Oshindonga
Ndonga
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Southwest)
Ndonga (Oshindonga) is one of two main standard varieties of Oshiwambo (alongside Kwanyama / Oshikwanyama), spoken in north-central Namibia and southern Angola. A Bantu R-zone language closely related to Herero and the wider Central African Bantu cluster. It is the more widely written variety and is taught in Namibian schools as a national language. The Aawambo people are the largest ethnic group in Namibia, and Oshiwambo broadcasting has a strong national profile.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Ndonga
Water
omeya
/omeja/
Fire
omulilo
/omulilo/
Sun
etango
/etaŋɡo/
Moon
omwedhi
/omweði/
Star
onyofi
/oɲofi/
Mother
meme
/meme/
Father
tate
/tate/
I
ame
/ame/
You
ngoye
/ŋoje/
Name
edhina
/eðina/
Eye
eho
/eho/
Hand
oshikaha
/oʃikaha/
Heart
omutima
/omutima/
Love
ohole
/ohole/
Tree
omuti
/omuti/
House
egumbo
/eɡumbo/
Dog
ombwa
/ombwa/
Cat
okashima
/okaʃima/
Eat
lya
/ʎa/
Drink
nwa
/nwa/
One
-mwe
/mwe/
Two
vali
/vali/
Hello
wa lalapo
/wa lalapo/
Thank you
tangi
/taŋɡi/
Good
-nawa
/nawa/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Southwest) languages
| Meaning | Ndonga | Kuanyama | Herero | Umbundu | Luvale | Runyankole | Sangu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | omeya /omeja/ | omeva /omeva/ | omeva /omeva/ | ovava /ovava/ | meya /meja/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ |
| Fire | omulilo /omulilo/ | omundilo /omundilo/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | ondalu /ondalu/ | kakahya /kakahja/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | umoto /umoto/ |
| Sun | etango /etaŋɡo/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ | eyuva /ejuva/ | ekumbi /ekumbi/ | likumbi /likumbi/ | izooba /izoːba/ | liluga /liluɡa/ |
| Moon | omwedhi /omweði/ | omwedi /omwedi/ | omueze /omueze/ | osãi /osãi/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ |
| Star | onyofi /oɲofi/ | onyofi /oɲofi/ | onyose /oˈɲose/ | onyeleñgele /oɲeleŋɡele/ | tanganyeka /taŋɡaˈɲeka/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ |
| Mother | meme /meme/ | meme /meme/ | mama /mama/ | inã /inã/ | mama /mama/ | maawe /maːwe/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | ami /ami/ | ame /ame/ | ami /ami/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | une /une/ |
| You | ngoye /ŋoje/ | ove /ove/ | ove /ove/ | ove /ove/ | ove /ove/ | iwe /iwe/ | uwe /uwe/ |
| Name | edhina /eðina/ | edina /edina/ | ena /ena/ | onduko /onduko/ | lijina /liˈʒina/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ | litawa /litawa/ |
| Eye | eho /eho/ | eho /eho/ | eho /eho/ | iso /iso/ | liso /liso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | iliho /iliho/ |
| Hand | oshikaha /oʃikaha/ | eke /eke/ | eke /eke/ | oluwoko /oluwoko/ | livoko /livoko/ | omukono /omukono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Heart | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | utima /utima/ | mutima /mutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Love | ohole /ohole/ | ohole /ohole/ | orusuvero /orusuvero/ | ocisola /otʃisola/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ |
| Tree | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | mutondo /mutondo/ | omuti /omuti/ | umuti /umuti/ |
| House | egumbo /eɡumbo/ | eumbo /eumbo/ | ondjuwo /ondʒuwo/ | onjo /ondʒo/ | zuvo /zuvo/ | enju /endʒu/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ |
| Dog | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | embwa /embwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | okashima /okaʃima/ | okatufi /okatufi/ | okatjiru /okatʃiru/ | ocikangu /otʃikaŋɡu/ | katako /katako/ | kapa /kapa/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | lya /ʎa/ | lya /ʎa/ | kuriya /kurija/ | okulya /okulja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ |
| Drink | nwa /nwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | okunwa /okunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| One | -mwe /mwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | imwe /imwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | emwe /emwe/ | imo /imo/ |
| Two | vali /vali/ | vali /vali/ | -vari /vari/ | vali /vali/ | -vali /vali/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | avili /aβili/ |
| Hello | wa lalapo /wa lalapo/ | wa hala po /wa hala po/ | wa penduka /wa penduka/ | oloi /oloi/ | mwane /mwane/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | mbasala /mbasala/ |
| Thank you | tangi /taŋɡi/ | pandula /pandula/ | okuhepa /okuhepa/ | twalipata /twalipata/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | webare /webare/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ |
| Good | -nawa /nawa/ | -wa /wa/ | -wa /wa/ | vyali /vjali/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ |
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