Sandawe: Distinctiveness in Diversity

The Sandawe language community in Tanzania is surrounded by languages from different African language families, yet retains a special distinctiveness in this context by virtue of its unusual phonology and its status as a relic of the original inhabitants of the area. It is also noteworthy how long the Sandawe situation has endured and how this has been possible. This paper examines the reasons for the Sandawe community’s situation and its continued survival. The description of the Sandawe situation takes in its history and the question of its linguistic classification. The sociocultural features of the community and the typological features of the language are then considered, particularly in comparison with the surrounding communities and their languages, as well as possibly related languages in southern Africa. Finally, the status of Sandawe as a linguistic island is discussed, with reference to different definitions of the concept.