▼ In this research an attempt has been made at taking a socio Unguis tic view of the South Ndebele language. Particular attention was spent on the manner in which the ever-changing circumstances in life put pressure on the Ndebele language. This pressure is a social demand by the Ndebele community of making the language keep pace with time by making it define almost every activity in life. The reaction and response of the language on the other hand is studied carefully and the results noted. The research itself is divided into five chapters: Chapter 1 deals with the historical background of the Ndebele people. An attempt is being made to differentiate between the various types of the Ndebele groups by tracing the origins of the Ndebele people and also to give a somewhat accurate definition of the most common words which are often confused in the analysis of this language. Chapter 2 points to the early stages of linguistic changes which eventually resulted in different versions of speech. Special attention is given to the name "Nguni" and how the Ndebele people link and relate to this name. Chapter 3 takes a look at the influence exerted by other languages surrounding the isiNdebele language. It looks at processes like borrowing, adaptations and in some cases partial and total assimilation. It also looks at the means used by the isiNdebele language in a bit to resist the forces of "prestigious" languages. Chapter 4 focuses on the linguistic differences found among Ndebele dialects. It looks at the phonetic, phonological and some grammatical differences found between the Ndzundza and Manala Ndebele on one hand and also those of the Northern Ndebele on the other. Chapter 5 seeks solutions to the above-mentioned problems. Evaluations, recommendations and conclusions are made. The essential needs of the Ndebele language are looked into namely: •	Graphization •	Standardisation and •	Modernisation Advisors/Committee Members: L.M%22%29&pagesize-30">Khumalo, Z.L.M (advisor).