Tshivenḓa
Venda
Niger-Congo (Atlantic-Congo, Bantu, Southern Bantu)
Venda (autonym Tshivenḓa) is a Southern Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family, spoken mainly in the Limpopo province of northeastern South Africa and in parts of neighbouring Zimbabwe. It has around 1.3 million speakers and is one of the twelve official languages of South Africa. Written in a Latin alphabet with diacritics, it is noted for phonological features linking it to the Kalanga and Shona languages to its north.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Venda
Water
maḓi
/maɖi/
Fire
mulilo
/mulilo/
Sun
ḓuvha
/ɖuvʱa/
Moon
ṅwedzi
/ŋwedzi/
Star
ṋaledzi
/n̪aledzi/
Mother
mme
/mːe/
Father
khotsi
/kʰotsi/
I
nṋe
/n̪ːe/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
dzina
/dzina/
Eye
iṱo
/it̪o/
Hand
tshanḓa
/tʃʰaɳɖa/
Heart
mbilu
/mbilu/
Love
lufuno
/lufuno/
Tree
muri
/muɾi/
House
nnḓu
/nɖu/
Dog
mmbwa
/mːbwa/
Cat
katse
/katse/
Eat
u ḽa
/u ɭa/
Drink
u ṅwa
/u ŋwa/
One
nthihi
/ntʰihi/
Two
mbili
/mbili/
Hello
ndaa
/ndaː/
Thank you
ndo livhuwa
/ndo livʱuwa/
Good
zwavhuḓi
/zwavʱuɖi/
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Atlantic-Congo, Bantu, Southern Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Venda | Sena | Tswana | Runyankole | Manyika | Ndau | Northern Sotho |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | maḓi /maɖi/ | madzi /madzi/ | metsi /metsi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | meetse /meːtse/ |
| Fire | mulilo /mulilo/ | moto /moto/ | molelo /moleːlo/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | moto /moto/ | muriro /muɾiɾo/ | mollo /molːo/ |
| Sun | ḓuvha /ɖuvʱa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | izooba /izoːba/ | zuva /zuva/ | zuva /zuva/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ |
| Moon | ṅwedzi /ŋwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ |
| Star | ṋaledzi /n̪aledzi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | naledi /naledi/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | nyenyedzi /ɲeɲedzi/ | naledi /naledi/ |
| Mother | mme /mːe/ | mai /mai/ | mmê /mːɛ/ | maawe /maːwe/ | amai /amai/ | amai /amai/ | mma /mːa/ |
| Father | khotsi /kʰotsi/ | baba /baba/ | rrê /rːɛ/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | tate /tate/ |
| I | nṋe /n̪ːe/ | ine /ine/ | nna /nːa/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | nna /nna/ |
| You | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | wena /wena/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | wena /wena/ |
| Name | dzina /dzina/ | dzina /dzina/ | leina /leina/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ | zita /zita/ | zina /zina/ | leina /leina/ |
| Eye | iṱo /it̪o/ | diso /diso/ | leitlho /leitɬʰo/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | ziso /ziso/ | ziso /ziso/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ |
| Hand | tshanḓa /tʃʰaɳɖa/ | nkono /nkono/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | omukono /omukono/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | chanza /tʃanza/ | seatla /seatɬa/ |
| Heart | mbilu /mbilu/ | mtima /mtima/ | pelo /peːlo/ | omutima /omutima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | pelo /pelo/ |
| Love | lufuno /lufuno/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | lerato /leɾato/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | lerato /leɾato/ |
| Tree | muri /muɾi/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | setlhare /setɬʰaɾe/ | omuti /omuti/ | muti /muti/ | muti /muti/ | sehlare /seɬare/ |
| House | nnḓu /nɖu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | enju /endʒu/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ |
| Dog | mmbwa /mːbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | ntša /ntʃa/ | embwa /embwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbga /imbɡa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ |
| Cat | katse /katse/ | paka /paka/ | katse /katse/ | kapa /kapa/ | katsi /katsi/ | kiti /kiti/ | katse /katse/ |
| Eat | u ḽa /u ɭa/ | kudya /kudja/ | ja /dʒa/ | kurya /kurja/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ |
| Drink | u ṅwa /u ŋwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ |
| One | nthihi /ntʰihi/ | posi /posi/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | emwe /emwe/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | chimwe /tʃimwe/ | tee /teː/ |
| Two | mbili /mbili/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ | pedi /pedi/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | piri /piri/ | piri /piɾi/ | pedi /pedi/ |
| Hello | ndaa /ndaː/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | dumela /dumeːla/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | makadii /makadiː/ | mhoroi /mhoɾoji/ | dumela /dumɛla/ |
| Thank you | ndo livhuwa /ndo livʱuwa/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | webare /webare/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ |
| Good | zwavhuḓi /zwavʱuɖi/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | siame /siaːme/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | kanaka /kanaka/ | botse /botse/ |
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