Is Ndau a Dialect of Shona?

Abstract

The current Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) officially ended Ndau's status as a dialect of Shona by recognising it as a separate language. The linguistic status of Ndau has been debated since Clement Doke's unification of Shona dialects in 1931. The question “Is Ndau a dialect of Shona or rather a separate language?” has proven disputable in academia. This intellectual debate exposes the extent of attached political sensitivities, linguistic complexities and sociolinguistic uncertainties regarding the matter. Acknowledging the difficulty of distinguishing between languages and dialects this article introduces an integrated approach to the Ndau/Shona debate by unifying four competing models: the historical, the linguistic, the sociolinguistic, and the political perspectives. This creates a platform to examine historical and structural linguistic features and cognitive elements as well as affective and emotional aspects informing the Ndau/Shona debate. The consolidated findings indicate that despite existing similarities between the two varieties Ndau is a separate language in Zimbabwe.