Ndebele

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A language of Zimbabwe

ISO 639-3
nde
Alternate Names
Isinde’bele, Northern Ndebele, Sindebele, Tabele, Tebele
Population

1,550,000 in Zimbabwe (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Population total all countries: 1,572,800.

Location

Matabeleland, Bulawayo area. Also in Botswana, Zambia.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

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

Similar to Zulu [zul].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 55%. Dictionary. Bible: 1978.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ndebele
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

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

Also spoken in:

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