Kwʼadza language
# Kwʼadza language

Kwʼadza (Qwadza), or Ngomvia, is an extinct Afroasiatic language formerly spoken in Tanzania in the Mbulu District. The last speaker died sometime between 1976 and 1999.

## Classification

Kwʼadza is poorly attested, and apart from perhaps being close to Aasax, its classification is not certain. Although it has a large number of identifiably Cushitic roots, the non-Cushitic numerals itame 'one' and beʼa ~ mbɛa 'two' suggest a connection with Hadza, while haka 'four' suggests a connection with Sandawe. It is possible that Kwʼadza borrowed e.g. 'four' from Sandawe, but also that it was a non-Cushitic language whose speakers were undergoing language shift to Cushitic when it was recorded.

## Phonology

The phonology is not certain, but the following has been suggested (Ehret 1980):

### Consonants

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Velar | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | Labial | Alveolar | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Palatal | plain | labial | Glottal |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | n | | ɲ | ŋ | | |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | t | | | k | kʷ | ʔ |
| Plosive | voiced | b | d | d | | | ɡ | ɡʷ | |
| Affricate | Affricate | | dz | | | | | | |
| Ejective | Ejective | | tsʼ | tɬʼ | tʃʼ | | kʼ | kʼʷ | |
| Fricative | Fricative | f | s | ɬ | | | x | xʷ | h |
| Approximant | Approximant | β̞ | | l | | j | | | |

/ɡ/ and /l/ have the allophones [dʒ] and [ɽ] before front vowels. /tʃʼ/ is 'mildly' ejective. Ehret reports that /kʼ/ and /kʼʷ/ are voiced [ɡ, ɡʷ] if a preceding consonant is voiced.

### Vowels

| | Front | Back |
| - | - | - |
| Close | i | u |
| Close-mid | e | o |
| Open | a | a |
