Xitsonga
Tsonga
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Tswa-Ronga)
Tsonga (Xitsonga) is a Bantu language of the Tswa-Ronga subgroup, one of South Africa's 11 official languages, also widely spoken in southern Mozambique, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe, with ~10M speakers (combining South African Xitsonga and Mozambican Tsonga varieties). Famous for whistled fricatives /ʃʷ/ /ʒʷ/ (a rare cross-linguistic feature) and for one of the few labio-dental flap consonants /ⱱ/ found in Bantu languages. Has 18 noun classes with extensive concord. Tsonga literature flourished in the 20th century with poets such as B. K. M. Mtombeni; the Bible translation was completed in 1907.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tsonga
Water
mati
/mati/
Fire
ndzilo
/ndzilo/
Sun
dyambu
/dʒambu/
Moon
n'weti
/ŋweti/
Star
nyeleti
/ɲeleti/
Mother
manana
/manana/
Father
tatana
/tatana/
I
mina
/mina/
You
wena
/wena/
Name
vito
/vito/
Eye
tihlo
/tiɬo/
Hand
voko
/voko/
Heart
mbilu
/mbilu/
Love
rirhandzu
/riɾandzu/
Tree
nsinya
/nsiɲa/
House
yindlu
/jindɮu/
Dog
mbyana
/mbjana/
Cat
mangoyi
/maŋɡoji/
Eat
ku dya
/ku dʒa/
Drink
ku nwa
/ku nwa/
One
rin'we
/riŋwe/
Two
mbirhi
/mbiri/
Hello
avuxeni
/avuʃeni/
Thank you
inkomu
/iŋkomu/
Good
kahle
/kaɬe/
Cuckoo
ngwafalantala
/ŋʷafalanˈtala/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Tswa-Ronga) languages
| Meaning | Tsonga | Southern Ndebele | Northern Ndebele | Lozi | Northern Sotho | Shambala | Swazi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mati /mati/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | mezi /mezi/ | meetse /meːtse/ | mazi /mazi/ | emanti /emanti/ |
| Fire | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | mollo /molːo/ | moto /moto/ | umlilo /umlilo/ |
| Sun | dyambu /dʒambu/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | lizazi /lizazi/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ |
| Moon | n'weti /ŋweti/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | kweli /kweli/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ |
| Star | nyeleti /ɲeleti/ | inkwenkwezi /iŋkʷeŋkʷezi/ | inkanyezi /iŋkaɲezi/ | naleli /naleli/ | naledi /naledi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | inkhanyeti /iŋkʰaɲeti/ |
| Mother | manana /manana/ | umma /umma/ | umama /umama/ | ma /ma/ | mma /mːa/ | mama /mama/ | make /make/ |
| Father | tatana /tatana/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | ndate /ndate/ | tate /tate/ | baba /baba/ | babe /ɓaɓe/ |
| I | mina /mina/ | mina /mina/ | mina /mina/ | na /na/ | nna /nna/ | niye /nije/ | mine /míne/ |
| You | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | wena /wena/ | weye /weje/ | wena /wéna/ |
| Name | vito /vito/ | ibizo /ibizo/ | ibizo /ibizo/ | libizo /libizo/ | leina /leina/ | izina /izina/ | libito /libiːto/ |
| Eye | tihlo /tiɬo/ | ihlo /iɬo/ | ilihlo /iliɬo/ | liito /liːto/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hand | voko /voko/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | lizoho /lizoho/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | ukono /ukono/ | sandla /sandɮa/ |
| Heart | mbilu /mbilu/ | ihliziyo /iɬizijo/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | pilu /pilu/ | pelo /pelo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ |
| Love | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | ithando /itʰando/ | uthando /utʰando/ | lilato /lilato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | lutsandvo /lutsandwo/ |
| Tree | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | umuthi /umutʰi/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | kota /kota/ | sehlare /seɬare/ | mti /mti/ | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ |
| House | yindlu /jindɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | ndu /ndu/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | indlu /indɮu/ |
| Dog | mbyana /mbjana/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | nja /ndʒa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | inja /indʒa/ |
| Cat | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | ikati /ikati/ | ikati /ikati/ | kaze /kaze/ | katse /katse/ | paka /paka/ | likati /likati/ |
| Eat | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | kuca /kutsa/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ | kuya /kuja/ | kudla /kuɮa/ |
| Drink | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | ukusela /ukusela/ | ukunatha /ukunatʰa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunatsa /kunatsa/ |
| One | rin'we /riŋwe/ | nye /ɲe/ | nye /ɲe/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | tee /teː/ | imo /imo/ | kunye /kuɲe/ |
| Two | mbirhi /mbiri/ | kubili /kubili/ | kubili /kubili/ | peli /peli/ | pedi /pedi/ | mbili /mbili/ | kubili /kubiːli/ |
| Hello | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | lotjhani /lotʃʰani/ | salibonani /saliɓonani/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ |
| Thank you | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | ngiyathokoza /ŋijatʰokoza/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | asante /asante/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ |
| Good | kahle /kaɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | nde /nde/ | botse /botse/ | hedi /hedi/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ |
| Cuckoo | ngwafalantala /ŋʷafalanˈtala/ | — | inkanku /iⁿˈkaŋku/ | — | — | — | phezukwemkhono /pʰɛzukwɛmˈkʰono/ |
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