Login
Login

Ndau dialect

{{Short description|Shona dialect of central Mozambique and Zimbabwe}}

{{distinguish|Ndao language|Pendau language}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Ndau

| region = Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa

| speakers = 2.4 million

| date = 2000–2006

| ref = e18

| familycolor = Niger-Congo

| fam2 = Atlantic–Congo

| fam3 = Benue–Congo

| fam4 = Southern Bantoid

| fam5 = Bantu

| fam6 = Shona (S.10)

| nation =

| iso3 = ndc

| glotto = ndau1241

| glottorefname = Ndau

| guthrie = S.15

}}

Ndau (also called chiNdau, Chindau, Ndzawu, Njao, Chidanda) is a Bantu language spoken by 1,400,000{{Contradictory inline|date=July 2024|reason=it says 2.5 million in the info box}} people.

Ndau is a Shona language and it is mutually intelligible with other Shona languages such as Manyika, Zezuru and Karanga. The 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe accorded Ndau's status as an official language.{{cite web |publisher=Government of Zimbabwe |via=Kubatana.net |url= http://www.kubatana.net/docs/legisl/constitution_zim_draft_copac_130125.pdf |title=Constitution of Zimbabwe (final draft) |date=January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131002110534/http://www.kubatana.net/docs/legisl/constitution_zim_draft_copac_130125.pdf |archive-date=2 October 2013}}

It is a national language of Zimbabwe.

Sample text

File:AIDS awareness in Machaze district, Mozambique (Ndau and English).jpg awareness street art in Machaze district, promoting condom use. The text reads in Portuguese: "think of the consequences, change behaviour, prevent HIV/ADS".to the left, the same text in the Ndau language.]]

The mutual intelligibility of Ndau with other Shona varieties is fairly high, but some speakers of other Shona varieties may find it difficult to understand. Differences and similarities can be measured by examining a Ndau version of Lord's Prayer:

Baba edu ari mudenga, ngariremeredzwe zina renyu. UMambo hwenyu ngahuuye. Kuda kwenyu ngakuitwa munyika kudai ngomudenga. Tipei nege kurya kwedu kwatinotama nyamashi. Tirekererei ndaa dzedu kudai tisu takarekerera avo vane ndaa kwetiri. Usatipinza mukuedzwa, asi tinunure kuno uwo wakashata.

The equivalent paragraph in Standard Shona (mainly based on Zezuru) is:

Baba vedu vari kudenga, zita renyu ngarikudzwe. UMambo hwenyu ngahwuuye. Kuda kwenyu ngakuitwe pasi sokudenga. Tipei nhasi kudya kwedu kwakwezuva. Tiregererei zvatinokutadzirai sekuregerera kwatinoita vakatitadzira. Musatipinze mukuedzwa, asi mutinunure mune zvakaipa.

Phonology

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style=text-align:center

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |

! colspan="2" |Bilabial

! colspan="2" |Labio-
dental

! colspan="4" |Alveolar

! colspan="2" |Lateral

! colspan="2" |Post-
alveolar

! colspan="2" |Velar

! colspan="2" |Glottal

plain

!lab.

!plain

!lab.

!plain

!wstd.

!lab.

!pal.

!plain

!lab.

!plain

!lab.

!plain

!lab.

!plain

!lab.

align="center"

! rowspan="8" |Plosive

!voiceless

|{{IPA|p}}

|{{IPA|pʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|t}}

|

|{{IPA|tʷ}}

|{{IPA|tʲ}}

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|k}}

|{{IPA|kʷ}}

|

|

voiced

|{{IPA|b}}

|{{IPA|bʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|d}}

|

|{{IPA|dʷ}}

|{{IPA|dʲ}}

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ɡ}}

|{{IPA|ɡʷ}}

|

|

aspirated

|{{IPA|pʰ}}

|{{IPA|pʰʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|tʰ}}

|

|{{IPA|tʰʷ}}

|{{IPA|tʰʲ}}

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|kʰ}}

|{{IPA|kʰʷ}}

|

|

implosive

|{{IPA|ɓ}}

|{{IPA|ɓʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|ɗ}}

|

|{{IPA|ɗʷ}}

|{{IPA|ɗʲ}}

|

|

|

|

|({{IPA|ɠ}})

|

|

|

ejective

|{{IPA|pʼ}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|tʼ}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|kʼ}}

|

|

|

prenasal vl.

|{{IPA|ᵐp}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ⁿt}}

|

|{{IPA|ⁿtʷ}}

|

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ᵑk}}

|

|

|

prenasal asp.

|{{IPA|ᵐpʰ}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ⁿtʰ}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ᵑkʰ}}

|

|

|

prenasal vd.

