Fun fact, Nguni languages don't follow this rule, thus eSwatini, isiNdebele
For reasons not worth going into, I was explaining the spelling of iPhone to my children and why it breaks the rules of capitalisation, and it's wild we just all went along with it??
July 22, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Fun fact, Nguni languages don't follow this rule, thus eSwatini, isiNdebele
I should say, in isiNdebele the storyteller says "Kwakukhona," and all stories begin with call-and-response.
October 26, 2025 at 10:13 PM
I should say, in isiNdebele the storyteller says "Kwakukhona," and all stories begin with call-and-response.
Day 70 / Poem 70: isiNdebele
Michael Msiza: Ihluthulile Yatjhingela (It Took And Flies Away)
isiNdebele, with 1.1 million speakers, is one of South Africa’s 11 official languages. Long marginalised, new generations are working to promote it and make it more visible and accessible to all.
Michael Msiza: Ihluthulile Yatjhingela (It Took And Flies Away)
isiNdebele, with 1.1 million speakers, is one of South Africa’s 11 official languages. Long marginalised, new generations are working to promote it and make it more visible and accessible to all.
Michael Msiza: Ihluthulile Yatjhingela (It Took And Flies Away) - isiNdebele
YouTube video by Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee of PI
youtu.be
May 1, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Day 70 / Poem 70: isiNdebele
Michael Msiza: Ihluthulile Yatjhingela (It Took And Flies Away)
isiNdebele, with 1.1 million speakers, is one of South Africa’s 11 official languages. Long marginalised, new generations are working to promote it and make it more visible and accessible to all.
Michael Msiza: Ihluthulile Yatjhingela (It Took And Flies Away)
isiNdebele, with 1.1 million speakers, is one of South Africa’s 11 official languages. Long marginalised, new generations are working to promote it and make it more visible and accessible to all.
Just remembered that we have a word for a zombie in isiNdebele and isiZulu: ithonga. Now intrigued 👀
May 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Just remembered that we have a word for a zombie in isiNdebele and isiZulu: ithonga. Now intrigued 👀
Duolingo needs to add isiNdebele to the app
December 1, 2024 at 9:58 PM
Duolingo needs to add isiNdebele to the app
There's an app called Angula if you want to learn isiNdebele.
December 13, 2024 at 6:37 PM
There's an app called Angula if you want to learn isiNdebele.
Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think x Ainehi Edoro
Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think x Ainehi Edoro
290 pp. January 20, 2026, Colombia University Press. Non-fiction. All quotes below are from an advance copy of the book. Zimbabwean folklore has the general concept of “bush” (sango in ChiShona, iganga in isiNdebele) rather than forest proper, but it was easy to locate it in Professor Ainehi Edoro’s Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think. It represents the ‘outside’: of village or community life; of normal or regular, ordered spaces; of day-to-day reality.
hararereview.com
May 23, 2026 at 5:25 AM
Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think x Ainehi Edoro
The founding provisions of South Africa’s constitution recognise 12 official languages: Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu and, since 2023, South African Sign Language or SASL.
The languages of South Africa - South Africa Gateway
South Africa has 12 official languages. IsiZulu and isiXhosa are the largest languages. English is spoken at home by around 8% of the population.
southafrica-info.com
January 7, 2025 at 12:27 PM
The founding provisions of South Africa’s constitution recognise 12 official languages: Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu and, since 2023, South African Sign Language or SASL.
Heyi lina akusokulamba engiyikho khona!
(Possibly just to see isiNdebele on here)
(Possibly just to see isiNdebele on here)
September 23, 2023 at 7:22 AM
Heyi lina akusokulamba engiyikho khona!
(Possibly just to see isiNdebele on here)
(Possibly just to see isiNdebele on here)
NEW ONLINE:
Ehlobo (‘Summer’) by N.S. Sigogo
Translated from isiNdebele by Stephen Walsh
modernpoetryintranslation.com/poem/summer-2/
Published in the latest MPT: Rhythms of the Land: Focus on the Poetry of Nature
Ehlobo (‘Summer’) by N.S. Sigogo
Translated from isiNdebele by Stephen Walsh
modernpoetryintranslation.com/poem/summer-2/
Published in the latest MPT: Rhythms of the Land: Focus on the Poetry of Nature
Ehlobo (‘Summer’) - Modern Poetry in Translation
· Read by Stephen Walsh with isiNdebele read by Albert Nyathi Summer-growth’s green, boundless, stretching free. Stretching my heart’s bounds. Rivers, full, fill it up too. And sorghum, ne...
