Ndau (also called chiNdau, Chindau, Ndzawu, Njao, Chidanda) is a Bantu language spoken by 1,400,000 people. Ndau is a Shona language and it is mutually intelligible with other Shona languages such as Manyika, Zezuru and Karanga.The 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe accorded Ndau status as an official language. It is a National language of Zimbabwe.

Sample text

The mutual intelligibility of Ndau with other Shona varieties is fairly high, but some speakers of other Shona varieties may find it difficult to understand. Differences and similarities can be measured by examining a Ndau version of Lord's Prayer: ''Baba edu ari mudenga, ngariremeredzwe zina renyu. UMambo hwenyu ngahuuye. Kuda kwenyu ngakuitwa munyika kudai ngomudenga. Tipei nege kurya kwedu kwatinotama nyamashi. Tirekererei ndaa dzedu kudai tisu takarekerera avo vane ndaa kwetiri. Usatipinza mukuedzwa, asi tinunure kuno uwo wakashata.'' The equivalent paragraph in Standard Shona (mainly based on Zezuru) is: ''Baba vedu vari kudenga, zita renyu ngarikudzwe. UMambo hwenyu ngahwuuye. Kuda kwenyu ngakuitwe pasi sokudenga. Tipei nhasi kudya kwedu kwakwezuva. Tiregererei zvatinokutadzirai sekuregerera kwatinoita vakatitadzira. Musatipinze mukuedzwa, asi mutinunure mune zvakaipa.''

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

Alphabet

While the mainstream Shona language excludes L, Q and X from its alphabet, Ndau orthography uses them as shown by the examples below: These sounds have been acquired from neighboring Nguni languages.

Proverbs, fables, and songs

In 1922, C. Kamba Simango, a Vandau ethnographer, working together with Franz Boas, published a collection of 20 Ndau fables and 29 Ndau proverbs, accompanied by an English translation, in the Journal of American Folklore. The following are some of the proverbs: Simango also provided the Ndau texts and translations that appear in Songs and Tales from the Dark Continent by Natalie Curtis Burlin, published in 1920. The book contains 6 proverbs in Ndau and English with commentary along with songs that include the Ndau lyrics, English translation, plus a transcription of the music. There are ritual songs, including Mate'ka, "Song of the Rain Ceremony;" Manthi'ki, "Spirit Song;" Lum'bo Lgo Lu'do, "Love-Song;" and Mafu've, "Dance of Girls," along with a selection of "Children's Songs," "Laboring Songs," and "Dance Songs," plus Kufa'mba, a mocking song and Chili'lo, a lament. There are also 2 songs in Ndau and in English included in the folktale, "How the Animals Dug Their Well," plus a song that is part of the "Legend of the Daughter and the Slave" and a song that is part of the "Legend of the Sky-Maiden." In an appendix, there is an interlinear word-for-word rendering of the Ndau proverbs and song lyrics into English.