Shona language
| Shona | |
|---|---|
| chiShona | |
| Native to | |
| Region | Southern Africa |
| Ethnicity | Shona |
| Speakers | L1: 9.6 million (2010–2023) L2: 4.5 million (2023) Total: 14 million (2010–2023) |
| Dialects |
|
| Latin script (Shona alphabet) Shona Braille Ditema tsa Dinoko | |
| 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 – Shonatwl – Tavaramxc – Manyikatwx – Tewe (Manyika) |
| Glottolog | core1255 Core Shonatawa1270 Tawara |
S.7–10 | |
| Linguasphere | 99-AUT-a = List
|
| Person | MuShona |
|---|---|
| People | VaShona |
| Language | chiShona |
| Country | Vukaranga |
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. Using the broader term, 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.