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Nguni languages are mostly spoken by Nguni people
Nguni people

Nguni people speak Nguni languages....
, which are group of clans and nations living in south-east Africa.

The languages are a group of Bantu languages
Bantu languages

The Bantu languages constitute a grouping belonging to the Niger-Congo languages family. This grouping is deep down in the genealogical tree of the Bantoid grouping, which in turn is deep down in the Niger-Congo tree....
 spoken in southern Africa including Zulu
Zulu language

Zulu , is a language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population ....
, Xhosa
Xhosa language

Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately Xhosa, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a Tone , that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said with a rising or falling or high or low intonation....
, Swati
Swati language

Swati is a Bantu languages of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and South Africa. The number of speakers is estimated to be in the region of 1.5 million....
, isiHlubi
AmaHlubi

The Hlubi are a tribe in South Africa. For at least two centuries they have been a part of the Nguni, Mbo or Lala nation. These people are found in the Republic of South Africa in the KwaZulu/Natal, Eastern Cape and North West provinces, with an original settlement on the Buffalo River....
,Phuthi
Phuthi language

Phuthi is a Nguni Bantu language spoken in southern Lesotho and areas in South Africa adjacent to the same border. The closest substantial living relative of Phuthi is Swati language , spoken in Swaziland and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa....
 and Ndebele
Ndebele language

There are at least two languages commonly called Ndebele:*The Northern Ndebele language, a Nguni languages spoken in Zimbabwe*The Southern Ndebele language, classified as Nguni languages or Sotho-Tswana languages, spoken in South Africa, heavily influenced by surrounding Sotho-Tswana languages and therefore mostly classified a...
 (both Southern Transvaal Ndebele
Southern Ndebele language

The Southern Ndebele language is an African language belonging to the Nguni languages group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the amaNdebele . There are two dialects of Southern Ndebele in South Africa:...
 and Northern Ndebele
Northern Ndebele language

The Northern Ndebele language, or isiNdebele, or Sindebele, is an African language belonging to the Nguni languages group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the Ndebele or Matabele people of Zimbabwe....
).

The appellation "Nguni" derives from the Nguni cattle
Nguni cattle

The Nguni list of cattle breeds is indigenous to southern Africa. A hybrid of indigenous and Indian cattle they were introduced by the black African tribes of southern Africa from the north of the continent....
 type. Ngoni (see below) is an older, or a shifted, variant.

It is sometimes argued that use of Nguni as a generic label suggests a historical monolithic unity of the peoples in question where in fact the situation may have been more complex (Wright 1987).






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Nguni languages are mostly spoken by Nguni people
Nguni people

Nguni people speak Nguni languages....
, which are group of clans and nations living in south-east Africa.

The languages are a group of Bantu languages
Bantu languages

The Bantu languages constitute a grouping belonging to the Niger-Congo languages family. This grouping is deep down in the genealogical tree of the Bantoid grouping, which in turn is deep down in the Niger-Congo tree....
 spoken in southern Africa including Zulu
Zulu language

Zulu , is a language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population ....
, Xhosa
Xhosa language

Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately Xhosa, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a Tone , that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said with a rising or falling or high or low intonation....
, Swati
Swati language

Swati is a Bantu languages of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and South Africa. The number of speakers is estimated to be in the region of 1.5 million....
, isiHlubi
AmaHlubi

The Hlubi are a tribe in South Africa. For at least two centuries they have been a part of the Nguni, Mbo or Lala nation. These people are found in the Republic of South Africa in the KwaZulu/Natal, Eastern Cape and North West provinces, with an original settlement on the Buffalo River....
,Phuthi
Phuthi language

Phuthi is a Nguni Bantu language spoken in southern Lesotho and areas in South Africa adjacent to the same border. The closest substantial living relative of Phuthi is Swati language , spoken in Swaziland and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa....
 and Ndebele
Ndebele language

There are at least two languages commonly called Ndebele:*The Northern Ndebele language, a Nguni languages spoken in Zimbabwe*The Southern Ndebele language, classified as Nguni languages or Sotho-Tswana languages, spoken in South Africa, heavily influenced by surrounding Sotho-Tswana languages and therefore mostly classified a...
 (both Southern Transvaal Ndebele
Southern Ndebele language

The Southern Ndebele language is an African language belonging to the Nguni languages group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the amaNdebele . There are two dialects of Southern Ndebele in South Africa:...
 and Northern Ndebele
Northern Ndebele language

The Northern Ndebele language, or isiNdebele, or Sindebele, is an African language belonging to the Nguni languages group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the Ndebele or Matabele people of Zimbabwe....
).

The appellation "Nguni" derives from the Nguni cattle
Nguni cattle

The Nguni list of cattle breeds is indigenous to southern Africa. A hybrid of indigenous and Indian cattle they were introduced by the black African tribes of southern Africa from the north of the continent....
 type. Ngoni (see below) is an older, or a shifted, variant.

