Northern Ndebele language (original) (raw)

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Bantu language of Zimbabwe and Botswana

Northern Ndebele
Mthwakazi Ndebele[_citation needed_],
isiNdebele
Region	Limpopo in South Africa; Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe; North-East District in Botswana
Ethnicity	Northern Ndebele
Native speakers	2.6 million[1] (2023)[2]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–CongoVolta-CongoBenue–CongoBantoidSouthern BantoidBantuSouthern BantuNguniZundaNorthern Ndebele
Writing system	Latin script
Official status
Official language in	Zimbabwe
Language codes
ISO 639-1	nd – North Ndebele
ISO 639-2	nde – North Ndebele
ISO 639-3	nde – North Ndebele
Glottolog	nort2795
Guthrie code	S.44[3]
Linguasphere	99-AUT-fk incl.varieties 99-AUT-fkato 99-AUT-fkd
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isiNdebele dictionary, 1910

Northern Ndebele (), also called Ndebele, isiNdebele saseNyakatho,[4] Zimbabwean Ndebele,[2][5] isiNdebele or North Ndebele,[6][7] associated with the term Matabele, is a Nguni language spoken by the Northern Ndebele people which belongs to the Nguni group of languages.

Ndebele is a term used to refer to a collection of many different African cultures in Zimbabwe.[8] As a language, it is by no means similar to the Ndebele language spoken in kwaNdebele in South Africa although, like many Nguni dialects, some words will be shared. Many of the natives that were colonized by the Matabele were assimilated into Mzilikazi's kingdom and are an of-shoot of the Zulu tribe. The Matebele people of Zimbabwe descend from the Zulu due to a Zulu leader Mzilikazi (one of Zulu King Shaka's generals), who left the Zulu Kingdom in the early 19th century, during the Mfecane, arriving in present-day Zimbabwe in 1839.

Although there are some differences in grammar, lexicon and intonation between Zulu and Northern Ndebele, the two languages share more than 85% of their lexicon.[9] To prominent Nguni linguists like Anthony Trevor Cope and Cyril Nyembezi, Northern Ndebele is a dialect of Zulu. To others like Langa Khumalo, it is a language. Distinguishing between a language and a dialect for language varieties that are very similar is difficult, with the decision often being based not on objective linguistic criteria but on more subjective, often politicised considerations.[10][11][12]

Northern Ndebele and Southern Ndebele (or Transvaal Ndebele), which is spoken in South Africa, are separate but related languages with some degree of mutual intelligibility, although the former is more closely related to Zulu. Southern Ndebele, while maintaining its Nguni roots, has been influenced by the Sotho languages.[13]

Northern Ndebele consonants

| | Bilabial | Labio- dental | Dental/alveolar | Post- alveolar/Palatal | Velar | Glottal | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | central | lateral | | | | | | | | | Nasal | plain | m ⟨m⟩ | | n ⟨n⟩ | | ɲ ⟨ny⟩ | ŋ ⟨ngh⟩ | | | depressed | mʱ ⟨m⟩ | | nʱ ⟨n⟩ | | ɲʱ ⟨ny⟩ | ŋʱ ⟨ngh⟩ | | | | Plosive | ejective | pʼ ⟨p⟩ | | tʼ ⟨t⟩ | | kʼ ⟨k⟩ | | | | voiced | b ⟨bh⟩ | | d ⟨d⟩ | | | ɡ ⟨ɡ⟩ | | | | aspirated | pʰ ⟨ph⟩ | tʰ ⟨th⟩ | | kʰ ⟨kh⟩ | | | | | | prenasalized | ᵐp ⟨mp⟩ | | ⁿt ⟨nt⟩ | | | ᵑk ⟨nk⟩ | | | | prenasalized (vd.) | ᵐb ⟨mb⟩ | | ⁿd ⟨nd⟩ | | | ᵑɡ ⟨ng⟩ | | | | Affricate | ejective | | | tsʼ ⟨ts⟩ | | tʃʼ ⟨tj⟩ | kxʼ ⟨kl⟩ | | | aspirated | | | tsʰ ⟨tsh⟩ | | tʃʰ ⟨tjh⟩ | | | | | voiced | | | | | dʒ ⟨j⟩ | | | | | prenasalized ejective | | | ⁿtsʼ ⟨nts⟩ | | ᶮtʃʼ ⟨ntjh⟩ | ᵑkxʼ ⟨nkl⟩ | | | | prenasalized voiced | | | | | ᶮdʒ ⟨nj⟩ | | | | | Fricative | plain | | f ⟨f⟩ | s ⟨s⟩ | ɬ ⟨hl⟩ | ʃ ⟨sh⟩ | | h ⟨h⟩ | | voiced (depr.) | βʱ ⟨b⟩ | vʱ ⟨v⟩ | zʱ ⟨z⟩ | | ʒʱ ⟨zh⟩ | (ɣʱ ⟨k⟩) | (ɦ ⟨h⟩) | | | voiced (non-depr.) | β ⟨b⟩ | | | ɮ ⟨dl⟩ | | (ɣ ⟨k⟩) | | | | prenasalized | | ᶬf ⟨mf⟩ | ⁿs ⟨ns⟩ | ⁿɬ ⟨nhl⟩ | | | | | | prenasalized (vd.) | | ᶬv ⟨mv⟩ | ⁿz ⟨nz⟩ | ⁿɮ ⟨ndl⟩ | | | | | | Sonorant | plain | w ⟨w⟩ | r ⟨r⟩ | l ⟨l⟩ | j ⟨y⟩ | | | | | depressed | wʱ ⟨w⟩ | | | lʱ ⟨l⟩ | jʱ ⟨y⟩ | | | |

