- • A TikToker went viral after posting a video comparing word patterns in Shona and isiXhosa, pointing out striking linguistic similarities
- • The creator highlighted how Shona and isiXhosa are different, yet both languages share recognisable root words
- • Viewers flooded the comments with corrections, additions and their own language comparisons, turning the clip into a lively debate
A TikToker known as @bantubison stopped many South Africans in their tracks on 16 October 2026 with a video breaking down something most people had never thought about. He looked at just how closely related isiXhosa and Shona, the Zimbabwean language, actually sound.
Source: TikTok
Filmed in a backyard beside a yellow house, the creator laid out a simple but fascinating observation. IsiXhosa words rarely begin with R, while Shona words rarely carry an L sound. Where one language has an L, the other tends to swap it for an R, and the rest of the word stays remarkably similar.
To prove the point, the video flashed side-by-side comparisons of words from both languages. The Shona word for elephant, Nzou, was paired alongside the isiXhosa iNdlovu. The Shona word TsvaiRa mirrors the isiXhosa TshayeLa. Word after word, the pattern held, with the creator calling the two languages "crazy cousins."
The clip by @bantubison quickly drew a wave of responses, many of them corrections. Several isiXhosa speakers pushed back on the claim that the language avoids R entirely. Watch the full comparison video here:
Mzansi weighs in on Shona vs Xhosa debate
The comments section became a classroom of its own, with viewers sharing their own examples and knowledge:
@Liiv Speelman said:
"Oh, that's why 'mdala' is 'mdara'."
@Ntokazi Jojo wrote:
"We have R in isiXhosa, but our R are coupled with h. That is why we have the great Xhosa king called Rharhabe, also Nelson Mandela's name, Rholihlahla. Also, when we say have a sip, we say Rhabula. I think you wanted to say it in Zulu because Zulu doesn't have an R.""
@Praise_Thendo added:
"Haibo, Shona and Venda are literally cousin guys. I'm Venda, and I fully understand Shona, so I think Venda is the best example, not isiXhosa, ningandithuki bethina andina tata [don't insult me, I have no father]."
@user8129737953688 noted:
"Mholo in Xhosa and Mhoro in Shona."
@Alu offered some context:
"I think many people in the comments are missing the point. The problem is that you're understanding the point from a western perspective. 'Rh' is not a letter, it's a sound, it's phonetic. So the point about R still stands."
Other Briefly News stories about indigenous languages
- Cape Town content creator @inwonder_mathaboraselo sparked widespread conversation after posting an Instagram reel urging white South Africans to learn indigenous languages like isiXhosa, isiZulu, or isiNdebele.
- Popular American comedian Kevin Fredericks (@kevonstage) posted an Instagram video expressing his amazement at South Africans' effortless ability to switch between indigenous languages and English mid-sentence while watching local series like The Polygamist.
- Sakhile Dube from St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, went viral on Instagram after sharing an educational breakdown explaining the three primary click sounds (c, q, and x) in isiZulu.
Source: Briefly News
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