Neither vowel length, nor tones are represented in writing. The status of Zulu, like all other African languages in the Republic of South Africa, is complex. These click sounds are not found in the rest of Africa. The wealth of Khoisan words and sounds bear witness to the early contact including intermarriage and a sharing of cultures between the Xhosa and Khoisan people. Compare these equivalents of ‘What’s your name?’ in these four languages: Below are a few common words and phrases in Zulu. Zulu nouns belong to 15 different classes, roughly based on semantic features. There are, however, 1.9 million Zulu speakers in Gauteng and 82 000 in Mpumalanga. ." You will need to practice these basic clicks: c : pronounced as k, but with the tip of the tongue pressed against the upper front teeth. There are approximately 10.67 million Zulu speakers in South Africa, the majority of whom live in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. In fact, Zulu and Xhosa are similar enough linguistically to be considered dialects of one language, but the Zulu and Xhosa people consider themselves to be different people who speak different languages. If you want to know someone’s clan name you can ask Ungowaphi? Everyone will know the isithakazelo of the clans in the neighbourhood. English-Zulu/Zulu-English, C M Doke, D M Malcolm, J M A Sikakana, B W Vilakazi, Witwatersrand University Press, Famous Zulu-Speakers and the person can reply NgingowakwaMkhize (literally: I am one from the place of Mkhize). h as in hand: These letters are pronounced the same way they Most syllables end in a vowel, and there are no consonant clusters. The Nguni people have coexisted with other Southern tribes like the San and Khoi. Click consonants are the defining feature of the Khoisan languages, but neighbouring languages like Zulu and Xhosa also incorporate them. (referring to the Ndlovu clan). Release of the forward closure results in a pop-like sound. zungabanak’ abantu, zuz’phathe kahle, oh ngane yami Like other Southern Bantu languages, Zulu has borrowed words from the Khoisan languages, and from English and Afrikaans. In the latter case, there have been several conventions for the palatal clicks. Implosive consonants are produced by inhaling rather than exhaling the air. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Zulu Clan Names (Izibongo) A recent Pan South African Language Board survey on Language Use and Language Interaction in South Africa found that Zulu is growing faster as a home language than any of the other languages. The Zulu, Xhosa, and other Nguni people have lived in South Africa for a long time. A male-only choir is led by a main singer who also composes the songs. It was not written down until missionaries came from Europe. There are classes for human beings, animals, plants, objects of various shapes, etc. The word Zulu means ‘heavens’ or ‘sky’, and the amaZulu are the ‘People of heaven’. Here’s a video about testing to see if someone is a native Zulu speaker and also a demonstration of how to make the Zulu click consonants… Enjoy! The Nguni people have lived together with other Southern tribes like the San and Khoi. It is a southern Bantu language with typical Bantu agglutinative morphology which includes a noun-class system commanding agreement at the nominal, pronominal and verbal levels. Le zoulou (isiZulu en zoulou) est une langue appartenant au groupe nguni (qui comprend également le xhosa et le ndébélé) des langues bantoues. In modern times Chief Buthelezi has been the most important political figure in KwaZulu-Natal. Ethnologue identifies two dialects of Zulu: Lala and Qwabe. (when addressing someone of the Ndlovu clan) and Sanibonani Mageba! The Zulu language possesses several click sounds typical of Southern African languages, not found in the rest of Africa. Look at this original wedding song composed and sung by Khayelitsha Mambazo United, a Cape Town based isicathamiya group. Zulu and all other native Southern African languages was at first an oral language. Similar to all other local South African languages, Zulu was an oral language until it came in contact with the missionaries from Europe who documented Zulu using the Latin alphabet. Zulu and all other native Southern African languages was at first an oral language. There still remain today those who are of the ethnic group amaXhosa, though in current mod… Doke's nasal-click letters were based on the letter ... with multigraphs based on the pipe letters for clicks, or on the Zulu alphabet, with multigraphs based on c q x for clicks. Zulu is the mother tongue of the Zulu people, South's Africa largest ethnic group, who created an empire in the 19th century. uMkhize drizzle All rights reserved. Practice making the sound with your mouth first before you try to incorporate clicks into words. and someone from the Mzolo clan would be addressed Dlangamandla!. At the secondary level, instruction in schools serving Zulu-speaking students is in English. A Zulu person will always appreciate your use of their clan name. You see today (my child) in a new home (my child) in a new culture (my child) you must behave well, oh my child, Uzothwal’ umgqomo (ngane yami), uyokh’ amanzi (ngane yami) Implosive consonants zulu . Zulu language, a Bantu language spoken by more than nine million people mainly in South Africa, especially in the Zululand area of KwaZulu/Natal province. (In Khoisan languages, it's 40 to 60 percent.) There has been a steady growth of Zulu publications since 1930. C'est l'une des langues comptant le … The Nguni people have coexisted with other Southern tribes like the San and Khoi. Symbol (head) The