View source for Southern Ndebele language

{{Short description|Language belonging to the Nguni group}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{About|the Ndebele language spoken in South Africa|the Ndebele language spoken in Zimbabwe|Northern Ndebele language|the Northern Ndebele language spoken in Limpopo Province, South Africa|SiNdebele (disambiguation){{!}}Ndebele language}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Southern Ndebele
| altname          = isiNdebele sakwaNdzundza noManala{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
| nativename       = ''isiNdebele seSewula''{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
| states           = South Africa
| region           = [[Mpumalanga]], [[Limpopo]], Gauteng, [[North West Province (South Africa)|North West]]
| speakers         = 1.1&nbsp;million
| date             = 2011 census
| ref              = e18
| refname          = Ndebele
| speakers2        = 1.4&nbsp;million L2 speakers (2002)<ref>Webb, Vic. 2002. "Language in South Africa: the role of language in national transformation, reconstruction and development." ''Impact: Studies in language and society,'' 14:78</ref>
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam2             = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3             = [[Volta-Congo]]
| fam4             = [[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]]
| fam5             = [[Bantoid]]
| fam6             = [[Southern Bantoid languages|Southern Bantoid]]
| fam7             = [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
| fam8             = [[Southern Bantu]]
| fam9             = [[Nguni languages|Nguni]]
| fam10            = [[Zunda languages|Zunda]]
| script           = [[Latin script|Latin]] (Ndebele alphabet)<br />[[Ndebele Braille]]
| nation           = {{RSA}}
| iso1             = nr
| iso1comment      = – South Ndebele
| iso2             = nbl
| iso2comment      = – South Ndebele
| iso3             = nbl
| iso3comment      = – South Ndebele
| lingua           = 99-AUT-fi + 99-AUT-fj
| guthrie          = S.407
| sign             = [[Signed Ndebele]]
| glotto           = sout2808
| glottorefname    = Sumayela Ndebele
| notice           = IPA
| ethnicity        = [[Southern Ndebele people|amaNdebele]]
}}
{{Infobox ethnonym|root=Ndebele|person=iNdebele|people=[[Southern Ndebele people|AmaNdebele]]|language=[[Southern Ndebele language|IsiNdebele]]|country= [[KwaNdebele]]}}
<!--SUGGESTIONS TO EDITORS:
 .Re-use and fill the infobox from [[Xhosa language]]
 .Sort/separate infos about [[Ndebele language]] and [[Ndebele]] people,
  avoid confusion between the larger Ndebele (similar to Zulu/ Xhosa) people and the smaller Southern Ndebele people,
  until it can be split and moved instead of the [[Ndebele]] redirect.
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[[File:South Africa Ndebele speakers proportion map.svg|thumb|Geographical distribution of isiNdebele in South Africa: proportion of the population that speaks isiNdebele at home.
{{legend-col
|{{legend|#EDF8E9|0–20%}}
|{{legend|#BAE4B3|20–40%}}
|{{legend|#74C476|40–60%}}
|{{legend|#31A354|60–80%}}
|{{legend|#006D2C|80–100%}}
}}]]
[[File:South Africa Ndebele speakers density map.svg|thumb|Geographical distribution of isiNdebele in South Africa: density of isiNdebele home-language speakers.
{{legend-col
|{{legend|#ffffcc|&lt;1 /km²}}
|{{legend|#ffeda0|1–3 /km²}}
|{{legend|#fed976|3–10 /km²}}
|{{legend|#feb24c|10–30 /km²}}
|{{legend|#fd8d3c|30–100 /km²}}
|{{legend|#fc4e2a|100–300 /km²}}
|{{legend|#e31a1c|300–1000 /km²}}
|{{legend|#bc0026|1000–3000 /km²}}
|{{legend|#800026|&gt;3000 /km²}}
}}]]
[[File:Pretoriase kunsmuseum 1.jpg|thumb|Bilingual sign in [[Afrikaans]] and Transvaal Ndebele at the [[Pretoria Art Museum]]]]

'''isiNdebele''' ({{IPAc-en|lang|pron|ɛ|n|d|ə|'|b|iː|l|iː}}), also known as '''Southern Ndebele'''<ref name="e18" /><ref name="ISO 639-2/RA">{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/langcodes_name.php?code_ID=318 |title=Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: nbl |publisher=ISO 639-2 Registration Authority - Library of Congress |access-date=2017-07-04 |quote=Name: South Ndebele}}</ref><ref name="ISO 639-3/RA">{{cite web |url=http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=nbl |title=Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: nbl |publisher=ISO 639-3 Registration Authority - SIL International |access-date=2017-07-04 |quote=Name: South Ndebele}}</ref> is an African language belonging to the [[Nguni languages|Mbo]] group of [[Bantu languages]], spoken by the [[Ndebele people (South Africa)|Ndebele people]] of [[South Africa]].

