Bantu mutual intelligibility

[Otto Kretschmer]

Which Bantu languages are mutually intelligible with each other?

[Creyeditor]

Might be difficult because some areas where Bantu languages are spoken exhibit varying degrees of multilingualism.

[WeepingElf]

There are lots of Bantu languages, so Otto's question is simply too generic to answer!

[zompist]

There are about 400 Narrow Bantu languages. One way to get an idea of how languages differ is to look at translations of the Lord's Prayer, as these are readily available. E.g. a few well-known Bantu languages are shown below. (This is from quick Googling, so I make no promises about the quality of the translations.)

Besides the phonological resemblances, it's pretty hard to see any relatedness at all. (The languages are related, and probably a Bantuist could point out cognates. But cognates don't mean mutual intelligibility; otherwise all IE speakers could understand each other!)

Zulu (Zone S)

Baba wethu osezulwini,
malingcweliswe igama lakho;
mawufike umbuso wakho;
mayenziwe intando yakho
emhlabeni njengasezulwini;
usiphe namuhla isinkwa sethu semihla ngemihla;
usithethelele amacala ethu,
njengalokhu nathi sibathethelela abanecala kithi;
ungasingenisi ekulingweni,
kodwa usikhulule kokubi;
ngokuba umbuso ungowakho,
namandla, nenkazimulo, kuze kubephakade.

Swahili (Zone G)

Baba Yetu uliye mbinguni, Jina lako litukuzwe;
Ufalme wako ufike,
Utakalo lifanyike
Duniani kama mbinguni.
Utupe leo mkate wetu wa kila siku,
Utusamehe makosa yetu,
Kama nasi tunavyowasamehe waliotukosea.
Usitutie katika kishawishi,
Lakini utuopoe maovuni.

Lingala (Zone C)

Tatá na bísó, ya Likoló,
Nkómbó ya Yɔ́ ezala na lokumo,
Bokonzi na Yɔ́ eya,
Nioso Yɔ́ olingi esalama awa na nsé
Ndenge esalamaka na likoló
Pésa bísó lɛlɔ́ biléi oyo ekoki
límbisa bísó mabé tosali yo,
lokóla bísó pe tolimbisi mabe basali bísó.
Kotika monguna ameka bísó tê
Kasi bikisa bíkisa bísó na mabé
Po bokonzi, nguya, pe lokumu ezali ya yo seko.

Kinyarwanda (Zone J)

Dawe uli mu ijuru,
Izina lyawe lyubahwe,
Ingoma yawe yogere hose.
Icyo ushaka gikorwe mu ijuru,
Nk'uko gikorwa mu ijuru.
Ifunguro lidutunga uliduhe none,
Utubabalire ibicumuro byacu.
Nk'uko natwe tubabalira abaducumuyeho.
Ntudutereranee mu bitwoshya Ahubwo udukize icyago.

[zompist]

Oh, as a bonus, one more from Zone S. Compare to Zulu.

Setswana (Zone S)

Rara wa rona yo o kwa legodimong,
leina ja gago a le itshepisiwe,
puso ya gago a e tle,
thato ya gago a e dirwe mo lefatsheng jaaka kwa legodimong.
O re fe gompieno bogobe jwa rona jwa malatsi,
O re itshwarele dibe rona
jaaka le rona re itshwarela ba ba re leofetseng,
O se ka wa re isa mo thaelong,
mme O re golole mo bosuleng.

[Raphael]

Interesting, though I'm not sure how many of those differences might be due to different translators choosing different words to express similar concepts.

Independent of all this, one problem with mutual intelligibility is that it might well depend, in some cases, on whether people are speaking hastily or slowly and carefully.

[Otto Kretschmer]

Zulu and Xhosa are certainly very similar, like German and Dutch or even Swedish and Norwegian.

Zulu and Sotho are further away, like German and Icelandic.

Swahili is gibberish for Zulu speakers. It's like listening to Russian.

At least that's how things look like for Southern Bantu speakers

[Creyeditor]

If you are looking for closely related languages in contact you could look at Nguni languages in more detail.

Also, for me as a German, spoken Icelandic is gibberish.

[Raphael]

Also, for me as a German, spoken Icelandic is gibberish.

Same.

[Otto Kretschmer]

If you are looking for closely related languages in contact you could look at Nguni languages in more detail.

Also, for me as a German, spoken Icelandic is gibberish.

The eastern Bantu languages do share more cognates since they are from a more recent wave of migration

[hwhatting]

Swahili (Zone G)
Baba Yetu uliye mbinguni, Jina lako litukuzwe;
Ufalme wako ufike,
Utakalo lifanyike
Duniani kama mbinguni.
Utupe leo mkate wetu wa kila siku,
Utusamehe makosa yetu,
Kama nasi tunavyowasamehe waliotukosea.
Usitutie katika kishawishi,
Lakini utuopoe maovuni.

Oh, that's what the song is about..

[zompist]

Oh, that's what the song is about..

I assume you're referring to the song in Civilization 4, by Christopher Tin? Yes, it's the Lord's Prayer, but the wording Tin uses is different and can be found here.