Ndau dialect

Not to be confused with Ndao language or Pendau language.

Ndau
Region	Mozambique, Zimbabwe
Native speakers	2.4 million  (2000–2006)
Language family	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Southern Bantoid Bantu Shona (S.10) Ndau
Language codes
ISO 639-3	ndc
Guthrie code	S.15

Ndau (also called chiNdau, Chindau, Ndzawu, Njao, Sofala, Southeast Shona, Chidanda) is one of the Shona dialects. It is spoken by people from the region of Chipinge (Zimbabwe). Some of its vocabulary is very similar to that of Ndebele and often this dialect can sound very different from that of basic Shona.

At least some speakers have a bilabial nasal click where neighboring dialects have /mw/, as in mwana 'child'.

Sample text

Reading the Ndau phrase below (Lord's Prayer), differences from the Shona language are relatively minor, but certainly present:

Baba edu ari mudenga, ngariremeredzwe zina renyu. UMambo hwenyu ngahuuye. Kuda kwenyu ngakuitwa munyika kudai ngomudenga. Tipei ngeiri zuva kurya kwedu kunotamika nyamashi. Tirekererei ndaa dzedu kudai tisu takarekerera avo vane ndaa kwetiri. Usatipinza mukuedzwa, asi tinunure kuno uwo wakashata.

The equivalent paragraph in 'Standard Shona' is:

Baba vedu vari kudenga, ngariremekedzwe zita renyu. UMambo hwenyu ngahwuuye. Kuda kwenyu ngakuitwe panyika sokudenga. Tipei nhasi kudya kwedu kwakaringana. Tiregererei zvatinokutadzirai sezvatinoregerera avo vanotitadzira. Musatipinze mukuedzwa, asi tinunure kuno wakaipa.

Alphabet

While the mainstream Shona language excludes L, Q and X from its alphabet, it is not the same with the Ndau language as shown by the examples below:

1. Mainstream Shona "Akatizira and the Ndau version Akafohla: 'L' is used in the digraph hl for the sound [ɬ].
2. Mainstream Shona "kuridza tsamwa and the Ndau version kuxapa: 'X' is used for the click consonant [ǁ].
3. Mainstream Shona "Kurara and the Ndau version Kuqambaya: 'Q' is used for the click consonant [ǃ].

These sounds have been acquired from neighboring Nguni languages.