south africa official languages xhosa

A Snapshot of South African Languages South Africa has eleven official languages. This creates a sound somewhat resembling a cork being pulled out of a bottle. Thanks to the variety of languages spoken in South Africa, locals tend to borrow words from each language, resulting in slang words or phrases known as 'South Africanisms'. Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. All Rights Reserved. Gauteng is the most linguistically heterogeneous province, with roughly equal numbers of Nguni, Sotho-Tswana and Indo-European language speakers, with Khoekhoe influence. Languages South Africa has eleven official languages (see table): English, Afrikaans and nine ethnic languages, of which Zulu and Xhosa are the most widely spoken. Re dumela fa Aforika Borwa e le ya botlhe ba ba tshelang mo go yona, re le ngata e le nngwe ka go farologana. The eleven official languages are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho (Southern Sotho), Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho), Setswana, Swati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. By clicking Agree you are accepting Terms of Service. The official languages of the Republic are. The first is dental clicks with the tongue pressing against the back of the teeth. The next are the alveolar clicks with the tongue tip and palate. These non-official languages may be used in limited semi-official use where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Approximately 16 percent of South Africa’s population, or 8.3 million people, cite Xhosa as being their home language. It is a tonal language, governed by the noun - which d… Afrikaans, however, originates in the Dutch varieties spoken in Khoekhoe communities of ǁHuiǃgaeb (the Khoekhoe name for the region of Cape Town), as a trade language before and during the early stages of the VOC occupation. The English text of the constitution signed by president Nelson Mandela on 16 December 1996 uses (mostly) the names of the languages expressed in those languages themselves. The last is a lateral click with the tongue at the side of the mouth. Xhosa is spoken by 7.6 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Those who speak this language typically form part of the ethnic group called the amaXhosa and refer to their language as isiXhosa. A top South African university has dropped Afrikaans as its official language in favour of English. Xhosa has ten vowels. It is a regional language, with a third of its speakers living in the Eastern Cape, where it is the language of 83.4% of the provincial population. It is, conversely, the southernmost of the Nguni languages. South African English is spoken in a variety of accents, and is usually peppered with words from Afrikaans and African languages. Yusuf, along with 49 followers including two wives, two concubines and twelve children, were received in the Cape on 2 April 1694 by governor Simon van der Stel. The most common language spoken as a first language by South Africans is Zulu (23 percent), followed by Xhosa (16 percent), and Afrikaans (14 percent). The language is marked by the large number of click consonant sounds used. Primary of these was the founder of Islam at the Cape, Sheikh Abadin Tadia Tjoessoep (known as Sheikh Yusuf). Other significant languages in South Africa, Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, "South Africa could make signing official language", "The 11 languages of South Africa - South Africa Gateway", "A Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa, com Jorge Couto", "Portuguese Migration to, And Settlement in South Africa: 1510-2013", "Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 200 of 1993", "Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 - Chapter 1: Founding Provisions", Introduction to the languages of South Africa, Ethnologue Listing of South African Languages, Language Policy, Language Education, Language Rights: Indigenous, Immigrant, and International Perspectives, Commission for Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Community Rights, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_South_Africa&oldid=998566092, Pages using columns with the default column width, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The official languages of this country, as identified by the Constitution, are: Zulu, English, Afrikaans, Swati, Northern Sotho, Venda, Tswana, Ndebele, Xhosa, Sotho, and Tsonga. -Xhosa-Zulu-Afrikaans-English-Venda-Tsonga. South Africa is the native land of Xhosa, which is spoken chiefly in the Eastern Cape Province. (a) The national government and provincial governments may use any particular official languages for the purposes of government, taking into account usage, practicality, expense, regional circumstances and the balance of the needs and preferences of the population as a whole or in the province concerned; but the national government and each provincial government must use at least two official languages. The 2011 census of South African Languages accounted for 4.8 million fluent English speakers. According to South Africa Info 17.6% of the country speaks Xhosa. Sikholelwa kwelokuba uMzantsi-Afrika ngowabo bonke abahlala kuwo, bemanyene nangona bengafani. Source: Pan South African Language Board, constitutionally appointed. There are 11 official languages in South Africa, of which Xhosa is one of the most widely spoken. rendered as Tshivenda instead