Southern Bantu languages

The Southern Bantu languages are a large group of Bantu languages, largely validated in Janson (1991/92).^[1] They are nearly synonymous with Guthrie's Bantu zone S, apart from the exclusion of Shona and the inclusion of Makhuwa. They include all of the major Bantu languages of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique, with outliers such as Lozi in Zambia and Namibia, and Ngoni in Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.

Languages[]

Language groups are followed by their code in the Guthrie classification.

• Makua (P30)
  • Makhuwa
  • Koti
  • Sakati (Nathembo)
  • Lomwe
  • Chuwabu
  • Moniga
• Chopi (S60)
  • Chopi
  • Guitonga
• Nguni languages (S40)
  • Zunda
    • Xhosa
    • Zulu
    • Ndebele
      • Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe Ndebele)
      • Southern Ndebele
  • Tekela
    • Swati
    • Phuthi
    • Sumayela Ndebele (Northern Transvaal Ndebele)
    • Lala
    • Bhaca
    • Hlubi
    • Nhlangwini
• Sotho–Tswana (S30 + K20):
  • Tswana ("West Sotho")
  • Birwa
  • Tswapong
  • Kgalagadi
  • Sotho
    • Northern Sotho (Sepedi)
    • Southern Sotho (Sesotho)
    • East Sotho (Pulana, Khutswe and Pai)
    • Lozi
• Tswa–Ronga (S50):
  • Tsonga
  • Ronga
  • Tswa
• Venda (S20)

Some classifications prior to Janson retained Shona as a coordinate branch, along with Nyasa, or excluded Makua.

References[]

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