Ndebele
Americannoun
plural
Ndebeles,plural
Ndebele-
Also called Matabele. a member of a Nguni people of the Transvaal and Zimbabwe.
-
the Bantu language of these people.
noun
-
a member of a Negroid people of Zimbabwe See also Matabele
-
the language of this people, belonging to the Bantu grouping of the Niger-Congo family
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The ancient Ndebele interacted with the nomadic San, whose descendants still live in some parts of Zimbabwe and in South Africa.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 27, 2024
Two languages — Navajo and Ndebele — once all but forbidden by conquerors, and given full throat.
From New York Times • Feb. 24, 2023
Chris speaks English but neither of Zimbabwe's two main local languages, Shona or Ndebele.
From BBC • Jul. 27, 2021
Traditionally, Ndebele women painted colourful geometric patterns on the outside of their homes, often representing important events such as weddings.
From The Guardian • Nov. 22, 2020
At the time, black South Africans outnumbered white South Africans nearly five to one, yet we were divided into different tribes with different languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Sotho, Venda, Ndebele, Tsonga, Pedi, and more.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