Many consonant sounds may result in depressed (or breathy) allophones. Alveolar consonants, t, d, and n, may have dentalized allophones of [t̪ʼ, d̪, n̪]. Consonants k and h can result in allophones of [ɣ, ɣʱ] and [ɦ].

Ndebele /t͡ʃ/ generally correspond to Zulu /ʃ/.[12]

Northern Ndebele clicks

| | Denti-alveolar | Post-alveolar | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | central | lateral | | | | | Click | tenuis | kǀ ⟨c⟩ | k! ⟨q⟩ | kǁ ⟨x⟩ | | aspirated | kǀʰ ⟨ch⟩ | k!ʰ ⟨qh⟩ | kǁʰ ⟨xh⟩ | | | depressed | ɡǀʱ ⟨gc⟩ | ɡ!ʱ ⟨gq⟩ | ɡǁʱ ⟨gx⟩ | | | nasalized | ŋǀ ⟨nc⟩ | ŋ! ⟨nq⟩ | ŋǁ ⟨nx⟩ | | | nasalized (depr.) | ŋǀʱ ⟨ngc⟩ | ŋ!ʱ ⟨ngq⟩ | ŋǁʱ ⟨ngx⟩ | |

In Northern Ndebele, there are fifteen click consonants.

The five clicks spelled with a c [ǀ] are made by placing the tip of the tongue against the front upper teeth and gums, the centre of the tongue is depressed and the tip of the tongue is drawn backwards. The resulting sound is similar to the sound used in English to express annoyance.[14]Some examples are cina (end), cela (ask).[15]

The five clicks spelled with a q [!] are made by raising the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate and touching the gums with the sides and tip of the tongue. The centre of the tongue is depressed and the tip drawn quickly away from the gum. The resulting sound is like the "pop" heard when quickly removing the cork from a bottle.[14]Some examples are qalisa (start), qeda (finish).[15]

The five clicks spelled with a x [ǁ] are made by placing the tongue so that the back of the tongue touches the soft palate and the sides and tip of the tongue touch the gums. One side of the tongue is quickly withdrawn from the gums.[14]Some examples are xoxa (discuss), ixoxo (frog).[15]

There are five vowel phonemes, written with the letters a, e, i, o, u.

• a is pronounced [a], approximately like a in father; e.g. abantwana (children)
• e is pronounced [ɛ] or [e], sometimes like e in bed; e.g. emoyeni (in the air)
• i is pronounced [i], like ee in see; e.g. siza (help)
• o is pronounced [ɔ] or [o], sometimes approximately like o in bone; e.g. okhokho (ancestors)
• u is pronounced [u], like oo in soon; e.g. umuntu (person)

Months in Northern and Southern Ndebele

[edit]

Numbers in Northern Ndebele

[edit]

The Northern Ndebele noun consists of two essential parts, the prefix and the stem. Using the prefixes, nouns can be grouped into noun classes, which are numbered consecutively, to ease comparison with other Bantu languages.

