View source for Kalanga language

{{Short description|Bantu language of Zimbabwe and Botswana}}
{{distinguish|Kalagan language|Zezuru language}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Kalanga
| nativename       = TjiKalanga/Ikalanga
| pronunciation    = 
| states           = [[Zimbabwe]], [[Botswana]]
| region           = SouthWest parts of Zimbabwe
Central, North Central and NorthEast Botswana
| ethnicity        = [[Kalanga people]]
| speakers         = 700,000 in Zimbabwe,<br/>850,000 in Botswana
| date             = 2012-2015
| ref              = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/kck|title=Kalanga|work=Ethnologue|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en}}</ref>
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam2             = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3             = [[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]]
| fam4             = [[Southern Bantoid languages|Southern]]
| fam5             = [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
| fam6             = [[Shona languages|Shona group (S.10)]]
| nation           = {{flag|Zimbabwe}} (both Kalanga and Nambya)
Botswana-recognized language nationally.
| lc1              = kck
| ld1              = Kalanga
| lc2              = nmq
| ld2              = Nambya
| lingua           = 99-AUT-ai
| guthrie          = S.16
| glotto           = kala1405
| glottorefname    = Kalanga–Nambya
}}

'''Kalanga'''{{Pronunciation needed|date=June 2025}}, or '''TjiKalanga''' (in Zimbabwe), is a [[Bantu language]] spoken by the [[Kalanga people]] in [[Botswana]] and [[Zimbabwe]] which belongs to the [[Shona language|Shonic(Shona-Nyai)]] group of Language. It has an extensive phoneme inventory, which includes [[Palatal consonant|palatalised]], [[Velar consonant|velarised]], [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]] and [[Breathy voiced|breathy-voiced consonants]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Ikalanga phonetics and phonology: a synchronic and diachronic study |last=Mathangwane |first=Joyce T. |location=Stanford, CA |publisher=CSLI Publications |year=1999 |isbn=1575861631}}</ref> as well as [[whistled sibilant]]s.

Kalanga is recognized as an official language by the Zimbabwean Constitution of 2013 and is taught in schools in areas where its speakers predominate. The iKalanga language is closely related to the [[Nambya language|Nambya]], [[TshiVenda]], and [[KheLobedu language|KheLobedu]] languages of Zimbabwe and [[South Africa]].

==Classification and varieties==
Linguists place Kalanga (S.16 in [[Guthrie classification of Bantu languages|Guthrie's classification]]) and [[Nambya language|Nambya]] (in the [[Hwange]] region of Zimbabwe) as the western branch of the [[Shona languages|Shona group]] (or Shonic, or Shona-Nyai) group of languages, collectively coded as S.10.

Kalanga has a dialectal variation between its [[Botswana]] and Zimbabwean varieties and they use slightly different orthographies. Historically, Wentzel mentioned Kalanga (proper) and Lilima (Tjililima/Humbe) on the west.<ref name="Guthrie" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Relationship between Venda and Western Shona.|last=Wentzel|first=Petrus Johannes|publisher=Ph.D. Thesis. Univ. of South Africa|year=1981}}</ref>

===TJI-LILIMA===

TjiLilima is the Kalanga language dialect popularly used in everyday speech as well as in a lot of documentation made and developed in Botswana. The use and rise of this specific dialect was brought on by the population group that uses it. This population group includes people who come from the Southern parts of the [[Tutume|Tutume district]], the [[Tonota]] district as well as those from the country's [[North-East District (Botswana)|North east district]]. Combined,the people of these districts speak the TjiLilima dialect and refer to themselves as either BaLilima or BaWhumbe. This dialect has also managed to spill into the diaspora communities of [[Bulilimamangwe District|Bulilima and Mangwe districts]] because of the closeness of the two (2) groups of people and communities with each other. The Bulilima-Mangwe area used to be a base for the Tjikalanga proper dialect(Tjindondondo), however the dialect is now facing being overshadowed by the TjiLilima.

