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Southern Ndebele language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Southern Ndebele isiNdebele |
||
|---|---|---|
| Spoken in: |  South Africa |
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| Region: | Mpumalanga Limpopo Gauteng North West |
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| Total speakers: | 586,961 (1996 census) | |
| Language family: | Niger-Congo Atlantic-Congo Volta-Congo Benue-Congo Bantoid Southern Narrow Bantu Central S group Sotho-Tswana (S.30) Sotho Northern Southern Ndebele |
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| Official status | ||
| Official language in: | South Africa |
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| Regulated by: | no official regulation | |
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1: | nr | |
| ISO 639-2: | nbl | |
| ISO 639-3: | nbl | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. | ||
The Southern Ndebele language (isiNdebele or Nrebele in Southern Ndebele) is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the amaNdebele (the Ndebele people of South Africa). There are two dialects of Southern Ndebele in South Africa:
- the Northern Transvaal Ndebele or Nrebele,
- and the Southern Transvaal Ndebele.
There is also another, separate dialect called Northern Ndebele or Matebele spoken in Zimbabwe and Botswana - see Sindebele language. The Zimbabwean Ndebele is closer to Zulu than it is to the two South-African Ndebele languages.
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The history of the amaNdebele can be traced to Musi, the last monarch of the tribe as a single nation. Researchers still disagree on specific times of the tribe's separation from their main Nguni Group. AmaNdebele are known to be the first Nguni group to enter the hinterland of the southern tip of the African continent, later to be called Transvaal. AmaNdebele lived as one nation at Emhlangeni (today's Randfontein area) under King Mhlanga approximately between 1550-1580. The name of EMhlangeni is today being translated to the Sotho language, Mohlakeng. Most archeologists and historians agree that the amaNdebele settled for a longer period almost peacefully at Kwamnyamana and Emarula (Wonderboompoort). This areas are in the north and northwest of present day Pretoria. The tribe arrived in this area with Musi, the son of Mhlanga who is in turn the son of Mafana.
The early written history about amaNdebele hardly reveals names of women or female offspring. This has been the oversight from early researchers who concentrated on males, especially those who were prominent or earmarked for leadership. Here follows the list of sons of Musi as recorded by most researchers.
Manala, Masombuka, Nzunza, Thombeni, Dlomu, Sibasa, Mrhwaduba
Formation of the Ndebele Clans
It was in the neighbourhood of KwaMnyamana (north of present day Pretoria) under the leadership of King Musi, where the tribe split into clan groups after a bitter feud of leadership between his sons, Manala who is widely believed to be an heir apparent and the young Nzunza.
Musi was very old and blind when he decided to hand over the leadership to one of his sons. As the custom, he was to be succeeded by his elder son. Musi called his son Manala and sent him to the bushes to hunt for a special bird. Manala was a famous hunting addict, but his favourite was the hunting of a wild beast known as 'imbhuduma.' He hunted for imbhuduma instead of the bird, probably thinking that it will be easy to get the sought bird.
Nzunza's mother, who adored her son very much, told him about Manala's mission to the bushes, the mother told Nzunza to find the bird. Manala was gone for days and Nzunza came back and sat at his father's door until in the morning where he brought the bird to his father and he was offered the leadership.
On his return Manala was told that his younger brother Nzunza has already taken the leadership of the amaNdebele, then a bitter feud began which forced Nzunza to flee his father's homestead with his followers. Manala could not just give up the leadership to Nzunza, he lodged a royal hunt for him.
Musi's other sons also took separate ways while others joined the newly formulated groups. Masombuka settled with the Nzunza group,Thombeni is believed to have headed to the north of the landscape with his followers.
Sibasa is said to have headed northward as well, where he ended up among vhaVenda. Mrhwaduba remained around present day Pretoria and today the clan is speaking the Tswana language in the Northwest Province and known as baHwaduba.
Dlomu went to the east and it is believed to have ended up in the present day KwaZulu-Natal. The fate of Mphafuli and Litjha is not known but it is believed that the former ended up among the baSotho in the south.
Genealogy of amaNzunza Kings
We have to acknowledge that the formation of the clans has elevated their respective leaders to the state of monarchy to their subjects. For this reason, we will refer to the monarchy as kings and sub-clan leaders as chiefs.
