Tonga language (Zambezi)
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Other Identifiers
- Ethnologue, 13th ed., Internet ed.(Ethnologue lists 5 separate Tonga langs--3 in Africa, 1 in Thailand, Malaysia, 1 in Tonga Islands, and 27 dialects) under Zimbabwe (Tonga (Chitonga, Zambezi) in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana; Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, M, Lenje-Tonga (M. 60), Tonga. Dialects: Chitonga, Leya, Toka, We. Dialects or closely related languages: Lundwe, Mala. Different from ChiTonga of Malawi or Tonga of Mozambique) under Zambia (Tonga (Chitonga, Zambesi, Plateau Tonga) with Ila it predominates in the south, Southern and Western Provinces. Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, M, Lenje-Tonga (M. 60), Tonga. Dialects: Chitonga, Leya, Toka (Southern Tonga), We (Valley Tonga), Shanjo (Sanjo), Twa of Kafwe, Mala. Different from ChiTonga of Malawi, GiTonga of Mozambique, or Tsonga (Tonga) of Mozambique.)
- Biebuyck, D. African ethnonyms, 1996:p. 258 (lists Tonga (Cameroun), note: Bantoid lang., incl. in the collective term Bamileke; Tonga (Malawi), note: Bantu language, related to Tumbuka; sometimes referred to as Lakeshore Tonga; not to be confused with the Tonga of Mozambique, and the Tsonga who are also known as Thonga; Tonga (Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe). Var. Thonga, Toka, Tonka, note: Bantu lang. The names have been applied to a number of people sharing a common culture and language, spread over a vast area along the Zambesi River and throughout parts of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. They are sometimes grouped as 1. Northern (or Zambezi) Tonga, 2. Western (or Nyasa) Tonga and 3. Shona Tonga. The Northern Tonga are divided into the Plateau Tonga, the Southern Tonga (or Toka) and the Valley Tonga (or We). They are sometimes grouped with the Ila and referred to as Ila-Tonga.)
- 96980641: Kashoki, M.E. Loanwords in Lozi, Nyanja and Tonga : a preliminary presentation, c1994.
Wikipedia description:
this is a languse to se ethe comntry, see Tonga Tonga (Chitonga), also known as Zambezi, is a Bantu language primarily spoken by the Tonga people (Bantu Batonga) who live mainly in the Southern province, Lusaka province, Central Province and Western province of Zambia, and in northern Zimbabwe. The language is also spoken by the Iwe, Toka and Leya people among others, as well as many bilingual Zambians and Zimbabweans. In Zambia Tonga is taught in schools as first language in the whole of Southern Province, Lusaka and Central Provinces. The language is a member of the Bantu Botatwe group and is classified as M64 by Guthrie. Despite similar names, Zambian Tonga is not closely related to the Tonga of Malawi (N15), the Tonga language of Mozambique (Gitonga: S62), or Tonga of the Tete province in northwestern Mozambique, which is closely related to Sena and Nyungwe. It is one of the major lingua francas in Zambia, together with Bemba, Lozi and Nyanja. There are two distinctive dialects of Tonga: Valley Tonga and Plateau Tonga. Valley Tonga is mostly spoken in the Zambezi valley and southern areas of the Batonga while Plateau Tonga is spoken more around Monze District and the northern areas of the Batonga. Tonga developed as a spoken language and was not put into written form until missionaries arrived in the area in the 19th century. Although there are a growing number of publications in the language, it is not completely standardized, and speakers of the same dialect may have different spellings for the same words once put into written text.
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