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Zulu dialect

Urban Zulu

Also known as: Tsotsitaal-influenced isiZulu

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

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Urban Zulu?

Urban Zulu is a dialect of the Zulu language.

Where is Urban Zulu spoken?

Urban Zulu is primarily spoken in South Africa.

Which region is Urban Zulu associated with?

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

Is Urban Zulu known by other names?

Yes — Urban Zulu is also referred to as Tsotsitaal-influenced isiZulu.

What are the other dialects of Zulu?

Zulu also includes Standard Zulu. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.

Other Zulu dialects

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Nearby dialects

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Setswana

275 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.

Sepedi

294 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.

Sesotho

349 km away

A Sotho-Tswana Bantu language and the national language of Lesotho. Also one of the official languages of South Africa, where it is widely spoken in the Free State and Gauteng.

Tsonga

438 km away

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

Tshivenda

439 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.

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