Ngandjera dialect
| Oshivambo | |
|---|---|
| Oshiwambo | |
| Native to | Angola, Namibia |
| Ethnicity | Ovambo |
|
Native speakers
|
1.5 million (1993–2006) |
|
Standard forms
|
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 |
kj – Kwanyamang – Ndonga |
| ISO 639-2 | kua, ndo |
| ISO 639-3 | Variously: |
| Glottolog | ndon1253 |
R.20 (R.21–24,211–218,241–242) |
|
| Ambo | |
|---|---|
| Person | Omuwambo |
| People | Aawambo, Ovawambo |
| Language | Oshiwambo |
| Country | Owambo, Ouwambo |
The Ovambo language or Oshiwambo is a dialect cluster spoken by the Ovambo people in Angola and northern Namibia, of which the written standards are Kwanyama and Ndonga.
The native name for the language is Oshiwambo (also written "Oshivambo"), which is also used specifically for the Kwanyama and Ndonga dialects. Over half of the people in Namibia speak Oshiwambo, particularly the Ovambo people.
The language is closely related to that of the Herero and Himba, the Herero language (Otjiherero). An obvious sign of proximity is the prefix used for language and dialect names, Proto-Bantu *ki- (class 7, as in the name of the Swahili language, Kiswahili), which in Herero has evolved to Otji- and in Ovambo further to Oshi-.
After Namibia's independence in 1990, the area previously known as Ovamboland was divided into the Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto Regions. The population, estimated at between 700,000 and 750,000, fluctuates remarkably. This is because of the indiscriminate border drawn up by the Portuguese and German Empires during colonial rule, which cut through the Oukwanyama tribal area, placing some in Angola and others in Namibia. This results in regular cross-border movement.
There are approximately one million Oshiwambo speakers in Namibia and Angola. Though it is mainly spoken in the northern regions of Namibia, it is widely spoken across the rest of the country by populations of migrant workers from Ovamboland. These workers comprise a large part of the population in many towns, particularly in the south, where there are jobs in the mining industry. For example, in Lüderitz, an 18-hour drive from Ovamboland, at least 50% of the population speaks Oshiwambo.
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Wikipedia