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.

摘要

现行的《津巴布韦宪法》（2013年）正式承认Ndau作为绍纳语的方言，从而使其成为另一种语言。自从克莱门特·多克（Clement Doke）于1931年统一绍纳语方言以来，纳道的语言地位一直受到争议。问题“纳道是绍纳语的方言，还是一种单独的语言？” 在学术界已被证明是有争议的。这场理性的辩论揭露了与此相关的政治敏感性，语言复杂性和社会语言不确定性的程度。认识到区分语言和方言的困难，本文通过统一四种竞争模式：历史，语言，社会语言和政治观点，为Ndau / Shona辩论引入了一种综合方法。这创建了一个检查历史和结构语言特征，认知元素以及情感和情感方面的平台，从而为Ndau / Shona辩论提供了信息。综合发现表明，尽管两个品种之间存在相似之处，但恩道州还是津巴布韦的一种独立语言。