Shambala is a Bantu language spoken by about 66,000 people in Usambara mountains in northern Tanzania. It is mainly spoken in the Lushoto and Muheza districts in the north and east of the Tanga Region.
Shambala is also known as Sambaa, Sambala, Sambara, Schambala, Shambaa, Kisambaa, Kishambaa or Kishambala. Speakers of Shambala call their language Kisambaa and themselves Wasambaa (Msambaa = one person). The area where they live is known as Usambaa, Usambara or Shambalai. Shambala is closely related to Bondei and Zigua, and the languages are mutually intelligible. Speakers of these three languages call themselves collectively Boshazi.
Younger Shambala people tend to speak Swahili, which is the language of instruction in primary schools, and English, which is used in secondary schools, universities, the media and business.
Shambala is mainly an oral language, and few Shambala speakers write their language. It can be written with the Latin script, and there is a Shambala translation of the New Testament of the Bible.
Download an alphabet chart for Shambala (Excel)
Details of the Shambala alphabet (PDF) provided by Wolfram Siegel
Source: https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/1811/LUK.11.KISHNT05
Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV
Information about Shambala
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambala_language
https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/shambaa.html
https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Shambaa.html
http://www.language-archives.org/language/ksb
Aka, Aushi, Bafaw-Balong, Bangi, Bangubangu, Basaa, Bemba, Bembe, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bila, Bube, Budu, Bujeba, Bukusu, Bulu, Bushong, Central Kilimanjaro, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chopi, Chuwabu, Comorian, Dciriku, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Fuliiru, Fwe, Ganda/Luganda, Giryama, Gogo, Gungu, Gusii, Gwere, Gyele, Ha, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Idaxo-Isuxa-Tiriki, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kabwa, Kako, Kalanga, Kamba, Kanyok, Kgalagadi, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kobo, Kogo, Komo, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kuhane, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Kwambi, Kwangali, Kwasio, Lambya, Lega, Lengola, Lingala, Loma, Lomwe, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Luyana, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbama, Mbere, Mbosi, Mbugu, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mbuun, Mende, Mongo, Mpiemo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Myene, Nambya, Nande, Ndau, Ndonga, Ngoni, Ngwii, Njebi, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyoro, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Pare, Phuthi, Punu, Rangi, Ronga, Safwa, Seki, Sena, Sengele, Shambala, Shi, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Suba, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Taita, Talinga, Tanga, Tembo, Tetela, Tonga, Tongwe, Tooro, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Turu, Umbundu, Venda, Vili, Vwanji, Wanzi, West Teke, Xhosa, Yakam, Yansi, Yao, Yasa, Yeyi, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page created: 15.09.25. Last modified: 15.09.25
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