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Tsonga dialect

Tsonga

Also known as: Xitsonga

A Bantu language of the Limpopo lowveld, spoken across north-eastern South Africa, southern Mozambique, and south-eastern Zimbabwe. Around 7 million speakers.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Tsonga?

Tsonga is a dialect of the Tsonga language.

Where is Tsonga spoken?

Tsonga is primarily spoken in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

Which region is Tsonga associated with?

Tsonga is part of the East & Southern Africa region on DialectAtlas.

Is Tsonga known by other names?

Yes — Tsonga is also referred to as Xitsonga.

Nearby dialects

See on the atlas →
Tshivenda

64 km away

A Bantu language of the Soutpansberg region in Limpopo, South Africa, and adjoining south-western Zimbabwe. One of the eleven official languages of South Africa; around 1.3 million speakers.

Sepedi

169 km away

The Sotho-Tswana variety of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in north-eastern South Africa. One of the eleven official languages of South Africa; mutually distinct enough from Sesotho to be treated separately.

Ndebele

428 km away

A Nguni Bantu language of south-western Zimbabwe, descended from a 19th-century offshoot of Zulu. Around 2 million speakers, centred on Bulawayo and Matabeleland.

Urban Zulu

438 km away

The Zulu of South Africa's townships and major cities. Heavily code-mixed with English, Tsotsitaal, and other Bantu languages.

Setswana

536 km away

A Sotho-Tswana Bantu language and the national language of Botswana. Closely related to Sesotho, with substantial speaker communities in South Africa's North West and Northern Cape provinces.

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