Northern Ndebele (Sindebele / isiNdebele)

Northern Ndebele a member of the Nguni group of Bantu languages. It is spoken in southwestern Zimbabwe and northeastern Botswana by about 2.6 million people. In Zimbabwe it is spoken in Matabeleland South Province, and in Botswana it is spoken in the North-East District.

Northern Ndebele is related to Zulu, and might be considered a variety or descendent of Zulu. This is because the Ndebele people in Zimbabwe are descendents of followers of Mzilikazi (1790-1868), a Zulu king who from South Africa who founded Matabeleland in what is now Zimbabwe. They acquired the name Ndebele through contact with the Ndebele people in South Africa.

In South Africa Northern Ndebele is known as Sindebele saseNyakatho and is spoken in Limpopo Province. It is closely related to the Northern Ndebele of Zimbabwe and Botswana, and there is some mutual intelligibility between them.

Northern Ndebele pronunciation

Northern Ndebele pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Northern Ndebele (Excel)

Sample text

Abantu bonke bazalwa bekhululekile njalo belingana kumalungelo abo. Balesipho sikanembeza, ngakho bamele baphathane ngomoya otshengis ubuhlobo lobunye.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Northern Ndebele | Phrases | Numbers

Links

Information about Northern Ndebele
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindebele_language
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ndebele.htm

Northern Ndebele for beginners
http://northernndebele.blogspot.co.uk/

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bube, Bukusu, Bulu, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kogo, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Lambya, Lingala, Loma, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mende, Mongo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Nambya, Nande, Ngoni, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Punu, Ronga, Safwa, Sena, Sengele, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Tanga, Tembo, Tonga, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Vwanji, Xhosa, Yao, Yasa, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 14.03.24

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