siLozi
Lozi
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana)
Lozi (siLozi) is interestingly classified in the Sotho-Tswana group despite being spoken in Zambia, far from other Sotho-Tswana languages. It descends from the migration of the Sotho-related Kololo people in the 19th century, who imposed their language on the Lozi kingdom.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Lozi
Water
mezi
/mezi/
Fire
mulilo
/mulilo/
Sun
lizazi
/lizazi/
Moon
kweli
/kweli/
Star
naleli
/naleli/
Mother
ma
/ma/
Father
ndate
/ndate/
I
na
/na/
You
wena
/wena/
Name
libizo
/libizo/
Eye
liito
/liːto/
Hand
lizoho
/lizoho/
Heart
pilu
/pilu/
Love
lilato
/lilato/
Tree
kota
/kota/
House
ndu
/ndu/
Dog
nja
/ndʒa/
Cat
kaze
/kaze/
Eat
kuca
/kutsa/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
One
nyinwi
/ɲiŋʷi/
Two
peli
/peli/
Hello
eni sha
/ɛni ʃa/
Thank you
nitumezi
/nitumezi/
Good
nde
/nde/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana) languages
| Meaning | Lozi | Sesotho | Northern Sotho | Tswana | Southern Ndebele | Northern Ndebele | Tsonga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mezi /mezi/ | metsi /metsi/ | meetse /meːtse/ | metsi /metsi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | mati /mati/ |
| Fire | mulilo /mulilo/ | mollo /molːo/ | mollo /molːo/ | molelo /moleːlo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ |
| Sun | lizazi /lizazi/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ |
| Moon | kweli /kweli/ | khoeli /kʰwɛːli/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ |
| Star | naleli /naleli/ | naledi /naledi/ | naledi /naledi/ | naledi /naledi/ | inkwenkwezi /iŋkʷeŋkʷezi/ | inkanyezi /iŋkaɲezi/ | nyeleti /ɲeleti/ |
| Mother | ma /ma/ | mmè /mːɛ/ | mma /mːa/ | mmê /mːɛ/ | umma /umma/ | umama /umama/ | manana /manana/ |
| Father | ndate /ndate/ | ntate /ntate/ | tate /tate/ | rrê /rːɛ/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | tatana /tatana/ |
| I | na /na/ | nna /nːa/ | nna /nna/ | nna /nːa/ | mina /mina/ | mina /mina/ | mina /mina/ |
| You | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ |
| Name | libizo /libizo/ | lebitso /lebitso/ | leina /leina/ | leina /leina/ | ibizo /ibizo/ | ibizo /ibizo/ | vito /vito/ |
| Eye | liito /liːto/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | leitlho /leitɬʰo/ | ihlo /iɬo/ | ilihlo /iliɬo/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ |
| Hand | lizoho /lizoho/ | letsoho /letsoho/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | voko /voko/ |
| Heart | pilu /pilu/ | pelo /pelo/ | pelo /pelo/ | pelo /peːlo/ | ihliziyo /iɬizijo/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | mbilu /mbilu/ |
| Love | lilato /lilato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | ithando /itʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ |
| Tree | kota /kota/ | sefate /sefate/ | sehlare /seɬare/ | setlhare /setɬʰaɾe/ | umuthi /umutʰi/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ |
| House | ndu /ndu/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ |
| Dog | nja /ndʒa/ | ntja /ntʃa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ | ntša /ntʃa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ |
| Cat | kaze /kaze/ | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ |
| Eat | kuca /kutsa/ | ho ja /ho dʒa/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ | ja /dʒa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | ho noa /ho noa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | ukusela /ukusela/ | ukunatha /ukunatʰa/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ |
| One | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | tee /teː/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | nye /ɲe/ | nye /ɲe/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ |
| Two | peli /peli/ | pedi /pedi/ | pedi /pedi/ | pedi /pedi/ | kubili /kubili/ | kubili /kubili/ | mbirhi /mbiri/ |
| Hello | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | dumela /dumeːla/ | lotjhani /lotʃʰani/ | salibonani /saliɓonani/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ |
| Thank you | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | kea leboha /kea leboha/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | ngiyathokoza /ŋijatʰokoza/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ |
| Good | nde /nde/ | monate /monate/ | botse /botse/ | siame /siaːme/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kahle /kaɬe/ |
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