Is isiXhosa a real language?
Matthew Alvarez
Published May 21, 2026
Xhosa language, Xhosa formerly spelled Xosa, a Bantu language spoken by seven million people in South Africa, especially in Eastern province. Xhosa is a member of the Southeastern, or Nguni, subgroup of the Bantu group of the Benue-Congo branch of the
Niger-Congo
The languages of present-day Niger-Congo are divided into nine major branches: Mande, Kordofanian, Atlantic, Ijoid, Kru, Gur, Adamawa-Ubangi, Kwa, and Benue-Congo, which are shown in bold in the diagram.
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