modernpoetryintranslation.com
September 16, 2025 at 9:54 AM
NEW ONLINE:
Ehlobo (‘Summer’) by N.S. Sigogo
Translated from isiNdebele by Stephen Walsh
modernpoetryintranslation.com/poem/summer-2/
Published in the latest MPT: Rhythms of the Land: Focus on the Poetry of Nature
Ehlobo (‘Summer’) by N.S. Sigogo
Translated from isiNdebele by Stephen Walsh
modernpoetryintranslation.com/poem/summer-2/
Published in the latest MPT: Rhythms of the Land: Focus on the Poetry of Nature
I have lots of a few and bits of many, but really only dream in English and isiNdebele I think? Depending on who's in the dream.
April 17, 2026 at 7:35 PM
I have lots of a few and bits of many, but really only dream in English and isiNdebele I think? Depending on who's in the dream.
How do you say, "Shhh," in isiNdebele?
October 6, 2025 at 4:14 PM
How do you say, "Shhh," in isiNdebele?
Other countries have multiple official languages, not just one. Just ask Elon Musk. South Africa has TWELVE official languages. They are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, and South African Sign Language.
Since the president has signed an EO making English the official language of the United States, here is the first non-English copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed in German just days after July 4, 1776. We have always been multilingual.
cdm16274.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...
cdm16274.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...
March 3, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Other countries have multiple official languages, not just one. Just ask Elon Musk. South Africa has TWELVE official languages. They are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, and South African Sign Language.
Iran apologising then continuing 🥹
We have a whole saying about that in isiNdebele: ukuluma uphozise
We have a whole saying about that in isiNdebele: ukuluma uphozise
March 8, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Iran apologising then continuing 🥹
We have a whole saying about that in isiNdebele: ukuluma uphozise
We have a whole saying about that in isiNdebele: ukuluma uphozise
Zulu is basically the same as IsiNdebele from Zim and we say inhlanzi. It’s probably something along those lines
December 3, 2024 at 4:28 PM
Zulu is basically the same as IsiNdebele from Zim and we say inhlanzi. It’s probably something along those lines
10 fluently.
IsiZulu
IsiXhosa
SeSotho
SeTswana
SePedi
English
Afrikaans
Italian
French
Spanish
I understand
IsiNdebele
Swati
I can catch bits and pieces of
Tsonga
Venda
Dutch
Portuguese
IsiZulu
IsiXhosa
SeSotho
SeTswana
SePedi
English
Afrikaans
Italian
French
Spanish
I understand
IsiNdebele
Swati
I can catch bits and pieces of
Tsonga
Venda
Dutch
Portuguese
December 11, 2024 at 7:45 PM
10 fluently.
IsiZulu
IsiXhosa
SeSotho
SeTswana
SePedi
English
Afrikaans
Italian
French
Spanish
I understand
IsiNdebele
Swati
I can catch bits and pieces of
Tsonga
Venda
Dutch
Portuguese
IsiZulu
IsiXhosa
SeSotho
SeTswana
SePedi
English
Afrikaans
Italian
French
Spanish
I understand
IsiNdebele
Swati
I can catch bits and pieces of
Tsonga
Venda
Dutch
Portuguese
Official languages of South Africa 🇿🇦
1. Afrikaans
2. English
3. isiNdebele
4. isiXhosa
5. isiZulu
6. Sesotho
7. Setswana
8. Xitsonga
9. Tshivenda
10. SiSwati
11. Sepedi
12. South African Sign Language
1. Afrikaans
2. English
3. isiNdebele
4. isiXhosa
5. isiZulu
6. Sesotho
7. Setswana
8. Xitsonga
9. Tshivenda
10. SiSwati
11. Sepedi
12. South African Sign Language
July 2, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Official languages of South Africa 🇿🇦
1. Afrikaans
2. English
3. isiNdebele
4. isiXhosa
5. isiZulu
6. Sesotho
7. Setswana
8. Xitsonga
9. Tshivenda
10. SiSwati
11. Sepedi
12. South African Sign Language
1. Afrikaans
2. English
3. isiNdebele
4. isiXhosa
5. isiZulu
6. Sesotho
7. Setswana
8. Xitsonga
9. Tshivenda
10. SiSwati
11. Sepedi
12. South African Sign Language
Ok, my reading comprehension let me down there.
The other indigenous SA official languages are worth a look then - isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, isiNdebele, tshiVenda, xiTsonga, Siswati
The other indigenous SA official languages are worth a look then - isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, isiNdebele, tshiVenda, xiTsonga, Siswati
November 23, 2024 at 11:01 AM
Ok, my reading comprehension let me down there.
