guedxander]

ashileeaf Niroll A little tad ;)

[@lurji]

they went to georgia for this one

[@makaiendre4808]

The skunk thing is like a tongue twister with extra steps

[@halonothing1]

They have Xhosa in Google translate. I always wondered why they didn't have it where you can hear it pronounced. Now I know.

[@moatazalnajar7453]

This is cooler than knock knock jokes

[@D-J-Q]

That was cool ngl.

[@chukwuemerie]

The only click in my language means "damn it"

[@6ingular]

i speak xhosa with my 2 yesr old brother

[@m3mario]

Knock knock, knick knock knuuck

[@tuity3357]

m4mario 🤣

[@vvaolm11]

جايكم من طرف ابو حمدان ✌🏻

[@goffdroid]

She clowned him at the end . . . . I feel better already

[@izzywave222]

ignorant

[@prenomnom5715]

This is Africa the land of diversity. The mother land. The holy land

[@no-gh5hk]

Its simply beatboxing😂

[@uuyyyuui2242]

من طرف نايف حمدان لايك 😭😂

[@user-rx5pi7ly6n]

🤚😂😂

[@JazzHandzLMT]

He hit it....

[@moazzamlxxl]

Starvin Marvin brought me here

[@sinceredelgado2442]

I have people who make fun of their clicks

[@brickandorder2210]

I have people who make fun of their cliques too.

[@user-jq8bi6jc4i]

لا اله الا الله والله اكبر ولا حول ولا قوة الا بالله.

[@-rg9443]

الي جاي من ابو حمدان هههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههههه

[@miaouew]

the skunk rolls on the grass and breaks his windpipe

[@myphoneisretro]

love the new player

[@mritt52]

Take notes guys, this is how you get all the clicks *wink wink