Zimbabwean English

Cultivated accents

Much like Australian and South African English, spoken English exists on a continuum from broad, general to cultivated (see broad and general accents), based on an individuals background particularly with regards to education, class, income and historically, ethnicity.[19] Affluent, upper middle class and highly educated Zimbabweans speak in a cultivated accent, influenced by older forms of southern British English, the now archaic Rhodesian English and to a lesser extent, South African English. The cultivated accent can be viewed as a localised approximation of Received Pronunciation taught at private, fee-paying day and boarding schools such as Prince Edward School, Arundel School and Peterhouse Boys' School. Indeed, cultivated speakers (such as Peter Ndoro or Tsitsi Dangarembga) can sometimes sound virtually indistinguishable from middle class, privately educated, British Received Pronunciation speakers (though not the British upper class). As such, the accent is only spoken natively by a tiny fraction of the population and denotes prestige and authority, with many dialect speakers dominating spaces such as business, the performing arts, law, journalism, cricket and higher education as late as the late 1990s. Similar accents can be noted in other former British territories such as cultivated Australian and Canadian dainty.[20] The cultivated accent is sometimes humourously mocked by other speakers for its nasality and alleged pretentiousness, with speakers derided as the so-called nose brigades.[21] Robert Mugabe, Brendan Taylor, Pommie Mbangwa, Dave Houghton and journalists Peter Ndoro and Sophie Chamboko are notable speakers of a cultivated accent.[22]

Broad Accents

On the other hand, rural and urban working class speakers, are heavily influenced by their native languages (these groups are also mocked as SRBs whose accents betray their strong rural background). This "broad" variety is most associated with the working class, rural persons, low socioeconomic status, and limited education.[8] These three sub-varieties have also been called "Cultivated ZimE", "General ZimE", and "Broad ZimE", respectively. Broad accents roughly approximates the English as a second-language varieties of English.[23] This variety has been stigmatised by middle and upper middle class English speakers and is considered a vernacular or improper form of Zimbabwean English. A notable trend by broad speakers is a growing preference for English names that are direct translations from African languages. This is largely due to the prestige of English in society, their limited education and the aspiration of parents for their children to move into the middle classes or pursue opportunities abroad.[24] Such names generally appear non-standard to native English speakers and are usually viewed humorously by middle class Zimbabweans and Britons, Irish people and Australians, when they interact with broad speakers abroad. Examples of such names include Innocent, Fortunate, Blessing and Lovemore.[24] Notable speakers of the broad Zimbabwean accent are Jonathan Moyo and Joseph Chinotimba.[23]

General Zimbabwean English

Lower middle to middle class black Zimbabweans are by far the largest speakers of Zimbabwean English and are generally the most prominent in the mainstream media, especially since 2000.[23] These speakers generally fall in a spectrum between the two accents with educated accents approximating cultivated accents but without quite the same level of elocution, while lower middle class speakers tend to speak more plainly. As a result the general accent shows greater variety than other dialects. Indeed, contrary to outside expectations, a number notable of white Zimbabweans, especially those under 45 exhibit features of a general accent, albeit with a hint of nasality. This is largely due to the growth of the internet, circular migration, as well as Zimbabweans of all races interacting with each other on equal terms. Despite this white speakers still form a disproportionate number of cultivated accent speakers. A notable feature of general accents is a tendency to over pronounce certain consonants, than other dialects, such as the hard T, though this is not a feature among white speakers.[25] Speakers of the general dialect tend to have at least a high school education and speak English fluently and natively and are perfectly bilingual.[1][23]

The aspirational nature of this group, has led to younger speakers becoming more susceptible to influences from other Englishes, particularly pop-culture references from American English (what's up, you guys, chill out, like) that are derided by cultivated speakers who overwhelmingly prefer British conventions and more traditionally minded Zimbabweans who dismiss individuals with such affectations as so called salads (stupid Africans who like (copy) American dressing (trends)).[15] Lesser influences include Jamaican patois from the popularity of reggae and dancehall with lower middle class youths and British slang and London English accents due to the growth of Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom.[15] Speakers of this general Zimbabwean accent include , Evan Mawarire, Hamilton Masakadza, Marc Pozzo, Heath Streak, Morgan Tsvangirai and Petina Gappah.

