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
20 core words in Lozi
Water
mezi
/mezi/
Fire
mulilo
/mulilo/
Sun
lizazi
/lizazi/
Moon
kweli
/kweli/
Mother
ma
/ma/
Father
ndate
/ndate/
Eat
kuca
/kut͡sa/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
Love
lilato
/lilato/
Heart
pilu
/pilu/
Tree
kota
/kota/
House
ndu
/ndu/
Dog
nja
/ndʒa/
Cat
kaze
/kaze/
Hand
lizoho
/lizoho/
Eye
liito
/liːto/
Hello
eni sha
/ɛni ʃa/
Thank you
nitumezi
/nitumezi/
One
nyinwi
/ɲiŋʷi/
Good
nde
/nde/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana) languages
| Meaning | Lozi | Sesotho | Tonga (Zambia) | Northern Sotho | Tsonga | Swazi | Kirundi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mezi /mezi/ | metsi /metsi/ | meenda /meːnda/ | meetse /meːtse/ | mati /mati/ | emanti /emanti/ | amazi /amaːzi/ |
| Fire | mulilo /mulilo/ | mollo /molːo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | mollo /molːo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ |
| Sun | lizazi /lizazi/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | zuba /zuba/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ | izuba /izuba/ |
| Moon | kweli /kweli/ | khoeli /kʰwɛːli/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ |
| Mother | ma /ma/ | mmè /mːɛ/ | bama /bama/ | mma /mːa/ | manana /manana/ | make /make/ | mama /maːma/ |
| Father | ndate /ndate/ | ntate /ntate/ | bataata /bataːta/ | tate /tate/ | tatana /tatana/ | babe /ɓaɓe/ | data /data/ |
| Eat | kuca /kut͡sa/ | ho ja /ho dʒa/ | kulya /kulja/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | kudla /kuɮa/ | kurya /kuɾja/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | ho noa /ho noa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | kunatsa /kunatsa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| Love | lilato /lilato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | luyando /lujando/ | lerato /leɾato/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | lutsandvo /luʦandwo/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ |
| Heart | pilu /pilu/ | pelo /pelo/ | moyo /mojo/ | pelo /pelo/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Tree | kota /kota/ | sefate /sefate/ | cisamu /tʃisamu/ | sehlare /seɬare/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ | igiti /iɡiti/ |
| House | ndu /ndu/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ng'anda /ŋanda/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | inzu /inzu/ |
| Dog | nja /ndʒa/ | ntja /ntʃa/ | muvwa /muvwa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ | inja /indʒa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | kaze /kaze/ | katse /katse/ | kaaze /kaːze/ | katse /katse/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | likati /likati/ | akayabu /akajabu/ |
| Hand | lizoho /lizoho/ | letsoho /letsoho/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | voko /voko/ | sandla /sandɮa/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Eye | liito /liːto/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | liso /liso/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ | liso /liso/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ |
| Hello | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | mwabuka buti /mwabuka buti/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | amahoro /amahoɾo/ |
| Thank you | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | kea leboha /kea leboha/ | twalumba /twalumba/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ |
| One | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | -mwi /mwi/ | tee /teː/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ |
| Good | nde /nde/ | monate /monate/ | kabotu /kabotu/ | botse /botse/ | kahle /kaɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | nziza /nziza/ |
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