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Glite Dictionary
Zulu language

Zulu language

1 5.7
A language spoken mainly in South Africa that has many books and stories
  • noun
: idioma zulú
  • She learned to speak Zulu language while working in South Africa.

Examples

  • The Zulu language is one of the official languages of South Africa.

  • The novel was originally written in the Zulu language and later translated into English.

  • Many schools in KwaZulu-Natal offer classes in the Zulu language.

  • Many people in KwaZulu-Natal speak the Zulu language.

  • The Zulu language is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa.

  • She learned to speak the Zulu language to connect with her ancestry.

  • Many stories and poems are written in the Zulu language, showcasing its literary heritage.

Synonyms

Zulu
vsZulu language
10 7.0

A language spoken mainly in eastern South Africa

is identical in meaning but uses the fuller descriptive name

Surface Forms

Zulu language singular
Zulu languages plural

Morphology

Zulu + language

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Zulu' names the people/language and 'language' denotes a system of speech, so 'Zulu language' straightforwardly means the language called Zulu. The construction 'X language' is a common, cross-linguistic naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Zulu language takes its name from the Zulu people. The word Zulu may come from a word for 'heaven' or 'sky', so Zulu language simply means the 'language' of that people in South Africa.