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Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 2004-01 > 1073111878


From: "Steve Hayes" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA] Offical Languages
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 08:37:58 +0200
In-Reply-To: <005801c3d1a0$817c85e0$896d65da@computer>


On 3 Jan 2004 at 15:21, Patricia Frykberg wrote:

> That's interesting too.
> the 'isi' before the name does it mean language or...?
> So that if I was to refer to all these people would I use the name isZulu etc
> or just Zulu or is there another prefix?

The prefix isi- in Zulu and Xhosa means the language. The people are amaZulu
and amaXhosa.

In English the prefixes are usually dropped, and so one would write "the Zulu
language" or just "Zulu" if the contaxt makes it clear that it is the
language one is talking about.

For example, in English one would say "Do you speak Zulu?" rather than "Do
you speak the Zulu language?" or "Do you speak isiZulu?" But of course in
Zulu you would say "Ukhuluma isiZulu na?"

In official lists of languages, of course, the prefixes are used, because
each language is listed in its own language, and not in terms of another
language. So English is "English", not "Engels" or "isiNgisi", and Zulu is
"isiZulu" and not "Zulu" or Zoeloe". Afrikaans is not listed as "isiBhunu",
though that is what it is called in Zulu.



--
Steve Hayes
E-mail:
Web: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
Phone: 083-342-3563 or 012-333-6727

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