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7 unusual facts about Shona language


Benjani Mwaruwari

In the Ngonde language of Malawi, his name should read Mwaluwali but because the Shona language uses 'R' in place of 'L', since 'L' is not part of the Shona alphabet, his name now reads Mwaruwari.

Charles Mungoshi

Two of his novels, one in Shona and the other in English, both published in 1975, won the International PEN Awards.

Ignatius Mabasa

Ignatius Tirivangani Mabasa (born 1971) is a Zimbabwean writer, storyteller, and musician, who writes mainly in Shona.

Khaya

Khaya senegalensis, also known as the African dry zone mahogany or Mubaba in the Shona language is also used for its herbaceous parts.

Safirio Madzikatire

His nickname comes from his role as Mukadota Baba VaRwizi on The Mukadota Family, a Shona TV drama which ran on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Television ZTV in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Shona language

(Some researchers include Kalanga: others recognise it as a language in its own right.)

Uapaca kirkiana

In Shona, the fruit are referred to as mazhanje.


Micere Githae Mugo

She has also collaborated with the Zimbabwean writer Shimmer Chinodya in editing plays and stories for adolescents in Shona.

Radio Voice of the People

Radio Voice of the People (Radio VOP) is a radio station in Zimbabwe which broadcasts to the southern African region in English, Shona and Ndebele in the mornings and evenings on 9895 kHz and 7120 kHz on the 41-meter band respectively during the European summer and on higher frequencies thereafter.

Selous Scouts

It was named after British explorer Frederick Courteney Selous (1851–1917), and their motto was pamwe chete, which in the Shona language, roughly means "all together", "together only" or "forward together".


see also

Thomas Mapfumo

Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo (born 1945) is a Zimbabwean musician known as "The Lion of Zimbabwe" and "Mukanya" (the praise name of his clan in the Shona language) for his immense popularity and for the political influence he wields through his music, including his sharp criticism of the government of President Robert Mugabe.