Nyaudzosingwi| Many Shona words for 101 English verbs
Modifying verbs Adverbs are words that modify or describe words such as verbs, adjectives, clauses, sentences, and even other adverbs. It is easy to think of adverbs as words ending…
Madimikira| 28 idioms from the 1968 novel ‘Tambaoga Mwanangu’
After reading China manenji hachifambisi I wrote on idioms (madimikira) that the writer, Mordikai A. Hamutyinei, used in the story. I decided to do the same while reading Tambaoga mwanangu.…
A Shona legend| The vaHera’s chief and a cave
A legend is a traditional story that is believed to be true. Some legends on the origins of the Shona people detail how large societies separated, resulting in smaller groups…
Polygamy in traditional Shona society, as told in ‘Tambaoga Mwanangu’
A polygamous family I've just started reading 'Tambaoga Mwanangu.' This is a story about how an eighteen year old boy, Tambaoga, went about trying to solve the mystery of the…
4 stories on ‘mutupo’ and modern society
1. A breakdown in the transmission of cultural knowledge My grandmother is over a hundred years old. Now too old to live alone, she lives with my mother. I pay…
Indigenous religion in Zimbabwe| 5 key ‘chivanhu’ ritual festivals
Recurring cycle-based religious festivals For this story, I will refer to indigenous religion in Zimbabwe as chivanhu. This is a term used to refer to the traditional way of life…
The Tembo-Shumba Samaita clan
1. Their totem changed from tembo to shumba Tembo-Shumba (‘Zebra-Lion’) is the totem of the present day Mutasa people. The Mutasa people were not always known as such. The dynasty's totem was changed…
Tsumo| 20 Shona proverbs to inspire good work habits
Tsumo on work tell a story of a hard-working society, and give the picture that agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of the Shona people. The most important activity…
Nyaudzosingwi| Breaking down 70 ideophones of breaking
In lay terms, ideophones are words that stand out (are ‘marked’) and whose form betrays something of (is depictive of) their meaning. The following 70 ideophones (nyaudzosingwi) describe the act of…
My 5 ingredients for helping children with Shona language learning
Culture and language are inextricably intertwined. Over the past year or so, I have done a lot of research and writing on Shona culture and related matters. Consequently, I have…
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