chiManyika
Manyika
Niger-Congo
Manyika (chiManyika) is a Bantu language of the Shona cluster (Glottolog S13a), spoken by approximately 2 million people in Manicaland Province of eastern Zimbabwe (around Mutare/Old Umtali) and the adjacent border zones of Manica Province, Mozambique. Historically classified as a dialect of Shona under the 1931 Doke unification report, Manyika is increasingly recognised as a distinct cluster member with its own lexical inventory, phonological features (Manyika-specific tone patterns and consonant lenition), and rich literary tradition. Famous Manyika speakers include former Zimbabwe Prime Minister Robert Mugabe (born in Kutama, Zvimba District). Despite its 2M speaker count, Manyika faces ongoing pressure from Standard Shona in education and media; the Manyika literary tradition is preserved through hymnody, oral history (ngano), and regional poetry.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Manyika
Water
mvura
/mvuɾa/
Fire
moto
/moto/
Sun
zuva
/zuva/
Moon
mwedzi
/mwedzi/
Star
nyeredzi
/ɲeredzi/
Mother
amai
/amai/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
ini
/ini/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
zita
/zita/
Eye
ziso
/ziso/
Hand
ruoko
/ɾwoko/
Heart
mwoyo
/mwojo/
Love
rudo
/ɾudo/
Tree
muti
/muti/
House
mhatso
/mhatso/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
katsi
/katsi/
Eat
kudya
/kudʒa/
Drink
kumwa
/kumwa/
One
rimwe
/ɾimwe/
Two
piri
/piri/
Hello
makadii
/makadiː/
Thank you
mazviita
/mazviita/
Good
kunaka
/kunaka/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Manyika | Shona | Ndau | Sena | Shambala | Tonga (Zambia) | Machame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | madzi /madzi/ | mazi /mazi/ | meenda /meːnda/ | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ |
| Fire | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | muriro /muɾiɾo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | mòò /moːʔ/ |
| Sun | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | zuba /zuba/ | ìsùwà /isuwa/ |
| Moon | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ |
| Star | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | nyenyedzi /ɲeɲedzi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeˈɲezi/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ |
| Mother | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | mai /mai/ | mama /mama/ | bama /bama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | bataata /bataːta/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | ine /ine/ | niye /nije/ | ime /ime/ | inyi /iɲi/ |
| You | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | weye /weje/ | iwe /iwe/ | uwe /uwe/ |
| Name | zita /zita/ | zita /zita/ | zina /zina/ | dzina /dzina/ | izina /izina/ | izina /iˈziːna/ | irina /irina/ |
| Eye | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | diso /diso/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ | rítiò /ɾitio/ |
| Hand | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | chanza /tʃanza/ | nkono /nkono/ | ukono /ukono/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | kùoòko /kuoːko/ |
| Heart | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | moyo /mojo/ | mòyò /mojo/ |
| Love | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | luyando /lujando/ | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ |
| Tree | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mti /mti/ | cisamu /tʃisamu/ | mtí /mti/ |
| House | mhatso /mhatso/ | imba /imba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | ng'anda /ŋanda/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbga /imbɡa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | muvwa /muvwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | katsi /katsi/ | katsi /katsi/ | kiti /kiti/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | kaaze /kaːze/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kuya /kuja/ | kulya /kulja/ | ìlya /iʎa/ |
| Drink | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | ìnyo /iɲo/ |
| One | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | potsi /potsi/ | chimwe /tʃimwe/ | posi /posi/ | imo /imo/ | -mwi /mwi/ | ìmwí /imwi/ |
| Two | piri /piri/ | piri /piri/ | piri /piɾi/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ | mbili /mbili/ | -bili /bili/ | iwi /iwi/ |
| Hello | makadii /makadiː/ | mhoro /mhoɾo/ | mhoroi /mhoɾoji/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | mwabuka buti /mwabuka buti/ | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ |
| Thank you | mazviita /mazviita/ | maita /maita/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | asante /asante/ | twalumba /twalumba/ | ahsànte /ahsante/ |
| Good | kunaka /kunaka/ | chakanaka /tʃakanaka/ | kanaka /kanaka/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | hedi /hedi/ | kabotu /kabotu/ | ìchá /itʃa/ |
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