Sanibonani/ Greetings I have been given an opportunity to say something about the Zulu language.Well, let me begin with a clarification. I am not a teacher or expert in the languages. whatever I say is layperson's view. however, I am a Zulu speaker and have studied the subject at school. One had to communicate and learn in some language and I used Zulu and English to try and unravel the mysteries of formal education. I also learned a bit of conversational Sotho and Shona along the way. What is ZuluZulu is not really a language. It is a dialect. The language is Nguni. This language shares some affinities with other Kmtyw languages, especially in the east, central and south of Kmt. further, There also seem to be some connections to Indo-Europoean and afro-eurasiatic languages. One could even go so far as to say that Kmt was the birth place of languages, at least some of them. the fact that Kmt is the home of modern homo sapiens does give credence to this position. the other impotant fact is that Kmt as in the ancient world was much larger. It included parts of present day eureurasia and eurasia. For example there are terms in eureurasiaan and Semitic languages which seem to originate in Kmt. I believe that language is one area that has not been sufficient explored as a tool to recover and restore the significance of Kmt in world history. For example the Kmtyw origin of the major world religions. Hhayi-ke ngithi khumu! Bengisika elijikayo bakithi. Ngicela ukuphetha inkulumo ngelithi "iyophinde ibonane". Nina baka Mjokwane ka Ndaba! jabulani Khumalo
QuoteMafoto;54742 wrote: Sanibonani/ Greetings I have been given an opportunity to say something about the Zulu language.Well, let me begin with a clarification. I am not a teacher or expert in the languages. whatever I say is layperson's view. however, I am a Zulu speaker and have studied the subject at school. One had to communicate and learn in some language and I used Zulu and English to try and unravel the mysteries of formal education. I also learned a bit of conversational Sotho and Shona along the way. What is ZuluZulu is not really a language. It is a dialect. The language is Nguni. This language shares some affinities with other Kmtyw languages, especially in the east, central and south of Kmt. further, There also seem to be some connections to Indo-Europoean and afro-eurasiatic languages. One could even go so far as to say that Kmt was the birth place of languages, at least some of them. the fact that Kmt is the home of modern homo sapiens does give credence to this position. the other impotant fact is that Kmt as in the ancient world was much larger. It included parts of present day eureurasia and eurasia. For example there are terms in eureurasiaan and Semitic languages which seem to originate in Kmt. I believe that language is one area that has not been sufficient explored as a tool to recover and restore the significance of Kmt in world history. For example the Kmtyw origin of the major world religions. Hhayi-ke ngithi khumu! Bengisika elijikayo bakithi. Ngicela ukuphetha inkulumo ngelithi "iyophinde ibonane". Nina baka Mjokwane ka Ndaba! jabulani Khumalo
Nkosi! I apprecilove you sharing!!! Is Nguni spoken by anyone or are only the dialects spoken. For example, standard Yoruba is actually written and spoken. In Ghana, the Akan language is written but not actually spoken by anyone, but is used as a way to facilitate understanding in reading across dialects. Only the dialects are actually spoken. I've heard of Nguni as a linguistic family, but does anyone actually speak Nguni as a language or are only the dialects such as isiZulu spoken?
Thank you for your response
No. Nguni is neither spoken nor wriiten as a separate language. Only the five dialects are writen and spoken in South Kmt.
By the way, the name Nguni means "people of Ga" We are the people of the God Ga. This root ga is shared by many other Kmtyw groups either as a tribal name or the name of a divinity or a Supreme Being. The only difference is that the basic form "ga" is expressed in various forms and contexts. We are really one family, although we tend to behave as if we are strangers. The power and beauty of language is that it can dissolve illusions of separateness for those who learn to unravel its secrets.
QuoteMafoto;54837 wrote: Thank you for your response
No. Nguni is neither spoken nor wriiten as a separate language. Only the five dialects are writen and spoken in South Kmt.
By the way, the name Nguni means "people of Ga" We are the people of the God Ga. This root ga is shared by many other Kmtyw groups either as a tribal name or the name of a divinity or a Supreme Being. The only difference is that the basic form "ga" is expressed in various forms and contexts. We are really one family, although we tend to behave as if we are strangers. The power and beauty of language is that it can dissolve illusions of separateness for those who learn to unravel its secrets.
This is helpful. There is an ethnic group here in Ghana known as the Ga people. Have you come across any resources to learn the language that may be shared here? PDFs? mp3s? Videos? I actually wanted to learn isiZulu before I learned Yorùbá, but the last year it was offered at the grad school I went to was the year before I came.