Tonga

Bantu language of Zambia and Zimbabwe

Also known as Tonga language · Chitonga · Zambezi

Speakers: 1,270,000
Subclass of: Botatwe
Script: Latin script
Indigenous to: Southern Province
, Midlands Province
, Matabeleland North Province
+1 more

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Tonga (Chitonga), also known as Zambezi, is a Bantu language primarily spoken by the Tonga people who live mainly in the Southern province, Lusaka province, Central Province and Western province of Zambia, and in northern Zimbabwe. The language is also spoken by the Iwe, Toka and Leya people among others, as well as many bilingual Zambians and Zimbabweans. In Zambia Tonga is taught in schools as first language in the whole of Southern Province, Lusaka and Central Provinces.

Overview

Works in this language

3 linked to Tonga in Wikidata

All data

34 statements · 29% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Ethnologue language status: 2 Provincial
1
Sources
1.Stated in Ethnologueethnologue.com/language/toiRetrieved 2019-05-10
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Country: Zambia
1
Sources
1.“ScriptSource - Zambia”scriptsource.org/country/ZMRetrieved 2023-08-21
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Zimbabwe
1
Sources
1.“ScriptSource - Zimbabwe”scriptsource.org/country/ZWRetrieved 2023-08-21
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Different from: Tonga language
Tongan

On other databases

18 identifiers linking Tonga across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

29%

externally sourced

Source last edited October 18, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

Suggest a fact or correction

Links

Use this data

curl https://aidb.si/api/v1/entities/Q34101

API docs, limits & keys

Cite this page

AIDB. (2026). Tonga (Q34101). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/tonga-Q34101