Bemba, also called Chibemba, Ichibemba or Chiwemba, is a Bantu language spoken mainly in north-eastern Zambia by the Bemba people. It is used in rural and urban areas of the region and is one of the seven regional languages that Zambia recognizes. The language has a set of dialects that include Chishinga, Lomotwa, Ngoma, Nwesi, Lala, Luunda, Mukulu and Ng'umbo, and the Twa of Bangweulu speak a further dialect. Its everyday spelling system, introduced by Edward Steere, is quite phonetic. Bemba is agglutinative and relies on prefixes, has several noun classes and a large set of verbal aspects and tenses, uses a subject-verb-object word order, and is tonal with two tones, although tone changes meaning in only a small number of words.
Facts
Classification
Language Kind Connections
In Family
Source Bemba language (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Cases Where Used
Also in Society and Culture Atlas: used in this subject.
Source Countries and Their Cultures: Bemba (Countries and Their Cultures)Societal membershipQuote, Societal membership
a common language, Cibemba
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Bemba language (Wikipedia)Lead, regionQuote, Lead, region
spoken primarily in north-eastern Zambia by the Bemba people
Sources
1. Glottolog: Glottolog: Bemba (Zambia) (Glottolog languoid bemb1257)
GlottologLanguoid page, classification
Spoken L1 Language: Bemba (Zambia)
Languoid page, endangerment
AES status: not endangered
View the Source 2. Bemba language (Wikipedia)
Phonology and orthography
Bemba is tonal, with two tones.
Grammar
has a word order that is subject-verb-object
Lead, region
spoken primarily in north-eastern Zambia by the Bemba people
In Family: Bantu, Lead, family
is a Bantu language spoken primarily in north-eastern Zambia by the Bemba people
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