The following table gives an overview of Northern Ndebele noun classes, arranged according to singular-plural pairs.

1 umu- replaces um- before monosyllabic stems, e. g. umuntu (person).

Verbs are marked with the following prefixes in agreement with the noun class of the subject and the object:

While subject-verb agreement is obligatory, object marking is not, and only appears when the object is given in the discourse.[16] The object marker attaches closer to the verb root when it occurs (with the following notations: A - augment vowel; 1 - class 1 nominal prefix, etc.; 1s - class 1 subject agreement, etc.; FUT - future; 1o - class 1 object marker, etc.):

ex:

u-za-yi-pheka

1s-FUT-9o-cook

U-Thabani u-za-yi-pheka i-nyama

A-1Thabani 1s-FUT-9o-cook A-9meat

"Thabani will cook the meat."[16]

There is evidence from Zulu that object markers are an evolution of pronominal clitics to be agreement markers,[17] which might also be the case for Northern Ndebele, given the linguistic similarity between the languages.

• Southern Ndebele language
• Sumayela Ndebele language
• Zulu language
• Provinces of Zimbabwe
• Matabeleland North
• Matabeleland South
• Bulawayo

1. ^ Northern Ndebele. "Ndebele speaking countries: Zimbabwean Ndebele". worlddata.info.
2. ^ a b Ndebele at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
3. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
4. ^ "Northern Ndebele language". www.omniglot.com. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
5. ^ Mpofu, I. N. (2011). Sithini isiNdebele? (1st ed.). Harare, Zimbabwe: Radiant Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7974-4280-1. OCLC 755905987.
6. ^ "Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: nde". ISO 639-2 Registration Authority - Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-07-04. Name: North Ndebele
7. ^ "Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: nde". ISO 639-3 Registration Authority - SIL International. Archived from the original on 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2017-07-04. Name: North Ndebele
8. ^ Sibanda, Julius (2002). Isikithi (2nd ed.). Harare Zimbabwe: College Press. p. 7. ISBN 1779001371.
9. ^ Langa Khumalo, “Language Contact and Lexical Change: A Lexicographical Terminographical Interface in Zimbabwean Ndebele,” Lexikos 14, no. 108 (2004).
10. ^ Anthony Cope, “A Consolidated Classification of the Bantu Languages,” African Studies 30, nos. 3–4 1971): 213–36.
11. ^ Nyembezi, C.L.S., 1957. Learn Zulu, Cape Town: Shuter & SHooter
12. ^ a b D.K. Rycroft “Ndebele and Zulu: Some Phonetic and Tonal Comparisons,” Zambezia, no. 2 (1980): 109–28.
13. ^ Skhosana, Philemon Buti (2009). "3". The Linguistic Relationship between Southern and Northern Ndebele (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-11-17.
14. ^ a b c Shenk, J.R. A New Ndebele Grammar
15. ^ a b c NorthernNdebele at blogspot.com
16. ^ a b "The timing of agreement and A-movement in Ndebele - lingbuzz/005254". ling.auf.net. September 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
17. ^ Zeller, Jochen (June 2012). "Object marking in isiZulu". Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. 30 (2): 219–235. doi:10.2989/16073614.2012.737600. ISSN 1607-3614. S2CID 145587448.

• Bowern, Claire; Lotridge, Victoria, eds. (2002). Ndebele. Munich: LINCOM EUROPA. ISBN 3-89586-465-X.
• Sibanda, Galen (2004). Verbal Phonology and Morphology of Ndebele (Ph.D.). University of California, Berkeley.
• Hadebe, Samukele (2002). The Standardisation of the Ndebele Language Through Dictionary-making. University of Zimbabwe - University of Oslo.
• Skhosana, P.B. (2010). The Linguistic Relationship between Southern and Northern Ndebele. University of Pretoria: DLitt Thesis.

• Northern Ndebele for Beginners
• Speak Ndebele
• The History of the Ndebele People