Chitonga
Tonga (Zambia)
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Tonga-Lenje)
Tonga (Chitonga) of Zambia and Zimbabwe is a Bantu language of the M64 group, with ~1.7M speakers. Distinct from Tongan of the Pacific despite the name. One of the seven officially recognized regional languages of Zambia, spoken in the Southern and Western Provinces around Lake Kariba (and across in Zimbabwe). The Tonga people are the descendants of the original inhabitants of the Zambezi valley and were displaced by the construction of the Kariba Dam (1955–1959). Bantu noun class system with characteristic concord, no ejectives or clicks. Major literature includes the Bible translation and a substantial body of educational materials.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Tonga (Zambia)
Water
meenda
/meːnda/
Fire
mulilo
/mulilo/
Sun
zuba
/zuba/
Moon
mwezi
/mwezi/
Mother
bama
/bama/
Father
bataata
/bataːta/
Eat
kulya
/kulja/
Drink
kunywa
/kuɲwa/
Love
luyando
/lujando/
Heart
moyo
/mojo/
Tree
cisamu
/tʃisamu/
House
ng'anda
/ŋanda/
Dog
muvwa
/muvwa/
Cat
kaaze
/kaːze/
Hand
kuboko
/kuboko/
Eye
liso
/liso/
Hello
mwabuka buti
/mwabuka buti/
Thank you
twalumba
/twalumba/
One
-mwi
/mwi/
Good
kabotu
/kabotu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Tonga-Lenje) languages
| Meaning | Tonga (Zambia) | Bemba | Manyika | Shambala | Shona | Ndau | Kaonde |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | meenda /meːnda/ | amenshi /amenʃi/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mazi /mazi/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mema /mema/ |
| Fire | mulilo /mulilo/ | umulilo /umulilo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | muriro /muɾiɾo/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ |
| Sun | zuba /zuba/ | akasuba /akasuba/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | juba /dʒuba/ |
| Moon | mwezi /mwezi/ | umweshi /umweʃi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ |
| Mother | bama /bama/ | bamayo /bamajo/ | amai /amai/ | mama /mama/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | bama /bama/ |
| Father | bataata /bataːta/ | bataata /bataːta/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | batata /batata/ |
| Eat | kulya /kulja/ | ukulya /ukulja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kuya /kuja/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kuja /kudʒa/ |
| Drink | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | ukunwa /ukunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kutoma /kutoma/ |
| Love | luyando /lujando/ | ukutemwa /ukutemwa/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | butemwe /butemwe/ |
| Heart | moyo /mojo/ | umutima /umutima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | muchima /mutʃima/ |
| Tree | cisamu /tʃisamu/ | icimuti /itʃimuti/ | muti /muti/ | mti /mti/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | kichi /kitʃi/ |
| House | ng'anda /ŋanda/ | ing'anda /iŋːanda/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | imba /imba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nzubo /nzubo/ |
| Dog | muvwa /muvwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbga /imbɡa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | kaaze /kaːze/ | pushi /puʃi/ | katsi /katsi/ | paka /paka/ | katsi /katsi/ | kiti /kiti/ | kapuso /kapuso/ |
| Hand | kuboko /kuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | ukono /ukono/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | chanza /tʃanza/ | kuboko /kuboko/ |
| Eye | liso /liso/ | ilinso /ilinso/ | ziso /ziso/ | izo /izo/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | jiso /dʒiso/ |
| Hello | mwabuka buti /mwabuka buti/ | muli shani /muli ʃani/ | makadii /makadiː/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | mhoro /mhoɾo/ | mhoroi /mhoɾoji/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ |
| Thank you | twalumba /twalumba/ | natotela /natotela/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | asante /asante/ | maita /maita/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ |
| One | -mwi /mwi/ | cimo /tʃimo/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | imo /imo/ | potsi /potsi/ | chimwe /tʃimwe/ | umo /umo/ |
| Good | kabotu /kabotu/ | chisuma /tʃisuma/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | hedi /hedi/ | chakanaka /tʃakanaka/ | kanaka /kanaka/ | kyawama /kjawama/ |
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