Southern Bantu languages

Last updated
Southern Bantu
Geographic
distribution
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini
Linguistic classification Niger–Congo?
Proto-languageProto-Southern Bantu
Language codes
Glottolog sout3387

The Southern Bantu languages are a large group of Bantu languages, largely validated in Janson (1991/92). [1] They are nearly synonymous with Guthrie's Bantu zone S , apart from the debated exclusion of Shona and inclusion of Makhuwa. They include all of the major Bantu languages of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique, with outliers such as Lozi in Zambia and Namibia, and Ngoni in Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.

Languages

Language groups are followed by their code in the Guthrie classification. Both Shona and Makhuwa languages are included in this tree.

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The Lomwe (Lowe) language, Elomwe, also known as Western Makua, is the fourth-largest language in Mozambique. It belongs with Makua in the group of distinctive Bantu languages in the northern part of the country: The Makhuwa-using area proper is separated by a large Lomwe-speaking area from the related eChuwabo, although eMakhuwa neighbours eChuwabo in a more coastal zone. To the south, the rather more distantly related Sena (ChiSena) should be assigned to a group with Nyanja and Chewa, while the distinct group which includes Yao, Makonde and Mwera is found to the north. Apart from the regional variations found within eMakhuwa proper, eLomwe uses ch where tt appears in eMakhuwa orthography: for instance eMakhuwa mirette ("remedy") corresponds to eLomwe mirecce, eMakhuwa murrutthu to eLomwe miruchu, eMakhuwa otthapa ("joy") to eLomwe ochapa.

References

  1. Tore Janson (1991-92) "Southern Bantu and Makua", Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika (SUGIA) Vol. 12/13: 63-106, Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, Cologne