Manyika language

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The Manyika language is a broad sub-dialect of the Shona language. Largely spoken by the Manyika people in the eastern part of Zimbabwe and across the border in Mozambique it encompasses ChiBocha, ChiNdau, ChiUngwe and ChiManyika from which the broad Manyika Language gets its name from.

This ChiManyika spoken by people in the the northern parts of Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe, (Nyanga, Honde Valley Mutasa area) whilst ChiBocha is spoken by people in the southern part of Manicaland. Manyika differs from the more predominant Zezuru dialect in a variety of small ways. Certain variations in local vocabulary and word prefixes exist. In East Africa, Manyika would mean "Be known". So, some people got Manyika as the last name.

For example the prefix 'va-' (used in Shona before male names to signify seniority and respect) is instead 'sa-' in the Manyika language. Also the prefix 'va-' used as in people for example vanhu vakaenda vakawanda is replaced by 'wa-' to become wanhu wakaenda wakawanda

The verbs in this language are tonally divided into two groups. The tonal figures of the verbs belonging to one group are as shown below in the case of the infinitive, which has ku- as its prefix. kupá 'to give', kubátá 'to catch', kupómérá 'to scold', kukúrúdzíra 'to encourage'; kumúpá 'to give him (something)', kumúbátá 'to catch him', kumúpómérá, kumúkúrúdzíra; kuzvípa 'to give (something to) oneself', kuzvíbatá 'to catch oneself', kuzvípomerá, kuzvíkurudzirá. The tonal structure can be represented by: kuCV^^’CV^^’CV^^’X, kuÓCV^^’CV^^’CV^^’X, kuŔXCá, where X stands for a string of phonemes of any length, O for an object prefix, and R for a reflexive prefix, with an adjustment rule to the first two formulae that: if X=Ø, the last CV^^’ can be Ø, and if both are Ø, the second CV^^’ can also be Ø, and with one to the last that: if X=Ø, Cá becomes Ca.

The tonal figures of the verbs belonging to the other group are as shown below. kubwa 'to leave', kumutsa 'to wake up', kutarisa 'to look at', kuswatanudza 'to make (somebody) stand up'; kumúmútsa, kumútárisa, kumúswátanudza; kuzvímutsá, kuzvítarisá, kuzvíswatanudzá. The tonal representation should be: kuX, kuÓCV^^’X, kuŔXCá. This language has many indicative forms (such as Remote Past, Recent Past, Past Progressive, Present, etc.) including negative ones.

In Chapter 1 the tonal figures of various indicative forms as well as those of the imperatives, subjunctives, etc. are given together with the author's tonal analysis for each verbal form in the way as shown above for the infinitive. In Chapter 2 the author tries to make clear to what degree the tonal figures of the verbal forms dealt with in Chapter 1 are regularly constituted.

He examines whether it is possible to account for all of them by supposing that each morpheme has its proper tonal feature and the tonal figure of each verbal form as a whole is the result of the mutual tonal influences of the morphemes contained in it. The answer is partly positive, and the author concludes that this language is regular to some extent with regard to the tonal system of its verbs.

[edit] THE CHISHONA language

Today, due to Pre-colonial Trade, ancestral links, gradual overlapping, past invasions and intermarriages, The Standard Shona language collectively consists of about 13% old KiSwahili, 5% English, 0.3% Mozambican Portuguese, 1.2% SiNdebele or Zulu, 63% indigenous (now partially extinct San language), 0.9% Arabic or Farsi, 0.5% Malagasy and the remainder on adding up all the major and minor dialects, ChiZezuru, ChiManyika, ChiKaranga, ChiChewa, ChiNdau, ChiKorekore, TshiVenda, TshiTsonga, sub-dialects like Shawasha, Tsunga and other minor influences).