Considering the relatively small size of its population (1.8 million in 2001), Namibia's people speak a surprising variety of languages - about 30. While NaBiD is committed to listing common names for all organisms in all Namibian languages, thirty names would overwhelm our average data page. We therefore only display a summary of common names in ten major Namibian language groups there, but then give access to name information for all languages through the 'Show more details' link below the box with major language names. Our major language groupings are derived from those that were used in Namibia's 2001 Population and Housing Census, and the figures quoted below are also from that source - they denote the percentage of the population that speak a particular language at home (in public life most Namibians are multilingual). The official language, English, is listed at the top of the page, and other language groups are listed in order of number of speakers.
Selection of group names. Within each group, individual languages are often more or less mutually intelligible, and common names show greater similarity to each other within the group than to names from other groups. So, given a multiplicity of languages and names, how do we decide which name to display for the group? In the tables below, languages are displayed in a set sequence within each group - those that are more widely spoken are generally listed first, followed by those that are progressively less spoken. The database is set up to search for names in this same sequence, and will therefore usually display a name from a more widely spoken language in a particular group on the front page, rather than one from a lesser known language.
Names of languages. Many languages are, or previously were, known by more than one name. We list such variant names as synonyms here. Synonymic language names are often linguistically incorrect (because they were named by people not conversant with the language), but we document them as we find them, and then refer them to the correct current designation.
Names of species. Within any particular language, a taxon may be known by one or more alternative but equally valid names, or there may be different names for different sexes, parts or products of the same species. We therefore also designate a 'preferred name' for each taxon in each language. This is often the more widely known or more correct name, and will display at the top of the list for that language.
At species level, we list names in the singular. At higher levels, we list names in the plural.
Sources. A comprehensive recent source of information on Namibian languages is: Maho, J.F. 1998. Few people, many tongues. The languages of Namibia. Gamsberg MacMillan, Windhoek. ISBN 99916-0-086-8. Much of what follows below is based on it. The 'Languages of the World' web site includes much helpful information as well.
NaBiD language policy. Language is an integral part of every person's cultural and personal identity. No one language is superior to any other. Each is unique and precious. People should be proud of their language. However, we acknowledge that language issues had been used for short-term gain by perpetrators across the political spectrum at different times in Namibia's past, and sensitivities may persist. Therefore, if you should find our treatment (or non-treatment) of your language unacceptable in any way, please be assured that it is not our intent to offend, and contact us so that we can rectify it. There is also a comment link below the names box on every species page, should you wish to point out mistakes with particular names, or submit names where we have none.
NaBiD's classification of Namibian languages follows. It can and will be expanded as more information becomes available.
| BANTU LANGUAGES | A large family including several hundreds of African languages. | ||
| OshiWambo group | Spoken at home by 48.5% of Namibia's population. A group of more or less mutually intelligible languages, originally from southern Angola and North-Central Namibia. Divided into southern and northern language clusters. | ||
| OshiNdonga | OshiNdonga is the most prominent of the predominantly Namibian southern OshiWambo language cluster. | ||
| OshiKwambi | |||
| OshiKwanyama | OshiKwanyama is the most prominent Namibian language in the predominantly Angolan northern OshiWambo language cluster. | ||
| OshiMbalanhu | |||
| RuKavango group | Spoken at home by 9.7% of Namibia's population, mainly in the northeast. 'RuKavango' is a collective name for several different languages. | ||
| RuKwangali | RuKwangali is the most prominent of the Kavango languages. | ||
| RuMbundza | An extinct language near RuKwangali. | ||
| RuGciriku | |||
| ShiShambyu | An insufficiently known language near RuGciriku. | ||
| RuManyo | An extinct language near RuGciriku. | ||
| ThiMbukushu | |||
| OtjiHerero group | Spoken at home by 7.9% of Namibia's population. | ||
| OtjiHerero | Some of the Kaokoveld (northwestern Namibian) OtjiHerero dialects may need to be listed as separate languages once more information becomes available. | ||
| OtjiMbanderu | |||
| SiLozi group | Spoken at home by 5% of Namibia's population, mainly in the eastern Caprivi. SiLozi is the most prevalent of the several 'Caprivi languages'. | ||
| SiLozi | SiLozi is the main lingua franca in the Caprivi, and is also widely spoken in Zambia. Most other Caprivian languages are insufficiently known. | ||
| CiSubiya | |||
| ChiFwe | |||
| ShiYeyi | |||
| ChiTotela | |||
| SeTswana group | Spoken at home by 0.3% of Namibia's population. | ||
| SeTswana | Outside Namibia, SeTswana is widely spoken in Botswana and South Africa. | ||
| KHOESAAN LANGUAGES | On a global level, Khoesaan languages are spoken only in western southern Africa. They can be linguistically divided into northern, central and southern groups of languages, but in Namibia the usual distinction is between Khoekhoegowab (a language of the central group with a well-established orthography, and spoken by a large segment of the population), and the so-called Bushman languages (a number of languages from all three groups, many without formal orthographies, some endangered or extinct, in all spoken by a relatively small segment of the population). | ||
| Khoekhoegowab group | Spoken at home by 11.5% of Namibia's population. | ||
| Khoekhoegowab | |||
| Damara/Nama | An old name for Khoekhoegowab, also written as 'Nama/Damara'. | ||
| Nama | An old name for Khoekhoegowab. | ||
| Damara | An old name for Khoekhoegowab. | ||
| Heikum | The Hai//om people speak Khoekhoegowab, but enough common names have been recorded as 'Heikum' to merit separate listing. | ||
| Topnaar | The Topnaar or #Aonin people speak Khoekhoegowab, but enough common names have been recorded as 'Topnaar' to merit separate listing. | ||
| Bushman group | Spoken at home by 1.2% of Namibia's population. Many 'Bushman languages' are insufficiently known outside their own communities, and some languages are in danger of becoming extinct. (Note: Most individuals we have met have called themselves 'Bushman', and found the academic term 'San', based as it is on a derogatory Khoekhoegowab word, less acceptable.) | ||
| !Kung | A cluster of four more or less mutually intelligible languages spoken in northeastern Namibia and neighbouring areas of Angola and Botswana. | ||
| Ju'/hoan | |||
| !'O-!Khung | |||
| !Xung | |||
| #Kx'au//ein | |||
| Kxoe | A language spoken in western Caprivi and adjacent areas of Botswana. | ||
| Naro | An endangered language spoken in central eastern Namibia and adjacent areas of Botswana. | ||
| !Xóõ | An endangered language spoken in central eastern Namibia and adjacent areas of Botswana. | ||
| INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGES | |||
| English group | Spoken at home by 1.9% of Namibia's population, English is our official language. | ||
| English | Namibian English common names often shun standard English names and borrow from other Namibian languages instead, e.g. 'Kokerboom' instead of 'Quiver Tree', and 'Toktokkie' instead of 'Darkling Beetle'. | ||
| Afrikaans group | Spoken at home by 11.4% of Namibia's population. | ||
| Afrikaans | Namibian Afrikaans used to be a recognisable dialect, but the homogenising effect of written and electronic media from South Africa is changing this. Some species have local names differing from those in standard Afrikaans, e.g. 'Duitse Vlag' instead of 'Rooiborslaksman' or 'Tier' instead of 'Luiperd'. | ||
| German group | Spoken at home by 1.1% of Namibia's population. Namibia was a German colony from 1896 to 1914. | ||
| Deutsch | Namibian German is recognisably different from standard German, and local common names often differ as well, e.g. 'Dickpens' instead of 'Stabheuschrecke'. | ||