Zulu language
Zulu (/ˈzuːluː/ ZOO-loo), or IsiZulu as an endonym, is a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni branch spoken and indigenous to Southern Africa. It is the language of the Zulu people, with about 13.56 million native speakers, who primarily inhabit the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.[1] Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa (24% of the population), and it is understood by over 50% of its population.[4] It became one of South Africa's 12 official languages in 1994.[5]
Zulu
- KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mpumalanga; scattered communities elsewhere
13 million[1]
L2 speakers: 16 million (2002)[2]
- KwaZulu Natal Zulu
- Transvaal Zulu
- Qwabe
- Cele
S.42[3]
99-AUT-fg incl.
varieties 99-AUT-fga to 99-AUT-fge
umZulu
amaZulu
isiZulu
According to Ethnologue, it is the second-most widely spoken of the Bantu languages, after Swahili.[a] Like many other Bantu languages, it is written with the Latin alphabet.
In South African English, the language is often referred to in its native form, isiZulu.[9]
History[edit]
The Zulu, like Xhosa and other Nguni people, have lived in South Africa for hundreds of years. The Zulu language possesses several click sounds typical of Southern African languages, not found in the rest of Africa. The Nguni people have coexisted with other Southern tribes like the San and Khoi.
Zulu, like most indigenous Southern African languages, was not a written language until the arrival of missionaries from Europe, who documented the language using the Latin script. The first grammar book of the Zulu language was published in Norway in 1850 by the Norwegian missionary Hans Schreuder.[12] The first written document in Zulu was a Bible translation that appeared in 1883. In 1901, John Dube (1871–1946), a Zulu from Natal, created the Ohlange Institute, the first native educational institution in South Africa. He was also the author of Insila kaShaka, the first novel written in Zulu (1930). Another pioneering Zulu writer was Reginald Dhlomo, author of several historical novels of the 19th-century leaders of the Zulu nation: U-Dingane (1936), U-Shaka (1937), U-Mpande (1938), U-Cetshwayo (1952) and U-Dinizulu (1968). Other notable contributors to Zulu literature include Benedict Wallet Vilakazi and, more recently, Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali.
The written form of Zulu was controlled by the Zulu Language Board of KwaZulu-Natal. This board has now been disbanded and superseded by the Pan South African Language Board[13] which promotes the use of all eleven official languages of South Africa.
Counting in isiZulu[edit]
Counting from 1 to 10[edit]
The digital numerical counting etiquette on the fingers begins with the little finger of the left hand to the left thumb and then continues with the right-hand thumb towards the right little finger. Starting with a closed left hand, each finger is extended with each subsequent number from one to five. Once the left hand is open, then counting continues on the right hand with each finger opening in turn. It is noteworthy that in isiZulu, the names for the numbers six to nine reflect either the anatomical name of the digit (six, isithupha, means "thumb"), action (seven, isikhombisa, means "the one that points out"), or position/placement (eight or isishiyagalombili, means "two remaining", and nine or isishiyagalolunye, indicating "one remaining").[23]
South African English has absorbed many words from the Zulu language. Others, such as the names of local animals (impala and mamba are both Zulu names) have made their way into standard English. A few examples of Zulu words used in South African English: