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
31 core words in Tonga (Zambia)
Water
meenda
/meːnda/
Fire
mulilo
/mulilo/
Sun
zuba
/zuba/
Moon
mwezi
/mwezi/
Star
nyenyezi
/ɲeˈɲezi/
Mother
bama
/bama/
Father
bataata
/bataːta/
I
ime
/ime/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
izina
/iˈziːna/
Eye
liso
/liso/
Hand
kuboko
/kuboko/
Heart
moyo
/mojo/
Love
luyando
/lujando/
Tree
cisamu
/tʃisamu/
House
ng'anda
/ŋanda/
Dog
muvwa
/muvwa/
Cat
kaaze
/kaːze/
Eat
kulya
/kulja/
Drink
kunywa
/kuɲwa/
One
-mwi
/mwi/
Two
-bili
/bili/
Hello
mwabuka buti
/mwabuka buti/
Thank you
twalumba
/twalumba/
Good
kabotu
/kabotu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Tonga-Lenje) languages
| Meaning | Tonga (Zambia) | Bemba | Shambala | Manyika | Shona | Ndau | Sena |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | meenda /meːnda/ | amenshi /amenʃi/ | mazi /mazi/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | madzi /madzi/ |
| Fire | mulilo /mulilo/ | umulilo /umulilo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | muriro /muɾiɾo/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | zuba /zuba/ | akasuba /akasuba/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ |
| Moon | mwezi /mwezi/ | umweshi /umweʃi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ |
| Star | nyenyezi /ɲeˈɲezi/ | intanda /intanda/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | nyenyedzi /ɲeɲedzi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ |
| Mother | bama /bama/ | bamayo /bamajo/ | mama /mama/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | mai /mai/ |
| Father | bataata /bataːta/ | bataata /bataːta/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ime /ime/ | ine /ine/ | niye /nije/ | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | ine /ine/ |
| You | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | weye /weje/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ |
| Name | izina /iˈziːna/ | ishina /iʃina/ | izina /izina/ | zita /zita/ | zita /zita/ | zina /zina/ | dzina /dzina/ |
| Eye | liso /liso/ | ilinso /ilinso/ | izo /izo/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | diso /diso/ |
| Hand | kuboko /kuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ukono /ukono/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | chanza /tʃanza/ | nkono /nkono/ |
| Heart | moyo /mojo/ | umutima /umutima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Love | luyando /lujando/ | ukutemwa /ukutemwa/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | kufuna /kufuna/ |
| Tree | cisamu /tʃisamu/ | icimuti /itʃimuti/ | mti /mti/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ |
| House | ng'anda /ŋanda/ | ing'anda /iŋːanda/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | imba /imba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | muvwa /muvwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbga /imbɡa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | kaaze /kaːze/ | pushi /puʃi/ | paka /paka/ | katsi /katsi/ | katsi /katsi/ | kiti /kiti/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | kulya /kulja/ | ukulya /ukulja/ | kuya /kuja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | ukunwa /ukunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ |
| One | -mwi /mwi/ | cimo /tʃimo/ | imo /imo/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | potsi /potsi/ | chimwe /tʃimwe/ | posi /posi/ |
| Two | -bili /bili/ | fibili /fibili/ | mbili /mbili/ | piri /piri/ | piri /piri/ | piri /piɾi/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ |
| Hello | mwabuka buti /mwabuka buti/ | muli shani /muli ʃani/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | makadii /makadiː/ | mhoro /mhoɾo/ | mhoroi /mhoɾoji/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ |
| Thank you | twalumba /twalumba/ | natotela /natotela/ | asante /asante/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | maita /maita/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ |
| Good | kabotu /kabotu/ | chisuma /tʃisuma/ | hedi /hedi/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | chakanaka /tʃakanaka/ | kanaka /kanaka/ | nadidi /nadidi/ |
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