[[Northern Ndebele people|Northern Ndebele]] or Ndebele also known as  isi[[Northern Ndebele language|Ndebele]] is spoken in [[Zimbabwe|Limpopo]] in areas such as [[Polokwane]] (Bhulungwane), Ga-Rathoka (KaSondonga), Ga-Mashashane, [[Kalkspruit A (Ga-Maraba)|Ga Maraba / Kalkspruit]], [[Mokopane]] (Mghumbane), [[Zebediela]] (Sebetiela), which is closer to Southern Ndebele.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Skhosana |first1=Philemon |title=The (ama)Ndebele of Africa and their name '(ama)Ndebele' |url=http://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/17089 |website=University of Pretoria – Department of Library Services |year=2010 |publisher=University of Pretoria |hdl=2263/17089 |access-date=24 March 2016}}</ref>

==Overview==
{{unsourced section|date=September 2021}}
The Ndebele (Southern and Northern) people's history has been traced back to King Ndebele, King Ndebele fathered King Mkhalangana, King Mkhalangana fathered King Mntungwa (not to be confused with the Khumalo Mntungwa, because he was fathered by Mbulazi), King Mntungwa fathered King Jonono, King Jonono fathered King Nanasi, King Nanasi fathered King Mafana, king Mafana fathered King Mhlanga and Chief Libhoko, King Mhlanga fathered King Musi and Chief Skhube.

Ndebele – Some of his sons were left behind with the [[Hlubi people|Hlubi tribe]]<br/>
Mkhalangana – Some of his sons branched north and formed the Kalanga tribe<br/>
Mntungwa – Founder of the amaNtungwa clan<br/>
Njonono – He died in Jononoskop near [[Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal|Ladysmith]] – Surname Jonono is in the Hlubi tribe<br/>
Nanasi – He died in Jononoskop near Ladysmith – Surname Nanasi is in the Hlubi tribe<br/>
Mafana – He died in [[Randfontein]] (Emhlangeni)<br/>
Mhlanga – He died in Randfontein (Emhlangeni)<br/>
Musi – He died in kwaMnyamana (Pretoria)

King Musi's kraal was based at eMhlangeni a place named after his father Mhlanga, the name of the place is currently known as Randfontein (Mohlakeng) and later moved to KwaMnyamana which is now called Emarula or [[Bon Accord Dam|Bon Accord]] in Pretoria. King Musi was a polygamist and fathered the following sons, Skhosana (Masombuka), Manala (Mbuduma), Ndzundza (Hlungwana), Thombeni (Kekana or Gegana), Sibasa, Mhwaduba (Lekhuleni) and Mphafuli and others.

Southern Transvaal Ndebele is one of the twelve official languages in the Republic of South Africa. The language is a Nguni or Zunda classification (UN) spoken mostly in the Mpumalanga Province, Gauteng, Limpopo and the Northwest.

The expression ''isikhethu'' can be loosely translated to mean 'the Southern Ndebele way of doing or saying'. ''Isikhethu'' means Southern Ndebele in the same way that ''sikitsi'' will mean Swazi and ''se harona'' will mean Sotho.

The language has been severely marginalised over the years. Until the formation of the apartheid Southern Ndebele [[bantustan|homeland]] ([[KwaNdebele]]), speaking the language publicly was discouraged. Most Southern Transvaal Ndebele speakers preferred Zulu especially because the latter was learned at school. Today the Southern Ndebele speakers, mostly those who are educated still prefer to use Southern Ndebele as home language for their children and will use Southern Ndebele as a language to communicate with other Southern Ndebele speakers.

