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Zulu English is a form of South African English.

The limited literature on Zulu English which includes (Bailey ms; Lanham 1984; Buthelezi 1989; Jacobs 1994) suggests that Black South African English (BSAE), including Zulu English, differs significantly from White South African English (WSAE) phonetically, phonologically, and prosodically.

The vowel system of English in general, presents most difficulties to Zulu speakers as the complex system of English vowels contrasts with the relatively simple Zulu vowel system. The variety of South African English that is so-called 'Respectable' WSAE (one of three varieties of White South African English distinguished by Lass [1990: 272] following Lanham [1967]), is typical of varieties of <84> English originating in the south of England in being non-rhotic, having the trap-bath split; and in distinguishing between short and long (often diphthongal) vowels. According to Lass (1990) Respectable WSAE, in addition to its 13 simple vowels (including the unstressed schwa /@/ and the vowels in DRESS /e/ and SQUARE /e@/), has a further seven diphthongs:

• 1. FACE /eI/ 2. PRICE /aI/
• 3. CHOICE /OI/ 4. NEAR /I@/
• 5. CURE /U@/ 6. GOAT /oU/
• 7. MOUTH /aU/

The IPA symbols used to represent the phonological system of WSAE are not intended to indicate the exact phonetic quality of the vowels in WSAE. The use of capitalised representative words (such as the "trap" vowel, the "bath" vowel etc.) provides a convenient way of referring to phonemic classes in WSAE and ZE (cf. Wells 1982).

The vowel chart shown below (Figure. 1) represents the vowel system of Respectable WSAE. Those sounds only occurring as part of a diphthong sequence are in square brackets: Vowel chart depicting the vowel system of Respectable WSAE.

By contrast the vowel system of Zulu (Figure 2.), in common with those of the other indigenous South African languages, is considerably simpler: there are five simple vowels and, significantly, no central vowels or diphthongs. The mid vowels /E/ and /�/ have raised allophones [e] and [o] (Bailey ms).<85>

• http://www.und.ac.za/und/ling/archive/wade_ch4.html