Northern Ndebele
< Nama | Major Languages | Ndebele, Southern >
On this page... (hide)
- 1. Classification / Classification
- 2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
- 3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
- 4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
- 5. Usage / Utilisation
- 6. Orthography / Orthographe
- 7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
- 8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
- 9. Comments / Remarques
- 10. References / Références
Sindebele
1. Classification / Classification
Ndebele is a language in the Nguni group of Bantu (Guthrie S40). (Webbook)
Ethnologue lists the classifications of northern Ndebele as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Nguni (S.40)
2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
Northern Ndebele mainly in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe with some in Botswana.
3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
According to information compiled from Ethnologue:
- Northern Ndebele
- 1,550,000 in Zimbabwe (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk)
- 8,000 in Botswana (2002)
- Population total all countries: 1,558,000
4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
Ownby (personal communication, 1986) notes that "there are three distinct dialects of Ndebele: Northern Transvaal Ndebele (on the verge of extinction), Southern Transvaal Ndebele and that spoken in Zimbabwe." (Webbook)
J.A. Louw (personal communication, 1982) reports (Ndzunda-Manala) Ndebele is "a Zulu dialect insofar as it is mutually intelligible with Zulu." (Webbook)
Ethnologue notes that Ndebele of South Africa and Ndebele of Zimbabwe are different. The latter (Northern Ndebele) is "close to Zulu."
5. Usage / Utilisation
Ndebele is taught as a subject in Zimbabwean schools. (Webbook)
Literacy rate of Ndebele in Zimbabwe (according to Ethnologue, accessed 2007):
- L1: ?
- L2: 55%
6. Orthography / Orthographe
6.1 Status / Statut
Ndebele has a standardized orthography. (Webbook) It is Latin-based.
6.2 Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple
A text sample for Ndebele (without clarity as to which kind) is shown on the "Language Museum" site: http://www.language-museum.com/n/ndebele.htm
7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
7.1 Fonts / Polices
7.2 Keyboard layouts / Dispositions de clavier
7.3 Content on computers & internet / Contenu en informatique et sur l'Internet
7.4 Localized software / Logiciels localisés
7.5 Language codes / Codes de langue
Ndebele, North (Zimbabwe)
- ISO 639-1: nd
- ISO 639-2: nde
- ISO 639-3: nde
7.6 Other / Autre
The Open Knowledge Network apparently had a Ndebele version of its project software (no further info).
8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
8.1 Individuals (experts) / Individuelles (experts)
8.2 Institutions / Institutions
8.3 On the internet / Sur la toile
9. Comments / Remarques
The possibility that localisation of northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe) may benefit from work on Zulu should be investigated.
10. References / Références
Dwyer, David (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/hiermenu.html (page on "Ndebele," http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/Ndebele-root.html )
SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Ndebele [Zimbabwe]," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/nde
SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/codes.asp
U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2: Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages: Alpha-3 codes arranged alphabetically by the English name of language," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php
Wikipedia, "Zimbabwean Ndebele language," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwean_Ndebele_language
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