The research made so far and notes by the early archeologists can trace the tribe as back as the times of Mafana who was succeeded by his son Mhlanga, but nothing much is said of their activities.
The clan name for the royal family was Mkhalangana until during Mahlangu's reign when Mntungwa(must not be confused with the Khumalo's) was used.
SONS OF MUSI - Manala, Masombuka, Nzunza, Thombeni, Dlomu, Sibasa, Mrhwaduba, Litjha, Mphafuli
SONS OF NZUNZA - Mrhetjha, Petha, Ndimande, Kotheni, Qongo
Daughter, MTHISA is the only recorded name of early female offspring. She was offered to the Manala clan as a token of lasting peace agreement between aManala and the amaNzunza.
SONS OF MRHETJHA - Ntombela, Magobholi, Sindeni, Bhorholo
SON OF MAGOBHOLI - Bongwe
SON OF BONGWE - Mahlangu
SONS OF MAHLANGU - Mgwezani, Dzela, Mrhabuli, Mdalanyana, Kawule, Phaswana, Maridili, Busehla, Dima
SONS OF MARIDILI - Zondwako, Somalila
SON OF MDALANYANA - Nunu
SONS OF MGWEZANI - Gembe, Magodongo(Mphekgu), Mrabheli(SoTshoro), Bayeleni
SONS OF PHASWANA - Mrube, Somgwazi, Somafololo
SONS OF MRHABULI
Mrhabuli - Irhasa (1771), Khunwana - liDuba (1795), Sotjelwani - liDlowu (1799), Sogada - liDlhari (1803), Sokhanukani - liRudla (1811), Sibatjelwa - liGawu (1815), Sogwena - liDdzibha (1819), Langabejani - liDlaza (1827),
SONS OF MAGODONGO
Magodongo - iDuba (1795), Bharhuza - liGawu (1815), Mloyi - liDzibha (1819), Hlanganisa, Mtshabi, Siboko - liRhasa (1831), Somdeyi - liRhasa (1831), Mabhoko - liSinya (1839), Mgwayana , Ndaweni - Lirhorha (1847), Bengwako - liDlaza (1827), Gwalimba ,
SON OF MABHOKO
Mkhephuli/Soqaleni/Nyengele/Cornelius - liDlowu (1859), Rhobongo/Ngangasi - iNyathi (1867), Nyabela/Gijamphezeni/Somtjongweni - liRudla (1871), Magelembe, Matsitsi/Jonas - liDzibha (1879),
OFFSPRING OF MKHEPHULI/CORNELIUS
Fene/Mabusabesala-liDugu, Sokhabo,
OFFSPRING OF FENE/MABUSABESALA
Mayitjha/Cornelius - liDube,
OFFSPRING OF MAYITJHA/CORNELIUS
Mabusabesala II/David - liDzibha,
SONS OF MABUSABESALA II/DAVID
Nyumbabo/Cornelius/ Mayitjha II, James/Sozabakhona/Senzangakhona, Daughter( Adelaide),
Family feuds and fights for leadership led to the split of the main Nzunza clan into sub-divided sub-clans namely:
-Nzunza Mabhoko
-Nzunza Sokhulumi
-Nzunza Litho
-Nzunza Somtjhatjhana
-Nzunza Somphalali
-Nzunza Mabusa
Fight to the Truce
The fight between the two brothers, Manala and Nzunza took their respective groups to the vicinity of i-Bhalule (Olifant's Rivier) near Middelburg where Manala's group eventually reached the tired Nzunza's, near the flooding and overflowing river. Women for Lasting Peace:
Isivumelwano saKonoqoli (Konoqoli truce)
The second female to have been mentioned in the amaNdebele oral and written history after Nzunza's mother is still not remembered by name. The woman, known as the mother to Songubo, son of Liphahla is said to have played an important role in brokering peace between Nzunza and Manala groups. A peace deal was entered into at Koqoli/Konoqoli near present day Loskopdam northwest of Middelburg town. The peace deal,widely known as being brokered by the group known then as the people of he Nguni clan, later called by clan name Mnguni who initially fought Manala in aid of Nzunza.
The Mnguni clan in the area was then to be called by the clan name, Msiza,( ngokusiza amakhosi), (the clan name can be literally translated to mean: someone who gives help). As a sign of a peace deal that has been brokered by the old woman of the Mnguni clan, it was agreed that both the group leaders, Manala and Nzunza will end their relation as blood brothers and their groups can offer one another a woman who will be made a queen or great wife who will bear a future king for the other group.
