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
20 core words in Ndau
Water
mvura
/mvuɾa/
Fire
muriro
/muɾiɾo/
Sun
zuva
/zuva/
Moon
mwedzi
/mwedzi/
Mother
amai
/amai/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
kudya
/kudʒa/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
Love
rudo
/ɾudo/
Heart
mwoyo
/mwojo/
Tree
muti
/muti/
House
nyumba
/ɲumba/
Dog
imbga
/imbɡa/
Cat
kiti
/kiti/
Hand
chanza
/tʃanza/
Eye
ziso
/ziso/
Hello
mhoroi
/mhoɾoji/
Thank you
ndatenda
/ndatenda/
One
chimwe
/tʃimwe/
Good
kanaka
/kanaka/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Shona) languages
| Meaning | Ndau | Shona | Manyika | Sena | Shambala | Makonde | Chewa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | madzi /madzi/ | mazi /mazi/ | mashi /maʃi/ | madzi /madzi/ |
| Fire | muriro /muɾiɾo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | lyuva /ʎuβa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ |
| Moon | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedi /mwedi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ |
| Mother | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | mai /mai/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | amayi /amaji/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | abambo /abambo/ |
| Eat | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kuya /kuja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ |
| Love | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | kupenda /kupenda/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ |
| Heart | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Tree | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ |
| House | nyumba /ɲumba/ | imba /imba/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | imbga /imbɡa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | nshenye /nʃeɲe/ | galu /ɡalu/ |
| Cat | kiti /kiti/ | katsi /katsi/ | katsi /katsi/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | mphaka /mpʰaka/ |
| Hand | chanza /tʃanza/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | nkono /nkono/ | ukono /ukono/ | nkono /nkono/ | dzanja /dzandʒa/ |
| Eye | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | diso /diso/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ | diso /diso/ |
| Hello | mhoroi /mhoɾoji/ | mhoro /mhoɾo/ | makadii /makadiː/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | nakushukuru /nakuʃukuɾu/ | moni /moni/ |
| Thank you | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | maita /maita/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | asante /asante/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | zikomo /zikomo/ |
| One | chimwe /tʃimwe/ | potsi /potsi/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | posi /posi/ | imo /imo/ | nimo /nimo/ | chimodzi /tʃimodzi/ |
| Good | kanaka /kanaka/ | chakanaka /tʃakanaka/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | hedi /hedi/ | shibwana /ʃibwana/ | chabwino /tʃabwino/ |
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