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Language Information

Shona is the principle language of Zimbabwe, in southern Africa. It is spoken by about 8 million people, or 70 percent of the native population. Shona is another of the Bantu languages.

Family: Niger-Congo
Subgroup: Benue-Congo
Branch: Bantu

Writing Sample

Translation

All day long the drum continued to cry and the people danced a dance without joy. The King spent the day in his house, he did not come out even for a little while. But the Queen, the chief wife of the King, she it was who came forth and danced with might, a strange might since it came not from food. Curu the old spent the day seated in the court, beating the drum to summon all the people saying, "Gather together, all you Manyika, that day has come at last, the day of ending, for Nyatene must hear us today, if ever he will hear us in this distress."
Many of the men were wearing cloths and skins of black and white, they danced, they sang and they prayed.
Now the sun was setting and all the people were tired, their voices were going. The King came forth from his house while the mournful drum-beat cried and reechoed, and he supported himself on his staff.

—H. W. CHITEPO, Soko Risina Musoro