The 'Zulu'/'isiZulu' Debate
The Zulu language is referred to as 'isiZulu' in Zulu, 'isi-' being the gender (or noun class) prefix associated with languages. For example, isiNgisi = English, isiXhosa = Xhosa, isiBhunu = Afrikaans, isiJalimane = German, etc. Nevertheless, it should be kept in mind that 'isi-' does not itself mean 'language'. Rather, the characteristic use of the 'isi-' noun class with languages can be compared to the use of the feminine gender in Romance languages to refer to fruits, while the masculine gender of the same word indicates the corresponding fruit tree. Hence, while in Spanish, manzana means 'apple', the masculine manzano means 'apple tree'. Thus the gender prefix 'isi-' in Zulu no more means 'language' than the gender suffix '-o' in Spanish means 'tree'.
The root word Zulu can take many other forms in Zulu, each with a different meaning. Here is a table showing how the meanings of two roots – Zulu and ntu – change according to their prefix.
| Prefix | -zulu | -ntu |
|---|---|---|
| um(u) | umZulu (a Zulu person) | umuntu (a person) |
| ama, aba | amaZulu (Zulu people) | abantu (people) |
| isi | isiZulu (the Zulu language) | isintu (culture, heritage, mankind) |
| ubu | ubuZulu (personification/Zulu-like tendencies) | ubuntu (humanity, compassion) |
| kwa | kwaZulu (place of the Zulu people) | – |
| i(li) | izulu (the weather/sky/heaven) | – |
| pha | phezulu (on top) | – |
| e | ezulwini (in, at, to, from heaven) | – |
Some prefer to call Zulu isiZulu in English as per the Zulu name for the language.
Read more about this topic: Zulu Language
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