Which language is closest to Zulu?

Northern Ndebele languages
The Zulu migrant population has taken it to neighboring regions, particularly Zimbabwe, where the Northern Ndebele language (isiNdebele) is closely related to Zulu. Xhosa, the predominant language of the Eastern Cape, is often considered mutually intelligible with Zulu, as is Northern Ndebele.

Is Ndebele a dialect of Zulu or Nguni?

The Northern and Southern Ndebele languages both fall into the Nguni group of Bantu languages. Northern Ndebele is essentially a dialect of Zulu, and the older Southern Ndebele language falls within another subgroup.

Are Zulus from Zimbabwe?

Ndebele, also called Ndebele of Zimbabwe, or Ndebele Proper, formerly Matabele, Bantu-speaking people of southwestern Zimbabwe who now live primarily around the city of Bulawayo. They arose early in the 19th century as an offshoot of the Nguni in Natal.

Can you replace Ndebele words with Zulu words?

There are some words that are not in Ndebele but are in Zulu (and vice versa), but many Ndebele words can be replaced by Zulu words and understood. But I don't know many Zulu words that can be replaced by Ndebele words. In a sense, Ndebele vocab has a mixture of Ndebele and Zulu, but Zulu is usually strictly Zulu.

Grammar. Ndebele grammar is similar to that of Zulu, with some distinct differences, such as in words with a "tsh-" in isiNdebele but an "sh-" in isiZulu. Northern Ndebele is a Nguni language and is also to some extent mutually intelligible with Xhosa, the predominant language of the Eastern Cape.

Who are the Northern Ndebele people of Zimbabwe?

This is because the northern Ndebele people of Zimbabwe are descended from followers of the Zulu leader Mzilikazi (one of Zulu King Shaka's generals), who left the Zulu kingdom in the early 19th century under Mfecane, arriving in present-day Zimbabwe in 1839.

What was the social structure of the Ndebele?

The social organization of the Ndebele people was rigidly governed by rules of service and hierarchy inherited from Shaka's reforms among the Zulus. Other subjugated peoples, such as in Mashonaland, were treated harshly; their lives and property were subject to the king's control and could be disturbed at any time by raids or demands for tribute.