Ovambo language

Ovambo, also known as Wambo or Ambo, or native Oshiwambo (which is also used specifically for the Kwanyama or Ndonga dialect), is a dialect cluster in Angola and northern Namibia, of which the written standards are Kwanyama and Ndonga.

Over half of the people in Namibia speak Oshiwambo,^[1] particularly the Ovambo people.

The language is closely related to that of the Hereros and Himba, Otjiherero. An obvious sign of proximity is the prefix used for language and dialect names, Proto-Bantu *ki- (class 7, as in Ki-swahili), which in Herero has evolved to Otji- and in Ovambo further to Oshi-.

History

After Namibia's independence in 1990, the area previously known as Ovamboland was divided into the regions of Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana or Otshana, and Oshikoto. The population, estimated at between 700,000 and 750,000, fluctuates remarkably. This is because of the indiscriminate border drawn up by the Portuguese and Germans during colonial rule, which cut through the Oukwanyama tribal area, placing some in Angola and others in Namibia. This results in regular cross-border movement.

There are approximately one million Oshiwambo speakers located in Namibia and Angola.^[2] Though it is mainly spoken in the northern regions of Namibia, it is widely spoken across the rest of the country by populations of migrant workers from Ovamboland. These workers comprise a large part of the population in many towns, particularly in the south, where there are jobs in the mining industry. For example, in Lüderitz, an 18 hour drive from Ovamboland, at least 50% of the population speaks Oshiwambo.

Name

The names Ambo and Ovambo appears to have originally been exonyms. Despite extensive speculation, their origin remains unknown.

The country was called Ovamboland and Amboland by the German colonial authorities. In English, Ovamboland predominates, though Ambo country is sometimes used, and in English publications from Namibia, Owamboland, Wamboland, and Owambo are seen. The endemic forms are Owambo (Ndonga) and Ouwambo (Kwanyama).

The people are generally called the Ovambo or Ambo in English. The endemic forms are Aawambo (Ndonga) and Ovawambo (Kwanyama); the singular in both cases is Omuwambo. The language is generally called Ovambo, Ambo, or Oshiwambo in English; the endonym in both standards is Oshiwambo.^[3]

Ovambo tribes and dialects

There are eight dialects, including the two written standards Kwanyama and Ndonga.

The following table contains the names, areas, dialect names and the locations of the Ovambo tribes according to T. E. Tirronen's Ndonga-English Dictionary. The table also contains information concerning which noun class of the Proto-Bantu language the words belong to.^[4]

External links

• PanAfrican L10n page on Ovambo
• News in the Ovambo language in the newspaper "The Namibian"

References