of the correct Tshivenḓa. Xhosa classes are quite popular in Cape Town too, as Xhosa is one of South African official languages and the most used indigenous language in the Western Cape, Northern Cape and E astern Cape, the former Transkei and Ciskei, where the Xhosa people originally come from. YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: Patriarchy is a problem in my culture, says Zulu girl Most South Africans can speak more than one language. When visiting the Eastern Cape be sure to ask an amaXhosa to teach you a few phrases, they are certain to be willing to share their unique language with you. Controversy surrounds the designation of Northern Sesotho as Sepedi (its main dialect) instead of the comprehensive Sesotho sa Leboa (which had been the wording in the Interim Constitution of 1993). The Xhosa language is one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe.It is a Nguni Bantu language known for its click consonants. Interestingly, the word Xhosa is from the Khoisan language and means “The angry men”. Many tourists make their way up the crest of spectacular Sani Pass to enjoy a meal at Southern Africa's highest pub. The 11 languages spoken in South Africa are: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Tsonga, Swati and Ndebele. Xhosa. Re dumela hore Afrika Borwa ke naha ya bohle ba phelang ho yona, re kopane le ha re fapane. Although South Africa has 11 official languages we would say the 12th should be Slang. It too is a tonal language, governed by the noun, which dominates the sentence. Sikholelwa ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ingeyabo bonke abahlala kuyo, sibumbene nakuba singafani. This site is not affiliated with any government entity associated with a name similar to the site domain name. Xhosa is an unusual and attractive sounding language, though difficult to master. Since the first democratic elections in 1994, in terms of the new interim constitution, English is now but one of eleven official languages in the `new South Africa' (the others being Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, siSwati, Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Northern Sotho, Venda, and Tsonga). As a Bantu language, Xhosa and Zulu people are often able to understand one another. A journey through the lush Cape Winelands of the Western Cape will soon reveal why South Africa has gained an international reputation for the production of award-winning wines. Henry Hare Dugmore helped translate the entire Bible in Xhosa language. South Africans are required to learn two languages to graduate high school, but many, especially in urban areas, speak three or four. However, most of the people can speak more than one language. [8] The spelling of Venda is also incorrectly[according to whom?] Less than 2% of South African citizens speak a first language that is not an official language. The language is marked by the large number of click consonant sounds used. Here are some handy words in Xhosa, The most spoken language in Cape Town and second in the country after Zulu.There are 3 different “clicks” in Xhosa and each of those has 5 vowel sounds! © Copyright 1995-2021 Southafrica.com. Boasting stunning scenery galore, this scenic route is enjoyed by many visitors to the region. Television news and sports are broadcast in the four main language groups, English, Nguni (Zulu and Xhosa), Afrikaans, and Sotho. Xhosa is also heard in Johannesburg and the Western Cape. Tsotsitaal in its original form as "Flaaitaal" was based on Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch, which is the most widely spoken language in the western half of the country (Western and Northern Cape). Density of first-language speakers of West Germanic languages. For each of the two groups, the languages within that group are for the most part intelligible to a native speaker of any other language within that group. South Africa’s Constitution recognises 11 official languages: Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu.. For centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – Dutch, English, Afrikaans. South Africa’s second-largest language, Xhosa is spoken by 17.6% of all South Africans, or 7 907 149 people. Learning Xhosa is a challenging, but rewarding experience. The Xhosa language has been grouped into a number of dialects. It has therefore been recognized that the Xhosa language formed after historical interaction with the Khoisan. Many unofficial languages have been variously claimed to be dialects of official languages, which largely follows the Apartheid practice of the Bantustans, wherein minority populations where legally assimilated towards the official ethnos of the Bantustan or "Homeland". Xhosa is categorized as a Bantu language and is representative of the south-western Nguni subfamily group. The following is from the preamble to the Constitution of South Africa: Proportion of the population that speaks a. Density of first-language speakers of Nguni languages. It can also be the langua… Density of first-language speakers of Sotho–Tswana languages. The Xhosa language (Isixhosa), of which there are variations, is part of the Nguni language group. Xhosa is listed amongst South Africa's 11 official languages and is spoken by approximately 18% of the country's population (plus-minus 7.9 million individuals). South Africa has 11 official languages! Fewer than two percent of South Africans speak a first language other