Languages of Africa: isiXhosa

The Language of Africa series highlights a number of languages spoken around the continent and explores the personal and cultural connections each language has for its speaker. These abbreviated clips are an excellent way of introducing the multiculturalism and linguistic diversity found throughout the continent and provide students with an opportunity to think about the way their use of a specific language(s) carries with it historical and cultural connotations as well.
In this particular video, Professor Zoliswa Mali provides an example of the isiXhosa language. IsiXhosa (known as Xhosa in English) is one of the official languages of South Africa and is widely spoken throughout the country. For more information on the isiXhosa language, please follow the link here: aboutworldlanguages.com/xhosa.

[@Riurelia]

"You have to be multilingual" As someone who's really interested in languages but lives in a monolingual country, that sounds like a paradise to me.

[@TnboinChi45]

I started learning Zulu in February. Love it but the amount of click in Xhosa draws me. Now that I am further ahead in Zulu, I am starting to pick up some Xhosa words. Absolutely love hearing it spoken!!! I cannot wait to visit South Africa, get to know these tongues fluently and start learning Tswana, Pedi and Khilobedu.

[@jeraii5988]

Just remember the prefix is important: IsiXhosa (language) umuXhosa (person). Zulu language is also isiZulu. I think it’s European settlers who chopped off the prefixes.😇

[@TnboinChi45]

@@jeraii5988 That is true!!! Thank you

[@parkerdouglashall]

This is a beautiful language; it feels like I'm listening to music. I love it.

[@SaSeshen]

I am the creator of a game called Esotera, the Awakening. I want to incorporate as much culture and world history that is often overlooked in fantasy or scifi world building, and would love to commemorate the isiXhosa Language and people into this game. I would love to speak with you to understand how to do this with respect to your culture, and integrating both into the world of Esotera that is being created!

[@Anna-3084]

I'm here because of a lovely song called Indodana, which sung in this language. It's beautiful

[@midori4760]

@Anna 3084 I would love to hear this song. Can you provide a link for it?

[@tifflthom]

I love this language

[@cvexreos]

Wish I could speak this language.

[@rodrigogier]

Loved it

[@amandalele6782]

wow big up dadethu Madlaks

[@shadesofmysoul]

oh my soul, it's gorgeous

[@gardenchemistry]

This is so cool

[@khanhaoang907]

Wakanda forever

[@oliverpozil222]

I love that this is the most liked comment lmao

[@danzepping374]

Lmao

[@caimaccoinnich9594]

IsiXhosa sakhe sihle!

[@cbucicocimama9517]

Simnqandi kutshiwo esxhoseni akuthiwa sihle kuthiwa Simnandi ngokobetha kolwimi lwakhe nesigama asisebenzisayo xethetha

[@bernadettedunagiah7685]

Wooooowwww..... I want a Xhosa friend

[@TnboinChi45]

Please! Will someone link me to her? I want her to teach me Xhosa!!!!! Amazing!

[@cyclos12]

Intresting I wonder why And when did other languages deviate? In my colloquial American dialectic the only way in which I use a "X" click is when imitating the sound of a clock, or of horses trotting. English only uses clicks as admonishments(as in "tsk tsk" with the accompanied finger pointed at a misbehaving person) or in onomatopoeia as previously stated.

really? no x ? never thought of it. huh. well in spanish funnily enough we don't use 'W' at all. at least not when using spanish correctly. most of us never realize it, until someone points it out. we see it everyday on the alphabet and we use it all the time, but as far as I know no actual words in spanish have a W. like the only time we use it is for bastard words like wacha, wacho or wey . and even then we're trending towards using a 'gua' sound for it. :shrug:

[@saxa-uta]

@ It's very funny to think about how many letters we don't use! Y and W are pretty much absent in French, we only have very very few of them unless using English loan-words.

[@surfiaa]

Im also from South Africa :D

[@LornaMorgan-us6je]

Young gifted and black and thats afacts

[@morbid1.]

From where "clicks" came from?

[@TnboinChi45]

From the Khoisan people who were in Southern Africa when the Bantu people moved in

[@rayyfendi]

zulu

[@TheNinjaMarmot]

I thought someone was making sound effects.

[@J4UPro]

Beautiful language, but how to write nh'da? 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@MarkMars93]

У нас похоже чеченцы разговаривают

[@zeusstani4693]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉. NKz...... Koza