|{{IPA|ᵐb}}

|{{IPA|ᵐbʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|ⁿd}}

|

|{{IPA|ⁿdʷ}}

|{{IPA|ⁿdʲ}}

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ᵑɡ}}

|{{IPA|ᵑɡʷ}}

|

|

rowspan="5" |Affricate

!voiceless

|

|

|{{IPA|p͡f}}

|

|{{IPA|t͡s}}

|{{IPA|t͡sᶲ}}

|{{IPA|t͡sʷ}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|t͡ʃ}}

|{{IPA|t͡ʃʷ}}

|

|

|

|

voiced

|

|

|{{IPA|b͡v}}

|

|{{IPA|d͡z}}

|{{IPA|d͡zᵝ}}

|{{IPA|d͡zʷ}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|d͡ʒ}}

|{{IPA|d͡ʒʷ}}

|

|

|

|

aspirated

|

|

|{{IPA|p͡fʰ}}

|

|{{IPA|t͡sʰ}}

|{{IPA|t͡sᶲʰ}}

|{{IPA|t͡sʷʰ}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|t͡ʃʰ}}

|{{IPA|t͡ʃʷʰ}}

|

|

|

|

ejective

|

|

|{{IPA|p͡fʼ}}

|

|{{IPA|t͡sʼ}}

|{{IPA|t͡sᶲʼ}}

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|t͡ʃʼ}}

|

|

|

|

|

prenasal

|

|

|{{IPA|ᵐb͡v}}

|

|{{IPA|ⁿd͡z}}

|{{IPA|ⁿd͡zᵝ}}

|{{IPA|ⁿd͡zʷ}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ᶮd͡ʒ}}

|{{IPA|ᶮd͡ʒʷ}}

|

|

|

|

align="center"

! rowspan="3" |Fricative

!voiceless

|

|

|{{IPA|f}}

|{{IPA|fʷ}}

|{{IPA|s}}

|{{IPA|sᶲ}}

|{{IPA|sʷ}}

|

|{{IPA|ɬ}}

|{{IPA|ɬʷ}}

|{{IPA|ʃ}}

|{{IPA|ʃʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|h}}

|{{IPA|hʷ}}

voiced

|

|

|{{IPA|v}}

|{{IPA|vʷ}}

|{{IPA|z}}

|{{IPA|zᵝ}}

|{{IPA|zʷ}}

|

|{{IPA|ɮ}}

|{{IPA|ɮʷ}}

|{{IPA|ʒ}}

|{{IPA|ʒʷ}}

|

|

|

|

prenasal

|

|

|{{IPA|ᶬv}}

|

|{{IPA|ⁿz}}

|{{IPA|ⁿzᵝ}}

|{{IPA|ⁿzʷ}}

|

|{{IPA|ⁿɮ}}

|

|{{IPA|ᶮʒ}}

|{{IPA|ᶮʒʷ}}

|

|

|

|

align="center"

! rowspan="2" |Nasal

!voiced

|{{IPA|m}}

|{{IPA|mʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|n}}

|

|{{IPA|nʷ}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA|ɲ}}

|{{IPA|ɲʷ}}

|{{IPA|ŋ}}

|{{IPA|ŋʷ}}

|

|

breathy

|{{IPA|mʱ}}

|{{IPA|mʱʷ}}

|

|

|{{IPA|nʱ}}

|

|{{IPA|nʱʷ}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Trill

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|r}}

|

|{{IPA|rʷ}}

|{{IPA|rʲ}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Approximant

|{{IPA|β̞}}

|{{IPA|β̞ʷ}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

|{{IPA|l}}

|

|{{IPA|j}}

|

|

|{{IPA|w}}

|

|

  • Other labialized sounds are labialized-whistled sounds as {{IPA|/sᶲʷ, zᵝʷ/}}.
  • Other palatalized sounds are labialized-palatalized ones as {{IPA|/tʲʷ, rʲʷ/}}.
  • Other affricate sounds are {{IPA|/p͡sᶲ, b͡zᵝ/}}.
  • {{IPA|/h, hʷ/}} may also range to voiced {{IPA|[ɦ, ɦʷ]}} within dialectal areas.
  • {{IPA|/β̞, β̞ʷ/}} may also range to labio-dental {{IPA|[ʋ, ʋʷ]}} in free variation.
  • The velar implosive {{IPA|/ɠ/}} only appears in a few words.
  • {{IPA|/r/}} when occurring before vowels {{IPA|/i, e/}}, can be heard as a lateral flap {{IPA|[ɺ]}}.{{Cite book |last=Mkanganwi |first=Kumbirai G. |title=An outline of the morphology of substantives in Ndau, with a preliminary note on Ndau phonology |year=1972}}
  • Sibilant sounds {{IPA|/d͡z, s/}} may have aspirated allophones as {{IPA|[d͡zʱ, sʰ]}}.{{Cite book |last=Borland |first=Colin H. |title=Eastern Shona: a comparative dialect study |publisher=University of Cape Town |year=1970}}
  • Prenasal aspirated sounds {{IPA|/ᵐpʰ, ⁿtʰ, ᵑkʰ/}} can have allophones as prenasal-devoiced plosives {{IPA|[ᵐb̥ʰ, ⁿd̥ʰ, ᵑɡ̊ʰ]}}.{{Cite book |last=Sithole |first=Emmanuel |title=From dialect to 'official' language: towards the intellectualisation of Ndau in Zimbabwe |publisher=Rhodes University |year=2017}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Click consonants

