Isizulu
/ˌɪsiˈzuːluː/noun
The Bantu language spoken primarily by the Zulu people of South Africa.
Did you know?In isiZulu, the prefix isi- marks a language or linguistic system, so isiZulu is structurally closer to “the Zulu speech” than simply “Zulu.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*-dùlù
“Reconstructed ancestral form associated with the Bantu word for sky or heaven; the reconstruction and semantic pathway are not completely certain.”
Early Nguni
Nguni
izulu
“Sky or heaven; the noun reflects the Nguni linguistic family from which Zulu developed.”
19th Century
Zulu
isiZulu
“The Zulu language, formed with isi-, a noun-class prefix used for languages, plus Zulu.”
19th–20th Century
English
Zulu
“An English name for the Zulu people and their language, shortened from or associated with isiZulu.”
Modern English
English
isiZulu
“The standard modern name for the Zulu language, especially in linguistic, educational, and South African official contexts.”