Refusing to be the last woman standing – Katrina Esau of Upington :: Mmegi Online

The world knows 90-year-old Katrina Esau as the last known fluent speaker of a San language called Nluu (pronounced N'xuu). She is from Upington in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Esau has inspired linguists, anthropologists, human rights activists, and social media populations who have an interest in extinct languages and the passing of cultures.

Her clinching of the South African Presidential Order of the Baobab Award in 2014 put then-President Jacob Zuma in a good light: committed to the recognition and revival of indigenous culture and languages. Esau attracted the attention of the London School of Oriental and African Studies who saw golden opportunities in sponsoring her language project and supported remarkable contributions including the Nluu Children's story book she authored, the language dictionary and online apps.

American researchers, including renowned lexicographer Chris Collins, collaborated with Esau and cooperated with a score of others to craft a Nluu alphabet and basic rules of grammar for teaching purposes. During that painstaking and applied investigation, the research team made a significant discovery: the Nluu language has five foundational clicks, as opposed to the cour common in click languages of Southern Africa. The outpouring of honours culminated with the South African Department of Culture declaring Esau a "Living Human Treasure" and prompting the University of Cape Town to bestow an honorary PhD earlier this year. Esa's hometown of Upington has a population of 87, 000 and a history as effervescent as her life story.

Already have an active account? Log in here.

Or Sign up and get unlimited access to premium articles.