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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Education

African Languages Knowledge Quiz: Test Yourself

Explore Native Tongues Through Interactive Quiz

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art promoting an African Languages Knowledge Quiz

Welcome to the African languages quiz designed to challenge your understanding of language diversity across the continent. Students, teachers, and language enthusiasts can explore vocabulary, language families, and writing systems in this interactive practice test. Test your knowledge with 15 multiple-choice questions that cover dialects, tonal patterns, and pronunciation. This quiz can be freely modified in our editor, just like the South African Slang Quiz and Knowledge Assessment Quiz . Discover more quizzes to continue your language learning journey.

Which of these is the largest African language family by number of languages?
Niger-Congo
Afro-Asiatic
Nilo-Saharan
Khoisan
The Niger-Congo language family is the largest in Africa, encompassing over 1,500 languages widespread across sub-Saharan Africa. It includes diverse languages such as Swahili, Yoruba, and Zulu. None of the other families matches its size or geographic reach.
Which of the following is an example of an Afro-Asiatic language?
Amharic
Swahili
Zulu
Igbo
Afro-Asiatic is a major family that includes Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia. Swahili and Zulu belong to the Niger-Congo family, and Igbo is also a Niger-Congo language. This makes Amharic the correct Afro-Asiatic example.
Which of these is a Bantu language?
Swahili
Yoruba
Hausa
Arabic
Swahili is a widely spoken Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family. Yoruba is Niger-Congo but falls under the Volta-Niger branch, while Hausa and Arabic are Afro-Asiatic languages. This clearly identifies Swahili as the Bantu option.
Which language uses the Ge'ez script for its writing system?
Amharic
Somali
Swahili
Hausa
The Ge'ez script, also called Ethiopic, is used primarily for writing Amharic in Ethiopia. Somali and Swahili use Latin-based alphabets, and Hausa commonly uses a Latin orthography or Arabic Ajami. Thus, Amharic is the correct language using Ge'ez.
What does the Swahili greeting 'Jambo' mean in English?
Hello
Goodbye
Thank you
Please
'Jambo' is a common Swahili greeting meaning 'Hello.' It is used to welcome or acknowledge someone in informal and formal contexts. Other greetings like 'Kwaheri' mean 'Goodbye.'
Khoisan languages are particularly known for which of the following phonetic features?
Click consonants
Tonal pitch accent
Vowel harmony
Consonant clusters
Khoisan languages feature click consonants as a distinguishing characteristic, produced by creating suction in the mouth. They are one of the few language groups globally known for a large inventory of clicks. The other features are more typical of different African families.
Which African language utilizes a three-tone system distinguishing high, mid, and low tones?
Yoruba
Igbo
Hausa
Zulu
Yoruba employs a three-level tonal system of high, mid, and low tones to distinguish meaning. Igbo and Hausa generally use two-tone systems, while Zulu is non-tonal. Tone is integral to Yoruba phonology and lexical distinction.
The Tifinagh script is traditionally used to write which language family in Africa?
Berber languages
Nilotic languages
Cushitic languages
Bantu languages
Tifinagh is the ancient script used by the Tuareg people to write Berber languages. Nilotic, Cushitic, and Bantu languages employ other scripts such as Latin or Ge'ez. Tifinagh remains a cultural symbol for Berber identity.
Which of the following African languages is non-tonal?
Zulu
Yoruba
Igbo
Shona
Zulu does not use lexical tone to distinguish word meaning, unlike Yoruba, Igbo, and Shona, which all rely on tone. Zulu uses stress and intonation patterns instead. This non-tonal trait sets it apart from many Niger-Congo languages.
What is a distinctive feature of noun class systems found in many Bantu languages?
Use of noun prefixes indicating classes
Postpositional case marking
Vowel length distinctions
Consonant mutation
Bantu noun class systems use affixal prefixes on nouns that mark semantic and grammatical categories. These prefixes trigger agreement on adjectives, verbs, and other parts of speech. The other features listed are not central to Bantu classification.
In Igbo, words like 'akwa' with different tones meaning 'cloth' and 'egg' illustrate what concept?
Minimal pairs
Homonyms
Allophones
Cognates
These are minimal pairs because they differ only in tonal pattern, which changes the meaning of the same segmental form. They are not homonyms since homonyms share both sound and tone but differ in meaning. Allophones and cognates relate to other linguistic phenomena.
Which Swahili phrase translates to 'Thank you very much'?
Asante sana
Karibu sana
Habari yako
Tafadhali
'Asante sana' directly translates as 'thank you very much' in Swahili. 'Karibu sana' means 'you're very welcome,' 'Habari yako' means 'how are you,' and 'Tafadhali' means 'please.' This phrase expresses gratitude emphatically.
Arabic as spoken in North Africa is considered which of the following in terms of tone?
Non-tonal
Tonal
Pitch-accent
Complex tone
Arabic dialects in North Africa do not use lexical tone to distinguish meaning, classifying them as non-tonal. They rely on consonant and vowel patterns instead. Tone systems are characteristic of many Sub-Saharan languages, not Arabic.
The Ge'ez script used for languages like Amharic is classified typologically as what kind of writing system?
Abugida
Abjad
Alphabet
Syllabary
Ge'ez is an abugida, where each character represents a consonant-vowel sequence and vowels are denoted by modifications to a base consonant symbol. An abjad writes primarily consonants, while an alphabet represents consonants and vowels equally. Syllabaries assign unique symbols to full syllables.
Which morphological pattern is characteristic of Semitic languages such as Amharic?
Root-and-pattern morphology
Strictly agglutinative suffixation
Isolating word structure
Click-infused morphology
Semitic languages like Amharic use root-and-pattern morphology, intertwining consonantal roots with vocalic patterns to form words. Agglutinative suffixation is more typical of Bantu or Turkic languages. Click-infused morphology is unrelated and found in some Khoisan languages.
In Yoruba, the pair 'ó' (he/she/it) and 'ò' (you tell) demonstrates which linguistic phenomenon?
Tonal minimal pairs
Vowel harmony
Consonant cluster reduction
Aspirated versus unaspirated stops
This example shows tonal minimal pairs, where tone alone differentiates meaning between identical segmental forms. Yoruba uses tone lexically, so slight pitch changes can create entirely different words. The other phenomena listed do not apply to this contrast.
Which feature distinguishes noun class agreement in Bantu languages from gender agreement in Indo-European languages?
Presence of numerous noun classes marked by prefixes
Absence of agreement on adjectives
Restriction to two genders
Use of case endings instead of agreement
Bantu languages commonly have many noun classes marked by prefix morphemes that govern agreement across the sentence. Indo-European gender systems typically have two or three genders marked by articles and adjective endings. The other properties listed do not capture this key distinction.
The Arabic script is typologically classified as which type of writing system?
Abjad
Alphabet
Abugida
Logographic
Arabic is an abjad, where primarily consonants are represented and vowels may be optionally indicated with diacritics. An alphabet writes both consonants and vowels equally, while abugidas denote consonant-vowel units. Logographic systems use symbols for whole words or morphemes, unlike Arabic.
Fula (Fulfulde) exhibits which type of vowel harmony system?
Advanced tongue root (ATR) harmony
Tone-based harmony
Vowel length harmony
Nasal harmony
Fula languages use an ATR harmony system, where vowels are grouped by tongue root position, affecting suffixes and verb morphology. They do not primarily employ tone to harmonize vowels. Vowel length and nasal harmony are independent phenomena not central to Fula's system.
What is the correct English translation of the Swahili sentence 'Watoto wanacheza'?
The children are playing
The child sings
They dance
The women run
'Watoto' means 'children', and 'wanacheza' is present tense 'they are playing' in Swahili. Together, the sentence translates to 'The children are playing.' The other options do not match the verb or plural subject.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify major African language families and examples
  2. Analyse distinguishing features of selected languages
  3. Evaluate tonal vs. non-tonal language characteristics
  4. Demonstrate understanding of writing systems
  5. Apply basic vocabulary in sample contexts

