| Zemba | |
|---|---|
| Dhimba | |
| Native to | Angola, Namibia |
| Ethnicity | Herero, Tjimba |
Native speakers | Angola: 18,000 (2011)1 Namibia: 7,000 (2016) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | dhm |
| Glottolog | zemb1238 |
R.3112 | |
| ELP | Himba |
Zemba or Dhimba is a Bantu language spoken mainly in Angola where the language has about 18,000 speakers, and also in Namibia with some 7,000.1 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 (Otjihimba, Ovahimba), classified as a dialect of Herero proper.3 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.2
References
References
- Zemba at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- Herero at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)