Tsonga language

Tsonga is a language of Bantu origin spoken primarily in South Africa and Mozambique. It is also known as Changana or Xangana.

Tsonga
Changana Xitsonga
Native to	Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe
Region	Limpopo, Mpumalanga
Native speakers	3.7 million  (2006)
Language family	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Southern Bantoid Bantu Southern Bantu Tswa–Ronga? Tsonga
Official status
Official language in	South Africa
Language codes
ISO 639-1	ts
ISO 639-2	tso
ISO 639-3	tso
Guthrie code	S.53 (S.52)
Linguasphere	99-AUT-dc incl. varieties 99-AUT-dca... -dcg

Text example

The Lord's Prayer written in Tsonga:

Tata wa hina la nge matilweni,

vito ra wena a ri hlawuleke;

a ku te ku fuma ka wena;

ku rhandza ka wena a ku endliwe misaveni,

tanihi loko ku endliwa tilweni.

U hi nyika namuntlha vuswa bya hina bya siku rin'wana ni rin'wana;

u hi rivalela swidyoho swa hina,

tanihi loko na hina hi rivalela lava hi dyohelaka;

u nga hi yisi emiringweni,

kambe u hi ponisa eka Lowo biha,

Amen.

Tsonga Language Media

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  Proportion of the South African population that speaks Xitsonga as their first language, according to Census 2011 at electoral ward level*  0–20%*

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  [ʃiːlɔ] represented in the Xiyinhlanharhu xa Mipfawulo writing system

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  [ʂiːlɔ] represented in the Xiyinhlanharhu xa Mipfawulo writing system

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  [ʃikʼɔːlɔ] represented in the Xiyinhlanharhu xa Mipfawulo writing system

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  [ʂikʼɔːlɔ] represented in the Xiyinhlanharhu xa Mipfawulo writing system

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  [ʃikwʼɛmbu] represented in the Xiyinhlanharhu xa Mipfawulo writing system

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  [ʂikwʼɛmbu] represented in the Xiyinhlanharhu xa Mipfawulo writing system