Xhosa language

Xhosa
Xhosa
isiXhosa
Native to	South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho
Region	Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Free State
Ethnicity	Xhosa people
Native speakers	8.2 million (2011 census); 11 million L2 speakers (2002)
Language family	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Southern Bantoid Bantu Southern Bantu Nguni Zunda Xhosa; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin (Xhosa alphabet); Xhosa Braille
Signed forms	Signed Xhosa
Official status
Official language in	South Africa; Zimbabwe
Language codes
ISO 639-1	xh
ISO 639-2	xho
ISO 639-3	xho
Glottolog	xhos1239
Guthrie code	S.41
Linguasphere	99-AUT-fa incl.; varieties 99-AUT-faa; to 99-AUT-faj +; 99-AUT-fb (isiHlubi)
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Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by 7.6 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Xhosa is written using a Latin alphabet. Henry Hare Dugmore helped translate the entire Bible in Xhosa language. Xhosa has ten vowels.

Xhosa is well known for its set of three major clicks.

References

↑ Xhosa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
↑ Webb, Vic. 2002. "Language in South Africa: the role of language in national transformation, reconstruction and development." Impact: Studies in language and society, 14:78
↑ Aarons & Reynolds, 2003, "South African Sign Language", in Monaghan, ed., Many Ways to be Deaf: International Variation in Deaf Communities
↑ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online

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[e18-1] Xhosa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)

[2] Webb, Vic. 2002. "Language in South Africa: the role of language in national transformation, reconstruction and development." Impact: Studies in language and society, 14:78

[3] Aarons & Reynolds, 2003, "South African Sign Language", in Monaghan, ed., Many Ways to be Deaf: International Variation in Deaf Communities

[Guthrie-4] Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online

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