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
20 core words in Tsonga
Water
mati
/mati/
Fire
ndzilo
/ndzilo/
Sun
dyambu
/dʒambu/
Moon
n'weti
/ŋweti/
Mother
manana
/manana/
Father
tatana
/tatana/
Eat
ku dya
/ku dʒa/
Drink
ku nwa
/ku nwa/
Love
rirhandzu
/riɾandzu/
Heart
mbilu
/mbilu/
Tree
nsinya
/nsiɲa/
House
yindlu
/jindɮu/
Dog
mbyana
/mbjana/
Cat
mangoyi
/maŋɡoji/
Hand
voko
/voko/
Eye
tihlo
/tiɬo/
Hello
avuxeni
/avuʃeni/
Thank you
inkomu
/iŋkomu/
One
rin'we
/riŋwe/
Good
kahle
/kaɬe/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Tswa-Ronga) languages
| Meaning | Tsonga | Lozi | Northern Ndebele | Kikongo | Runyankole | Swazi | Southern Ndebele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mati /mati/ | mezi /mezi/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | maza /maza/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | emanti /emanti/ | amanzi /amanzi/ |
| Fire | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | tiya /tija/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | umlilo /umlilo/ |
| Sun | dyambu /dʒambu/ | lizazi /lizazi/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | izooba /izoːba/ | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ |
| Moon | n'weti /ŋweti/ | kweli /kweli/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ |
| Mother | manana /manana/ | ma /ma/ | umama /umama/ | mama /mama/ | maawe /maːwe/ | make /make/ | umma /umma/ |
| Father | tatana /tatana/ | ndate /ndate/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | babe /ɓaɓe/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ |
| Eat | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | kuca /kut͡sa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kurya /kurja/ | kudla /kuɮa/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ |
| Drink | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | ukunatha /ukunatʰa/ | ku nua /ku nua/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunatsa /kunatsa/ | ukusela /ukusela/ |
| Love | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | lilato /lilato/ | uthando /utʰando/ | zola /zola/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | lutsandvo /luʦandwo/ | ithando /itʰando/ |
| Heart | mbilu /mbilu/ | pilu /pilu/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | ntima /ntima/ | omutima /omutima/ | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ | ihliziyo /iɬizijo/ |
| Tree | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | kota /kota/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | nti /nti/ | omuti /omuti/ | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ | umuthi /umutʰi/ |
| House | yindlu /jindɮu/ | ndu /ndu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | nzo /nzo/ | enju /endʒu/ | indlu /indɮu/ | indlu /indɮu/ |
| Dog | mbyana /mbjana/ | nja /ndʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | inja /indʒa/ | inja /indʒa/ |
| Cat | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | kaze /kaze/ | ikati /ikati/ | nyau /ɲau/ | kapa /kapa/ | likati /likati/ | ikati /ikati/ |
| Hand | voko /voko/ | lizoho /lizoho/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | koko /koko/ | omukono /omukono/ | sandla /sandɮa/ | isandla /isandɮa/ |
| Eye | tihlo /tiɬo/ | liito /liːto/ | ilihlo /iliɬo/ | disu /disu/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | liso /liso/ | ihlo /iɬo/ |
| Hello | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | salibonani /saliɓonani/ | mboté /mbote/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | lotjhani /lotʃʰani/ |
| Thank you | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | matondo /matondo/ | webare /webare/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | ngiyathokoza /ŋijatʰokoza/ |
| One | rin'we /riŋwe/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | nye /ɲe/ | mosi /mosi/ | emwe /emwe/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | nye /ɲe/ |
| Good | kahle /kaɬe/ | nde /nde/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | mbote /mbote/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ |
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