Spread of the Zulu language
Zulu (also "isiZulu") is one of eleven official national languages in South Africa and is mainly spoken in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is also spoken in neighboring countries such as Lesotho and Eswatini, but is much less dominant there.In South Africa alone, Zulu is the most widespread language with 14.7 million native speakers. The total number of native speakers is estimated at around 14 million.
| Country | Official language | Distribution | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | yes | 22.7 % | 14,698,000 |
| Lesotho | no | 15.0 % | 354,000 |
| Eswatini | no | 2.0 % | 25,000 |
Origin and development
The origins of Zulu can be traced back to the beginning of the 17th century, when the Nguni people migrated to what is now South Africa. Zulu developed from the earlier Nguni dialects in the region and has been shaped by local and foreign influences over the centuries.A significant development in the history of the Zulu language is closely linked to the rise of the Zulu kingdom under King Shaka Zulu in the early 19th century. Through the expansion and unification of various Nguni groups under Shaka's rule, Zulu became more important and increasingly widespread.
In the 20th century, the expansion of the education system in South Africa led to further standardization. In 1972, Zulu was introduced as the language of instruction in South African schools, further promoting its use and formal study.
The language is known for its rich oral tradition, which is reflected in songs, stories and poetry. Zulu uses the Latin alphabet and is known for its three click sounds, which it has adopted from neighboring Bantu languages.
Unless otherwise described in the text, this page is about native speakers, not the total number of speakers. How many people understand or speak Zulu as a subsequently learned language is not the subject of this page. Countries where native speakers make up only a few thousand, or even a few hundred people, or countries with a percentage well below 1% are unlikely to be listed here.
Official language, national language or lingua franca: explanation of frequently used terms