Shona

Also known as Shona language, sn, chiShona, chiSwina, chiZwina, chiManyika, chiUngwe, chiKaranga

Bantu language of Zimbabwe and Mozambique

AI overview

Shona is a Bantu language spoken primarily in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It matters because it is the primary language of millions of people in the region and represents an important part of southern African linguistic and cultural heritage.

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Wikidata facts

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Commons category: Shona language
Wikimedia language code: sn
native label: chiShona
exact match: publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/language/SNA
P10369: unidentified flying object
number of speakers, writers, or signers: 9023000

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Article

Shona (/ˈʃoʊnə/ SHOH-nə; endonym: chiShona [tʃiʃona]) is a Bantu language spoken by the Shona people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The term is variously used to collectively describe all the Central Shonic varieties (comprising Zezuru, Manyika, Korekore and Karanga or Ndau) or specifically Standard Shona, a variety codified in the mid-20th century. By the broader definition, the language is spoken by over 14 million people.

The larger group of historically related languages—called Shona or Shonic languages by linguists—also includes Ndau (Eastern Shona) and Kalanga (Western Shona). In Guthrie's classification of Bantu languages, zone S.10 designates the Shonic group.