== Phonology ==
===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Southern Ndebele vowels
|-
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| i {{IPAblink|i}}
| u {{IPAblink|u}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| e [{{IPAlink|e}}~{{IPAlink|ɛ}}]
| o [{{IPAlink|o}}~{{IPAlink|ɔ}}]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="2" | a {{IPAblink|a}}
|}

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Southern Ndebele consonants
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-alv.]]/<br>[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! {{small|central}}
! {{small|lateral}}
|-
! rowspan="6" | [[Plosive]]
! {{small|ejective}}
| p {{IPAblink|pʼ}}
| t {{IPAblink|tʼ}}
|
|
| k {{IPAblink|kʼ}}
|
|-
! {{small|aspirated}}
| ph {{IPAblink|pʰ}}
| th {{IPAblink|tʰ}}
|
|
| kh {{IPAblink|kʰ}}
|
|-
! {{small|devoiced}}
| bh {{IPAblink|b̥}}
| d {{IPAblink|d̥}}
|
|
| ɡ {{IPAblink|ɡ̊}}
|
|-
! {{small|prenasal}}
| mp {{IPAblink|ᵐp}}
| nt {{IPAblink|ⁿt}}
|
|
| nk {{IPAblink|ᵑk}}
|
|-
! {{small|prenasal (vd.)}}
| mb {{IPAblink|ᵐb}}
| nd {{IPAblink|ⁿd}}
|
|
| ng {{IPAblink|ᵑɡ}}
|
|-
! {{small|implosive}}
| b {{IPAblink|ɓ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="5" | [[Affricate]]
! {{small|ejective}}
|
| ts {{IPAblink|tsʼ}}
| tl {{IPAblink|tɬʼ}}
| tj {{IPAblink|tʃʼ}}
| kg {{IPAblink|kxʼ}}
|
|-
! {{small|aspirated}}
|
| tsh {{IPAblink|tsʰ}}
| tlh {{IPAblink|tɬʰ}}
| tjh {{IPAblink|tʃʰ}}
| kgh {{IPAblink|kxʰ}}
|
|-
! {{small|plain}}
|
| dz {{IPAblink|dz}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! {{small|devoiced}}
|
|
|
| j {{IPAblink|d̥ʒ}}
|
|
|-
! {{small|prenasal}}
|
|
|
| nj {{IPAblink|ᶮdʒ}}
|
|
|-
! rowspan="5" | [[Fricative]]
! {{small|plain}}
| f {{IPAblink|f}}
| s {{IPAblink|s}}
| hl {{IPAblink|ɬ}}
|
| rh {{IPAblink|x}}
|
|-
! {{small|voiced}}
| v {{IPAblink|v}}
| z {{IPAblink|z}}
| dl {{IPAblink|ɮ}}
|
|
| h {{IPAblink|ɦ}}
|-
! {{small|prenasal}}
| mf {{IPAblink|ᶬf}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! {{small|prenasal (vd.)}}
| mv {{IPAblink|ᶬv}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! {{small|aspirated}}
|
|
| dlh {{IPAblink|ɮʰ}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| m {{IPAblink|m}}
| n {{IPAblink|n}}
|
| ny {{IPAblink|ɲ}}
| ngh {{IPAblink|ŋ}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Liquid consonant|Liquid]]
|
| r {{IPAblink|r}}
| l {{IPAblink|l}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Semivowel]]
| w {{IPAblink|w}}
|
|
| y {{IPAblink|j}}
|
|
|}

Consonant sounds ''nt'', ''nd'', ''k'', ''mf'', and ''mv'' often result in allophones of {{IPA|[d̥r dr k̬ ɱp̪fʼ ɱb̪v]}}.<ref name=":0" />

===Click consonants===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Southern Ndebele clicks
! colspan="2" |
![[Dental consonant|Dental]]
![[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br> alveolar]]
![[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|-
! rowspan="2" |<small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
!<small>plain</small>
|c {{IPAblink|ᵏǀ}}
|q {{IPAblink|ᵏ!}}
|x {{IPAblink|ᵏǁ}}
|-
!<small>aspirated</small>
|ch {{IPAblink|ᵏǀʰ}}
|qh {{IPAblink|ᵏ!ʰ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
!<small>plain</small>
|gc {{IPAblink|ᶢǀ}}
|gq {{IPAblink|ᶢ!}}
|
|-
!<small>nasalized</small>
|nc {{IPAblink|ᵑǀ}}
|nq {{IPAblink|ᵑ!}}
|nx {{IPAblink|ᵑǁ}}
|}

