Zinza (Ecizinza)

Zinza is a Bantu language spoken by about 140,000 people in Mwanza Region on the southwest shore of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania. Zinza speakers can be found mainly Butundwe, Kahunda and Luhama, and on the nearby islands of Kome, Maisome, Izumacheli and Juma. Zinza is spoken by people of all ages and the Zinza people are proud of their language. Most of them also speak Swahili.

Zinza has four dialects: Zinza, Subi, Longo and Kula, the most presitigous of which is Zinza. It is closely related to Nyambo, Nyankore, Haya and Kerewe.

Zinza alphabet and pronunciation

Zinza alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Zinza (Excel)

Note

Zinza has a high tone, which can be marked with an acute accent (á), and a low tone, which isn't usually marked.

Details of Zinza provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Sample text

Nkokwo, abahume, nibahweéza, abalema, nibalibata, aba mabéembe, nibachizwa, enziba matwi, nibahulila, abáfwiile, nibazoolwa, na abahabi, nibaheébwa empola nzima.

Translation

(tell) That, the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them

Source: Zinza Orthography Statement. 2015.

Sample videos in and about Zinza

Links

Information about Zinza
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinza_language
http://www.sil.org/resources/archives/67537
https://tanzaniascripture.com/languages/zinza/
http://www.thetask.net/zinza/the-zinza

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, 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, 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: 04.11.24

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