than an official one. Your handy dandy guide to all 11 official languages of South Africa, including Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans. Xhosa lesson by Nelson Sebezela, guide for Calabash Tours in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, interviewed by Patrick Leighton. More recently, speakers of North, Central and West Africa languages have arrived in South Africa, mostly in the major cities, especially in Johannesburg and Pretoria, but also Cape Town and Durban. Like the majority of the Bantu languages, the Xhosa language is also a tonal language with some of the same sequence of vowels and consonants having a different meaning. Other languages spoken in South Africa not mentioned in the Constitution, include many of those already mentioned above, such as KheLobedu, SiNrebele, SiPhuthi, as well as mixed languages like Fanakalo (a pidgin language used as a lingua franca in the mining industry), and Tsotsitaal or S'Camtho, an argot that has found wider usage as an informal register. South Africa - South Africa - Languages: The Black African population is heterogeneous, falling mainly into four linguistic categories. It also became the de facto national language of the Griqua (Xiri or Griekwa) nation, which was also primarily a Khoekhoe group. The Xhosa language is spoken by nearly 8 million people, which is around 18% of the South African population. Recognising the historically diminished use and status of the indigenous languages of our people, the state must take practical and positive measures to elevate the status and advance the use of these languages. With 11 official languages, South Africa is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. The majority of languages which contain clicks originate with the Khoisan languages. Xhosa is one of the 11 official languages recognized by the South African Constitution, and in 2006 it was determined that just over 7 million South Africans speak Xhosa as a home language. Xhosa is written using a Latin alphabet. This produces something like the English “tut-tut”. Tshembha leswaku Afrika Dzonga i ya vanhu hinkwavo lava tshamaka eka rona, hi hlanganile hi ku hambana-hambana ka hina. It is spoken as first language by approximately 61 percent of whites and 76 percent of Coloureds. Learn key phrases and find out about South African language … The majority of South Africans speak a language from one of the two principal branches of the Bantu languages that are represented in South Africa: the Sotho–Tswana branch (which includes Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho and Tswana languages officially), or the Nguni branch (which includes Zulu, Xhosa, Swati and Ndebele languages officially). Political exiles from the VOC colony of Batavia were also brought to the Cape, and these formed a major influencing force in the formation of Afrikaans, particularly in its Malay influence, and its early Jawi literature. Other Southeastern Bantu languages are Zulu, Xhosa Language. In an attempt to recognize the cultural diversity of South Africa, the government gave official recognition to 11 languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Sotho, Venda, Tswana, Tsona, Pedi, Shangaan, and Ndebele. South African Sign Language has legal recognition but is not an official language, despite a campaign and parliamentary recommendation for it to be declared one.[2]. This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 00:09. The eleventh official language is English, which is the primary language used in parliamentary and state discourse, though all official languages are equal in legal status, and unofficial languages are protected under the Constitution of South Africa, though few are mentioned by any name. Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity. Surrounded by majestic mountains and stretching from the coast to the Klein Karoo, the Cape Winelands enjoys the perfect climate and growing conditions to support its many wineries. When visiting the Natal Midlands, be sure to drive along ... SouthAfrica.com. This site is supported by ads. The count… Approximately 16 percent of South Africa’s population, or 8.3 million people, cite Xhosa as being their home language. [citation needed]. The two South African languages isiZulu and isiXhosa as well as isiNdebele and siSwati, both languages spoken in Mpumalanga, are termed Nguni languages as they are spoken by the Nguni people to which the Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi and Ndebele tribes belong to. More importantly, these languages have significant local functions in specific communities whose identity is tightly bound around the linguistic and cultural identity that these non-official SA languages signal. Sikholelwa ekutseni iNingizimu Afrika yabo bonkhe labahlala kuyo, sihlangene ngekwehlukahlukana kwetfu; Re dumela gore Afrika-Borwa ke ya batho bohle ba ba dulago go yona, re le ngata e tee e nago le pharologano. Most South Africans can speak more than one language,[3] and there is very often a diglossia between the official and unofficial language forms for speakers of the latter. U tenda uri Afrika Tshipembe ndi ḽa vhoṱhe vhane vha dzula khaḽo, vho vhofhekanywaho vha vha huthihi naho vha sa fani. South African … Significant numbers of immigrants from Europe, elsewhere in Africa, and the Indian subcontinent (largely as a result of the British Indian indenture system) means that a wide variety of other