! colspan="2" |

!Dental

!Post-
alveolar

!Lateral

align="center"

! rowspan="3" |Voiceless

!plain

|{{IPA|ᵏǀ}}

|{{IPA|ᵏǃ}}

|{{IPA|ᵏǁ}}

align="center"

!aspirated

|

|{{IPA|ᵏǃʰ}}

|{{IPA|ᵏǁʰ}}

nasalized

|{{IPA|ᵑǀ}}

|{{IPA|ᵑǃ}}

|{{IPA|ᵑǁ}}

align="center"

! rowspan="2" |Voiced

!plain

|{{IPA|ᶢǀ}}

|{{IPA|ᶢǃ}}

|{{IPA|ᶢǁ}}

nasalized

|

|{{IPA|ᵑǃᶢ}}

|

= Vowels =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!

!Front

!Central

!Back

align="center"

!Close

|{{IPA|i}}

|

|{{IPA|u}}

align="center"

!Mid

|{{IPA|e}}

|

|{{IPA|o}}

align="center"

!Open

|

|{{IPA|a}}

|

Alphabet

While the mainstream Shona language excludes L, Q and X from its alphabet, Ndau orthography uses them as shown by the examples below:

  1. Mainstream Shona "Akatizira and the Ndau version Akafohla: 'L' is used in the digraph hl for the sound {{IPAblink|ɬ}}.
  2. Mainstream Shona "kuridza tsamwa and the Ndau version kuxapa: 'X' is used for the click consonant {{IPAblink|ᵏǁ}}.
  3. Mainstream Shona "Kurara and the Ndau version Kuqambaya: 'Q' is used for the click consonant {{IPAblink|ᵏǃ}}.

These sounds have been acquired from neighboring Nguni languages.

Proverbs, fables, and songs

File:C. Kamba Simango with a kalimba (mbira).jpgIn 1922, C. Kamba Simango, a Vandau ethnographer, working together with Franz Boas, published a [https://archive.org/details/jstor-535015/page/n1/mode/2up collection of 20 Ndau fables and 29 Ndau proverbs], accompanied by an English translation, in the Journal of American Folklore.Boas, Franz; Simango, C. Kamba (1922). [https://archive.org/details/jstor-535015 "Tales and Proverbs of the Vandau of Portuguese South Africa."] Journal of American Folklore. 35 (136): 151-204. The following are some of the proverbs:

  • "Simba lo ngwena lili mumfula." ("The strength of the crocodile is in the water.") (#1)
  • "Chipanga achizivi vatendji." ("The knife does not know its owner; i.e. it cuts everyone, even its owner.") (#8)
  • "Hove djinotevela mulambo wadjo." ("Fish follow their river; i.e. people will support their own family or tribe.") (#24)
  • "Manthede a·novengana pakurga, napamfumfu anobesana." ("Baboons quarrel over food, but in danger help one another.") (#28)

Simango also provided the Ndau texts and translations that appear in [https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/80/mode/2up?view=theater Songs and Tales from the Dark Continent] by Natalie Curtis Burlin, published in 1920.Burlin, Natalie Curtis; Simango, C. Kamba; Čele, Madikane (1920). [https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/80/mode/2up?view=theater Songs and Tales from the Dark Continent]. The book contains 6 proverbs in Ndau and English with commentary[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/14/mode/1up?view=theater Burlin 1920], p. 14. along with songs that include the Ndau lyrics, English translation, plus a transcription of the music.[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/81/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 81-129. There are ritual songs, including Mate'ka, "Song of the Rain Ceremony;"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/20/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 20-23. Manthi'ki, "Spirit Song;"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/24/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 24-28. Lum'bo Lgo Lu'do, "Love-Song;"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/28/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 28-29. and Mafu've, "Dance of Girls,"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/29/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 29-30. along with a selection of "Children's Songs,"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/30/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 30-31. "Laboring Songs,"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/32/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 32-35. and "Dance Songs,"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/35/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 35-39. plus Kufa'mba, a mocking song[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/39/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 39-40. and Chili'lo, a lament.[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/41/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 41-43. There are also 2 songs in Ndau and in English included in the folktale, "How the Animals Dug Their Well,"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/45/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 45-47. plus a song that is part of the "Legend of the Daughter and the Slave"[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/49/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 49-51. and a song that is part of the "Legend of the Sky-Maiden."[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/51/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 51-53. In an appendix, there is an interlinear word-for-word rendering of the Ndau proverbs and song lyrics into English.[https://archive.org/details/songstalesfromda00burl/page/153/mode/2up?view=theater Burlin 1920], pp. 153-164.

References

{{Reflist}}

{{incubator|ndc}}

{{Languages of Mozambique}}

{{Languages of Zimbabwe}}

{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)}}

Category:Shona languages

Category:Click languages