– Xitsonga language is older than Xitswa language.
– Xitsonga language is older than Xironga language.
– Xitswa and Xizronga are standardized languages just like Xitsonga.
– The missionaries standardized Xitsonga before standardising both Xitswa and Xironga.
– In 1875
The swiss missionaries by the names: Paul Berthoud and Ernest Creux arrived in Tonga(Magwamba) land, present day Limpopo.
– Where they established Valdezia.
– They selected only 1 Thonga dialect out of more than 8 Thonga dialect that were there in Limpopo, to form old Xitsonga language in 1878.
– And that special dialect they selected was not Xitswa and it wasn’t Xironga.
1. Xitsonga
So, those swiss missionaries made Xitsonga language in 1878.
In 1883
– Paul Berthoud and Ernest Creux published first written Xitsonga book in 1883 at Valdezia.
In 1887, Xironga
– The same swiss missionaries Paul Berthoud and Ernest Creux from Limpopo arrived in Tonga(Varhonga) land, present day Maputo.
– They established their own mission station there.
In 1889
Another Swiss missionary by the name H.A Junod from Thonga(Magwamba) land in Limpopo arrived in Thonga(Varhonga) in Maputo in 1889.
– These missionaries selected only 2 dialects out of more than 10 Tonga dialects there to form old Xironga language.
– H.A Junod published first Xironga written book in 1894.
2. Xironga
Those swiss missionaries made Xironga language in 1890s at Rikatla, Romonde Swiss mission.
In 1928
The Swedish missionaries selected certain dialects out of more than 4 Thonga dialect in west of Inhambane to form a language called Xitswa.
– Swedish missionary by the name J.A Persson published first Xitswa written book in 1928.- So, the Swedish missionaries made Xitswa language in 1928 by combining different dialects.
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