Tonga language (Zambia)

For other uses, see Tongan language (disambiguation).

Tonga
Spoken in	Zambia, Zimbabwe
Native speakers	1,517,000 one of the key lingua franca in Zambia and parts of Zimbabwe and Mozambique)  (date missing)
Language family	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Bantu Botatwe Tonga
Official status
Official language in	Zambia
Regulated by	No official regulation
Language codes
ISO 639-3	toi

The Tonga language of Zambia and Zimbabwe is a Bantu Language primarily spoken by the Tonga people in those countries who live mainly in the Southern and Western provinces of Zambia, and in northern Zimbabwe, with a few in Mozambique. The language is also spoken by the Tonga, Ila, Iwe, Toka and Leya people, as well as many bilingual Zambians and Zimbabweans. It is one of the major lingua francas in Zambia, together with Bemba, Lozi and Nyanja. The Tonga of Malawi is not particularly close.

Expressions

How are you? Mwapona

Good, Fine. kabotu

Thank You. Twalumba

External links

• Ethnologue report for Tonga
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Chitonga
• Glossary of Chitonga in English and German.
• Another Glossary.