Venda Language - Writing System

Writing System

The Venda language uses the Latin alphabet with five additional accented letters—there are four dental consonants with circumflex below the letter (ḓ, ḽ, ṋ, ṱ) and an overdot for velar . Five vowel letters are used to write seven vowels. The letters C, J and Q are used only in quoting foreign words and names.

The Venda alphabet
A a B b (C c) D d Ḓ ḓ E e F f G g
H h I i (J j) K k L l Ḽ ḽ M m N n
Ṋ ṋ Ṅ ṅ O o P p (Q q) R r S s T t
Ṱ ṱ U u V v W w X x Y y Z z

Venda distinguishes dental ṱ, ṱh, ḓ, ṋ, ḽ from alveolar t, th, d, n, l, as well as (like Ewe) labiodental f, v from bilabial fh, vh (the latter are slightly rounded). There are no clicks; x has the sound of ch in loch or Bach. As in other South African languages like Zulu, ph, ṱh, th, kh are aspirated, p, ṱ, t, k ejective.

t̪ʰ kʷʰ
t̪ʼ pʷʼ
b d ɡ
pfʰ tsʰ tsʷʰ tʃʰ
bv dz dzʷ
ɸ f s ʃ x h
β v z ʒ
m n ɲ ŋ ŋʷ
l
r
j w

There is fortition of /ɸ β s ʃ x h l̪ l r w/ after nasal prefixes, likely to .

letter(s) value(s) in IPA notes
a ,
b
bv
bw or Varies by dialect
d
dz
dzh Similar to English "j"
dzw
e ,
f
fh
g
h , Pronounced before e.
hw
i
k
kh
khw
l
m , M is syllabic, when the following syllable begins with m.
n , N is syllabic, when the following syllable begins with n.
ng
ny
nz
ṅw
o ,
p
ph
pf
pfh
r
s
sh
sw
t
th
ts
tsh
tsw
ty
ṱh
u
v
vh
w
x Similar to the ch in Scottish 'loch.'
xw
y
z
zh
zw

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