Southern Ndebele language Totally Explained

Everything about Isindebele totally explained

South Africa |region=Mpumalanga
Limpopo
Gauteng
North West |speakers=586,961 (1996 census) |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=Atlantic-Congo |fam3=Volta-Congo |fam4=Benue-Congo |fam5=Bantoid |fam6=Southern |fam7=Narrow Bantu |fam8=Central |fam9=S group |fam10=Sotho-Tswana (S.30) |fam11=Sotho |fam12=Northern |nation= South Africa |iso1=nr|iso2=nbl|iso3=nbl}}
The Southern Ndebele language (isiNdebele or Nrebele in Southern Ndebele) is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the amaNdebele (the Ndebele people of South Africa). There are two dialects of Southern Ndebele in South Africa:

the Northern Transvaal Ndebele or Nrebele,
and the Southern Transvaal Ndebele.

There is also another, separate dialect called Northern Ndebele or Matabele spoken in Zimbabwe and Botswana - see Sindebele language. The Zimbabwean Ndebele is closer to Zulu than it's to the two South African Ndebele languages.

Overview

The history of the amaNdebele can be traced to Musi, the last monarch of the tribe as a single nation. Researchers still disagree on specific times of the tribe's separation from their main Nguni Group. AmaNdebele are known to be the first Nguni group to enter the hinterland of the southern tip of the African continent, later to be called Transvaal. AmaNdebele lived as one nation at Emhlangeni (today's Randfontein area) under King Mhlanga approximately between 1550-1580. The name of EMhlangeni is today being translated to the Sotho language, Mohlakeng. Most archeologists and historians agree that the amaNdebele settled for a longer period peacefully at Kwamnyamana and Emarula (Wonderboompoort). These areas are in the north and northwest of present day Pretoria. The tribe arrived in this area with Musi, the son of Mhlanga who is in turn the son of Mafana.

Language

IsiNdebele is one of the eleven official languages in the Republic of South Africa. The language is an 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 Ndebele way of doing or saying'. Isikhethu means isiNdebele the same way sikitsi will mean siSwasi and se harona will mean seSotho. The language has been severely marginalized over the years. Until the formation of the apartheid Ndebele homeland, speaking the language publicly was discouraged. Most isiNdebele speakers preferred isiZulu especially because the latter was learned at school. Today the Ndebele speakers, mostly those who are educated still prefer to use isiNdebele as home language for their children and will use isiNdebele as a language to communicate with other isiNdebele speakers.

AmaNdebele In Zimbabwe

The shared language name doesn't imply other close similarities however. It must be borne in mind that amaNdebele who now inhabit Zimbabwe met the amaNdebele of South Africa during Mzilikazi's path to the north of the southern subcontinent between 1828 and 1838. Subsequently, the two peoples have broken contact with one another and have diverged culturally.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Isindebele'.

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