The other indigenous SA official languages are worth a look then - isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, isiNdebele, tshiVenda, xiTsonga, Siswati
The other indigenous SA official languages are worth a look then - isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, isiNdebele, tshiVenda, xiTsonga, Siswati
Someone should remind Elon Musk that South Africa has TWELVE official languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, and South African Sign Language.
The 🍊💩🤡 can't even speak English without stumbling all over it.
The 🍊💩🤡 can't even speak English without stumbling all over it.
March 3, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Someone should remind Elon Musk that South Africa has TWELVE official languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, and South African Sign Language.
The 🍊💩🤡 can't even speak English without stumbling all over it.
The 🍊💩🤡 can't even speak English without stumbling all over it.
Los ndebele son un grupo étnico del sur de África 🌍, conocido por sus coloridas casas geométricas 🏠🎨 y su arte textil vibrante 🧵. Hablan isiNdebele y tienen una rica herencia cultural 👣✨.
December 9, 2024 at 5:41 PM
Los ndebele son un grupo étnico del sur de África 🌍, conocido por sus coloridas casas geométricas 🏠🎨 y su arte textil vibrante 🧵. Hablan isiNdebele y tienen una rica herencia cultural 👣✨.
English is his first lang at school but at home he also speaks isiXhosa, isiZulu with his dad and Sesotho with his nanny! and remember some of these are mutually intelligible with others in their group so isiXhosa + isiZulu open him up to understand isiNdebele + isiSwati; Sesotho -> seTswana, Sepedi
August 2, 2026 at 6:49 AM
English is his first lang at school but at home he also speaks isiXhosa, isiZulu with his dad and Sesotho with his nanny! and remember some of these are mutually intelligible with others in their group so isiXhosa + isiZulu open him up to understand isiNdebele + isiSwati; Sesotho -> seTswana, Sepedi
Weitere 1,4 Millionen Menschen der Region sprechen es als Zweitsprache.
Es gibt deutliche Unterschiede zum IsiNdebele der simbabwischen Ndebele. ..”
de-academic.com/dic.nsf/dewi...
Es gibt deutliche Unterschiede zum IsiNdebele der simbabwischen Ndebele. ..”
de-academic.com/dic.nsf/dewi...
Süd-Ndebele (Sprache)
Süd Ndebele Gesprochen in Republik Südafrika Sprecher Mutterspr. 600.000, ges. 2 Mio. Linguistische Klassifikation Niger Kongo Sprachen Benue Kongo Sprachen Bantoide Sprachen Bantusprachen
de-academic.com
May 10, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Weitere 1,4 Millionen Menschen der Region sprechen es als Zweitsprache.
Es gibt deutliche Unterschiede zum IsiNdebele der simbabwischen Ndebele. ..”
de-academic.com/dic.nsf/dewi...
Es gibt deutliche Unterschiede zum IsiNdebele der simbabwischen Ndebele. ..”
de-academic.com/dic.nsf/dewi...
"Language profoundly shapes women’s ability to understand, express and advocate for their sexual and reproductive health. In Bulawayo, where my research is based, isiNdebele speaking women use a rich repertoire of euphemisms for the vulva." www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/eup...
Euphemisms for the vulva: why words matter for women’s sexual and reproductive health care in Zimbabwe - Institute of Development Studies
In her MA Gender & Development dissertation research, Nela Tshuma exposed the disconnect between policy and lived reality.
www.ids.ac.uk
March 8, 2026 at 1:16 PM
"Language profoundly shapes women’s ability to understand, express and advocate for their sexual and reproductive health. In Bulawayo, where my research is based, isiNdebele speaking women use a rich repertoire of euphemisms for the vulva." www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/eup...
This link is for some further info - how a black civic movement and a white far right afrikaner movement are coming together to try and effect change. Not the bedfellows we would have ever imagined.
www.artikels.afriforum.co.za/en/afriforum...
www.artikels.afriforum.co.za/en/afriforum...
AfriForum and March and March forms collaborative working group for the benefit of communities - AfriForum
This media statement is also available in: isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga Soundbite: Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma (English) Soundbite: Kallie Kriel (Eng...
www.artikels.afriforum.co.za
August 29, 2026 at 2:12 PM
This link is for some further info - how a black civic movement and a white far right afrikaner movement are coming together to try and effect change. Not the bedfellows we would have ever imagined.
www.artikels.afriforum.co.za/en/afriforum...
www.artikels.afriforum.co.za/en/afriforum...