Zulu
isiZulu
Atlantic-Congo · South Africa
Endangerment: Safe — Spoken by all generations and learned naturally by children.
Sawubona, ngiyajabula ukukwazi.
The North Wind and the Sun
UMoya wasenyakatho neLanga babephikisana ngokuthi ubani onamandla kakhulu. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakufika umhambi egqoke ijazi elifudumele. Bobabili bavumelana ngokuthi lowo ozoqala ukwenza umhambi akhumule ijazi lakhe uzothathwa njengonamandla kakhulu. UMoya wasenyakatho waphephetha ngawo onke amandla akhe, kodwa lapho ephephetha ngamandla, umhambi walibamba ngokuqinile ijazi lakhe. Ekugcineni, uMoya wasenyakatho wancama. Khona-ke iLanga lakhanya ngokufudumele, umhambi wakhumula ijazi lakhe masinyane. Ngakho uMoya wasenyakatho kwadingeka ukuthi avume ukuthi iLanga linamandla kunaye.
- It has click sounds, a bit like clicking your tongue. They're spelled c, q, and x.
- Nouns are sorted into several classes, each with its own prefix. The plural of 'umuntu' (person) is 'abantu' (people).
- It's a tonal language, where the rise and fall of pitch can change a word's meaning.
- It's the most widely spoken first language in South Africa.