The truce was sealed when Nzunza's daughter, Mthisa was offered to Manala's group to be made the great wife to bear a future king. The fight for leadership led to the formation of clans today known as the aManala and the amaNzunza.
After the agreement, Manala's group returned to KwaMnyamana while Nzunza's group in their wandering, proceeded eastward until they found grace at i-ndubazi (Steelpoort Rivier). The new homestead was named Kwasimkhulu. It is where Nzunza died to be succeeded by his son Mrhetjha.
The truce fades to failure
The agreement that brought peace to the two clans lasted for less than ten generations. It appears though that, it was not always the case where the chief of the other tribe is born from a woman from the other clan group. Nevertheless, the most recent and traceable incident is during Silamba's reign, who was the last to carry out the tradition with all the blessings. He accepted as a tradition a woman from the Nzunzas from whom future King Buthi(Mbhedlengani II) was born.
Silamba also married the sister to Mbhedlengani's mother,the mother of Libangeni. The Manala clan then sent to the Nzunzas a woman. The people of Nzunza failed to honour the old tradition when they refused to make king a son born by a Manala woman and the woman was not made a great wife.
The fourth woman in the oral and written history
While a woman was the symbol of lasting peace between two groups, it appeared later that once again it is a woman who was put at the centre of the failing truce. The woman was from the Manala. Most researchers say that the Nzunza king refused to accept her as the ancestral tradition commands because 'she will give birth to a son who might take back the kingship to Manala clan'. But it is important to look at the time frames. Although she is yet again not mentioned by name, she is said to be the sister to the then ruling Manala king, Silamba.
Comparing the period of Silamba's reign, it is necessary to point out that it was after Mzilikazi's attacks in the Nzunza kraal at Esikhunjini, where the Nzunza king Magodongo and an heir apparent, Mloyi were kidnapped and subsequently killed at Mkobola river. Those who were appointed as successors to the leadership of the Nzunzas, were all regents, Siboko, Somdeyi and Mabhoko. Arguably, the three regent chiefs had no reason to accept the woman as tradition because they were regents.
Eventually when the young Mabhoko took over, the woman was brought to be married to him because she was growing old enough.
The woman is the mother to Rhululu, who later became famous by the name of SoSibozi which became a sub-clan name for his subsequent generation.
IsiNdebele is one of the eleven official languages in the Republic of South Africa. The language is a Nguni or Zunda classification (UN) spoken mostly in the Mpumalanga Province, Gauteng,Limpopo and the Northwest. It is totally if not completely wrong to state that isiNdebele is also called isiKhethu. There is nothing like that. Isikhethu is an expression that can be loosely translated to mean 'the Ndebele way of doing or saying'. Isikhethu means isiNdebele the same way sikitsi will mean siSwasi and se harona will mean seSotho. The language has been severely marginalized over the years. Until the formation of the apartheid Ndebele homeland, it was a nuisance to speak the language publicly. Most isiNdebele speakers preferred isiZulu especially because the latter was learned at school. Today the Ndebele speakers, mostly those who are educated still prefer to use isiNdebele as home language for their children and will use isiNdebele as a language to communicate with other isiNdebele speakers or use it where and when it suits their position and situation.
IsiNdebele In Zimbabwe
It must be born in mind that amaNdebele of Zimbabwe met amaNdebele of South Africa during Mzilikazi's path to the north of the southern subcontinent between 1828 and 1840.
- List links to Ndebele language resources
- The 1971 Pelling lexicon of Ndebele->English (text file) (on a stable Archive.org link)
- Searchable version of the Pelling dictionnary
- CBOLD - Comparative Bantu Online Dictionnary - including Ndebele
- [1]
- Spell checker for OpenOffice.org and Mozilla, OpenOffice.org, Mozilla Firefox web-browser, and Mozilla Thunderbird email program in Ndebele
- Project to translate Free and Open Source Software into Ndebele
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Languages of the Republic of South Africa |
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| Official languages |
| Non-official languages
Fanagalo · Kxoe · Lobedu · Nama · Northern Ndebele · Phuthi · Tsotsitaal · Other Khoisan · South African Sign Language |