Kwangali

Primary tabs

A language of Namibia

ISO 639-3

kwn

Alternate Names

Kwangare, Kwangari, Rukwangari, Sikwangali, Vakwángali

Autonym

Rukwángali

User Population

170,000 in Namibia (2018). Ethnic population: 175,000 (2018). Total users in all countries: 192,000.

Location

Kavango East and Kavango West regions.

Language Maps

Angola

Namibia

Language Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (2009, National Curriculum, Basic Education, Sections 4.1.5.1 and 5.5), mainly used as education medium in primary grades.

Classification

Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, K, Luyana (K.33)

Dialects

Shambyu (Sambio, Sambiu, Sambyu, Shisambyu). May be intelligible of Gciriku [diu].

Typology

SVO; prepositions; 18 noun classes; passives; tense and aspect; causatives; 18 consonants and 5 vowels; tonal (2 tones: high, low); partial vowel harmony; 1 click phoneme.

Language Use

All domains, including education. Used by all. Used as L2 by Hai|ǁom [hgm].

Language Development

Taught in primary schools through grade 3. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 1987.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Kwangali

Writing

Latin script [Latn].