siSwati
Swazi
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Nguni)
Swazi (siSwati) is the national language of Eswatini and one of South Africa's 11 official languages. It is a Nguni Bantu language closely related to Zulu, Xhosa, and Ndebele, with a four-way distinction in clicks borrowed from Khoisan.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Swazi
Water
emanti
/emanti/
Fire
umlilo
/umlilo/
Sun
lilanga
/lilaŋɡa/
Moon
inyanga
/iɲaŋɡa/
Star
inkhanyeti
/iŋkʰaɲeti/
Mother
make
/make/
Father
babe
/ɓaɓe/
I
mine
/míne/
You
wena
/wéna/
Name
libito
/libiːto/
Eye
liso
/liso/
Hand
sandla
/sandɮa/
Heart
inhlitiyo
/inɬitijo/
Love
lutsandvo
/lutsandwo/
Tree
sihlahla
/siɬaɬa/
House
indlu
/indɮu/
Dog
inja
/indʒa/
Cat
likati
/likati/
Eat
kudla
/kuɮa/
Drink
kunatsa
/kunatsa/
One
kunye
/kuɲe/
Two
kubili
/kubiːli/
Hello
sawubona
/sawuɓona/
Thank you
ngiyabonga
/ŋijaɓoŋɡa/
Good
kuhle
/kuɬe/
Cuckoo
phezukwemkhono
/pʰɛzukwɛmˈkʰono/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Nguni) languages
| Meaning | Swazi | Zulu | Northern Ndebele | Southern Ndebele | Xhosa | Lozi | Tsonga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | emanti /emanti/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amaːnzi/ | mezi /mezi/ | mati /mati/ |
| Fire | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ |
| Sun | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaːŋɡa/ | lizazi /lizazi/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ |
| Moon | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaːŋɡa/ | kweli /kweli/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ |
| Star | inkhanyeti /iŋkʰaɲeti/ | inkanyezi /iŋkaˈɲeːzi/ | inkanyezi /iŋkaɲezi/ | inkwenkwezi /iŋkʷeŋkʷezi/ | inkwenkwezi /iŋkʷeŋkʷezi/ | naleli /naleli/ | nyeleti /ɲeleti/ |
| Mother | make /make/ | umama /umama/ | umama /umama/ | umma /umma/ | umama /umaːma/ | ma /ma/ | manana /manana/ |
| Father | babe /ɓaɓe/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | utata /utaːta/ | ndate /ndate/ | tatana /tatana/ |
| I | mine /míne/ | mina /ˈmiːna/ | mina /mina/ | mina /mina/ | mna /mna/ | na /na/ | mina /mina/ |
| You | wena /wéna/ | wena /ˈweːna/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ |
| Name | libito /libiːto/ | igama /iˈɡaːma/ | ibizo /ibizo/ | ibizo /ibizo/ | igama /iɡaːma/ | libizo /libizo/ | vito /vito/ |
| Eye | liso /liso/ | iso /iso/ | ilihlo /iliɬo/ | ihlo /iɬo/ | iliso /iliso/ | liito /liːto/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ |
| Hand | sandla /sandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | lizoho /lizoho/ | voko /voko/ |
| Heart | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | ihliziyo /iɬizijo/ | intliziyo /intɬizijo/ | pilu /pilu/ | mbilu /mbilu/ |
| Love | lutsandvo /lutsandwo/ | uthando /utʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | ithando /itʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | lilato /lilato/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ |
| Tree | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | umuthi /umutʰi/ | umthi /umtʰi/ | kota /kota/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ |
| House | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | ndu /ndu/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ |
| Dog | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | nja /ndʒa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ |
| Cat | likati /likati/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | kaze /kaze/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ |
| Eat | kudla /kuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukutya /ukutʲa/ | kuca /kutsa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ |
| Drink | kunatsa /kunatsa/ | ukuphuza /ukupʰuza/ | ukunatha /ukunatʰa/ | ukusela /ukusela/ | ukusela /ukusɛla/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ |
| One | kunye /kuɲe/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | nye /ɲe/ | nye /ɲe/ | inye /iɲɛ/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ |
| Two | kubili /kubiːli/ | kubili /kuˈɓili/ | kubili /kubili/ | kubili /kubili/ | mbini /mbiːni/ | peli /peli/ | mbirhi /mbiri/ |
| Hello | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | salibonani /saliɓonani/ | lotjhani /lotʃʰani/ | molo /molo/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ |
| Thank you | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | ngiyabonga /ŋɡijaɓoŋɡa/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | ngiyathokoza /ŋijatʰokoza/ | enkosi /ɛnkosi/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ |
| Good | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | lungile /luŋɡilɛ/ | nde /nde/ | kahle /kaɬe/ |
| Cuckoo | phezukwemkhono /pʰɛzukwɛmˈkʰono/ | uphezukomkhono /upʰɛzukomˈkʰono/ | inkanku /iⁿˈkaŋku/ | — | uphezukomkhono /upʰɛzukomˈkʰono/ | — | ngwafalantala /ŋʷafalanˈtala/ |
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