Ovambo language

Spoken in

  • Niger - Congo languages Volta - Congo languages Benue - Congo languages Bantu languages Oshivambo

Ng ( Ndonga ), kj ( Kwanjama )

Ndo, kua

Ndo, kua

Oshivambo (including Oshikwanyama, OshiMbalanhu, Oshindonga and OshiKwambi ) is a Bantu language group, which is the speaker richest language in Namibia with about 1.1 million speakers.

Dissemination

Nearly 700,000 of the Ovambo - speakers live mainly in the northern regions of Namibia (mainly in Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto, known collectively as the North Central Namibia ( 4-O- regions), historically also Ovamboland ); well the 400,000 speakers live in the southern border regions of Angola.

The tribe of the Ovambo is divided into twelve groups. The eight living in the Namibian part groups are the Kwayama, Ndonga, Kwambi, Ngandyera, Mbalanhu, Kwaluudhi, Eunda and Kolonkdhi. Accordingly Oshiwambo is mostly divided into seven sub-groups, which - are considered dialects of Oshivambo - because of course among themselves, including Kwanyama (also: Kwanjama, Kwancama, Kuanyama ) Oshikwanyama (also Ochikwanyama ) Kwambi, Humba and Ndonga. By some linguists Ndonga, Kwanyama, Kwambi, Mbalanhu (also: Mbaanhu, Mbalantu, Mbaluntu ) and Ngandyera regarded as different languages ​​(see Ethnologue ).

Use

Oshivambo has no official status as an official language in Namibia; English is the only official language, with Oshivambo is a widely used lingua franca and promotion as a minority language is obtained ( also broadcasts the State Namibian Broadcasting Corporation ( NBC) will be held in Oshivambo ):

  • 1876 ​​translated the Finnish missionary Pietari Kurvinen parts of the Bible into the language Oshivambo.
  • Primary education in Namibia is provided in the native language. The Schoolnet Namibia, a web-based school system, uses various means to bring the children to read and write the language in detail (for example, with the comic " Hai Ti! " - Hai Ti is Oshivambo and means " Stop !").
  • For government officials and local officials many forms of government are bilingual available.

In this increasingly bilingual environment cultural differences between European languages ​​in Namibia ( Afrikaans, English and German) and the African languages ​​are often compensated by Language crossings: " Oshi - German " ( raised by the so-called East German children in the GDR black Namibians ) or the strong influence of English in Oshivambo.

The Namibian State Radio ( NBC) transfers in addition to English ( and six other minority languages) and 10 hours per day on Oshivambo.

Examples

  • Owe uya po! - "Welcome!"
  • Wa Aluka! - " Hello! "
  • Wa shilwa? - "Good morning"
  • Wa uhala po? - " Good day! "
  • Ou li tutu nawa? - " How are you? "
  • Kulala - " sleep "
  • Omulaule - "black"
  • Hai ti! - "Listen! "
  • Omukwaniilwa - "King "
  • Nda Pandula - "Thank you"
  • Heeno - " Yes "
  • Aaye - "No"
  • Enda nawa - "Bye "
Language family Omusati Region Oshikoto Region SIL International GDR Children of Namibia German language in Namibia Khoekhoe language Lozi language
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