Cheat Sheet

  1. Major African Language Families - Africa is home to four huge language clans: Niger - Congo, Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan and Khoisan. Each group has its own flavor, from Swahili's smooth rhythms to the clicky beats of Khoisan tongues. Dive into their unique traits and see how they connect across the continent. Explore the Niger - Congo family
  2. The Mande Languages - The Mande branch of the Niger - Congo family thrives in West Africa with languages like Bambara and Mandinka. Known for straightforward tone patterns and rich oral traditions, they offer fascinating cultural insights. Discover Mande languages
  3. Afroasiatic Family - Spanning North Africa to the Middle East, this family includes Arabic and Amharic, famous for consonant-heavy roots and diverse grammar. Ancient scripts meet modern usage in vibrant linguistic landscapes. Learn about Afroasiatic
  4. Bantu Languages - A sprawling subgroup with noun class magic and prefix power, Bantu languages like Swahili and Zulu change meaning with neat little code tweaks. Get ready for an elegant system that's built to flex. Unpack Bantu structures
  5. Omotic Languages - Predominantly spoken in Ethiopia, Omotic tongues feature melodic tone patterns and agglutinative morphology that strings words together like beads on a necklace. Bench is a prime example to start your exploration. Explore Omotic languages
  6. Tonal vs Non-Tonal - In tonal languages you sing your sentences - pitch changes meaning like "ma" with a high tone vs low tone. Non-tonal tongues like Swahili rely on word order and context instead of pitch. Check out tone basics
  7. Writing Systems of Africa - While the Latin script covers many, indigenous scripts like Geʽez for Amharic or N'Ko for Mande add ancient vibes. Scripts shape both how words look and how they're learned. See Geʽez script
  8. Basic African Vocabulary - Kick off with greetings like "jambo" in Swahili, "sawubona" in Zulu or "sannu" in Hausa. Mastering simple words unlocks phonetics, culture, and friendly conversation starters. Hear Zulu greetings
  9. Click Consonants - Khoisan languages such as ǃKung incorporate click sounds that feel like mouth percussion. Practice a "tsk" click and you're already on your way to joining the click club! Discover click consonants
  10. Language Contact & Borrowing - Swahili picked up many Arabic terms from historic traders, and Hausa now uses English tech jargon. These exchanges spice up vocab and showcase cultural connections. Dive into language contact
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