N|uu ɗaya ne daga cikin tsoffin Harsunan Afirka ta Kudu (South Africa), kuma ya na dab da ƙarewa. Amma Katrina Esau ta na kan aikin kiyaye al’adu da harshen al’ummar San.
Ƙabilar ta mamaye Lardin Cape ta Arewa kuma an santa da farauta na farko a yankin. An yi imanin cewa, harshen ya na da sautukan furuci daban-daban har guda 112.
Cif Ouma Katrina Esau, mai shekaru 91, ita ce ta ƙarshe da ta rage a Afirka ta Kudu, wadda ke iya magana da tsohon Harshen Khoisan San, N|uu.
Harshen ya na da kusan shekaru 25,000, da samuwa, amma saboda ƙarancin masu yaɗa shi, ya na neman ɓacewa a doron Ƙasa.
Ta buga Littafi a cikin Harshen N|uu mai suna “Skilpad en Volstruis Tortoise and Ostrich” a watan Mayu, na shakara ta 2021.
Shekaru aru-aru, San ya yi shawagi a wannan yanki cikin ƴanci, ma’abota wannan Harshe sun kasance Mafarauta kuma Makiyaya.
A yau al’adun gargajiya na San duk sun mutu kuma harshen na daga cikin ababen da suka rage wadda ya yi tarayya da tushen tarihinsu.
Mutanen da ke wannan al’ummar, ciki har da Cif. Esau, a yanzu sun fi jin harshen Afrikaans, wadda ke da alaƙa da Harsunan da mazauna Ƙasar Netherlands da suka isa Afirka ta Kudu a Ƙarni na 17 ke magana da shi.
A cikin shekarar 2013, UNESCO ta ƙiyasta cewa, akwai sauran masu magana da Harshen N|uu guda bakwai kacal da suka yi rara.
Harshen ya na ɗaya daga cikin Harsuna da UNESCO, ta keɓance wadda ta ce, akwai mummunar haɗarin gushewarsa duba da shekarun samuwar Harshen da kuma naƙasu na adadin masu jin sa.
Harshen N|uu ɗaya ne daga cikin yaruka uku da aka sani su na ɗauke da sautukan furuci na “kiss-click” da aka samar da Leɓɓa guda biyu.
Harshen dai, ana kallonsa a matsayin Harshe na asali ga al’ummar Afirka ta Kudu tun fil azal.
Matthias Brenzinger, Daraktan Cibiyar Bambancin Harsunan Afirka a Jami’ar Capetown, ya shaidawa Jaridar The Guardian cewar, “Kisan ƙare dangi shi ne babban dalilin da ya sa waɗannan Harsunan Kudancin Afirka suke ƙauracewa a yanzu, sannan kuma a tilasta musu haɗewa da wasu Harsuna, wadda hakan barazana ce ga gushewar wasu Harsunan.”
An dakatar da Katrina Esau, daga furta harshenta na asali a lokacin Mulkin Wariyar Launin Fata a Afirka ta Kudu, a farkon shekarun 1990, yayin da gundumar ta fara canjawa, saboda ƙaura da al’ummar yankin suka yi.
Ta ce, “Turawa sukan yi mana dukantsiya idan aka kama mu muna magana da harshenmu.”
“Saboda tarihinmu, mutane a yau ba sa son jin yaren, akwai takaici ƙwarai duba da yadda mutane suka yasar da al’adunsu.”
Ta ƙara da cewa, “Mun yi watsi da yaren N|uu kuma muka koyi yaren Afrikaans, ko da yake mu ba farar fata ba ne, hakan ya bada gudunmowa wajen yasar da Harshen.”
Kamar sauran Harsunan Afirka, wannan Harshe ya samu ne da sautukan baka, amma banzatar da shi na barazana ga rayuwarsa.
Har zuwa ƴan shekarun nan ba a sami cikakken ƙididdigar shi a matsayin harshen da aka rubuta ba.
Yaran Khoisan na gida su na magana ne da harshen Afirkaans amma Katrina Esau na fatan hakan zai canja cikin lokaci.
Cif, Esau, ta na aiki tare da masana ilimin Harshe, kamar su; Farfesa Sheena Shah daga Makarantar Nazarin Harsunan Afirka da Wayar da Kai (SOAS) a Landan, da Matthias Brezinger na Cibiyar Bambancin Harsunan Afirka a Cape Town don ƙirƙirar haruffan N|uu da ƙa’idojin Nahawu don dalilai na koyarwa bisa tsari.
“Daga aikin da muka yi tare da al’ummar Ouma Geelmeid, mun koyi cewa waɗannan al’ummomin su na kallon Harshe a matsayin muhimmiyar alama ta ainihi.” in ji Ms Shah.
Masana sun ce, ainihin mutum ya na ƙara zama mai mahimmanci a cikin Duniya ne yayin da ya rungumi al’adarsa.
Harshe ya shafi fiye da ra’ayin kawai don sadarwa da juna, ya na kuma alaƙa da al’adu da tsarin rayuwa ga al’umma.
“Idan muka dubi Harsunan Afirka, za mu gane cewa, su na taimakawa wajen sadarwar ra’ayoyi daban-daban game da rayuwa, dangantaka, zamantakewa, ruhaniya, kiwon lafiya,” in ji Mista Brezinger.
Ya ci gaba da cewa, “Akwai ɗimbin ilimi kan rayuwa da aka kwashe tsawon shekaru a cikin al’ummomi ƴan asalin da Ƙasashen Yammacin Duniya suka sani kaɗan game da su, kuma idan waɗannan harsuna suka mutu, wannan ilimin na musamman ya yi tasgaro,” in ji shi.
A wani loto da ya shuɗe, an ba da rahoton cewa, an samu fiye da mutum 20 masu magana da Harshen N|uu, bayan sun amsa wani tallan gidan Rediyo don taimakawa wajen ceto Harshen da yaɗa shi.
A yau, an ce Esau, ita ce mai magana da Harshen N|uu ta ƙarshe, kuma ko da daɗewar lokaci a tsakani tun da ta na jin yaren, ta ce ba ta taɓa mantawa ba.
“Ban koyi wannan harshen ba; Na samo shi ne daga mahaifiyata,” in ji Katrina Esau, a cikin fim ɗin “Lost Tongue.”
Yanzu haka dai, Esau ta na koyarwa a wata ƙaramar Makaranta da ke gaban gidanta a Rosedale, wajen Upington a Arewacin Cape.
Mary-Ann Prins, ƴar shekaru 16, ita ce babbar ɗalibr Ms Esau kuma ta na fatan wata rana za ta koyar da wannan Harshe.
“Ina son koyon wannan yaren. Ya na sa na ji kamar na kasance a wancan Ƙarnin, kamar na rayu da kakanni na. An faɗa mini cewar; Su na magana da shi kuma a yau ni ma zan iya zama wani ɓangare na wannan,” in ji ta.
Aiki da yunƙurin ceton harshen shi ne abin da Esau ta sanya a gaba a halin yanzu.
An bai wa Esau lambar yabo mafi girma a Afirka ta Kudu; “The Order Of The Baobab” don girmama ƙoƙarinta na kiyaye Harshe da Al’ada.
Kamar yadda aka san ta da soyayyar harshen, ta ce ta na fatan kawar da kunya game da masu son yin magana a harshen N|uu a yau.
