11. WORLD: Although English is Zambia's official language, there are various minority languages recognized in the country, such as Bemba, Nyanja, and Lozi. Of which major language group are these part?
From Quiz Ten Categories of Zambia
Answer:
Bantu
Bantu languages are a subgroup of the Niger-Congo group, and are spoken throughout the region of eastern, central, and southern Africa. Estimates differ, but sources count 200-500+ separate Bantu languages, with much debate about what comprises a dialect and what a separate language.
Bemba, or ChiBemba, has about 3.5 million speakers, and is Zambia's most commonly spoken Bantu language. It has many dialects, including Chisinga and Ngoma. The Bemba people comprise Zambia's largest ethnic group. Nyanja, or Chewa, is the official language of Malawi, and has about 11.5 million speakers. In Lusaka, Zambia's capital, the lingua franca is an urbanized dialect of Nyanja. Lozi, or SiLozi, has around half a million speakers, and is a hybrid of the languages of two tribes, Kololo and Luyana, who settled in Zambia from other regions of Africa.