Shona | |
---|---|
chiShona | |
Native to | Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana |
Region | Southern Africa |
Ethnicity | Shona people |
Native speakers | 6.5 million, Shona proper (2000 to 2007)[1] 5.50 million Zezuru, Karanga, Chimanyika, Korekore (2000) 5.8 million incl. Manyika, (2000–2006)[2] |
Dialects |
|
Latin script (Shona alphabet) Arabic script (formerly) Shona Braille | |
Official status | |
Official language in | Zimbabwe |
Recognised minority language in | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-1 | sn |
ISO 639-2 | sna |
ISO 639-3 | Variously:sna – Zezuru, Karanga, Korekoretwl – Tavara (Korekore)mxc – Manyikatwx – Tewe (Manyika) |
Glottolog | core1255 Core Shonatawa1270 Tawara |
S.7–10 [3] | |
Linguasphere | 99-AUT-a = |
Person | MuShona[4] |
---|---|
People | VaShona |
Language | chiShona |
Country | MaShona |
Shona (/ˈʃoʊnə/;[5] Shona: chiShona) is a Bantu language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. The term is variously used to collectively describe all the Central Shonic varieties (comprising Zezuru, Manyika, Ndau, Korekore and Karanga) or specifically Standard Shona, a variety codified in the mid-20th century. Using the broader term, the language is spoken by over 14,000,000 people.[6]
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.