The record-union., 1897-07-02
LANGUAGE OF ZULUS.
Musical Dialects Of the South African
Negro Tribes.
Natives Not Permitted to Learn or
Speak the English Language
Words in Common Use.

~
1t seems strange that the negroes Of
our country have not retained one
scrap, word or sentence of the language
spoken by their early ancestors in Al
RIGA perhaps not many generations ago.
The American people, to whom the ne
groes were first sold as slaves, have
so thoroughly civilized the colored peo-
pie that every trace Of their native
language has been lost.
Very different is the method of Eng
lish colonists, and it cannot be deemed
strange that warlike risings Of kafirs
and Zulus in South Africa are constant
ly occurring. This is greatly due 10
the manner in which colonists abuse the
colored natives. In no part Of South
Africa are the blacks accorded any or
the rights and advantages which were
secured by their more fortunate breth-
rem after their importation to this
country, even in the days of slavery.
in the English colonies of the Cape
and Natal such natives as seek servl-
tude in cities are treated more ike dogs
than human creatures They are not
permitted to use the sidewalks. If found
thereon they are unceremoniously KICK
ed into the gutter by the first passer-
by. In the roadways they are often
dashed across their bare shoulders by
the whip of some playful driver. They
do not dare to retaliate, although IN
most districts they number more than
a hundred for every white-faced man.
They are housed in novels, compared
with which their own mud kraalS are
cleanly and luxurious. They are not
allowed out of these wretched abodes
after sundown. If caught abroad at
might, unless they can produce a per-
init from their boss" or master, de-
failing the errand they are on, they
are arrested and thrown into prison
But, worst of all, the chance of c1vlllZa-
ton is absolutely denied them by an
unwritten law with South African col
onists, which ordainS that natives must
not be taught to speak the English IAN
guage-
All Afrikanders, and even European
settlers, learn to address their boys"
IN their native Kafir or Zulu tongue.
Thus are the colored races deprived
of the advantages they might otherwise
derive from communion with the great
civilized world and it's inhabitants.
Scarcely one OF those millions has ever
read a book or a newspaper They know
nothing Of the world beyond their own
small territories, where they are so
cruelty ruled by a little crowd of for
eign invaders Hence they are con-
Htantly arising in arms, only to meet
annihilation. Tt IS a fact not gener-
ally known that the British grabbers
of South Africa territory are making
absolutely no attempt TO educate and
civilize the natives they are ousting.
According to eminent authorities,
there are nearly 200 languages spoken
by the natives Of Africa These have
been divided into eighteen distinct
classes, differing more completely than
those of the European races. OF very
few Of these have vocabularies been
compiled Into only two have books
been translated and printed, and this
Is entirely due to American enterprise.
The announcement was recently made
that the American Board of Foreign
Missions had issued q catechis1n and
primer in the Faug and the Mang' anja
languages.
The Zulu Kafirs Of the south and
southeast, the finest race of all South
Africans, the warriors who gave Eng
land so much trouble under Cetewayo.
who slew the Prince Imperial of France,
the hosts which, under ISo-Bengula, re-
rently ran riot over Matabeleland, have
not yet been thus honored. Yet they
speak most delightful and musical
language It is melodious and flowing,
differing from all others by the con-
Ftant Interpolation of curious clicking
sounds These clicks are of three kinds.
Perhaps the best method to put the
Kafir tongue on paper is to employ the
letter c to express the dental click"
which is made by withdrawing the
tongue quickly from the front teeth,
producing a sound such as is sometimes
used in chiding children. The words
'incwado," meaning shoe, and "cwal-
isa," signifying fill, are good illustra-
tions of theis peculiar sound.
The "palatal click" is much harder and
louder. It is made by drawing the
tongue from the roof of the mouth, as
IN imitation of a clucking hen. In the
word "inqukmbane," meaning cart, the
position of this click is denoted by the
letter @.
A third clicking sound resembles a
method sometimes used in urging horses
to speed. 1t is well exemplif1ed in
.'ixegu," an old man, the click being in
dicated by the letter x. A young man
is called "insizwa," while "indoda"
means a married man.
The Zulu language IS fascinating
tongue, and Rider Haggard in many of
his books has used words and phrases
purporting to be Zulu, but in not a few
instances he clearly shows that his
knowledge of 1t is somewhat incomplete.
In using the Zulu Kafir language, it is,
above all, essential to distinguish be-
tween the root of the nouns and the
pref1xes attached to them. A knowledge
of the prefixes is the only clue to the
tongue. The prefixes are all-powerful.
They not only distinguish between
plural and singular, but they are at
1ached to the adjectives and employed
as pronouns. Indeed, they pervade in
various ways the entire scheme of Zulu
grammar. They are the most important
and prominent feature in this curious
language