IsiTsonga

IsiTsonga okanye Xistonga lulwimi elithetha eMzantsi Afrika luhlanga lamaTsonga.Okwazi uthetha isitsonga unako usiva isiRonga nesiTswa, ngamanye amaxesha ezilwimi zontatu sibizwa "Tsonga" okanye kuthiwa "Tswa-Ronga".

Category:Iilwimi zasemZantsi Afrika

 Iilwimi kunye nezizwana 

IsiTsonga lulwimi lwesiNtu (ikhowudi yesiGuthrie S.53), ngokusondeleleneyo namanye amalungu kwiqela le Tswa-Ronga (S.50):

 Iilwimi zesiRonga (isiRhonga) sisiKalanga (Xinyisa, Xindindindi (Xizingili), Putru, neXinyondroma.
 Iziyelelane zesiTsonga (Gwamba, Gwapa) zezi: Bila (Vila), Djonga (Dzonga, Jonga), Hlanganu (Langanu, Nhlanganu), Hlave (Mbhayi, Nkuna, Pai), Kande, Khosa, Luleke, N’walungu (Ngwalungu), Nkuma, Songa, Valoyi, Xika, Xonga.
 Iziyelelane zesiTswa (zaseTshwa) sisiDzibi (Dzivi), isiDzibi-Dzonga (Dzivi-Dzonga), isiTshwa, isiHlengwe (eLengwe, isiLhenge), iKhambani, isiMakwakwe-Khambani, isiMandla, isiNdxhonge, nesiNhayi (samaNyai, isiNyayi).

Ezinye iziyelelane zizilwimi zezizwana ezingaphantsi kodwa zikhankanyiwe apha ukuze ziphelele. Umzekelo, isiValoyi kunye noLuleke benza isiyelelane saseN'walungu. Asikho isiyelelane sesiGwamba nanjengoko isiGwamba lelinye igama lesiXitsonga ngokwaso. IXitsonga ibikade ibizwa ngokuba nguGwamba. Iziyelelane zesiTswa-Ronga ezingajongwa njengenxalenye yosapho ziquka isiPulana (Xipulana, Sepulane). Le nto ngokuqhelekileyo ibizwa ngokuba “sisiShangana/Changana” asilolwimi olwaziwayo eMzantsi Afrika kwaye ayilolwimi olungena kwiqela leelwimi zesiTsonga, nanjengoko ukwahluka kwaso kubangelwa ikakhulu kukusetyenziswa kolwimi lwesiNguni negrama.

Zintandathu kuphela iziyelelane zesiThonga/Tsonga ezikhoyo kwaye ezi zaye zachongwa ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo-1900. Ezi zezi zezi xiRonga, xiHlanganu, xiBila, xiDjonga, xiN'walungu, kunye ne-xiHlengwe. Zonke ezinye iinguqulelo ezilapha eMzantsi Afrika ziziswelana zezi lwimi zikhankanywe ngentla. Ezona lwimi zithethwa kakhulu kwiindawo ezisemaphandleni eLimpopo zezesiN’walungu, isiBila, isiHlengwe, nesiHlanganu. Isigama sesiXitsonga kunye nokuguqulwa kwefonetiki nako kusekelwe kakhulu kwezi lwimi zezizwana (cf. Junod 1912, p. 470–473)

Kwi "ulwimi lwe", iilwimi ezahlukeneyo kunye nezizwana zisebenzisa isimaphambili esinye okanye ngaphezulu kwezi zilandelayo: Bi-, Chi-, Ci-, Gi-, Ici-, Ki-, Ma-, Shee-, Shi-, Txi-, Va-, Wa-, kunye ne Xi-. Kwi "people of", basebenzisa nokuba ngu "Ba-" okanye "Va-".