letter Z in the ICAO spelling alphabet. The Zulu language has a lot of click sounds common in Southern African languages. Written Zulu was thus discovered in the 19th century. Le clic dental qui se fait de la langue sur l'arrière des dents à la façon du tss-tss de réprimande. You will carry a bucket (my child) to collect water (my child) The Clan Name (isibongo). is that zulu is (l) while xhosa is xhosa (xhosa language). Zulu, Roger and Pat de la Harpe, Barry Leitch, Sue Derwent, Struik Publishers, 1998, Zulu Dictionaries Without it, you will not be able to say words properly even if you know how to write those words. The choir dance rhythmically while singing – the name isicathamiya actually derives from the verb ukucathama stand or walk stealthily or on tip-toe. But we don’t say that you’ve overcome, Uyabona namhla’ (ngane yami) komunye umuzi (ngane yami) koluny’ usiko (ngane yami) zuz’phathe kahle, oh, ngane yami (x2) Zulu is used in primary schools up to the second grade and is studied as a subject in both primary and secondary schools up to the tenth grade. You will need to practice these basic clicks: c: pronounced as k, but with the tip of the tongue pressed against the upper front teeth.. gc : pronounced as g (as in gate) but with the tip of the tongue pressed against the top front teeth. About the Zulu Language. zu’ngabanak’ abantu (ngane yami), zuz’phathe kahle (oh ngane yami) (when addressing someone from the Zulu clan). You type Zulu sentence, then click to translate button. (pp. The normal word order in Zulu is Verb-Object (the subject is part of the verb compound). Some clan names are similar to those of natural phenomena, for example: uZulu sky, heaven uLuthuli dust. Every clan name has its isithakazelo. Vowels can be either short or long. One interesting theory about how this may have happened is described here: With over 8 million Zulu people in KwaZulu-Natal, it is useful to know a few words and phrases to help you communicate and get by. Izibongo zeNkosi eNkulu u Shaka kaSenzangakhona kaJama, uZULU!!! Not all noun classes can be easily defined. Mama Lisa. Using address names shows politeness and respect. They appear in fixed order, much like in Xhosa. Zulu is a Category II language in terms of difficulty for speakers of English. Karl is one of the local staff members at Ongava Lodge outside Etosha National Park in Namibia. Below is a table of Xhosa consonants. Xhosa is a tone language with two inherent tones, low and high. The Nguni people have lived together with other Southern tribes like the San and Khoi. The first Zulu version of the bible was produced between 1845-1883, and the first Zulu grammar book was publish in 1850 by the Norwegian … 1. The first grammar of Zulu was published In 1859. Take a look at Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Zulu. There are 3 click sounds in Zulu: / Zulu to English Translation is a free online typing tool that translates the Zulu Language to English accurate and Fast. Learn isiZulu. Zulu has about 19 000 words and one of the most complex grammars in the world. gc : pronounced as g (as in gate) but with the tip of the tongue pressed against the top front teeth. Here are some more surnames (izibongo) and address names (izithakazelo): References: The Zulu language is referred to as ‘isiZulu’, and is the most widely spoken home language of the eleven official languages in South Africa. Zulu is an agglutinative language, i.e., grammatical functions are expressed by adding prefixes and suffixes to stems. © 2020 - All Rights Reserved. Sometimes these address names are used as surnames. The phonology of Zulu is characterized by a simple vowel inventory and a complex system of consonants. Take a look at Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Zulu. The Zulu nation, under the leadership of King Shaka, became a powerful force in the 120s but the independent Zulu kingdom was crushed in the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. This sharing became evident in the Zulu language, especially in the click sounds. Each clan may have more than one address name, for example the Xulu clan has the address names: Donda, Gxabhashe and Makhathini. During the early 19th century Christian missionaries, including J W Colenso, S B Stone, H Callaway and Lewis Grant devised a way to write Zulu. Learning the Zulu alphabet is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. Adjectives, possessive pronouns and demonstratives come after the noun they modify. 11.7 6 million speakers as a first language and by an estimated 15.7 million speakers as a second language. CLICK SOUNDS. He stands in front and starts the song, and the group follows in perfect harmony. In some Khoisan languages two of the clicks have been gradually replaced with acoustically similar nonclick consonants, which in effect has produced a … Adjectives, possessive pronouns and demonstratives agree with the noun they modify in class and number, e.g.. He opposed the apartheid government’s attempts to create a Bantustan out of Zululand and formed the second Inkatha movement in 1975, thereby increasing the Zulu sense of nationhood and ensuring the support of his followers. Dental clicks are represented by the letter c, alveolar clicks are indicated by q, and lateral clicks are written with the letter x. Zulu is the most widely spoken first language in South Africa – that of almost 24% of the total population as opposed to the 8.2% whose first language is English. Since Zulu is easily understood by speakers of Xhosa, Swati and Ndebele it is used as a lingua franca from Natal to Zimbabwe, often in its pidginized form called Fanagalo, a