This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(February 2018) |
Lozi,also known assiLoziandRozi,is aBantu languageof theNiger–Congo language familywithin theSotho–Tswana branchofZone S (S.30),that is spoken by theLozi people,primarily in southwesternZambiaand in surrounding countries. The language is most closely related toNorthern Sotho(Sesotho sa Leboa),Tswana(Setswana),Kgalagari(SheKgalagari) andSotho(Sesotho/Southern Sotho). Lozi, sometimes written asRotse,and its dialects are spoken and understood by approximately six per cent of the population of Zambia.Siloziis theendonym(the name of the language used by its native speakers) as defined by theUnited Nations.Loziis theexonym.
| Lozi | |
|---|---|
| Rozi | |
| Silozi | |
| Native to | Angola•Botswana•Namibia•South Africa•Zambia•Zimbabwe |
| Region | Western Zambia•Zambezi Region |
Native speakers | (725,000 cited 1982–2010censuses)[1] |
| Latin(Lozi Alpha bet) Zambian Braille Ditema tsa Dinoko | |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | loz |
| ISO 639-3 | loz |
| Glottolog | lozi1239 |
K.20 (K.21)[2] | |
| Linguasphere | 99-AUT-ef |
| Lozi | |
|---|---|
| Person | Mulozi |
| People | Balozi |
| Language | Silozi |
| Country | Bulozi |
The origins of Silozi can be traced back to a mixture of languages, primarilyLuyanaandKololo.The Luyana people migrated south from theKingdom of LubaandKingdom of Lundain the Katanga area of theCongo River basin,either late in the 17th century or early in the 18th century. They settled on the floodplains of the upperZambezi Riverin what is nowwestern Zambia,where they established a kingdom calledBarotselandorBulozi.
In the 1830s, theKololo people,originally from theFree State provinceofSouth Africa,fled northwards to escape theMfecaneunderKing Shaka Zulu(died 1828). They employed tactics learned from theZuluarmies to conquer the Luyana on theZambezi floodplains,imposing their rule and language. However, by 1864, the indigenous population revolted and overthrew the Kololo. By then, the originalLuyana languagehad largely been replaced by a newhybridlanguage, Silozi.
Today, Silozi is spoken inAngola,Botswana,Namibia,Zambia,andZimbabwe,reflecting its historical development and cultural significance in the region.[3]
Phonology
editLozi has 5 vowels:
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Low | a |
20 consonants are in Lozi:
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal/ Postalveolar |
Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | c | k | |
| voiced | b | d | ɟ | ɡ | ||
| Fricative | voiceless | f | s | ʃ | h | |
| voiced | z | |||||
| Approximant | l | j | w | |||
Tone is marked as high or low.[4]
Orthography
editLozi uses theLatin script,[5][6]which was introduced bymissionaries.In 1977, Zambia standardised the language's orthography.[7]
| Letters (upper case) | A | B | C | CH | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | Ñ | O | P | S | SH | T | U | W | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letters (lower case) | a | b | c | ch | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | ñ | o | p | s | sh | t | u | w | y | z |
| IPA | [a] | [b] | [tʃ] | [d] | [e],[ɛ],[ɪ] | [f] | [x] | [h] | [i] | [dʒ] | [k] | [l] | [m] | [n] | [ɲ] | [o],[ʊ],[ɔ] | [p] | [s] | [ʃ] | [t] | [u] | [w] | [j] | [z] | |
Vocabulary
edit| Silozi | English |
|---|---|
| Sope | January |
| Yowa | February |
| Liatamanyi | March |
| Lungu | April |
| Kandao | May |
| Mbuwana | June |
| Sikulu | July |
| Muyana | August |
| Muimunene | September |
| Yenda | October |
| Njimwana | November |
| Ñulule | December |
Counting numbers in Silozi[8]
1 kalikamu
2 totubeli
3 totulalu
4 totune
5 ketalizoho
6 silezi
7 supile
8 ketalizoho ni totulalu
9 ketalizoho ni totune
10 lishumi
20 mashumi a mabeli
30 mashumi a malalu
40 mashumi a mane
50 mashumi a ketalizoho
60 mashumi a silezi
70 mashumi a supile
80 mashumi a supile ni kalikamu
90 mashumi a supile ni totubeli
100 muanda
Silozi text
editThe following is a sample text in Silozi.
Silozi:KakuliMulimuU latile hahulu batu ba lifasi, mane U ba file Mwan'a Hae wa libanda kuli mutu ufi ni ufi ya lumela ku Yena a si ke a shwa, kono a be ni bupilo bo bu sa feli.Joani 3:16[9]
English:ForGodso loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.John 3:16[10]
References
edit- ^LoziatEthnologue(18th ed., 2015)(subscription required)
- ^Jouni Filip Maho, 2009.New Updated Guthrie List Online
- ^"An Introduction To Zambia's Lozi People".the Culture Trip -Africa.2018-07-09.Retrieved2024-08-03.
- ^Fortune, George (2001).An Outline of Silozi Grammar.Bookworld Publishers.
- ^"Lozi language and Alpha bet".omniglot.Retrieved2019-08-26.
- ^"Zambia - PanAfriL10n".2013-09-29. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-09-29.Retrieved2019-08-26.
- ^"Lozi - PanAfriL10n".2013-11-10. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-11-10.Retrieved2019-08-26.
- ^"Numbers in Lozi".omniglot.Retrieved2024-08-03.
- ^Joani 3:16 | Bibele ye Kenile (Catholic Edition) (LOZI09) |(in multiple languages).
- ^"Bible Gateway passage: John 3:16 - New King James Version".Bible Gateway.Retrieved2024-08-03.
External links
edit
- Lozi Alpha bet and pronunciationatOmniglot
- A sample paragraph in Loziatlanguage-museum
- Silozi-English Dictionary, glossaries, beginner's guide, other infoatbarotseland,archived 2006-08-21
- Lozi-English DictionaryfromWebster's Online Dictionary,archived 2007-09-30;The Rosetta Edition
- PanAfrican L10n page on Loziatpanafril10n.org
- OLAC resources in and about the Lozi languageatlanguage-archives.org
- Medical phrases in Loziatmedguide.org.zm,archived 2009-04-21
Lozi language stories
edit- Sibetta, O. Kwibisa,Ze Patezwi ba Banca(1967, Zambia Publications Bureau) inLubuto Library Special Collections,accessed May 3, 2014/archived 2015-06-21
- Silozi language stories[permanent dead link],inLubuto Library Special Collections,accessed May 3, 2014
- Lubuto Library Projectatlubuto.org