The Jeliya catalogue uses siSwati / Swati. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language as Swati (swat1243). Its ISO 639-3 code is ssw. [1]
Draft — awaiting native-speaker review
A Nguni language spoken in Eswatini and South Africa.
Opening retained from the existing catalogue; awaiting editorial and speaker review.The Jeliya catalogue uses siSwati / Swati. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language as Swati (swat1243). Its ISO 639-3 code is ssw. [1]
Glottolog associates this record with the following country codes: LS, MZ, SZ, ZA. Catalogue locations do not enumerate diaspora or second-language use. [1]
No dated, scope-checked speaker estimate has been approved for this page.
The catalogue classification follows this sequence: Atlantic-Congo → Volta-Congo → Benue-Congo → Bantoid → Southern Bantoid → Narrow Bantu → East Bantu → Southern Bantu → Nuclear Southern Bantu → Dimsuffix Southern Bantu → Nguni-Tsonga-Copi → Nguni (S.40) → Nuclear Nguni → Southern Ndebele-Lowland → Swatic. [1]
The Glottolog bibliography includes a linguistic description attributed to Merensky, Alexander and Grutzner, [?] 1861 and a more recent one attributed to Ilunga, Mpunga Wa 1996. These are publication dates, not language origins. [1]
Latin spelling is conjunctive for complex verbs and generally unmarked for tone. Keep Swati-specific forms distinct from Zulu.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.PanSALB provides a national spelling and orthography resource collection. A language-specific rule, edition date and regional scope must be checked before it is applied to a learner’s answer. [2]
Five vowel qualities, high/low tone and depressor effects. Dental clicks occur, with a different inventory from isiZulu/isiXhosa; do not copy their entire click chart.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.A reviewed alphabet, sound-by-sound IPA guide and reference recordings are still needed.
Awaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
SVO, Nguni noun-class concord, augment vowels and verbal derivation.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Standard siSwati
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Named child varieties in this record include Lala (Nguni), Nhlangwini, Siswati. These labels do not select Jeliya’s teaching variety. [1]
An entry separates the headword, part of speech, senses and cited examples. A variant is another documented form; a synonym is a different word with a related meaning. Derived expressions can have their own entry. Follow source links and variety tags before using a form.
Search the everyday spelling and check tone-marked forms. ɛ, ɔ, ɲ and ŋ are letters, not removable accents. Search tolerance does not mean two spellings are the same word. Save an entry to keep its stable identity in your wordbook.
Open the dictionaryAwaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
Editorial adaptation: Jeliya
Language reviewer: awaiting appointment
Last revision: 10/12/2026
Harald Hammarström, Robert Forkel, Martin Haspelmath and Sebastian Bank
CC BY 4.0
Source checked: 10/12/2026Pan South African Language Board
Source checked: 10/12/2026Ilunga, Mpunga Wa 1996
Source checked: 10/12/2026