Southern Bantu languages
Language family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Southern Bantu or siNtu languages are a large group of Bantu languages, largely validated in Janson (1991/92).[2] 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.
distributionSouth Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini
| Southern Bantu | |
|---|---|
| siNtu | |
| Geographic distribution | South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini |
| Linguistic classification | Niger–Congo? |
| Proto-language | Proto-Southern Bantu[1] |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | sout3387 |
History
Proto-Southern Bantu was first spoken some time during the 2nd millennium CE within the borderland between South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, where the different Southern Bantu subgroups meet.[3]
Languages
Language groups are followed by their code in the Guthrie classification. Makhuwa languages are included in this tree.
- Southern Bantu languages
- Makua (P30)
- Chopi (S60)
- Nguni languages (S40)
- Sotho–Tswana (S30 + K20):
- Tswana ("West Sotho")
- Birwa
- Tswapong
- Kgalagadi
- Sotho
- Northern Sotho (Sepedi)
- Southern Sotho (Sesotho)
- East Sotho (Sepulane, Sekutswe and Hipai)
- Lozi
- Tswa–Ronga (S50):
- Shona-Venda
- Shona
- Eastern Shona group
- Central Shona group
- Korekore (S11) and Tawara
- Zezuru (S12)
- Manyika (S13) and Tewe
- Karanga (S14)
- Western Shona group
- Venda (S20)
- Shona
