ChiNdau
Ndau
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Shona)
Ndau (Chindau) is a Bantu language of central Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe, sometimes classified as a dialect of Shona but with notable differences. Speakers (~2.4M) include the Tsonga-influenced Ndau community, and the language gained prominence as the L1 of Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi (since 2015). Notable for click consonants (acquired via Nguni contact), seven vowels, and serving as the liturgical Vapostori indigenous-church language. Latin script.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Ndau
Water
mvura
/mvuɾa/
Fire
muriro
/muɾiɾo/
Sun
zuva
/zuva/
Moon
mwedzi
/mwedzi/
Star
nyenyedzi
/ɲeɲedzi/
Mother
amai
/amai/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
ini
/ini/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
zina
/zina/
Eye
ziso
/ziso/
Hand
chanza
/tʃanza/
Heart
mwoyo
/mwojo/
Love
rudo
/ɾudo/
Tree
muti
/muti/
House
nyumba
/ɲumba/
Dog
imbga
/imbɡa/
Cat
kiti
/kiti/
Eat
kudya
/kudʒa/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
One
chimwe
/tʃimwe/
Two
piri
/piɾi/
Hello
mhoroi
/mhoɾoji/
Thank you
ndatenda
/ndatenda/
Good
kanaka
/kanaka/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Shona) languages
| Meaning | Ndau | Shona | Manyika | Sena | Chewa | Shambala | Asu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | madzi /madzi/ | madzi /madzi/ | mazi /mazi/ | mende /mende/ |
| Fire | muriro /muɾiɾo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | mshika /mʃika/ |
| Sun | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | idhuva /iðuʋa/ |
| Moon | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ |
| Star | nyenyedzi /ɲeɲedzi/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ |
| Mother | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | mai /mai/ | amayi /amaji/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | abambo /abambo/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | ine /ine/ | ine /ine/ | niye /nije/ | mine /mine/ |
| You | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | weye /weje/ | uwe /uwe/ |
| Name | zina /zina/ | zita /zita/ | zita /zita/ | dzina /dzina/ | dzina /dzina/ | izina /izina/ | izina /izina/ |
| Eye | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | diso /diso/ | diso /diso/ | izo /izo/ | iiso /iːso/ |
| Hand | chanza /tʃanza/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | nkono /nkono/ | dzanja /dzandʒa/ | ukono /ukono/ | mkono /mkono/ |
| Heart | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | mtima /mtima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ |
| Love | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | lumba /lumba/ |
| Tree | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ |
| House | nyumba /ɲumba/ | imba /imba/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | imbga /imbɡa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | galu /ɡalu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | kiti /kiti/ | katsi /katsi/ | katsi /katsi/ | paka /paka/ | mphaka /mpʰaka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudja/ | kuya /kuja/ | kurya /kuɾja/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| One | chimwe /tʃimwe/ | potsi /potsi/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | posi /posi/ | chimodzi /tʃimodzi/ | imo /imo/ | imwe /imwe/ |
| Two | piri /piɾi/ | piri /piri/ | piri /piri/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ | awiri /awiri/ | mbili /mbili/ | avili /aβili/ |
| Hello | mhoroi /mhoɾoji/ | mhoro /mhoɾo/ | makadii /makadiː/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | moni /moni/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | shiloi /ʃiloi/ |
| Thank you | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | maita /maita/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | zikomo /zikomo/ | asante /asante/ | mwasanga /mwasaŋɡa/ |
| Good | kanaka /kanaka/ | chakanaka /tʃakanaka/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | chabwino /tʃabwino/ | hedi /hedi/ | mwamba /mwamba/ |
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