Subiya people

The Subiya call themselves Veekuhane and their language is called Chiikuhane (Shamukuni, 1972; Masule, 1995; Ramsay, 2002; Denkler, 2008; Ndana, 2011). Chiikuhane or Subiya language is classified under Zone K.40 of Bantu languages; a language of northern Botswana, Caprivi Strip, Namibia and Western Zambia up to Victoria Falls (Guthrie, 1967-1971).Baumbach (1997:337) classified it as a "Zone k42 Bantu language". Torrend (1931), Shamukuni (1972), and Colson (1996) classified Chiikuhane language under the Bantu Botatwe group; indicating that the language is related to Western Tonga in Zambia and one of the earliest languages of the Zambezi believed to have arrived around Iron Age era. Bantu Botatwe share the distinctive root – tatwe for three (Bostoen, 2009). They include Subiya, Tonga, Toka, Leya, Fwe, Twa, Shanjo, Totela, Ila and Lenje (Bostoen, 2009). In the Caprivi, Subiya has been classified together with Fwe, Totela and Mbalangwe as one group of languages (Elderkin, 1998). Subiya language has a complete grammar book and a textbook containing folklore, superstitions and songs written in French and Subiya in 1896 and 1899 respectively, by the French Missionary Edouard Jacottet. Subiya language also has a complete grammatical sketch written in English and Subiya in the 1960s by Daniel Matengu Shamukuni.

Subiya is the dominant language of south-west Zambezia, along a portion of the Zambezi river south of Barotseland, and in the lands lying between the Chobe-Linyanti river which is also known as the Ikuhane river (Bantu Language Classification. Part 3; Arnot, 1882). The Canada Council Special Grant for Linguistics (1968) refers to Subiya as the people found west of Victoria Falls. Subiya is one of the most ancient of Bantu languages, more so than Tonga (Bantu Language Classification. Part3).

The name Veekuhane has two meanings; one being the followers of Chief Ikuhane, son of Iteenge and second known chief of the Subiya (Masule, 1982; Ramsay, Morton & Mgadla, 1996; Ramsay, 2002; Ndana 2011). The other meaning of Veekuhane is that it refers to the people who live along the Ikuhane (Chobe) river (Shamukuni, 1972; Matengu, 1982). From Mbalakalungu (Parakarungu) to Ngoma Gate, the river is known as Iteenge (Roodt,2004).

Pretorius (1975) claims that the Subiya were originally called Batwa -a collection of small clans who lived under autonomous headmen on the islands of the Kafue flood plains. It is likely that it was while at Kafue flood plains in the early or around 15th century that they started to identify themselves as a tribe, probably under the first chief Muniteenge Iteenge (Masule, 1995). Kruger (1984), as cited by Likando (n.d.) and Ndana (2011), claim that the Subiya reached the Upper Zambezi plains around 1440, whereas Masule (1995) suggests that they reached the Zambezi Valley in 1575 and settled at Ilulire near Senanga now in the Western Province of Zambia. Tlou& Campbell (1983) and McIntyre (2007) posit that the Subiya had established a powerful state of Iteenge by 1600 at Luchiindo on the Chobe River, westwards towards the Okavango Delta. Around this period the Bayei lived in the Okavango Delta where they were later joined by the Hambukushu who were fleeing the Lozi in Katima Mulilo and settled the upper reaches of the Okavango Delta.

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