Languages

Xhosa

Bantu Languages

Citation Formats

General Reference

Language Atlas. "Xhosa." Accessed September 1, 2026. https://language.interactiveatlas.org/languages/xhosa.

APA Style

Language Atlas. (n.d.). Xhosa. Retrieved September 1, 2026, from https://language.interactiveatlas.org/languages/xhosa

BibTeX

@misc{languageatlas-xhosa,
  author = {Language Atlas},
  title = {Xhosa},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://language.interactiveatlas.org/languages/xhosa},
  note = {Accessed September 1, 2026}
}

Xhosa, also known by its local name isiXhosa, is a Bantu language indigenous to Southern Africa and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Facts

ISO 639-3 Code

xho 1

Speaker Count

8,000,000 1

2013 estimate, first-language speakers; the infobox also gives 11 million second-language speakers (2002), not captured here.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Xhosa Language

Wikimedia FoundationLead section

Quote, Lead section

Xhosa, formerly spelled Xosa and also known by its local name isiXhosa, is a Bantu language, indigenous to Southern Africa and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

View the Source

1. Wikipedia: Xhosa Language

Wikimedia FoundationInfobox, ISO 639-3

Quote, Infobox, ISO 639-3