It is sometimes argued that use of Nguni as a generic label suggests a historical monolithic unity of the peoples in question where in fact the situation may have been more complex (Wright 1987). The linguistic use of the label (referring to a subgrouping of the Bantu languages
Bantu languages

The Bantu languages constitute a grouping belonging to the Niger-Congo languages family. This grouping is deep down in the genealogical tree of the Bantoid grouping, which in turn is deep down in the Niger-Congo tree....
) is relatively stable.

Language classification

Within a subset of southeastern Bantu, the label "Nguni" is used both genetically (in the linguistic sense) and typologically (quite apart from any historical significance that it may accurately or inaccurately imply).

The Nguni languages are closely related, and in many instances mutually intelligible. The linguistic classificatory category "Nguni" is typically considered to subsume two subgroups: "Zunda Nguni" and "Tekela Nguni" (cf. Doke 1954, Ownby 1985). This division is based principally on the salient phonological distinction between corresponding coronal consonants: Zunda /z/ and Tekela /t/, but there is a host of additional linguistic variables that enables a relatively straightforward division into these two substreams of Nguni.

Zunda languages include Zulu
Zulu language

Zulu , is a language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population ....
, Xhosa
Xhosa language

Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately Xhosa, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a Tone , that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said with a rising or falling or high or low intonation....
, and Northern Ndebele (or 'Zimbabwean Ndebele'). Tekela languages include Swati
Swati language

Swati is a Bantu languages of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and South Africa. The number of speakers is estimated to be in the region of 1.5 million....
, Phuthi
Phuthi language

Phuthi is a Nguni Bantu language spoken in southern Lesotho and areas in South Africa adjacent to the same border. The closest substantial living relative of Phuthi is Swati language , spoken in Swaziland and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa....
, and the little-studied varieties Bhaca, amaHlubi, Cele and Lala.

Comparative data

Compare the following sentences:

  • I like your new sticks
Ndi-ya-zi-thanda ii-ntonga z-akho ezin-tsha (Xhosa
Xhosa language

Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately Xhosa, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a Tone , that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said with a rising or falling or high or low intonation....
)

Ngi-ya-zi-thanda izi-ntonga z-akho ezin-sha (Zulu
Zulu language

Zulu , is a language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population ....
)

Ng'yazithanda iinduku zakho ezinsha (Hlubi language
AmaHlubi

The Hlubi are a tribe in South Africa. For at least two centuries they have been a part of the Nguni, Mbo or Lala nation. These people are found in the Republic of South Africa in the KwaZulu/Natal, Eastern Cape and North West provinces, with an original settlement on the Buffalo River....
)

Gi-ya-ti-tshadza ti-tfoga t-akho leti-tjha (Phuthi
Phuthi language

Phuthi is a Nguni Bantu language spoken in southern Lesotho and areas in South Africa adjacent to the same border. The closest substantial living relative of Phuthi is Swati language , spoken in Swaziland and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa....
)

Ngi-ya-zi-thanda izi-ntonga z-akho -ezintsha (Ndebele
Ndebele language

There are at least two languages commonly called Ndebele:*The Northern Ndebele language, a Nguni languages spoken in Zimbabwe*The Southern Ndebele language, classified as Nguni languages or Sotho-Tswana languages, spoken in South Africa, heavily influenced by surrounding Sotho-Tswana languages and therefore mostly classified a...
)

Ngi-ya-ti-tsandza ti-ntfonga t-akho le-tinsha (Swati language
Swati language

Swati is a Bantu languages of the Nguni group spoken in Swaziland and South Africa. The number of speakers is estimated to be in the region of 1.5 million....
)

Note: Xhosa = Phuthi = IPA [t??]; Zulu = IPA [?], but in the environment cited here [?] is "nasally permutated" to become [t?]. Phuthi = breathy voiced [d?] = Xhosa, Zulu (in the environment here following the nasal [n]).

  • I only understand a little English
Ndi-qonda isi-Ngesi ka-ncinci nje (Xhosa)

Ngi-qonda ka-ncane nje isi-Ngisi (Zulu)

Gi-visisa si-Kguwa ka-nci të-jhë (Phuthi)

Ngi-qonda ka-ncane nje isi-Ngisi (Ndebele)

Ngi-condza ka-ncane nje si-Ngisi (Swati)

Note: Phuthi = IPA [x].

See also

  • Ngoni
    Ngoni people

    The Ngoni people are an ethnic group living in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, in east-central Africa. The Ngoni trace their origins to the Zulu people of kwaZulu-Natal in South Africa....
     is the ethnonym and language name of a group living in Malawi, who are a geographically distant descendant of South African Nguni. Ngoni separated from all other Nguni languages subsequent to the massive political and social upheaval within southern Africa, the mfecane
    Mfecane

    Mfecane , is an African expression which means something like "the crushing" or "scattering". It describes a period of widespread chaos and disturbance in southern Africa during the period between 1815 and about 1840....
    , lasting until the 1830s.


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