Shona language

Shona (or ChiShona) is a native language of Zimbabwe; the term is also used to identify those Bantu tribes in Southern Africa who speak one of the Shona languages. Shona proper is an official language of Zimbabwe, along with Ndebele and English. Numbering about 6,225,000 (SIL 1989), Shona speakers comprise more than 80% of Zimbabwe's population. Shona is also spoken by a substantial number of residents of Mozambique. Other countries that host Shona language speakers are Zambia and Botswana. The total number of Shona speakers is at least 7,000,000 (UBS 1990).

Related Topics:
Zimbabwe - Bantu - Ndebele - English - SIL - Mozambique - Zambia - Botswana

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Shona is a written standard language with an orthography and grammar that was codified during the early 20th century and fixed in the 1950s. It is taught in school but is not the general medium of instruction in other subjects. It has a literature and is described through monolingual and bilingual dictionaries (chiefly Shona - English). Modern Shona is based on the dialect spoken by the Zezuru people of central Zimbabwe.

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Shona is a member of the large family of Bantu languages. In Guthrie's zonal classification of Bantu languages, zone S10 designates a dialect continuum commonly called Shona, including Shona proper, Manyika, Nambya, and Ndau, spoken in Zimbabwe; Tawara and Tewe, found in Mozambique; and Ikalanga of Botswana.

Related Topics:
Bantu - Guthrie's - Dialect continuum - Manyika - Nambya - Ndau - Ikalanga

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Shona speakers most likely moved into present day Zimbabwe during the great Bantu expansion.

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