Mountain in Zulu

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Howick Falls, KZN Province, South Africa.

A mountain is intaba in Zulu. Many mountains izintaba. 

Kwa Zulu, where this language comes from is so beautiful, it stopped Princess Mkabayi, King Shaka’s great aunt from marrying a certain king. Zinhl’izintaba zakwa Zulu she told him. Translate that to, my land has beautiful mountains.

I appreciate mountains because I live in a non-mountain province, just miles and miles of grassland. Switzerland is famous for mountains but Africa also has spectacular mountains.

Mountains don’t have a border. Take Lesotho and South Africa for example. Mountains called uKhahlamba in KZN province are called Maluti in the country called Lesotho.

I-nta-ba. You say the first part like email, the second like tantamount and the last like baba. I-zi-nta-ba. You say the second part like zinc.

ZULU

ENGLISH

Zinhle izintaba zase Alberta.

Alberta Mountains are beautiful.

Zinhle izintaba zaKwaZulu.

KZN Mountains are beautiful.

Intaba iDenali ise-Alaska.

Denali Mountain is in Alaska.

Bakhuphuka izintaba.

They are hikers.

Bawela izintaba befuna uthando.

They climbed mountains looking for love.

Iyiphi intaba ephakeme kakhulu?

What is the highest mountain?

Izintaba kazifani.

Mountains are not the same.

Izintaba zo-Khahlamba zitholakala KwaZulu.

Drankensberg Mountains are found in KZN.

A-Maluti izintaba zase Lesotho.

Maluti Mountains are found in Lesotho.

Untaba kayi-khonjwa.

He is a mountain you cannot point.  Meaning? We are afraid of him.


This is another ‘written podcast’ by Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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