Southern Ndebele language
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2008-07-13T17:41:13Z
Liface
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{{Otheruses4|the Sotho-Tswana language spoken in Transvaal|the Nguni language spoken in Zimbabwe|Northern Ndebele language}}
{{Infobox Language
|name=Southern Ndebele
|nativename=isiNdebele
|states={{flagicon|South Africa}} [[South Africa]]
|region=[[Mpumalanga]] <br> [[Limpopo]]<br> [[Gauteng]]<br>[[North West Province|North West]]
|speakers=586,961 (1996 census)
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=[[Atlantic-Congo languages|Atlantic-Congo]]
|fam3=[[Volta-Congo languages|Volta-Congo]]
|fam4=[[Benue-Congo languages|Benue-Congo]]
|fam5=[[Bantoid languages|Bantoid]]
|fam6=[[Southern Bantoid languages|Southern]]
|fam7=[[Narrow Bantu languages|Narrow Bantu]]
|fam8=Central
|fam9=S group
|fam10=Sotho-Tswana (S.30)
|fam11=Sotho
|fam12=Northern
|nation={{flagicon|South Africa}} [[South Africa]]
|iso1=nr|iso2=nbl|iso3=nbl}}
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until it can be split and moved in stead of the [[Ndebele]] redirect.
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The '''Southern Ndebele language''' ('''isiNdebele''' or '''Nrebele''' in Southern Ndebele) is an African language belonging to the [[Nguni languages|Nguni]] group of [[Bantu languages]], and spoken by the amaNdebele (the [[Ndebele people (South Africa)|Ndebele people]] of South Africa). There are two dialects of Southern Ndebele in [[South Africa]]:
* the Northern Transvaal Ndebele or [[Nrebele]],
* and the Southern Transvaal Ndebele.
There is also another, separate dialect called Northern Ndebele or [[Matabele]] spoken in [[Zimbabwe]] and [[Botswana]] - see [[Sindebele language]]. The Zimbabwean [[Sindebele language|Ndebele]] is closer to [[Zulu]] than it is to the two South African Ndebele languages.
==Overview==
The history of the amaNdebele can be traced to Musi, the last monarch of the tribe as a single nation. Researchers still disagree on specific times of the tribe's separation from their main Nguni Group. AmaNdebele are known to be the first Nguni group to enter the hinterland of the southern tip of the African continent, later to be called Transvaal. AmaNdebele lived as one nation at Emhlangeni (today's [[Randfontein]] area) under King Mhlanga approximately between 1550-1580. The name of EMhlangeni is today being translated to the Sotho language, Mohlakeng. Most archeologists and historians agree that the amaNdebele settled for a longer period peacefully at Kwamnyamana and Emarula (Wonderboompoort). These areas are in the north and northwest of present day [[Pretoria]]. The tribe arrived in this area with Musi, the son of Mhlanga who is in turn the son of Mafana.
One unverified source mentions that the word Matebele/Matabele is a corruption of a Setswana Sentence "Mathebe Telele". Meaning those with long shields. The Zulus (Ndebeles) who made their way through to the northern parts of Southern Africa, were known for their fighting innovations. Short Spears & Long Shields as opposed to Small Shield and Javelin Type Spears that were the norm in those days! This made them the ultimate fighting machine (amongst equals of course)
== Language ==
IsiNdebele is one of the eleven official languages in the Republic of South Africa. The language is an Nguni or Zunda classification (UN) spoken mostly in the Mpumalanga Province, Gauteng, Limpopo and the Northwest.
The expression "Isikhethu" can be loosely translated to mean 'the Ndebele way of doing or saying'. Isikhethu means isiNdebele the same way sikitsi will mean siSwasi and se harona will mean seSotho.
The language has been severely marginalized over the years. Until the formation of the apartheid Ndebele homeland, speaking the language publicly was discouraged. Most isiNdebele speakers preferred isiZulu especially because the latter was learned at school. Today the Ndebele speakers, mostly those who are educated still prefer to use isiNdebele as home language for their children and will use isiNdebele as a language to communicate with other isiNdebele speakers.
==AmaNdebele In Zimbabwe==
The shared language name does not imply other close similarities, however. It must be borne in mind that amaNdebele who now inhabit Zimbabwe met the amaNdebele of South Africa during [[Mzilikazi]]'s path to the north of the southern subcontinent between 1828 and 1838. Subsequently, the two peoples have broken contact with one another and have diverged culturally.
==External links==
* [http://www.mongabay.com/indigenous_ethnicities/languages/languages/Ndebele.html List links to Ndebele language resources]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20040107132011/http://www.cbold.ddl.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/CBOLD_Lexicons/Ndebele.Pelling1971/Text/Ndebele.Pelling.1971.txt The 1971 Pelling lexicon of Ndebele->English (text file)] (on a stable [[Archive.org]] link)
* [http://www.cbold.ddl.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/CGI/jgspltscrn.cgi?simpledbq=Ndebele.Pelling.1971.txt Searchable version of the Pelling dictionnary]
* [http://www.cbold.ddl.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/ CBOLD - Comparative Bantu Online Dictionnary] - including Ndebele
*[http://www.amandebelekamusi.com/]
===Software===
* [http://translate.org.za/content/view/1610/54/ Spell checker for OpenOffice.org and Mozilla], [http://translate.org.za/content/view/17/32/ OpenOffice.org], [http://translate.org.za/content/view/1611/54/ Mozilla Firefox web-browser], and [http://translate.org.za/content/view/1612/54/ Mozilla Thunderbird email program] in Ndebele
* [http://translate.org.za/ Project to translate Free and Open Source Software into Ndebele]
{{Languages of South Africa}}
<!--Categories, from closest/narrowest to farthest/most generic:-->
<!--In other languages, alphabetically by language (not code) name:-->
[[Category:Nguni languages]]
[[Category:Bantu languages]]
[[Category:Languages of South Africa]]
[[af:Ndebele (taal)]]
[[bg:Ндебеле]]
[[de:IsiNdebele]]
[[eo:Suda Ndebela lingvo]]
[[es:Idioma ndebele del sur]]
[[fr:Nrebele]]
[[gl:Lingua ndebele]]
[[io:Ndebele linguo]]
[[it:Lingua ndebele]]
[[nah:Huitzlāmpa Ndebēletlahtōlli]]
[[nl:Ndebele]]
[[ja:南ンデベレ語]]
[[pl:Język ndebele południowy]]
[[pt:Língua ndebele]]
[[fi:Ndebelen kieli]]
[[sv:Ndebele]]