linguistics

chegumi means "tithe" and that is a monthly religious practice carried out by Christians of putting aside at least 10% of their salary or income from investments to support their local church and reaching out to poor orphans and widows. However, chegumi (tithing) shouldn't be confused with any...

To begin with, the Holy Bible in chiShona language is called Bhaibheri, and a person who wholeheartedly accepts Jesus Christ (the Son of Man) as his survivor, that is to say, a Christian regardless of denomination (or any particular church they go to) is called muKristu. Note: chiKristu should...

What is the meaning behind the quote by Laozi (Lao Tzu) that says, "if you want to become full, let yourself be empty."

mubikirwa or chimubikirwa means either fake news, gossip, or propaganda that is presented as true facts albeit that isn't the case. Consequently, the story fails to add up due to a lack of convincing evidence to prove any claims made to convince a target audience. This word is also used as a...

means "veisalgia" or in other words, what most people commonly mek reference to as hangover effects wish a aaftin experienced afta yu drink laika fish. The formal chiShona word for veisalgia is actually bhabharasi. Bai di wie, (wey som a yu oandem aredi nuo) dark liquors/alcoholic drinks soch...

kwarup means something has been fully consumed or it's dead e.g., the state of a product or service reaching a point of complete utilization such that normal access is cut off and temporarily terminated until it's renewed. Example usage 1: Example usage 2: P.S. Everything is now a...

kushaudha Definition: to put another person or a group of people on full-blast in retaliation for what they did wrong whether they were throwing shade on social media, spreading rumors and lies behind your back, etc. Note: the literary translation of kushaudha to the English language is: "to...

n'anga ("asekuru" or "godobori") means a witch doctor, traditional healer (sangoma), fetish priest, or sorcerer. A female traditional healer may also be referred to as nyahana or nyahanda; however, this should not be misconstrued as being a synonym of Nyamhita Nehanda (i.e., a mhondoro spirit)...

kuchenura zita this is an apologetic customary practice that is done by a person who wrongfully charges another individual with an act of witchcraft (kuroya), theft (kuba), or in contemporary times things like legal slander or libel (defamation). The plaintiff will usually seek public...

chitubu means a water spring or a natural site where water emerges to the earth's surface due to pressure that occurs in an aquifer i.e., a body of porous rock saturated with groundwater. Note: Another Shona synonym for chitubu is "chisipiti." Popularization The most notable use of the word...

Fi dis haatikl, mi da guh hexpagorate nof difrahn animal (mhuka) az piipl kaal dem iin chiShona langwij (ah Chivanhu). Mi nuo deh a nof a dem pon oert, an fi dat riizn, mi nuh guh rait dong di les papiula wan habrij pesin wudn nuo fram di tap a fi dem ed. Pets EnglishChiShona Cat (felis...

kutsotsonya means either of the following: 1: to verbally or physically assault an individual e.g., "Usandisaize ndokutsotsonya izvezvi" 2: to spend quality time with the opposite sex in the form of riding e.g., "Kutsotsonya ka sponono." 3: to exploit an opportunity with end results of...

means either HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) even though there is a difference between the two. For instance, it depends on the context in which the word itself is used, and that is to say, if a person uses the word gwembe with a serious tone...

ku feeder bhebhi means to enjoy quality time by spoiling your main girlfriend, sidechick, or small house when you take her out for shopping, dining at a fine restaurant, outdoor events like a music concert, and among other things that at least require you to spend your own gwalangwa on her...

rovha means either a high school or a college dropout who spends most of his or her time excessively binge drinking alcohol, doing drugs, and being involved in a constant cycle of running into the law. As a result, if such a person does not reconsider their lifestyle soon enough, they are also...

winds means mamhepo ("bad energy") or what is often described in Christianity (chiKristu) as demonic evil spirits and of course including a cartel of fallen angels i.e., Lucifer and his clique. For instance, if a person is described to have winds like so: "Next oan has nof winds, my guy." Then...

means an extremely wealthy person who is financially well-off so much that they are set for life and will never have to work a single day in their life if they choose not to. Other chiShona synonyms for mhene are: Gwiri Huzu Shasha Mbinga Mbozha Muvhimi Mukuru (plural vakuru) Bhuru (only used...

charovedzera-charovedzera bveni rakakwira mawere kwasviba this means when someone has done something over and over again the same process ends up being second nature to them. They don't have to worry about it as much as a novice would. For example, an experienced person can have a casual...

Chiramu means a cultural practice that involves dallying, flirting, and an amorous play between babamukuru ("brother-in-law") and his wife's single younger sister or an unmarried muzukuru ("niece-in-law"). The cultural argument is that muramu (i.e., the niece-in-law) will be exposed to more...

Kuripa mhosva means to make amends for an offense that was committed against the beliefs and traditions of Chivanhu (customary law). For example, if two people a man and a woman cohabitate together (kuchaya mapoto or kubika mapoto) or have a child(ren) outside of wedlock without initially...