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Shona Definition
Kuzoona munhu achembera anenge atobereka vana vakewo. Munhu anofa achisiya rudzi rwake rune dzinza nomutupo haaiti semhuka dzinozvara dzichisaidzira vana dzisingazivi kuti vanoendepi.
English Translation
Calling someone old is not the same as calling a beast old, since an ageing person is the root of the family that is coming up behind him. Old age in people deserves respect, not the dismissal one gives to livestock.
Cultural Context
“Said as a rebuke to young people who look down on the elderly.”
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This is a variant of
Chembere ndeyembwa / yomurume ndibaba vavanaIt is a dog that one calls old; a grown man is spoken of as the father of his children.