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A Little Information About The Zulu Language |
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Summary:
In South Africa there are four main language groups. Within these 4 language groups there are 9 languages that are officially
recognised. The 9 languages are Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi, and Southern Ndebele which belong to what is known as the Nuguni
Language Group. Then there's Northern Sotho, Tswana, and Southern Sotho also known as seSotho and they form the Sotho
language group, Then finally there's Venda and Tsonga.
Though the language may be different, if you speak a language that belongs to a group, you will be able to make out what
someone speaking another language is saying as long as the language belongs to that group. Since you will be learning Zulu
you will be able to make out what someone is saying who speaks Xhosa, Swazi, and Southern Ndebele because all these languages
belong to the Nuguni Language Group.
The Nguni Language Group
The Nguni languages when last checked was spoken by more than 20 million people residing in the south eastern part of
Africa. This expanding from Swaziland in the north, right through KwaZulu=Natal, and further down into the Eastern Cape in
the south. Zulu is the dominating language in the south eastern part of eMpumalanga as well as on the Witwatersrand such as
Johannesburg and adjacent areas. Zulu and Xhosa are the most spoken languages of the Nguni Language.
The Zulu (South African English and isiZulu: amaZulu) are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Small numbers also live in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. Their language, isiZulu, is a Bantu language; more specifically, part of the Nguni subgroup. The Zulu Kingdom played a major role in South African History during the 19th and 20th centuries. Under apartheid, Zulu people were classed as third-class citizens and suffered from state sanctioned discrimination. Today, they are the most numerous ethnic group in South Africa, and have equal rights along with all other.
Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa, with more than half of the South African population able to understand it (Ethnologue 2005). Many Zulu people also speak English, Portuguese, Shangaan, Sesotho and others from among South Africa's languages.
corporation.
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