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Kalanga

A language of Zimbabwe

ISO 639-3: kck

Population	700,000 in Zimbabwe (Chebanne and Nthapelelang 2000). Population total all countries: 850,000.
Region	Southwest of Bulawayo and Botswana border area. Most Kalanga are in Zimbabwe; most Lilima in Botswana. Also in Botswana.
Language map	Zimbabwe
Alternate names	Bakaa, Chikalanga, Ikalanga, Kalana, Kanana, Makalaka, Sekalaña, Tjikalanga, Wakalanga, Western Shona
Dialects	Lilima (Humbe, Limima), Nyai (Abanyai, Banyai, Wanyai), Peri, Talahundra. Talahundra extinct. Peri are an ethnic group of Birwa and Tswapong assimilated into Kalanga and speak the Lilima dialect. Humbe is ethnically different from the Lilima but now share the same language. Similar to Karanga [kth], Zezuru, and Shangwe dialects of Shona [sna].
Classification	Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Shona (S.10)
Language use	Rapidly being absorbed by Ndebele [nde], though most rural members speak Kalanga. Most also use Shona [sna] or Ndebele.
Language development	Taught in primary schools. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1999.
Writing system	Latin script.

Also spoken in:

Botswana

Language name	Kalanga
Population	150,000 in Botswana (2004 R. Cook).
Region	Entire Northeast District; eastern third of Central District. Lilima mainly in Botswana, Kalanga mainly in Zimbabwe.
Language map	Botswana
Alternate names	Chikalanga, Ikalanga, Kalaka, Sekalaka, Sekalaña, Tjikalanga
Dialects	Nyai (Nyayi), Ikalanga, Talahundra, Lilima (Humbe), Peri.
Language use	The Talaunda dialect is extinct. Resistance to pressures to adopt Tswana language and culture is led by men. Also use Tswana [tsn].
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: 90%. Literacy rate in L2: 70% in Tswana, 85% in English.
Comments	Different from Holoholo [hoo] of Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

GARDNER, William L., author. 2001. Consonant mutation in Shona languages.

GARDNER, William L., author. 2003. "Mutação consonantal nas línguas Shona."

GARDNER, William L., author. 2004. Review of: Ikalanga phonetics and phonology: a synchronic and diachronic study, by Joyce T. Mathangwane.  

HASSELBRING, Sue, author. 2000. A sociolinguistic survey of the languages of Botswana.