| Owambo | |
|---|---|
| Oshiwambo | |
| Native to | Angola, Namibia |
| Ethnicity | Owambo |
Native speakers | (1,441,000 cited 1990 mm)[1] |
Standard forms | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | kj, ng |
| ISO 639-2 | kua, ndo |
| ISO 639-3 | Variously:kua – Kwanyamando – Ndongakwm – Kwambilnb – Mbalanhu (Central Wambo)nne – Ngandjera |
| Glottolog | ndon1253 |
R.20 (R.21–24,211–218,241–242)[2] | |
| Ambo | |
|---|---|
| Person | Omuwambo |
| People | Aawambo, Ovawambo |
| Language | Oshiwambo |
| Country | Owambo, Ouwambo |
The Ovambo (English: /ɒˈvæmboʊ/) language is a dialect cluster spoken by the Ovambo people in southern 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. It is the largest spoken local language in Namibia,[3] particularly by 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-.
- ^ Kwanyama at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Ndonga at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Kwambi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Mbalanhu (Central Wambo) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Ngandjera at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) - ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- ^ "Namibia – People". New African Frontiers. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.