==Grammar==

===Nouns===

The Southern 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 Southern Ndebele noun classes, arranged according to singular-plural pairs.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Class
!Singular
!Plural
|-
|1/2
|um(u)-<sup>1</sup>
|aba-, abe-
|-
|1a/2a
|u-
|abo-
|-
|3/4
|um(u)-<sup>1</sup>
|imi-
|-
|5/6
|i-, ili-, ilu-
|ama-
|-
|7/8
|is(i)-
|iz(i)-, iiN-
|-
|9/10
|iN-
|iiN-
|-
|14
|ubu-, ub-, utj-
|
|-
|15
|uku-
|
|-
|17
|uku-
|
|}

<sup>1</sup> '''umu-''' replaces '''um-''' before monosyllabic stems, e. g. '''<u>umu</u>ntu''' (person).

===Verbs===

Verbs use the following affixes for the subject and the object:

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! Person/<br/>Class
! Prefix
! Infix
|-
| 1st sing.
| ngi-
| -ngi-
|-
| 2nd sing.
| u-
| -wu-
|-
| 1st plur.
| si-
| -si-
|-
| 2nd plur.
| ni-
| -ni-
|-
| 1
| u-
| -m(u)-
|-
| 2
| ba-
| -ba-
|-
| 3
| u-
| -m(u)-
|-
| 4
| i-
| -yi-
|-
| 5
| li-
| -li-
|-
| 6
| a-
| -wa-
|-
| 7
| si-
| -si-
|-
| 8
| zi-
| -zi-
|-
| 9
| i-
| -yi-
|-
| 10
| zi-
| -zi-
|-
| 14
| bu-
| -bu-
|-
| 15
| ku-
| -ku-
|-
| 17
| ku-
| -ku-
|-
| reflexive
| 
| -zi-
|}

==Examples==
'''Months in Southern Ndebele'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! English !! [[Northern Ndebele language|Northern Ndebele]] (Zimbabwe) !! Southern Ndebele (South Africa)!! Zulu (South Africa)
|-
| January || uZibandlela || uTjhirhweni|| uMasingane 
|-
| February || uNhlolanja || uMhlolanja|| uNhlolanja
|-
| March || uMbimbitho || uNtaka|| uNdasa
|-
| April || uMabasa || uSihlabantangana|| UMbasa
|-
| May || uNkwekwezi || uMrhayili|| UNhlaba
|-
| June || uNhlangula || uMgwengweni|| UNhlangulana
|-
| July || uNtulikazi || uVelabahlinze|| uNtulikazi 
|-
| August || uNcwabakazi || uRhoboyi|| UNcwaba
|-
| September || uMpandula || uKhukhulamungu|| uMandulo
|-
| October || uMfumfu || uSewula|| uMfumfu
|-
| November || uLwezi || uSinyikhaba|| uLwezi
|-
| December || uMpalakazi || uNobayeni|| uZibandlela 
|}

==AmaNdebele in Zimbabwe==
Zimbabwean Ndebele is part of the Nguni cluster and is therefore very similar to other Nguni languages (such as Zulu, Xhosa and Swati) with which it shares a high level of mutual intelligibility. The South African (or [[Southern Ndebele people|Southern Transvaal Ndebele]]), while maintaining its Nguni roots, has been influenced by the Sotho languages.<ref name=":0">Skhosana, P.B. (2010) The Linguistic Relationship between Southern and Northern Ndebele, University of Pretoria, DLitt Thesis</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=nr}}
* [http://www.mongabay.com/indigenous_ethnicities/languages/languages/Ndebele.html List links to Ndebele language resources]
===Software===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070114015602/http://translate.org.za/content/view/1610/54/ Spell checker for OpenOffice.org and Mozilla], [https://web.archive.org/web/20070324112647/http://translate.org.za/content/view/17/32/ OpenOffice.org], [https://web.archive.org/web/20070210160756/http://translate.org.za/content/view/1611/54/ Mozilla Firefox web-browser], and [https://web.archive.org/web/20070324203655/http://translate.org.za/content/view/1612/54/ Mozilla Thunderbird email program] in Ndebele
* [http://translate.org.za/ Project to translate Free and Open Source Software into Ndebele]

{{Languages of South Africa}}
{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transvaal Ndebele Language}}
[[Category:Ndebele| ]]<!-- ethnic group category -->
[[Category:Nguni languages]]<!-- language family category -->
[[Category:Languages of South Africa]]<!-- country category -->