A subset of the general accent is general Zimbabwean English as spoken by younger middle-class, white Zimbabweans, especially those who were born or came of age after 1980. This form of speech eschews the negative connotations of the obsolete Rhodesian dialect and speakers tend to avoid the elocution, nasality (and alleged elitism) of a cultivated private school accent, as they either did not attend the elite institutions where the accent is taught or prefer to downplay it, in order to sound more relatable or 'cool'.[15] A similar trend can be observed in British English with the development of Estuary English. This concept of communication accommodation, either upwards or downwards in idiolect, can be seen in many social interactions. A speaker aims to put someone at ease by speaking in a familiar tone or intonation, or one can intimidate or alienate someone by speaking more formally.[15] A lot of crossover exists between this sub-variety and the wider general accent, thus it can be difficult to differentiate speakers by ethnicity especially if they have gone to the same schools.[15] Unlike older generations, younger white Zimbabweans tend to have learnt Shona and Ndebele at school and have friends from different backgrounds and nationalities. Also, unlike young black Zimbabweans, a greater proportion of young whites now live abroad, which may lead to the sub-dialect eventually being absorbed by the larger general accent. Examples of speakers of the modern, sub-dialect include Kirsty Coventry, Kyle Jarvis (who retains some cultivated features), Tom Curran, Don Armand, and Dave Ewers.[26]

Today English is spoken by virtually all in the cities, but less so in rural areas.[1] English, the official language, enjoys status dominance and is the language of instruction in education, commerce, the government and the majority of the media.

The following are terms used by Coloured English speakers that are either less common or absent in Zimbabwean and other Englishes

• Auntie- A respectful term for an older woman. Black Zimbabweans tend to use similar terms in African languages. Auntie is also used in other Englishes such as Caribbean English, southern African American English and in Maori and Polynesian cultures.
• Barley- Many Coloured people use the word barley in a distinct way, to mean father or a respected older man. Occasionally used by middle class black Zimbabweans, but not widely so.
• Blondie-A naïve, unruly or stupid young woman.
• China- A friend; as in the greeting 'How's it my china?' Likely from Cockney rhyming slang "China plate" (meaning "my mate"); from early British immigrants.
• Cheeky-"Cheeky" may be used to describe a mischievous person, particularly a child.
• Connection- a close friend, mate or a person who can do you a favour.
• Den- Many Coloured people refer to their house as their den, particularly in Harare and the Mashonaland East. This word has also been adopted by young black Zimbabweans, particularly in Harare. The term probably entered youth culture in the late 1990s.
• Dead- Dead is used by many Coloured people to mean boring, or uninteresting, when referring to an event. This usage is not exclusive to Coloured people and can be heard in other forms of English, such as Irish English and Manchester English.
• Dutchman/ Dutchie/(ma)Bhunu- A derogatory term for a white South African especially an Afrikaner. Also used to refer to Afrikaners by other South Africans, though the term mabhunu is an exclusively Zimbabwean term.
• Gammon- Victorian era English word for pretend. Still used by some people to mean joking generally as in gammoning. Though virtually unknown by other Zimbabweans it is surprisingly common in Australia, especially as used by Aboriginal people.
• Goffal-A Coloured or mixed-race Zimbabwean or Zambian. Largely unknown by other Zimbabweans who prefer the term coloured. Does not refer to and is largely unknown by Cape Coloureds
• Humbug- Whereas humbug in broader English (see Charles Dickens's Scrooge character) means nonsensical, or unimportant information, humbug in Coloured English means an annoying person who makes inane or repetitive requests. As in 'here comes that humbug again'.[27]
• Kwacha-A worthless item, or an item rapidly losing value. From the Zambian Kwacha. Once commonly used by black Zimbabweans but increasingly obsolete due to the troubles of Zimbabwe's own currency.
• Lighty- a younger person, especially a younger male such as a younger brother or son. From the Afrikaans term, laaitie. Common in South Africa, but largely absent in other Zimbabwean dialects.
• Late- Dead, a deceased person; An indirect or respectful way of referring to a person who has passed away, as 'his father is late'. In Coloured culture and black Zimbabwean culture more generally, a person is rarely referred to as deceased directly.[27]
• Nyasas/ Nyasalanders- Malawian (and less commonly Zambian) immigrants and their descendants, may be considered pejorative. Also used by black Zimbabweans especially older speakers.
• Moscans-Mozambique or Portuguese-speaking immigrants (though not Portuguese people). More common in eastern Zimbabwe, especially Harare,Mashonaland East and Manicaland.
• Oan/ Own- A friend; especially male, as in the phrase 'That's my oan'. Absent in other Zimbabwean dialects, though sometimes used by black and white Zimbabweans who interact with Coloured people. Its origin is unclear but maybe connected to the South African term oke, which carries the same meaning but is virtually unused in Zimbabwean English.
• Porkies- Lies, as in 'you're telling me porkies'. From Cockney rhyming slang, ie lies = pork pies, hence porkies.
• Scheme- To think, or to do (e.g. "I scheme we should go home now"; usage evolved from the hyperbole "What are you scheming?" asked of a person deep in thought.). Also used in South African English
• Yarn- English word for a long story, often with incredible or unbelievable events. Originally a sailors' expression, "to spin a yarn", in reference to stories told while performing mundane tasks such as spinning yarn.[30] Among Coloured people, it has become a verb, to ramble or tell tall tales. Often, Yarning.