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The Herero language (Helelo, ''Otjiherero'') is a language of the Bantu family (Niger–Congo group). It is spoken by the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu in Namibia (206,000) and Botswana as well as by small communities in southwestern Angola. There are a quarter million speakers.〔 ==Overview== Its linguistic distribution covers a zone called Hereroland: this zone is constituted of the region of Omaheke, along with the regions of Otjozondjupa and Kunene. The Ovahimba, who are related to the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu people, speak a dialect very close to the Otjiherero language. In Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, there exists a considerable minority of hererophones. Because of missionary Gottlieb Viehe's (1839–1901) translation of the Bible into Herero at the end of the 19th century, the spoken language was transcribed to an alphabet based on the Latin script. Father Peter Heinrich Brincker (1836–1904) translated several theological works and songs. Otjiherero is taught in Namibian schools both as a native tongue and as a secondary language, and is included as a principal material at the University of Namibia. Otjiherero is also one of the six minority languages that are used by the Namibian State Radio (NBC). Gamsberg Macmillan, , has published the only dictionary in Otjiherero. The Hakaona variety is now considered a separate language, as sometimes is Zemba (''Otjizemba'').〔(Bantu Classification ), Ehret, 2009.〕 Maho (200) also removes Kuvale to Bantu Zone R.10, while differentiating North-West Herero (Kaokoland Herero, including Zemba and presumably Himba and Hakaona), R.311, and Botswana Herero (including Mahalapye Herero), R.312, as distinct from but closely related to Herero proper. Within Herero proper, he recognizes two dialects, Central Herero and Mbandero (East Herero). Northwest/Zemba is found on either side of the Namibian–Angolan border. Central Herero covers a large area in central Namibia, with East Herero a few islands to the east but still in Namibia. Botswana Herero consists of a few scattered islands in Botswana, with about 15% the population of Herero proper.〔 ''Ethnologue'' separates Zimba as a distinct language, but retains Himba, East Herero and Botswana Herero within the Herero language. However, it no longer recognizes Kuvale as a dialect,〔Compare with 〕 though it has not set it up on its own or under a different language. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Herero language」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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