IsiXhosa

|-
| align=center colspan=2 |
|-
| Izwe || Iningizimu Afrika, OSotho, iZimbabwe
|-
| Isifunda || IMpumalanga Kapa, INtshonalanga Kapa, INyakatho Kapa, IGauteng
|-
| Izikhulumi || 10.000.000
|-
| Umndeni wolimi || isiKongo saseNijeri
* isiKongo saseBenuwe
** isiBantoyidi
*** isiBantoyidi saseNingizimu
**** isiBantu
***** isiBantu saseNingizimu
****** isiNguni
******* isiZunda
******** isiXhosa
|}

IsiXhosa siwulimi lwasemndenini wolimi olwaziwa ngeZilimi zesiNtu. Siyakhulunywa ngabantu abaseNingizimu Afrika, eZimbabwe naseLesotho.

Ngokuqhubekayo, isiXhosa siwulimi olusemthethweni waseNingizimu Afrika naseZimbabwe.

Ukuhlukaniswa kwezezilimi

Ngokokuhlela/ngokokuhlukaniswa kukaGuthrie, uchwepheshe odumile wezilimi zase-Afrika, isiXhosa singaphansi kwezoni S. Siyingxenye yeqembu leZilimi zesiNtu elinamaqenjana amabili: iziLimi zesiZunda nezesiTekela. IsiXhosa yilungu leqembu lezilimi zesiZunda, eliqukethe isiZulu nesiNdebele. Lezi zilimi zifana ngezinga eliphezulu. Ngakho, bangakhulumisana ngaphandle kwezinkinga eziningi abakuluma lezi zilimi nakuba bekhuluma izilimi ezahlukene.

Izibalo nezindawo esitholakala kuzo

Namuhla, kukhona abantu abacishe abayizigidi eziyishumi abakhuluma isiXhosa njengolimi lokuqala, futhi kubuye kukhona abantu abayizigidi eziyishumi abakwazi ukusikhuluma njengolimi lwesibili ezimpilweni zabo.

Abakhuluma besiXhosa eNingizimu Afrika batholwa ikakhulukazi ezifundazweni zaseNtshonalanga Kapa, eMpumalanga Kapa, eNyakatho Kapa naseGauteng. Ngaphezu kwalokho siwulimi olukhulunywa kabanzi ezweni lonke, nokho isiZulu sinabakhuluma abaningi kunesiXhosa.

Isifundo semisindo nohlelo lokubhala

IsiXhosa sisebenzisa ongwaqabathwa abayishumi nesishiyagalombili futhi sinongwaqabathwa abaningi kunazo zonke izilimi zesiNtu. Cishe amaphesenti ayishumi amagama esiXhosa sinongwaqabathwa. Iningi lawa magama abolekwe ezilimini zabaThwa.

Ekubhaleni, kuyasetshenziswa izinhlamvu zesiLatinini. Kukhona izinhlamvu ezingamashumi amabili nesithupha ezimela amafonemu (imisindo eyisisekelo) ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa nesithupha.

Imisindo yesiXhosa ihlanganisa ongwaqa abangamashumi ayisithupha nesithupha, onkamisa abahlanu nosingankamisa ababili.

Ongwaqabathwa wuhlobo olukhethekile lwawongwaqa. Igama elithi “ungwaqabathwa” laqanjwa ngendlela eyiyo ngoba kukholelwa ukuthi labo ongwaqa bebolekwa ezilimini zabaThwa.

Njengezilimi eziningi zeqembu le-Niger-Congo, isiXhosa siwulimi olusebenzisa amaphimbo. Lokho kusho ukuthi ukuguqula kwephimbo, phecelezi ukukhuluma ngephimbo eliphezulu noma eliphansi, kunganikeza umehluko wencazelo yegama elithile.

Ukwakheka kwamagama

IsiXhosa, njengezinye izilimi zeqembu lesiNtu, siwulimi olwakha izingcezu zenkulumo ngokusebenzisa izakhi ezahlukene. Ezilimini zesiNtu kusetshenziswa iziqalo kakhulu, nokho zikhona nezijobelelo ezinanyathiselwe eziqwini zamagama.

Ngaphezu kwalokho uhlelo lolimi lubonakalisa uhlu olucebile lwezigaba zamagama ezitholakala emabizweni, ezenzweni naseziphawulweni.

Ezamagama

Ucezu lwenkulumo olukhethekile kakhulu yizenzukuthi ezitholakala ezilimini eziningi zamazwe ase-Afrika.

Okuthakazelisa kakhulu wukuthi lolu hlobo lwamagama ludlala indima ebalulekile ezilimini zesiNtu eziningi. Nakuba zitholakala ezilimini eziningi zaseMelika, zase-Australia nase-Afrika kodwa alwaziwa ezilimini zaseYurophu.

Okuphinde kube isici esithakazelisayo wukuthi amagama amaningi asuselwe kwezinye izilimi futhi ahlanganiswe ohlelwini lolimi. Lokhu kudalwe wukuthi amaXhosa ayehlale eduze nezinye izizwe eziningi isikhathi eside. Maningi amagama abolekwe ezilimini eziningi zamaKhoisan. Futhi kukhona angena esiXhoseni kwezinye izilimi zaseNingizimu Africa.

Umlando:

Kutshelwa ukuthi amaXhosa afinyelele eMpumalanga yeNingizimu Afrika yanamuhla ngaphambi kwekhulu leshumi nesithupha leminyaka.

Amaqembu okuqala abangena eNingizimu Afrika ayehlanganisa amaGcaleka, amaNgqika, amaNdlambe, amaThembu namaPondo. Lezi zizwe zasungula isizwe samaXhosa.

Akukhona imibhalo edala evela kwamaXhosa, ngoba kwakuvame amasiko adluliselwa ngomlomo. Imibhalo yokuqala esiXhosa yakhishwa ku-1823 ngo-”Lovedale Press” eMpumalanga Kapa.

Ku-1859, inguqulo yokuqala yeBhayibheli ngesiXhosa yashicilelwa ngosizo lukaHenry Hare Dugmore. Kukholakala ukuthi isichazamazwi sokuqala sesiXhosa sasiwuhlu olufushane lwamagama olwashicilelwa ngu-Anders Sparrman ngo-1783 encwadi ethi “Uhambo oluya eKapa leThemba eliHle”.

IsiXhosa ezikoleni

Ngo-1953 isiXhosa sethulwa ohlelweni lwezikole ngoMthetho weMfundo Yabamnyama eyaziwa ngelithi i-Bantu Education Act, owabekwa uhulumeni wobandlululo ukuze uhlelele abafundi babantu abamnyama uhlelo lwemfundo oluhlukanisiwe.

Namhlanje, isiXhosa sivame sisetshenziswa njengolimi lokufundisa emakilasini angaphansi. Ngezinye izikhathi sisetshensizwa njengolimi olwesibili emabangeni aphezulu.

Isimo semanje

Okwamanje, isiXhosa sisetshenziswa emikhakheni eminingi ehlukene. Inhlangano Yezokusakaza YaseNingizimu Afrika (I-SABC) isakaza izinhlelo ezingesiXhosa emsakazweni nakumabonakude. Futhi isiXhosa sinohlu olucebile lomculo. Iciko elidumile kakhulu elalicula ngesiXhosa lalinguMiriam Makeba ongoma yakhe edumile ibizwa nge-”Qongqothwane” noma i-”Click song”.

Kubuye kukhona ingxenye yeculo lesizwe eculwa ngesiXhosa: “Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika;

Maluphakamis' uphondo lwayo;

Yiva imithandazo yethu

Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.”