Shona Language Miscellany
Here you will find miscellaneous Shona topics that do not seem to fit elsewhere. This includes Shona people and Shona culture. Click this
Abbreviations link to view the meanings of abbreviations used.
Shona Calendar
Days of The Weeks
(Commonly used.)
|
Month of The Year
(Rarely used. Use English names instead.)
|
| English |
Shona |
| Sunday |
Svondo |
| Monday |
Muvhuro |
| Tuesday |
Chipiri |
| Wednesday |
Chitatu |
| Thursday |
China |
| Friday |
Chishanu |
| Saturday |
Muguvera |
|
| English |
Shona |
| January |
Ndira KMZ |
| February |
Kukadzi KMZ |
| March |
Kurume KMZ |
| April |
Kubvumbi KMZ |
| May |
Chivabvu KMZ |
| June |
Chikumi KMZ |
| July |
Chikunguru KMZ |
| August |
Nyamavhuvhu KMZ |
| September |
Gunyana KMZ |
| October |
Mbudzi KKoMZ |
| November |
gumi nenomwe |
| December |
Zvita KK0MZ |
|
Marriage by Shona custom
First things first. Select the girl you would like to marry from the following list. A girl you concider
zai regondo, nzungu yepachuru.
The Girl
| English Description |
Shona |
| girl - general name for a young female human being |
musikana KKoMZ |
| attractive girl chibhamu KMZ; chiwawa MZ |
|
| slim attractive girl |
tsvarakadenga KMZ |
| grown girl of marriageable age |
chipwanyanenyanga KZ |
| girl dedicated to the service of Mwari |
mbonga KZ |
| full-grown unmarried girl |
mhandara KMZ |
| behaviour, temperament, etc, of a girl |
chisikana KMZ |
| girl of advanced marriageable age not yet engaged |
homba KM; hwanzvo Z |
| short, stout girl |
chisikana KMZ |
| stout girl |
tsakupiti KZ |
| strong stout girl of marriageable age |
tsikombi K; chitunya Z |
| big, stout girl |
chimutsigori Z |
| big, healthy girl |
jikitikwa KZ |
Consideration
| English Description |
Shona |
| dowry - money and/or cattle that, by Shona custom, a husband must pay to his wife's family before they can officially get married |
roora KMZ |
| fee paid to father-in-law for walking through morning dew |
rugumabeto M; rusvayadova KZ |
| fee paid for summoning father-in-law from where he was sitting |
kubvakumarara Z |
| fee paid to father-in-law for sitting down during marriage transactions |
garaiparukukwe Z |
| fee paid to father-in-law for stroking beard |
matekenyandebvu Z |
| fee paid for being allowed to ask about father-in-law's health |
uchiro Z |
| fee paid for being allowed to visit (before completion of marriage transactions) |
mbonano Z |
| small fee paid to father-in-law for, opening his mouth |
zaruramuromo KMZ |
| fee paid to father-in-law when the munyai opens his purse |
zarurahomwe KMZ |
| fee paid to father-in-law for climbing onto the wall of cattle kraal, before approving roora cattle |
hwiradanga KZ |
| fee paid to father-in-law for seeing his ddowry cattle |
mesoemombe KZ; mhangidzadanga M |
| fee paid to father-in-law for driving dowry cattle |
rushamhu Z |
| fee paid to father-in-law for permission to take wife to her husband's home |
rusumudzo KMZ |
| consideration paid to father-in-law when he has reached village to which his daughter has eloped |
nhumburamafeso KZ |
Do not forget
| English |
Description |
Shona |
| father-in-law |
father-in-law 's long heavy coat or great coat |
jazi, jasi |
| mother-in-law |
mother-in-law 's large heavy blanket |
fuko KMZ; jira K |
| wedding feast |
large, fat ox or cow to be killed for feeding people at the wedding feast and all associated items |
muchato n'ombe KKoMZ |
Names to remember
| English |
Description |
Shona |
| father |
a male parent |
baba KKoMZ; bambo KKoM; tate Ko; tsano Ko |
| father |
father by inheritance, replacing natural father |
baba wenhaka MZ |
| father-in-law |
your wife's father |
baba KKoMZ; tervara KoMZ; tsano KKoZ |
| father-in-law |
your husband's father |
baba KZ; sezawani M |
| mother |
a female parent |
mai KM; amai KoZ |
| mother-in-law |
your wife's mother |
mbuya KM; vambuya Z |
| mother-in-law |
your husband's mother |
vamwene KKoZ |
| son-in-law |
the husband of one's daughter |
mukuwasha KKoZ; mukwambo KMZ |
| daughter-in-law |
the wife of one's son |
muroora KKoMZ |
| brother-in-law |
your wife's brother |
baba KKoMZ; tezvara KoMZ; tsano KKoZ |
| brother-in-law |
your husband's older |
brother babamukuru KMZ |
| brother-in-law |
husband's younger brother |
babamunini KMZ |
| sister-in-law |
your wife's older sister |
muramu K; mwaramu M; maiguru KMZ |
| sister-in-law |
your wife's younger sister |
muramu K; mwaramu M; mainini KMZ |
| sister-in-law |
wife of husband's older brother |
maiguru KZ |
| sister-in-law |
wife of husband's younger brother |
mainini KMZ |
| sister-in-law |
husband's sister |
vatete KZ; muramukadzi KMZ |
Again, click this
Abbreviations link to view the meanings of abbreviations used.
Submitting Shona Words
Help increase the Shona word list in the database for these Shona Language pages by submitting additional words I omitted and their meanings. Omissions may include instances where I did not cover all possible meanings of a word. In that case, treat the word as a new word and include all possible meanings for the word in question. Basic guide to submitting omitted words is on the
Add Words page.
We need your feedback
This is an ongoing project and any suggestions you have to improve information offered here would be greatly appreciated. E-mail any comments or suggestions you have to
Martin Shumba.