Tswa language

Tswa, or XiTswa (index [tsc]) is a South-Eastern Bantu language in Southern Mozambique. Along with Ronga and Tsonga it makes up the Tswa-Ronga family of languages.

Tswa is mainly spoken in the rural areas west of Inhambane. Its largest dialect, Hlengwe, extends westwards to Southern Zimbabwe. Other dialects include Dzivi, Mhandla] and the smaller Nwanati (Makwakwa), south of the Hlengwe and the Nzonge (Gwambe) between the Dzivi and Chopi. According to some estimates, there are just over 1 million BaTswa, but not all can speak the Tswa language. Many Mozambicans, including census officials, often count them as general 'Shangaans' though this term usually only applies to the Tsonga.

Alphabetisation

Tswa uses a variant of the Latin alphabet previously used for Tsonga. It is partly based on that as provided by the Portuguese colonists and Methodist missionaries to the region. The first major transliterator for the Tswa language into English was the Englishman J. A. Persson, who consolidated the alphabet for Tswa specifically.

Letter:	A	B	C	D	E	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	Ṅ	O	P	R	S	Ŝ	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	Ẑ
Value:	a	b/β	t∫	t͡ʃ	d	e/ɛ	ɡ	h	i	dʒ	k	l	m	n	ŋ	ɔ/{{IPA\|o}	p	r	s	ʂ	t	u	v	w	∫	j	z	ʐ

Aa	[a]
Bb	[β]
Bb	[b]
Cc	[t∫]
Dd	[d]
Ee	[ɛ]/[e]
Gg	[g]
Hh	[h]/[ɦ], aspiration
Ii	[i]
Jj	[dʒ]
Kk	[k]
Ll	[l]
Mm	[m]
Nn	[n]
Ṅṅ	[ŋ]
Oo	[ɔ]/[o]
Pp	[p]
Rr	[r]
Ss	[s]
Ŝŝ	[ʂ]
Tt	[t]
Uu	[u]
Vv	[v]
Ww	[w]
Xx	[∫]
Yy	[j]
Zz	[z]
Ẑẑ	[ʐ]

The letter 'q' is sometimes used in words imported from Zulu, in which case it is pronounced in various ways, the clicks of Zulu not being native to the Tswa language. There are also several compounds, which include lateral fricatives.

Like most Bantu languages, all syllables end in vowels or nasals, but tone is more important than in most, though it is not commonly written.

Basics of grammar

Tswa is a Bantu language and thus has a noun class system and verbal system easily recognisable to Bantu speakers throughout Eastern and Southern Africa. In general the system is the same as in most Bantu languages. The following details are more specific.

Noun class system

Instead of genders there are eight classes which have a similar but more complex role, where each noun begins with a class prefix as below:

Class Number	Singular	Plural	Uses
1	mu-	ba-	mainly nouns for people
2	mu-	mi-	impersonal objects
3	gi-	ma-	impersonal objects, particularly fruit
4	xi-	ẑi-	tools, means, languages, diminutives, defects, verbal nouns
5	yi-	ti-	particularly nouns for animals
6	li-	ti-	mental qualities, states of mind, verbal nouns
7	wu-	-	abstract nouns
8	ku	-	infinitives

Verbal systems

Tswa verbs change according to status (affirmative/negative), mood (indicative/potential), aspect, tense, number, person and class. The usual three persons used in the Bantu group apply, and the first and second persons plural are maximally inclusive. The class link is usually written as a separate word, as in Tsonga and Ronga. Otherwise the paradigm is organised as follows:

Affirmative

Indicative:

Present

Present continuous

Past

Past continuous

Perfect

Pluperfect

Future

Future perfect

Potential:

Present

Past

Perfect

Negative

Indicative:

Present

Past

Past continuous

Perfect

Pluperfect

Future

Future Perfect

Potential:

Present

Past

Perfect

Grammatical Peculiarities of Linguistic Interest

Though Tswa does have a subjunctive, like Tsonga and Ronga it does not change the 'a' at the end of a verb to an 'e' like most of the surrounding Bantu languages, unless it is used as an implied imperative in a dependent clause. The 'xi-' class, unlike its seeming equivalents in other languages more close mirrors the Nguni 'isi-' in that it has a strongly diminutive use. (Shona does have a similar use for its 'ci-' class, but it is not quite as emphatic.)