Southern Bantu languages

Southern Bantu
Geographic; distribution	South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland
Linguistic classification	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Volta-Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Southern Bantoid Bantu Southern Bantu; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Glottolog	sout3180

The Southern Bantu languages are a large group of Bantu languages, largely validated in Janson (1991/92).[1] They are nearly synonymous with Guthrie's Bantu zone S, apart from the exclusion of Shona and the inclusion of Makhuwa. They include all of the major Bantu languages of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique, with outliers such as Lozi in Zambia and Namibia, and Ngoni in Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.

Languages

Language groups are followed by their code in the Guthrie classification.

Makua (P30)
- Makhuwa
- Koti
- Sakati (Nathembo)
- Lomwe
- Chuwabu
- Moniga
Chopi (S60)
- Chopi
- Guitonga
Nguni languages (S40)
- Zunda
  - Xhosa
  - Zulu
  - Ndebele
    - Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe Ndebele),
    - Southern Ndebele
- Tekela
Sotho–Tswana (S30 + K20):
- Tswana ("West Sotho")
- Birwa
- Tswapong
- Kgalagadi
- Sotho
  - Northern Sotho (Sepedi)
  - Southern Sotho (Sesotho)
  - East Sotho (Pulana, Khutswe and Pai)
  - Lozi
Tswa–Ronga (S50):
- Tsonga
- Ronga
- Tswa
Venda (S20)

Some classifications prior to Janson retained Shona as a coordinate branch, along with Nyasa, or excluded Makua.

Tore Janson (1991-92) "Southern Bantu and Makua", Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika (SUGIA) Vol. 12/13: 63-106, Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, Cologne

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