1
: a group of African peoples speaking Khoisan languages
2
: a group of languages of southern and eastern Africa that have clicks in their consonantal inventories and that include the languages of the Khoikhoi and San
Examples of Khoisan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the puzzling placements of blacks, Pygmies, and Khoisan hint at past population upheavals.
—
Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023
The history of South Africa is complex, but to keep it very simple: The region was home to many African societies, including the Khoisan, Xhosa, Zulu, Tswana and Ndebele.
—Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
The Dutch established a settlement in the 1600s, clashing with Khoisan and bringing enslaved people in from other parts of Africa.
—Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023
The history of South Africa is complex, but to keep it very simple: The region was home to many African societies, including the Khoisan, Xhosa, Zulu, Tswana and Ndebele.
—Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
The Dutch established a settlement in the 1600s, clashing with Khoisan and bringing enslaved people in from other parts of Africa.
—Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Khoisan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Khoikhoi + San
First Known Use
1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near Khoisan
Cite this Entry
“Khoisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Khoisan. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on Khoisan
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Khoisan
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share