Northern Ndebele (Sindebele saseNyakatho)

Northern Ndebele a Bantu language spoken in South Africa, mainly in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces, and in some parts of North West province. It is part of the Tekela group of Bantu languages and has been influenced mainly by Swati, and to some extent by Northern Sotho. The Northern Ndebele spoken in Zimbabwe is related but separate language closer to Zulu.

Other names for Northern Ndebele include Ndebele, isiNdebele saseNyakatho, Mthwakazi Ndebele, Zimbabwean Ndebele or North Ndebele. It is closely related to Southern Ndebele and there is some mutual intelligibility between them.

Northern Ndebele is not officially recognised in South Africa and is rarely written. A grammar book was published in 1959, and a dictionary is being produced.

Northern Ndebele alphabet and pronunciation

Northern Ndebele pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Northern Ndebele (Excel)

Sample text

Badu/Banru bokxe babelethwe balugulukile bali(n)gana gesithiti nemalu(n)gelo. Baphiwe mukhu(m)bhulo nelivalo, jegalokhwa bafanele bababhane gekuvelana gemmoya webuhlobo bunye.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Some information provided by Dr Plaatjie Mahlobogoane

Sample videos in Northern Ndebele

Information about Northern Ndebele of South Africa | Phrases | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about Northern Ndebele
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ndebele_language
https://northernndebele.blogspot.com/
http://salanguages.com/northernndebele/

Northern Ndebele dictionary
http://www.northernndebele.com

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bukusu, Bulu, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Herero, Ikizu, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kunda, Kuria, Lambya, Lingala, Loma, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbunda, Mende, Mongo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Nande, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Punu, Ronga, Sena, Sengele, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Tanga, Tembo, Tonga, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Xhosa, Yao, Yasa, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 08.03.24

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