Otjiherero
Herero
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Herero)
Herero (Otjiherero) is the Bantu language of the Herero people of central and northern Namibia and adjoining Angola and Botswana. The 1904-1908 Herero genocide perpetrated by German colonial forces under General von Trotha — the killing or starving of an estimated 65,000 Herero, roughly 80% of the population — is now widely recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. The language preserves an extensive cattle-naming and praise-poetry vocabulary central to Herero pastoralist identity.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Herero
Water
omeva
/omeva/
Fire
omuriro
/omuriro/
Sun
eyuva
/ejuva/
Moon
omueze
/omueze/
Star
onyose
/oˈɲose/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tate
/tate/
I
ami
/ami/
You
ove
/ove/
Name
ena
/ena/
Eye
eho
/eho/
Hand
eke
/eke/
Heart
omutima
/omutima/
Love
orusuvero
/orusuvero/
Tree
omuti
/omuti/
House
ondjuwo
/ondʒuwo/
Dog
ombwa
/ombwa/
Cat
okatjiru
/okatʃiru/
Eat
kuriya
/kurija/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
One
-mwe
/mwe/
Two
-vari
/vari/
Hello
wa penduka
/wa penduka/
Thank you
okuhepa
/okuhepa/
Good
-wa
/wa/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Herero) languages
| Meaning | Herero | Kuanyama | Ndonga | Umbundu | Luvale | Runyankole | Chiga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | omeva /omeva/ | omeva /omeva/ | omeya /omeja/ | ovava /ovava/ | meya /meja/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ |
| Fire | omuriro /omuriro/ | omundilo /omundilo/ | omulilo /omulilo/ | ondalu /ondalu/ | kakahya /kakahja/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ |
| Sun | eyuva /ejuva/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ | ekumbi /ekumbi/ | likumbi /likumbi/ | izooba /izoːba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ |
| Moon | omueze /omueze/ | omwedi /omwedi/ | omwedhi /omweði/ | osãi /osãi/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ |
| Star | onyose /oˈɲose/ | onyofi /oɲofi/ | onyofi /oɲofi/ | onyeleñgele /oɲeleŋɡele/ | tanganyeka /taŋɡaˈɲeka/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | meme /meme/ | meme /meme/ | inã /inã/ | mama /mama/ | maawe /maːwe/ | nyina /ɲina/ |
| Father | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | ishe /iʃe/ |
| I | ami /ami/ | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | ami /ami/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ |
| You | ove /ove/ | ove /ove/ | ngoye /ŋoje/ | ove /ove/ | ove /ove/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ |
| Name | ena /ena/ | edina /edina/ | edhina /eðina/ | onduko /onduko/ | lijina /liˈʒina/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ |
| Eye | eho /eho/ | eho /eho/ | eho /eho/ | iso /iso/ | liso /liso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriisho /eriːʃo/ |
| Hand | eke /eke/ | eke /eke/ | oshikaha /oʃikaha/ | oluwoko /oluwoko/ | livoko /livoko/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ |
| Heart | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | utima /utima/ | mutima /mutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Love | orusuvero /orusuvero/ | ohole /ohole/ | ohole /ohole/ | ocisola /otʃisola/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | kukunda /kukunda/ |
| Tree | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | mutondo /mutondo/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | ondjuwo /ondʒuwo/ | eumbo /eumbo/ | egumbo /eɡumbo/ | onjo /ondʒo/ | zuvo /zuvo/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ |
| Dog | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ |
| Cat | okatjiru /okatʃiru/ | okatufi /okatufi/ | okashima /okaʃima/ | ocikangu /otʃikaŋɡu/ | katako /katako/ | kapa /kapa/ | kapa /kapa/ |
| Eat | kuriya /kurija/ | lya /ʎa/ | lya /ʎa/ | okulya /okulja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kurya /kurja/ | kurya /kurja/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | okunwa /okunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| One | -mwe /mwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | imwe /imwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | emwe /emwe/ | rumwe /rumwe/ |
| Two | -vari /vari/ | vali /vali/ | vali /vali/ | vali /vali/ | -vali /vali/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | ibiri /iβiri/ |
| Hello | wa penduka /wa penduka/ | wa hala po /wa hala po/ | wa lalapo /wa lalapo/ | oloi /oloi/ | mwane /mwane/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | oraire /oraire/ |
| Thank you | okuhepa /okuhepa/ | pandula /pandula/ | tangi /taŋɡi/ | twalipata /twalipata/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | webare /webare/ | webare /webare/ |
| Good | -wa /wa/ | -wa /wa/ | -nawa /nawa/ | vyali /vjali/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ |
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