===TJI-GWIZI===

This dialect derives its name from the settlement patterns of the language users who(unlike other Bakalanga people) preferred to settle where there are a lot of rivers(gwizi) and therefore adopting the name.The following most popular dialect of the [[Kalanga people]] is the TjiGwizi (sometimes referred to as TjiDeti). Like the TjiLilima dialect, TjiGwizi was also made popular by its many speakers and users who are found in many villages and towns and also occupy large areas of land in present-day Botswana. This dialect is spoken and used in the northern parts of the Tutume District as well as all over the [[Letlhakane|Boteti area]], however there is not a lot of documentation written and produced in this specific dialect.

===TJI-TALAUNDA===

The third Kalanga language dialect worth noting is the dialect of the [[Talaote tribe|Batalaunda]] people who are also found in Botswana as well as in the country of Zimbabwe. In Botswana their majority population can be found in [[Serowe]] & Mahalapye villages where they have been living alongside the    [[Ngwato tribe|Ngwato]] tribe and other tribes for many years. In Zimbabwe this dialect can be found in the [[Matobo National Park|Matobo]] District as well as the [[Gwanda]] District.TjiTalaunda has striking similarities with both TjiGwizi and TjiLilima despite them being over 200 kilometres away from each other. The Batalaunda pride themselves in being the only Kalanga tribe using a singular totem which is the ''Moyo'' (heart).

===TJI-NANZWA===

The [[Nambya people|BaNanzwa]] get their name from the Kalanga word Nanzwa which refers to the direction "North". This basically means that they are the Bakalanga tribe who are found north of all other [[Kalanga people|Bakalanga]] peoples and tribes. They speak the Nanzwa dialect(sometimes treated as a different language in its own right). The language has slightly different pronunciations from the other dialects because of it mixing with other tribes they stay with. This Kalanga dialect is also spoken in other parts of Zimbabwe particularly the [[Hwange|Hwange area]] where a huge number of the Bananzwa reside and have been for over a hundred years. TjiNanzwa is feared to be close to extinction because a very large number of the language users are adopting the three above mentioned dialects.

===TJIKALANGA PROPER (TJINDONDONDO)===

The last popular Kalanga dialect is the Tjindondondo dialect which is the main dialect of communication amongst the Bakalanga of that area. It is by far the largest, most spoken and most documented of the [[Kalanga people|Kalanga language dialects]] holding a huge presence in both countries. Despite all the other language being used in different areas, Tjindondondo is considered to be more ancient to the others and more original since it has many similarities with all the others and can be understood by all the other speakers of the Kalanga dialects. This dialect is more widely used in the [[Bulilimamangwe District|Bulilimamangwe districts]] as well as the [[Tsholotsho District|Tsholotsho]] area. A lot of work has since been done and made on this dialect and the language has since then been resuscitated in schools in the country of [[Languages of Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe]] where it is an official language.

The [[Kalanga people|Kalanga language]] used to have many other dialects which seem to have gone or are going into disuse because the speakers of those dialects saw it better to adopt the dialects of the popular ones. Such dialects are the Nyai (Rozvi), Lemba (Remba), Lembethu (Rembethu), Twamamba (Xwamamba), Pfumbi, Jaunda (Jawunda, Jahunda), and †Romwe, †Peri.

The [[Gwanda|Jawunda]] dialect was about to become extinct, however there are collaborations underway to help resuscitate the dialect to its former status,especially in its native district of Gwanda in Zimbabwe. The natives in partnership with the government are helping the minority dialects get noticed and supported.

==Phonology==

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" |[[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! colspan="2" |[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! colspan="2" |[[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br>alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan="2" |[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>alveolar</small>
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>lab.</small>
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>lab.</small>
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>lab.</small>
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>lab.</small>
|- align="center"
! rowspan="6" |[[Stop consonant|Plosive]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|p}}
|
|{{IPA link|t̪}}
|
|
|({{IPA link|tʷ}})
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|k}}
|{{IPA link|kʷ}}
|
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|{{IPA link|b}}
|
|{{IPA link|d̪}}
|
|{{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA link|dʷ}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|ɡ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡʷ}}
|
|-
!<small>prenasal</small>
|{{IPA link|ᵐb}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|ⁿd}}
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|ᵑɡ}}
|{{IPA link|ᵑɡʷ}}
|
|-
!<small>aspirated</small>
|{{IPA link|pʰ}}
|
|{{IPA link|t̪ʰ}}
|
|{{IPA link|tʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tʰʷ}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|kʰ}}
|{{IPA link|kʰʷ}}
|
|-
!<small>breathy</small>
|{{IPA link|pʱ}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|tʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|kʷʱ}}
|
|-
!<small>ejective</small>
|
|
|
|
|({{IPA link|tʼ}})
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="6" |[[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|
|{{IPA|p͡s}}
|{{IPA link|t̪͡s̪}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|
|{{IPA|b͡z}}
|{{IPA link|d̪͡z̪}}
|{{IPA link|d̪͡z̪ʷ}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA|b͡ɡ}}
|
|-
!<small>prenasal</small>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|ⁿd͡ʒ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>aspirated</small>
|
|
|{{IPA link|t̪͡s̪ʰ}}
|{{IPA link|t̪͡s̪ʰʷ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA|p͡kʰ}}
|
|-
!<small>breathy</small>
|
|
|{{IPA link|t̪͡s̪ʱ}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|t͡ʃʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>ejective</small>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|t͡ʃʼ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|- align="center"
! rowspan="2" |[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|f}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|s}}
|{{IPA link|sʷ}}
|{{IPA link|ʃ}}
|{{IPA link|ʃʷ}}
|
|({{IPA link|x}})
|({{IPA link|xʷ}})
|
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|{{IPA link|v}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|z}}
|{{IPA link|zʷ}}
|{{IPA link|ʒ}}
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|ɦ}}
|- align="center"
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|ɲ}}
|{{IPA link|ŋ}}
|{{IPA link|ŋʷ}}
|
|- align="center"
! colspan="2" |[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|- align="center"
! rowspan="3" |[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
!<small>lateral</small>
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|- align="center"
!<small>central</small>
|{{IPA link|β̞}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|j}}
|
|{{IPA link|w}}
|
|-
!<small>breathy</small>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link|wʱ}}
|
|}

* Phonemes {{IPA|/tʰʷ, p͡s, b͡z, t͡ʃʼ/}} occur only as marginal phonemes.
* Sounds {{IPA|/tʼ, tʷ, x, xʷ/}} are sounds that are borrowed from Tswana.<ref name=":0" />

=== Vowels ===
Kalanga has a typical five-vowel system:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|- align="center"
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|
|{{IPA link|u}}
|- align="center"
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}}
|
|{{IPA link|o}}
|- align="center"
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|{{IPA link|a}}
|
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Chebanne |first1=A. M. |last2=Rodewald |first2=M. K |last3=Pahlen |first3=K. W. |year=1995 |title=Ngatikwaleni iKalanga: A Manual for Writing Kalanga as Spoken in Botswana |location=Gaborone |publisher=Botswana Society |isbn=9991260331 |oclc=42736229}}
* {{cite book |last1=Chebanne |first1=Andy |last2=Schmidt |first2=Daniel |year=2010 |title=Kalanga: Summary Grammar |location=Cape Town |publisher=CASAS |series=CASAS Monograph |volume=75 |isbn=9781920287030}}
* {{cite journal |last=Dube |first=Limukani T. |year=2021 |title=Zimbabwe's Kalanga Orthography: The Strengths and Shortcomings of the 2008 Writing System |journal=Arusha Working Papers in African Linguistics |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=42–51 |url=https://arushalinguistics.org/publications/Dube_AWPAL_2021.pdf}}
* {{cite journal |last=Letsholo |first=R. |year=2013 |doi=10.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.436 |title=Object Markers in Ikalanga |journal=Linguistic Discovery |volume=11 |issue=1|doi-access=free }}
* {{cite thesis |last=Mathangwane |first=Joyce T. |year=1996 |title=Ikalanga Phonetics and Phonology: A Synchronic and Diachronic Study |degree=PhD |location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8m17f977}}

==External links==
{{Incubator|code=kck}}
*[http://kalanga.org/language/ Language section of the Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association website]
*http://talkingdictionary.swarthmore.edu/kalanga/

{{Languages of Botswana}}
{{Languages of Zimbabwe}}
{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kalanga| ]]
[[Category:Shona languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Botswana]]
[[Category:Languages of Zimbabwe]]