Ndebele

Print

Primary tabs

A language of Zimbabwe

ISO 639-3
nde
Alternate Names
Isinde’bele, Ndebele of Zimbabwe, Northern Ndebele, Sindebele, Tabele, Tebele
Autonym
isiNdebele
User Population

3,010,000 in Zimbabwe, all users. L1 users: 1,610,000 in Zimbabwe (2012). L2 users: 1,400,000 (2019). Total users in all countries: 3,046,200 (as L1: 1,646,200; as L2: 1,400,000).

Location

Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, and Matabeleland South provinces; Midlands province: Gokwe South, Gueru, Kwekwe, Mberengwa, and Shurugwi districts.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). Recognized language (2013, Constitution, Article 6(1)).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Nguni (S.44)
Dialects

None known. Reportedly similar to Zulu [zul].

Language Use

Also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Birwa [brl], Chichewa [nya], Kalanga [kck], Lozi [loz], Nambya [nmq], Setswana [tsn], Tsoa [hio], Venda [ven].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 55%. Taught in some primary schools in grades 1–3 in areas where Ndebele is spoken. Dictionary. Bible: 1978.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ndebele
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Different from Ndebele [nbl] of Transvaal, South Africa.

Also spoken in:

Expand All
Collapse All