In Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

 there are over 70 spoken language

Language

Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...

s. The most spoken one nationwide is Bemba

Bemba language

The Bemba language, ChiBemba , is a major Bantu language spoken primarily in north-eastern Zambia by the Bemba people and as a lingua franca by about 18 related ethnic groups, including the Bisa people of Mpika and Lake Bangweulu, and to a lesser extent in Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the...

, while Nyanja is the most popular language in Lusaka

Lusaka

Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...

, the capital. The national language, since Zambia's independence in 1964, is English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

.

Languages like Kaonde, Lunda, Luvale, and Tonga come from other country explorers.

English functions as a lingua franca

Lingua franca

A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...

 throughout the more urbanized parts of Zambia, although urbanized forms of Nyanja have taken the lead in the capital Lusaka. From 1964 on, English is used in official communications and has also been the primary medium of instruction in the education system. English often is the chosen (husbands/wives) language at home if (as is now common) there is an intertribal family. If one does visit Zambia it becomes evident that language continuously evolves and has led to Zambian slang which can be heard in daily life throughout Lusaka and other major cities.

List of languages

• Ambo
• Aushi
• Bemba
  Bemba language
  The Bemba language, ChiBemba , is a major Bantu language spoken primarily in north-eastern Zambia by the Bemba people and as a lingua franca by about 18 related ethnic groups, including the Bisa people of Mpika and Lake Bangweulu, and to a lesser extent in Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the...
  
  
• Bisa
• Chikunda
• Cishinga
• Chokwe
• English
  English language
  English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
  
  
• Gova

• Ila
• Inamwanga
• Iwa
• Kabende
• Kaonde
  Kaonde language
  Kaonde, also known as Chikaonde and Kawonde, is a Bantu language that is spoken primarily in Zambia but also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kaonde and its dialects are spoken and understood by perhaps 350,000 people or more. It is estimated that approximately 3% of Zambians are native...
  
  
• Kosa
• Kunda
• Kwandi
• Kwandu
• Kwangwa

• Lala
• Lamba
• Lenje
• Leya
• Lima
• Liyuwa
• Lozi
  Lozi language
  Lozi, also known as siLozi and Rozi, is a Bantu language of the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho languages branch of Zone S , that is spoken by the Lozi people, primarily in southwestern Zambia and in surrounding countries...
  
  
• Luano
• Luchazi
• Lumbu
• Lunda
  Lunda language
  Lunda, also known as Chilunda, is a Bantu language spoken in Zambia, Angola and, to a lesser extent, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lunda and its dialects are spoken and understood by perhaps 2.6% of Zambians , and the language is used mainly in the northern part of that...
  
  
• Lundwe
• Lungu
• Luunda
• Luvale

• Makoma
• Mambwe
• Mashasha
• Mashi
• Mbowe
• Mbukushu
• Mbumi
• Mbunda
• Mbwela
• Mukulu
• Mulonga

• Namwanga
• Ndembu
• Ng'umbo
• Nkoya
• Nsenga
• Nyanja
• Nyengo
• Nyiha

• Sala
• Seba
• Senga
• Shanjo
• Shila
• Simaa
• Soli
• Subiya
• Swaka

• Tabwa
• Tambo
• Toka
• Tonga
  Tonga language (Zambia)
  The Tonga language of Zambia and Zimbabwe is a Bantu Language primarily spoken by the Tonga people in those countries who live mainly in the Southern and Western provinces of Zambia, and in northern Zimbabwe, with a few in Mozambique. The language is also spoken by the Tonga, Ila, Iwe, Toka and...
  
  
• Totela
• Tumbuka
• Twa
• Unga
• Wandya
• Yombe

External links

• Census data from Zambia from Central Statistical Office, Zambia
• Ethnologue Listing of Zambian Languages
• Languages of Zambia