Tshivenḓa
Venda
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Venda (Tshivenḓa) is one of South Africa's 11 official languages, spoken by ~1.3M in Limpopo Province. Phonologically unusually conservative — preserves Bantu dental and labial consonant contrasts lost in most other South African languages, plus a distinctive aspirated/non-aspirated stop series and seven vowels. Closer to languages of Zimbabwe (Karanga-Shona) than to its South African neighbors. Latin orthography developed by Berlin Mission (1872); literary tradition since the 1936 Tshikalanga novel. Recognized in the 1996 Constitution.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Venda
Water
maḓi
/maɖi/
Fire
mulilo
/mulilo/
Sun
ḓuvha
/ɖuvʱa/
Moon
ṅwedzi
/ŋwedzi/
Mother
mme
/mːe/
Father
khotsi
/kʰotsi/
Eat
u ḽa
/u ɭa/
Drink
u ṅwa
/u ŋwa/
Love
lufuno
/lufuno/
Heart
mbilu
/mbilu/
Tree
muri
/muɾi/
House
nnḓu
/nɖu/
Dog
mmbwa
/mːbwa/
Cat
katse
/katse/
Hand
tshanḓa
/tʃʰaɳɖa/
Eye
ito
/ito/
Hello
ndaa
/ndaː/
Thank you
ndo livhuwa
/ndo livʱuwa/
One
nthihi
/ntʰihi/
Good
zwavhuḓi
/zwavʱuɖi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Venda | Sena | Runyankole | Northern Sotho | Tswana | Manyika | Ndau |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | maḓi /maɖi/ | madzi /madzi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | meetse /meːtse/ | metsi /metsi/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ |
| Fire | mulilo /mulilo/ | moto /moto/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | mollo /molːo/ | molelo /moleːlo/ | moto /moto/ | muriro /muɾiɾo/ |
| Sun | ḓuvha /ɖuvʱa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | izooba /izoːba/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ |
| Moon | ṅwedzi /ŋwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ |
| Mother | mme /mːe/ | mai /mai/ | maawe /maːwe/ | mma /mːa/ | mmê /mːɛ/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ |
| Father | khotsi /kʰotsi/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | tate /tate/ | rrê /rːɛ/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | u ḽa /u ɭa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kurya /kurja/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ | ja /dʒa/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudʒa/ |
| Drink | u ṅwa /u ŋwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| Love | lufuno /lufuno/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ |
| Heart | mbilu /mbilu/ | mtima /mtima/ | omutima /omutima/ | pelo /pelo/ | pelo /peːlo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ |
| Tree | muri /muɾi/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | omuti /omuti/ | sehlare /seɬare/ | setlhare /setɬʰaɾe/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ |
| House | nnḓu /nɖu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | enju /endʒu/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mmbwa /mːbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ | ntša /ntʃa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbga /imbɡa/ |
| Cat | katse /katse/ | paka /paka/ | kapa /kapa/ | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | katsi /katsi/ | kiti /kiti/ |
| Hand | tshanḓa /tʃʰaɳɖa/ | nkono /nkono/ | omukono /omukono/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | chanza /tʃanza/ |
| Eye | ito /ito/ | diso /diso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | leitlho /leitɬʰo/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ |
| Hello | ndaa /ndaː/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | dumela /dumeːla/ | makadii /makadiː/ | mhoroi /mhoɾoji/ |
| Thank you | ndo livhuwa /ndo livʱuwa/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | webare /webare/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ |
| One | nthihi /ntʰihi/ | posi /posi/ | emwe /emwe/ | tee /teː/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | chimwe /tʃimwe/ |
| Good | zwavhuḓi /zwavʱuɖi/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | botse /botse/ | siame /siaːme/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | kanaka /kanaka/ |
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