Tsonga, noun
/ˈtsɔŋɡa/
- Origin:
- See Tonga.
1. Shangaan sense 1 a; cf. Tonga sense 1.
1940 A.A. Jacques in Bantu Studies XIV. 259It should be noted that it is not correct to spell the name of this people (sc. the Shangana-Tsonga)Tonga or Thonga...Since the recent decisions taken by the Tsonga Language Board concerning orthography, there should be no difficulty in adopting the form Tsonga.
1990 Weekend Post 6 Oct. (Leisure) 4He met his death at the hands of a Shangean [sic] (Tsonga) warrior.
2. The language of the Shangaan people, especially the dialect spoken in South Africa; Tonga sense 2. Cf. Shangaan sense 2.
1970 Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. II. 106The Tsonga group is also often called the Shangana group. These languages are spoken by the descendents of the Zulu chief Shoshangana.
1993 Weekend Post 9 Oct. 9Sadly,..multilingualism, including North and South Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, [etc.]..is out.
The language of the Shangaan people, especially the dialect spoken in South Africa; Tonga sense 2.
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