Tsonga
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/tsong"geuh/, n.a Bantu language spoken in Mozambique, Zambia, and South Africa.
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▪ peoplealso spelled Thongaculturally similar Bantu-speaking peoples inhabiting the southern coastal plain of Mozambique, parts of Zimbabwe and Swaziland, and the Transvaal of South Africa. They numbered some 4.6 million in the late 20th century.The Tsonga were formerly organized as independent peoples, each occupying its own territory and named for a powerful, dominant patrilineage. Early in the 19th century, however, they were conquered by other Nguni-speaking peoples.Tsonga economy is based on mixed agriculture and pastoralism. Cassava is the staple; corn (maize), millet, sorghum, and other crops are also grown. Women do much of the agricultural work, although some men grow cash crops. Most Tsonga now depend on wage labour for cash, many migrating to Zimbabwe or South Africa to find work.The settlement pattern is characterized by scattered villages of mud and wattle huts, each village being occupied by members of a patrilineage; descent, succession, and inheritance are also patrilineal. Polygyny is common, and a bride-price is paid. A man's livestock is apportioned among his wives for their support and for eventual inheritance by the children of each household. Widows are supported by males of the dead husband's lineage.Although many Tsonga are Christian, many also adhere to their own traditional religion, which entails constant attention to the propitiation of ancestral spirits. Illness and other misfortunes are usually attributed to the breaking of a taboo, to the anger of an ancestor, or to sorcery.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Tsonga — bezeichnet: die Angehörigen einer bantusprachigen Ethnie, siehe Tsonga (Ethnie) eine Sprache in der Republik Südafrika, siehe Tsonga (Sprache) eine afrikanische Streitaxt, siehe Tsonga (Waffe) Tsonga ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Jo… … Deutsch Wikipedia
Tsonga — may refer to:* Shangaan, the Tsonga people * Tsonga language * Jo Wilfried Tsonga (born 1985), French tennis player … Wikipedia
tsonga — ou Thonga population d Afrique du Sud, du Mozambique et du Swaziland (plus de 5 millions de personnes). Ils parlent des langues bantoues. V. Tonga. tsonga [tsɔ̃ga] n. m. ÉTYM. XXe; mot bantou. ❖ ♦ Langue bantoue parlée au Mozambique, en Afrique… … Encyclopédie Universelle
Tsonga — Tsȍnga m DEFINICIJA etn. narod iz jezične skupine Bantu (Južnoafrička Republika i Svazi), o. 4,5 mil. pripadnika, kršćani, animisti … Hrvatski jezični portal
Tsonga — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Le tsonga est une des langues officielles de l Afrique du Sud. Les Tsongas sont un peuple présent en Afrique du Sud et au Mozambique Jo Wilfried Tsonga… … Wikipédia en Français
Tsonga — El término tsonga puede tener varios significados: El idioma xitsonga, hablado por varios grupos étnicos africanos. La etnia tsonga shangaan. El tenista francés Jo Wilfried Tsonga. Esta página de desambiguación cataloga artículos relacionados con … Wikipedia Español
Tsonga — Tsọnga, Thọnga, Gruppe eng verwandter Bantuvölker (Ronga, Shangaan, Hlengwe, Tswa) in Moçambique südlich der Save, in der Republik Südafrika im Nordosten der Nord Provinz und im Norden der Provinz KwaZulu/Natal sowie in angrenzenden Gebieten… … Universal-Lexikon
Tsonga — [ tsɒŋgə] noun (plural same or Tsongas) 1》 a member of a people living in Transvaal, southern Mozambique, and southern Zimbabwe. 2》 the Bantu language of the Tsonga. Origin a local name, from either Tsonga or Zulu … English new terms dictionary
Tsonga — /ˈtsɒŋgə/ (say tsongguh) noun 1. an African people living mainly in southern Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland. 2. (plural Tsonga or Tsongas) a member of this people. 3. the language of this people; of the Bantu group of the Niger Congo… … Australian English dictionary
Tsonga — noun a) A large group of people who live in southern Mozambique; the Shangaan. b) The language spoken by these people … Wiktionary
