Namibia Languages

Namibia Wiki Topics

Namibia Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Cemeteries Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Online Genealogy Records Religious Records

Namibia Background

History Languages Maps Social Life & Customs

Namibia Genealogical Word Lists

Afrikaans German

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Namibia

Languages

Description

English is the sole official language in Namibia but only 3% speak it as a home language.
Oshiwambo is the most common language spoken.
Afrikaans is the most widely understood national language.
Most of the white population speaks either German or Afrakaans.

Languages most often spoken in Namibian households are:

• Oshiwambo - also known as Ovambo (48.9% of households)
• Khoekhoegowab - also known as Khoekhoe (11.3%)
• Afrikaans - (10.4%)
• Otjiherero - also known as Herero (8.6%)
• RuKwangali - also known as Kwangali (8.5%)
• siLozi - also known as Lozi (4.8%)
• English - (3.4%)
• German - (0.9%)
• San - (0.8%)
• other - (2.4%)

Word List(s)

• Useful phrases in Khoekhoe (Nama) - Omniglot
• Khoekhoe Common words and phrases - Wikipedia
• Useful Afrikaans phrases - Omniglot
• Afrikaans phrases - Wikipedia
• Useful phrases in Herero - Omniglot
• Useful phrases in Lozi - Omniglot

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Alphabet

• Oshiwambo alphabet - Omniglot
• Khoekhoe alphabet - Omniglot
• Khoekhoe Vowels, Consonants, Clicks - Wikipedia
• Afrikaans alphabet - Omniglot
• Afrikaans Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Herero alphabet - Omniglot
• Herero Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Kwangali Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Lozi alphabet - Omniglot
• Lozi Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• Oshiwambo pronunciation - Omniglot
• Khoekhoe pronunciation - Omniglot
• Afrikaans pronunciation - Omniglot
• Herero pronunciation - Omniglot
• Lozi pronunciation - Omniglot

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Dictionaries

• Haacke, Wilfrid H. G and Eliphas Eiseb. A Khoekhoegowab dictionary. Windhoek: Gamsberg Macmillan, 2002. Available at: WorldCat.
• Kromhout, Jan. Afrikaans-English, English-Afrikaans dictionary. New York, N.Y: Hippocrene Books, 2006. Available at: WorldCat.
• Nguaiko, Nduvaa Erna. The new Otjiherero dictionary : English-Herero, Otjiherero-Otjiingirisa. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2011. Available at: WorldCat.
• Gestwicki, Ronald. An English-Herero, Herero-English dictionary. n.p.: n.p., 1966. Available at: WorldCat.
• Kloppers, J. K., D. Nakare, and L. M. Isala. Burenkango Rukwangali - English = English Rukwangali dictionary. Windhoek: Gamsberg Macmillan, 1994. Available at:WorldCat.
• O'Sullivan, Owen. English-Silozi dictionary. Lusaka: Zambia Educational Pub. House, 1993. Available at: WorldCat.
• Concise Oxford-Duden German dictionary : German-English, English-German. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Available at: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

• Dictionary English - Afrikaans - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Herero - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Kwangali - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Lozi - Glosbe
• Dictionary German - English - Glosbe

Language Aids

• Khoekhoe Grammar - Wikipedia
• Afrikaans Grammar - Wikipedia
• Otjiherero grammar - Wikipedia
• Fivaz, Derek and Sakaria Shikomba. A reference grammar of Oshindonga (Oshiwambo). Windhoek, Namibia: Out of Africa Publishers, 2003. Available at: WorldCat.
• Donaldson, B.C. A grammar of Afrikaans. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1993. Available at: WorldCat.
• Möhlig, Wilhelm J.G. and Jekura U. Kavari. Reference grammar of Herero (Otjiherero) : Bantu language of Namibia. Köln, cop: Köppe, 2008. Available at: WorldCat.