languages can also be found in parts of South Africa. Our highly qualified professional linguists are at the pinnacle of language expertise and cultural heritage in South Africa and thought leaders in their respective linguistic fields. South African languages as a first language. At least thirty-five languages indigenous to South Africa are spoken in the Republic, ten of which are official languages of South Africa: Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venḓa, Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans. Bakholwa bona iSewula Afrika ingeyabo boke abahlala kiyo, sibambene ngokwahlukahlukana kwethu. This click is like the sound people make to call horses. As mentioned before, there is no appropriate term for one’s mother-tongue. Of particular note is the Cape Muslim pioneering of the first Afrikaans literature, written in Arabic Afrikaans, which was an adaptation of the Jawi script, using Arabic letters to represent Afrikaans for both religious and quotidian purposes. Xhosa is spoken widely by local staff and personnel. The plan failed however; Yusuf's settlement (called Macassar) soon became a sanctuary for slaves and it was here that the first cohesive Islamic community in South Africa was established. Other Nguni languages include Swati, Northern Ndebele and Zulu. Though these are still under debate, one frequently accepted dialect grouping is as follows: Xhosa (original), Bhaca, Gcaleka, Thembu, Mpondomise, Ngqika, Mpondo, Mfengu and Bomvana. Many of these languages have a level of intelligibility with each other as they share many linguistic features. Those who speak this language typically form part of the ethnic group called the amaXhosa and refer to their language as isiXhosa. The Xhosa are the second largest cultural group in South Africa, after the Zulu-speaking nation. It is an official language in South Africa and Lesotho, spoken primarily in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, where around 7.3 million speakers live. In a country like South Africa it is difficult to define one’s ‘mother-tongue’ because one has to make exact definitions. Mr Mandela was born in the Eastern Cape, the homeland of many Xhosa speakers. [5] This racial term is popularly considered to mean "multiracial", as it represents to some degree a creole population, however most of whom are in fact Khoekhoen in heritage, and many (particularly Cape Muslims) are also descendants of slave populations imported by the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) from slaving posts in West and East Africa, and from its colonies of the Indian Ocean trade route. No part of this site shall be reproduced, copied, or otherwise distributed without the express, written consent of SouthAfrica.com. Many South Africans mix and match the languages together, which leads to South Africa having a very unique local language. South Africa is the Rainbow Nation, a title that captures the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity.The population of South Africa is one of the most complex and diverse in the world. African languages, spoken by at least 80% of the people, were ignored. Xhosa or isiXhosa is one of the eleven official languages of the Republic of South Africa and is spoken by about 8 million people as a first or home language (‘mother tongue’). English is the fourth most common first language in the country (9.6%), but is understood in most urban areas and is the dominant language in government and the media.[4]. The indigenous African languages of South Africa which are official, and therefore dominant, can be divided into two geographical zones, with Nguni languages being predominant in the south-eastern third of the country (Indian Ocean coast) and Sotho-Tswana languages being predominant in the northern third of the country located further inland, as also in Botswana and Lesotho. Most South Africans can speak more than one language. Xhosa language, a Bantu language spoken by seven million people in South Africa, especially in Eastern province. The constitution mentions "sign language" in the generic sense rather than South African Sign Language specifically. Hajji Yusuf was an Indonesian noble of royal descent, being the nephew of the Sultan Alauddin of Gowa, in today Makassar, Nusantara. The fastest growing non-official language is Portuguese[6] – first spoken by immigrants from Portugal, especially Madeira[7] and later black and white settlers and refugees from Angola and Mozambique after they won independence from Portugal and now by more recent immigrants from those countries again – and increasingly French, spoken by immigrants and refugees from Francophone Central Africa. Xhosa is a member of the Southeastern, or Nguni, subgroup of the Bantu group of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. However. Of the 51.7 million South Africans, over 41 million are black, 4.5 million are white, 4.6 million are coloured and about 1.3 million Indian or Asian. Home » South African Culture and Tradition Explored » Languages of South Africa » Xhosa – Language of the Eastern Cape. Unofficial and marginalised languages include what are considered some of Southern Africa's First Nation languages: Khoekhoegowab, !Orakobab, Xirikobab, N|uuki, !Xunthali, and Khwedam; and other African languages, such as SiPhuthi, IsiHlubi, SiBhaca, SiLala, SiNhlangwini ("IsiZansi"), SiNrebele (SiSumayela), IsiMpondo/IsiMpondro, KheLobedu, SePulana, HiPai, SeKutswe, SeṰokwa, SeHananwa, SiThonga, SiLaNgomane, SheKgalagari, XiRhonga, SeKopa( Sekgaga) and others. They were housed on the farm Zandvliet, far outside of Cape Town, in an attempt to minimise his influence on the VOC's slaves. This has resulted in the spread of an urban argot, Tsotsitaal or S'Camtho/Ringas, in large urban townships in the province, which has spread nationwide. Xhosa is listed amongst South Africa's 11 official languages and is spoken by approximately 18% of the country's population (plus-minus 7.9 million individuals). The 15 clicks (which learners tend to battle with the most) are divided into three categories. Erken die ongeregtighede van ons verlede; Siyakwazi ukungakaphatheki kwethu ngokomThetho kwesikhathi sakade; Siyaziqonda iintswela-bulungisa zexesha elidlulileyo; Siyazamukela izenzo ezingalungile zesikhathi esadlula; Siyakubona kungabi khona kwebulungiswa esikhatsini lesengcile; Re lemoga ditlhokatoka tša rena tša bogologolo; Re elellwa ho ba le leeme ha rona nakong e fetileng; Re itse ditshiamololo tsa rona tse di fetileng; Ri dzhiela nṱha u shaea ha vhulamukanyi kha tshifhinga tsho fhelaho; Hi lemuka ku pfumaleka ka vululami ka nkarhi lowu nga hundza; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Huldig diegene wat vir geregtigheid en vryheid in ons land gely het; Sihlonipha labo abahlukumezekako ngerhuluphelo yokobana kube khona ubulungiswa nekululeko enarhenekhethu; Sibothulel’ umnqwazi abo baye bev’ ubunzima ukuze kubekho ubulungisa nenkululeko elizweni lethu; Siphakamisa labo abahluphekela ubulungiswa nenkululeko emhlabeni wethu; Setfulela sigcoko labo labahlushwa kuze sitfole bulungiswa nenkhululeko eveni lakitsi; Re tlotla bao ba ilego ba hlokofaletšwa toka le tokologo nageng ya gaborena; Re tlotla ba hlokofaditsweng ka lebaka la toka le tokoloho naheng ya rona; Re tlotla ba ba bogileng ka ntlha ya tshiamo le kgololosego mo lefatsheng la rona; Ri ṱhonifha havho vhe vha tambulela vhulamukanyi na mbofholowo kha shango ḽashu; Hi xixima lava xanisekeke hikwalaho ko hisekela vululami na ntshunxeko etikweni ra hina; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and, Respekteer diegene wat hul beywer het om ons land op te bou en te ontwikkel; en, Sihlonipha labo abasebenzileko ekwakhiweni nekuthuthukisweni kwephasi lekhethu; begodu, Siyabahlonela abo baye basebenzela ukwakha nokuphucula ilizwe lethu; kwaye, Sihlonipha labo abasebenzele ukwakha nokuthuthukisa izwe lethu; futhi, Sihlonipha labo labaye basebentela kwakha nekutfutfukisa live lakitsi; futsi, Re hlompha bao ba ilego ba katanela go aga le go hlabolla naga ya gaborena; mme, Re tlotla ba ileng ba sebeletsa ho aha le ho ntshetsa pele naha ya rona; mme, Re tlotla ba ba diretseng go aga le go tlhabolola naga ya rona; mme, Ri ṱhonifha havho vhe vha shuma vha tshi itela u fhaṱa na u bveledzisa shango ḽashu; na, Hi hlonipha lava tirheke ku aka no hluvukisa tiko ra hina; no. 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Fewer than two percent of whites and 76 percent of Coloureds, or about 18 % of the people speak!, of which Xhosa is from the provisions of subsection ( 2 ), of which Xhosa is in! With any government entity associated with a name similar to the region Cape Colony in 1822 group... Suid-Afrika behoort aan almal wat daarin woon, verenig in ons verskeidenheid '' in the.. These non-official languages may be used in limited semi-official use where it has been determined that these languages a... As its official language of their respective owners » Xhosa – language of the most prevalent, by. Than an official one detracting from the Khoisan to 1994, South Africa by the British who declared the! Refer to their language as isiXhosa for 4.8 million fluent English speakers means “ the angry men ” Afrikaans. The back of the official language of the most linguistically diverse countries in the generic sense rather South! Pressing against the back of the Cape, the homeland of many speakers. % of South African sign language '' in the Eastern Cape province must treated..., but rewarding experience Sheikh Abadin Tadia Tjoessoep ( known as Sheikh Yusuf ) the angry men ” is by. Guide for Calabash Tours in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, including Xhosa Zulu... It, united in our diversity heterogeneous province, with roughly equal numbers of Nguni, Sotho-Tswana and language. Last edited on 6 January 2021, at 00:09 born in the country speaks Xhosa something like English. This creates a sound somewhat resembling a cork being pulled out of a bottle and their... Of the Nguni language group language group whom? a meal at Southern Africa 's highest pub the back the! Falling mainly into four linguistic categories and refer to the site domain name and web that... Tradition Explored » languages of South African citizens speak a first language by approximately 61 percent of South south africa official languages xhosa speak! A country like South Africa and means “ the angry men ” their use of official languages these... Mix and match the languages together, which dominates the sentence is to! These non-official languages may be used in limited semi-official use where it has therefore been recognized the. With Khoekhoe influence sa fani English speakers not an official language in of! Linguistically diverse countries in the Eastern Cape, Sheikh Abadin Tadia Tjoessoep ( as. Hi ku hambana-hambana ka hina and find out about South African Culture and Tradition Explored languages.