Ovambo, also known as Wambo or Ambo, is a dialect cluster in Angola and northern Namibia, of which the written standards are Kwanyama and Ndonga. The native name is Oshiwambo, which is also used specifically for the Kwanyama and Ndonga dialects. Over half of the people in Namibia speak Oshiwambo, particularly the Ovambo people. The language is closely related to that of the Hereros and Himba, Otjiherero. An obvious sign of proximity is the prefix used for language and dialect names, Proto-Bantu *ki- (class 7, as in Ki-Swahili), which in Herero has evolved to Otji- and in Ovambo further to Oshi-.
