Zigula (Chizigua)

Zigula is a Bantu language spoken mainly in Tanzania, and also Somalia, by about 380,000 people. It is also known as Mushunguli (Mushungulu), which is the name of a major dialect. Mushunguli is spoken by about 23,000 people in southern Somalia, particularly in Jamaame, Kismayo, Mogadishu, and the Juba River valley. Some sources describe Mushunguli and Zigula as separate but closely related languages.

There is no standard way of writing Zigula, however it can be written based on the spelling systems used for other Bantu languages.

Zigula alphabet and pronunciation

Zigula tones could be marked as follows: the high level tone with an acute accent (á), and the falling tone with a circumflex accent (â).

Source:http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~odden.1/mushunguli/Segments/

Some information about the Zigula alphabet provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Download a Zigula alphabet chart (Excel)

Sample text

Yesu niyo alongozwa ni Muye Ukukile kwe nyika chani ajezwe ni Mwavu.
Eze afunge kudya kwa mazuwa milongo mine chilo na msi, Yesu niyo alumwa nisala.
Niyo Mwavu ambasa nakumgamba, “Uneva wi mwana Chohile, yahitwile mayuwe yano yatende migate.”
Mna Yesu ahitula, “Mawandiko Yakukile yagamba, ‘Wantu hawakudaha kwikala kwa migate iyodu, mna kwa chila ulosi Chohile akulonga.’ ”

(Matayo 4, 1-4)

Source: http://www.bible.is/ZIWPBT/Matt/4

Translation

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

(Mathew 4, 1-4)

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4&version=KJV

Links

Information about the Zigula language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zigula_language
http://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ziw
http://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xma
http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~odden.1/mushunguli/
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16104/TZ

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bukusu, Bulu, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Herero, Ikizu, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kunda, Kuria, Lambya, Lingala, Loma, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbunda, Mende, Mongo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Nande, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Punu, Ronga, Sena, Sengele, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Tanga, Tembo, Tonga, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Xhosa, Yao, Yasa, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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