isiNdebele
Northern Ndebele
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Nguni)
Northern Ndebele (isiNdebele) is the main Nguni Bantu language of Zimbabwe, spoken predominantly in Matabeleland with Bulawayo as its cultural centre. It descends from a 19th-century migration of Mzilikazi's Nguni people from northern South Africa, making it closely related to Zulu (zu). Distinct from Southern Ndebele (nbl) of South Africa, which split off earlier and developed under different contact conditions. Recognised as one of Zimbabwe's 16 official languages under the 2013 constitution.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Northern Ndebele
Water
amanzi
/amanzi/
Fire
umlilo
/umlilo/
Sun
ilanga
/ilaŋɡa/
Moon
inyanga
/iɲaŋɡa/
Star
inkanyezi
/iŋkaɲezi/
Mother
umama
/umama/
Father
ubaba
/uɓaɓa/
I
mina
/mina/
You
wena
/wena/
Name
ibizo
/ibizo/
Eye
ilihlo
/iliɬo/
Hand
isandla
/isandɮa/
Heart
inhliziyo
/inɬizijo/
Love
uthando
/utʰando/
Tree
isihlahla
/isiɬaɬa/
House
indlu
/indɮu/
Dog
inja
/indʒa/
Cat
ikati
/ikati/
Eat
ukudla
/ukuɮa/
Drink
ukunatha
/ukunatʰa/
One
nye
/ɲe/
Two
kubili
/kubili/
Hello
salibonani
/saliɓonani/
Thank you
ngiyabonga
/ŋijaɓoŋɡa/
Good
kuhle
/kuɬe/
Cuckoo
inkanku
/iⁿˈkaŋku/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Nguni) languages
| Meaning | Northern Ndebele | Southern Ndebele | Zulu | Swazi | Xhosa | Tsonga | Lozi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | emanti /emanti/ | amanzi /amaːnzi/ | mati /mati/ | mezi /mezi/ |
| Fire | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ |
| Sun | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaːŋɡa/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ | lizazi /lizazi/ |
| Moon | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaːŋɡa/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ | kweli /kweli/ |
| Star | inkanyezi /iŋkaɲezi/ | inkwenkwezi /iŋkʷeŋkʷezi/ | inkanyezi /iŋkaˈɲeːzi/ | inkhanyeti /iŋkʰaɲeti/ | inkwenkwezi /iŋkʷeŋkʷezi/ | nyeleti /ɲeleti/ | naleli /naleli/ |
| Mother | umama /umama/ | umma /umma/ | umama /umama/ | make /make/ | umama /umaːma/ | manana /manana/ | ma /ma/ |
| Father | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | babe /ɓaɓe/ | utata /utaːta/ | tatana /tatana/ | ndate /ndate/ |
| I | mina /mina/ | mina /mina/ | mina /ˈmiːna/ | mine /míne/ | mna /mna/ | mina /mina/ | na /na/ |
| You | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /ˈweːna/ | wena /wéna/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ |
| Name | ibizo /ibizo/ | ibizo /ibizo/ | igama /iˈɡaːma/ | libito /libiːto/ | igama /iɡaːma/ | vito /vito/ | libizo /libizo/ |
| Eye | ilihlo /iliɬo/ | ihlo /iɬo/ | iso /iso/ | liso /liso/ | iliso /iliso/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ | liito /liːto/ |
| Hand | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | sandla /sandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | voko /voko/ | lizoho /lizoho/ |
| Heart | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | ihliziyo /iɬizijo/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ | intliziyo /intɬizijo/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | pilu /pilu/ |
| Love | uthando /utʰando/ | ithando /itʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | lutsandvo /lutsandwo/ | uthando /utʰando/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | lilato /lilato/ |
| Tree | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | umuthi /umutʰi/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ | umthi /umtʰi/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | kota /kota/ |
| House | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ | ndu /ndu/ |
| Dog | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ | nja /ndʒa/ |
| Cat | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | likati /likati/ | ikati /ikati/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | kaze /kaze/ |
| Eat | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | kudla /kuɮa/ | ukutya /ukutʲa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | kuca /kutsa/ |
| Drink | ukunatha /ukunatʰa/ | ukusela /ukusela/ | ukuphuza /ukupʰuza/ | kunatsa /kunatsa/ | ukusela /ukusɛla/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| One | nye /ɲe/ | nye /ɲe/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | inye /iɲɛ/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ |
| Two | kubili /kubili/ | kubili /kubili/ | kubili /kuˈɓili/ | kubili /kubiːli/ | mbini /mbiːni/ | mbirhi /mbiri/ | peli /peli/ |
| Hello | salibonani /saliɓonani/ | lotjhani /lotʃʰani/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | molo /molo/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ |
| Thank you | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | ngiyathokoza /ŋijatʰokoza/ | ngiyabonga /ŋɡijaɓoŋɡa/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | enkosi /ɛnkosi/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ |
| Good | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | lungile /luŋɡilɛ/ | kahle /kaɬe/ | nde /nde/ |
| Cuckoo | inkanku /iⁿˈkaŋku/ | — | uphezukomkhono /upʰɛzukomˈkʰono/ | phezukwemkhono /pʰɛzukwɛmˈkʰono/ | uphezukomkhono /upʰɛzukomˈkʰono/ | ngwafalantala /ŋʷafalanˈtala/ | — |
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