Southern Ndebele language
Southern Ndebele (English: /ɛndəˈbiːliː/), also known as Transvaal Ndebele[1] or South Ndebele,[4][5] is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, spoken by the Ndebele people of South Africa.
Southern Ndebele | |
---|---|
Transvaal Ndebele | |
isiNdebele seSewula | |
Native to | South Africa |
Region | Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, North West |
Native speakers | 1.1 million (2011 census)[1] 1.4 million L2 speakers (2002)[2] |
Latin (Ndebele alphabet) Ndebele Braille | |
Signed Ndebele | |
Official status | |
Official language in | ![]() |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-1 | nr – South Ndebele |
ISO 639-2 | nbl – South Ndebele |
ISO 639-3 | nbl – South Ndebele |
Glottolog | sout2808 |
S.407 [3] | |
Linguasphere | 99-AUT-fi + 99-AUT-fj |

- 0–20%
- 20–40%
- 40–60%
- 60–80%
- 80–100%

- <1 /km²
- 1–3 /km²
- 3–10 /km²
- 10–30 /km²
- 30–100 /km²
- 100–300 /km²
- 300–1000 /km²
- 1000–3000 /km²
- >3000 /km²

There is also a different language called Northern Ndebele or Northern Transvaal Ndebele also known as isiNdebele seNyakatho or simply siNdebele, spoken in Limpopo in areas such as Polokwane (Bhulungwane), Ga-Rathoka (KaSontronga), Ga-Mashashane, Kalkspruit, Mokopane (Mghumbane), Zebediela (Sebetiela), which is closer to Southern Ndebele.[6]