my sister speaks Xhosa
Feb. 13th, 2006 07:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jes5199jes: 'The word Ubuntu means "humanity to others" in several African languages, including Zulu and Xhosa' (quoth the register)
i'm wondering if that's true, and how it's possible
Heather: The word pretty much means "people."
In isiXhosa, abantu means "people" (same as ubuntu, with a little linguistic evolution) Hence the term, "bantu languages." The deal is, all these languages, Xhosa, Zulu, etc., came from the same place (exactly where is debated). So the word "people" has stayed pretty much the same in all of them.
As in, us, the french, the italians, and the spanish all use the word "human" or some variation thereof.
to say it means being nice to others is a stretch. You could say the word "human" means "kindness" but it doesn't really, except in poetic terms.
i'm wondering if that's true, and how it's possible
Heather: The word pretty much means "people."
In isiXhosa, abantu means "people" (same as ubuntu, with a little linguistic evolution) Hence the term, "bantu languages." The deal is, all these languages, Xhosa, Zulu, etc., came from the same place (exactly where is debated). So the word "people" has stayed pretty much the same in all of them.
As in, us, the french, the italians, and the spanish all use the word "human" or some variation thereof.
to say it means being nice to others is a stretch. You could say the word "human" means "kindness" but it doesn't really, except in poetic terms.
