Manyika language
Encyclopedia
The Manyika language is a dialect of the Shona language
.
Largely spoken by the Manyika people in the eastern part of Zimbabwe
and across the border in Mozambique
it encompasses ChiBocha, ChiNdau, ChiUngwe and ChiManyika from which the broad Manyika Language gets its name from.
This ChiManyika spoken by people in the northern parts of Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe, (Nyanga, Honde Valley Mutasa area) whilst ChiBocha is spoken by people in the southern part of Manicaland. Manyika differs from the more predominant Zezuru dialect in a variety of small ways. Certain variations in local vocabulary and word prefixes exist. In East Africa, Manyika would mean "Be known". So, some people got Manyika as the last name.
For example the prefix 'va-' (used in Shona before male names to signify seniority and respect) is instead 'sa-' in the Manyika language. Also the prefix 'va-' used as in people for example vanhu vakaenda vakawanda is replaced by 'wa-' to become wanhu wakaenda wakawanda. This then presents a problem as the Manyika's are unable to use the 'va' in any form as they pronounce it as 'wa'. This being how the majority of them are recognised as being Manyika.
The verbs in this language are tonally divided into two groups. The tonal figures of the verbs belonging to one group are as shown below in the case of the infinitive, which has ku- as its prefix.
kupá 'to give', kubátá 'to catch', kupómérá 'to scold',
kukúrúdzíra 'to encourage';
kumúpá 'to give him (something)', kumúbátá 'to catch him', kumúpómérá,
kumúkúrúdzíra;
kuzvípa 'to give (something to) oneself', kuzvíbatá 'to catch oneself',
kuzvípomerá, kuzvíkurudzirá.
The tonal structure can be represented by:
kuCV^^’CV^^’CV^^’X, kuÓCV^^’CV^^’CV^^’X, kuŔXCá,
where X stands for a string of phonemes of any length, O for an object prefix, and R for a reflexive prefix, with an adjustment rule to the first two formulae that:
if X=Ø, the last CV^^’ can be Ø, and if both are Ø, the second CV^^’ can also be Ø,
and with one to the last that:
if X=Ø, Cá becomes Ca.
The tonal figures of the verbs belonging to the other group are as shown below.
kubwa 'to leave', kumutsa 'to wake up', kutarisa 'to look at',
kuswatanudza 'to make (somebody) stand up';
kumúmútsa, kumútárisa, kumúswátanudza;
kuzvímutsá, kuzvítarisá, kuzvíswatanudzá.
The tonal representation should be:
kuX, kuÓCV^^’X, kuŔXCá.
This language has many indicative forms (such as Remote Past, Recent Past, Past Progressive, Present, etc.) including negative ones.
, 5% English
, 0.3% Mozambican Portuguese
, 1.2% SiNdebele
or Zulu
, 63% indigenous (now partially extinct San
language), 0.9% Arabic or Persian
, 0.5% Malagasy
and the remainder on adding up all the major and minor dialects, ChiZezuru, ChiManyika, ChiKaranga, ChiChewa, ChiNdau, ChiKorekore, TshiVenda, TshiTsonga, sub-dialects like Shawasha, Tsunga and other minor influences).
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
.
Largely spoken by the Manyika people in the eastern part of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and across the border in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
it encompasses ChiBocha, ChiNdau, ChiUngwe and ChiManyika from which the broad Manyika Language gets its name from.
This ChiManyika spoken by people in the northern parts of Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe, (Nyanga, Honde Valley Mutasa area) whilst ChiBocha is spoken by people in the southern part of Manicaland. Manyika differs from the more predominant Zezuru dialect in a variety of small ways. Certain variations in local vocabulary and word prefixes exist. In East Africa, Manyika would mean "Be known". So, some people got Manyika as the last name.
For example the prefix 'va-' (used in Shona before male names to signify seniority and respect) is instead 'sa-' in the Manyika language. Also the prefix 'va-' used as in people for example vanhu vakaenda vakawanda is replaced by 'wa-' to become wanhu wakaenda wakawanda. This then presents a problem as the Manyika's are unable to use the 'va' in any form as they pronounce it as 'wa'. This being how the majority of them are recognised as being Manyika.
The verbs in this language are tonally divided into two groups. The tonal figures of the verbs belonging to one group are as shown below in the case of the infinitive, which has ku- as its prefix.
kupá 'to give', kubátá 'to catch', kupómérá 'to scold',
kukúrúdzíra 'to encourage';
kumúpá 'to give him (something)', kumúbátá 'to catch him', kumúpómérá,
kumúkúrúdzíra;
kuzvípa 'to give (something to) oneself', kuzvíbatá 'to catch oneself',
kuzvípomerá, kuzvíkurudzirá.
The tonal structure can be represented by:
kuCV^^’CV^^’CV^^’X, kuÓCV^^’CV^^’CV^^’X, kuŔXCá,
where X stands for a string of phonemes of any length, O for an object prefix, and R for a reflexive prefix, with an adjustment rule to the first two formulae that:
if X=Ø, the last CV^^’ can be Ø, and if both are Ø, the second CV^^’ can also be Ø,
and with one to the last that:
if X=Ø, Cá becomes Ca.
The tonal figures of the verbs belonging to the other group are as shown below.
kubwa 'to leave', kumutsa 'to wake up', kutarisa 'to look at',
kuswatanudza 'to make (somebody) stand up';
kumúmútsa, kumútárisa, kumúswátanudza;
kuzvímutsá, kuzvítarisá, kuzvíswatanudzá.
The tonal representation should be:
kuX, kuÓCV^^’X, kuŔXCá.
This language has many indicative forms (such as Remote Past, Recent Past, Past Progressive, Present, etc.) including negative ones.
The Chishona language
Today, due to Pre-colonial Trade, ancestral links, gradual overlapping, past invasions and intermarriages, The Standard Shona language collectively consists of about 13% old SwahiliSwahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, 5% English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 0.3% Mozambican Portuguese
Mozambican Portuguese
Mozambican Portuguese refers to the varieties of Portuguese spoken in Mozambique. It is the official language and, according to the most recent census, is spoken by approximately 40% of the population, mostly as a lingua franca, with only 6.5% speaking it natively...
, 1.2% SiNdebele
Northern Ndebele language
The Northern Ndebele language, isiNdebele, or Ndebele is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the Ndebele or Matabele people of Zimbabwe. It is commonly known as Sindebele....
or Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
, 63% indigenous (now partially extinct San
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
language), 0.9% Arabic or Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, 0.5% Malagasy
Malagasy language
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
and the remainder on adding up all the major and minor dialects, ChiZezuru, ChiManyika, ChiKaranga, ChiChewa, ChiNdau, ChiKorekore, TshiVenda, TshiTsonga, sub-dialects like Shawasha, Tsunga and other minor influences).