Zulu English

Zulu English is a variety of English, spoken almost exclusively in South Africa among the Zulu. The variety is heavily influenced by the phonology and lexicon of the Zulu.

Phonology

• The met–mate merger is a phenomenon occurring for some speakers of Zulu English where /eɪ/ and /ɛ/ are both pronounced /ɛ/. As a result, the words "met" and "mate" are homophonous as /mɛt/. ^[1]

• The cot–coat merger is a phenomenon occurring for some speakers of Zulu English where the phonemes /ɒ/ and /oʊ/ are not distinguished.^[2]

• Confusion between /ʃ/ and /tʃ/ also occurs: it is reported that /tʃ/ is sometimes replaced by /ʃ/, so ship may be pronounced like chip. ^[3]

• Devoicing of certain obstruents, particularly /b/, /d/, /k/, /dZ/ and /z/. ^[4]

References

1. Wade, R., The structural characteristics of Zulu English. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517054614/
2. Wade, R., The structural characteristics of Zulu English. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517054614/
3. Wade, R., The structural characteristics of Zulu English. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517054614/
4. Wade, R., The structural characteristics of Zulu English. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517054614/