Native to Angola, Namibia Native speakers 30,000 (2009–2011) Glottolog zemb1238 | Ethnicity Herero, Tjimba ISO 639-3 dhm | |
Language family Niger–Congo
Atlantic–Congo
Benue–Congo
Bantoid
Bantu
Kavango–Southwest
Southwest Bantu
Herero
Zemba | ||
Zemba (Dhimba) is a Bantu language spoken mainly in Angola where the language has about 18,000 speakers, and also in Namibia with some 4,000. It is closely related to Herero, and is often considered a dialect of that language, especially as the Zemba are ethnically Herero.
There are various spellings and pronunciations of the name: Zimba, Dhimba, Tjimba, Chimba, etc. However, when spelled Tjimba or Chimba in English, it generally refers to the Tjimba people, non-Herero hunter-gatherers who speak Zemba. The spelling Himba should be distinguished from the Himba people and their dialect of Herero.
Ethnologue separates Zemba as a distinct language from Himba, which according to the language map of Namibia it retains under Herero proper. Maho (2009), however, sets up a Northwest Herero language, which includes Zemba; from the map, it would appear to include Himba and Hakaona as well.