trade language that is widely used in towns and mining areas of South Africa. These click sounds are not found in the rest of Africa. When a stranger calls at someones kraal, he or she will always shout out the isithakazelo of that kraal, for example Eh! Other Comparisons: What's the difference? Other Bantu languages like Xhosa and Sotho use clicks. (In Khoisan languages, it's 40 to 60 percent.) Furthermore, it exhibits a wide range of ‘exotic’ sounds, such as an implosive bilabial stop, as well as an extensive range of clicks with a variety of phonetic accompaniments. Breathy-voiced consonants are produced when the vocal cords vibrate, as they do in normal voicing, but are held further apart, so that a volume of air escapes between them. In Jn CS., i, p. 38, we read: " Zulu-Kafir will become the second language of South Africa if its exponents are wise enough to eliminate the silly clicks which at present mar its phonology . Most Khoisan languages, on the other hand (with the notable exceptions of Naro and Sandawe ), use a more iconic system based on the pipe | . Some languages have had more than one orthography over the years. Ejective consonants are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis, raising air pressure in the mouth, so that when the sound is released, there is a noticeable burst of air accompanying the release. As a result, the click consonants are still preserved in the Zulu language despite the extermination of the San and Khoi languages. The inventory is taken from Wikipedia. Zulu is an African language that includes clicking sounds, represented by the letters "c," "q," and "x." For example someone from the Zulu clan would be addressed Mageba! IsiZulu, more commonly shorted to Zulu, is one of the 11 official languages of this country. Le clic latéral, la langue créant une dépression dans la partie inférieure de la bouche libère soudain la cavité de chaque côté et produit un son similaire par lequel on appelle un animal. The better you pronounce a letter in a word, the more understood you will be in speaking the Zulu language. The red letters are orthographic representations of the sounds. The three are mutually intelligible but are considered to be separate languages for political and cultural reasons. However, with practice, you'll get them down. Chief Mangosuthu “Gatsha” Buthelezi nq : pronounced as n but with the tongue pressed just behind the top teeth. The Zulu language has assimilated many sounds from the San and Khoi languages. nc : pronounced as n but with the tip of the tongue pressed against the top front teeth. All these consonants are followed by a soft sounding Zulu Translator tool is simple to convert from Zulu to English. When they came into contact with Khoisan-speaking people, the Zulus adopted some of the vocabulary, and the click consonants of the Khoisan languages. This article was posted on Thursday, March 20th, 2014 at 10:51 am and is filed under Countries & Cultures, Languages, South Africa, YouTube, Zulu, Zulu. Terms of Use The first Zulu Christian booklet Incwadi Yokuqala Yabafundayo was written by Newton Adams, George Newton and Aldin Grout between 1837-8 and explained the spelling of Zulu words and the history of the Old Testament. The pocket of air produced by the resulting enclosure is rarefied by the sucking action of the tongue. nc : pronounced as n but with the tip of the tongue pressed against the top front teeth. Translingual. Foreign language learning is real world education. March 20th, 2014. oh, ngane yami! The clan name is usually thought to be that of the founder of the clan and is also usually the surname. Population and Geography Two people known to each other will greet each other using the isithakazelo, eg. Verbs consist of a root plus prefixes and suffixes that represent different verbal categories such as subject and object agreement, tense, causation, reciprocity, negation, and aspect. Good bye (to one and to more than one respectively, practitioner of traditional herbal medicine in traditional South African communities, /c, ɟ, ɬ, ɮ, x, ɦ, ɣ̈/ have no equivalents in English. The Zulu language is called Zulu or isizulu. Zulu has the following click consonants which can be modified in a variety of ways, such as aspirated, breathy-voiced or nasalized. 2. Gciriku and Yei, which are Bantu languages of Botswana and Namibia, have incorporated the four-click Khoisan system, but Zulu and Xhosa (also Bantu languages) have incorporated only three clicks. They are marked with an apostrophe /’/. The Zulu people are thought to have migrated to this area along the east coast of Africa and through central Africa before the 16th century. MustGo.com. As a adjective zulu is (l). Zulu Clicks. The Zulu, like Xhosa and other Nguni people, have lived in South Africa for a long time. © 2014 - 2020. The population total for all countries is estimated at 27.7 million people (Ethnologue). Dental clicks are represented by the letter c, alveolar clicks are indicated by q, and lateral clicks are written with the letter x. nx : pronounced through the nose as n, but with the tongue pressed against the side teeth. Zulu Alphabet. A number of newspapers and magazines are published in either Zulu, or in a combination of Zulu and English. gq : pronounced as g (as in gate) but with the tongue pressed against the top of the mouth. There are many different click sounds in Zulu. The Zulu language has a lot of click sounds common in Southern African languages. 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And cultural reasons isicathamiya actually derives from the place of Mkhize ) of articulation at which consonants...