IsiTshani

isiTshani is the language of the amaTshani people and the former de facto official language of gwaTshani. It still remains the spoken tongue among the various isiTshani tribes that still live in northeastern Sabrim today. The language is commonly regarded as the main defining characteristic of the amaTshani. 
== Origin ==
The isiTshani language has been historically regarded as a synthesis between the isiPirena and isiNimi languages, as with the rest of amaTshani culture; however, recent theories about the amaNimi people as being a heterogenous group have cast doubt onto this conclusion. Recent scholars consider "isiPirena", or proto-Tshani, to be the true ancestor of the language, with the various languages of the amaNimi merely influencing it in vocabulary and grammatic structure. The relative simplicity of isiTshani's grammar is seen by some linguists as indication that the system simplified as nonnative amaNimi speakers picked isiPirena up, and that isiPirena had a more complex grammar beforehand.
== Phonology ==
isiTshani has five vowels. 
isiTshani Vowels
 	Front	Central	Back
Close	i 	 	u
Mid 	ɛ 	 	ɔ
Open 	 	a 	
One of isiTshani's most defining characteristics is the presence of three click consonants: c, q, and x. These are pronounced as a denti-alveolar /ǀ/, a postalveolar /!/, and a lateral /ǁ/, respectively. C is often compared to the sound of dripping water or a kiss, q to a popping sound, and x to the sound of a horse or mule's hooves walking on hard ground.
== Grammar ==
isiTshani is an agglutinative language. Many of its words are built around various prefixes that indicate the nature of the word itself, or are modifiers of an original word. This latter case can be seen with the naming of many features of Tshani society:
Modifications of the word "Tshani"
Prefix	Prefix meaning 	Full Word	Full Word Definition
isi 	Speech, or speaking	isiTshani	Tshani language
gwa 	Land or place 	gwaTshani	Tshani country, land of the Tshani
ama 	People 	amaTshani	Tshani people
== Sample Text ==
The Lord's Prayer
isiTshani 	Word-for-Word translation 	English grammar
ziwoBaba, uba zwesibhaka lishe, 	our-father who heaven in-is, 	Our Father who is in heaven,
iweposa mingaze guxovela she, 	your name sacred is, 	hallowed be your name,
iweposa dinkosi kulalala, 	your kingdom coming, 	your kingdom come,
guduna kuthanda ba iwethese, 	done will be your will, 	your will be done,
Thuma dansa, njene zwesibhaka theshe. 	World on, like heaven it-is. 	on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Ngula ziwophana kwelanga, 	give our-bread daily, 	Give us today our daily bread.
Musawe ziwopeduna kwemogwe, 	forgive our-actions demonic, 	And forgive us our trespasses,
hliwe umpeduna kwemogwe ziwoncikene ziwomusawe,	like men-actions demonic us-against we-forgive	As we forgive them that trespass against us.
e bu ziwosilinga ngele ukuvoda, 	and not us-temptation deliver to-lead, 	And lead us not into temptation;
tu ziwomoga ngele kusu. 	but us-evil deliver from. 	and deliver us from evil.
diWe dinkosi, amandla, e pexovelala she 	for-You kingdom, power, and glory is 	For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
di ti’ihaka bukwazata. Amina. 	for time-long uncountable. Amen. 	now and for ever. Amen
Category:Tshani
Category:Language