Makua, Lomwe
< Maasai | Major Languages | Malagasy >
Categories: Languages, Mozambique, Malawi
On this page... (hide)
- 1. Classification / Classification
- 2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
- 3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
- 4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
- 5. Usage / Utilisation
- 6. Orthography / Orthographe
- 7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
- 8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
- 9. Comments / Remarques
- 10. References / Références
1. Classification / Classification
Ethnologue? lists the classification of Makua and Lomwe as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, P, Makua (P.30)
Ethnologue? lists another language called Lomwe in Malawi that is apparently not related
Makua is sometimes written Makhua.
2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
Lomwe is spoken in the central belt of Mozambique north of the Zambezi, from the coast between Port Amelia and Angoche, westward to Lake Chilwa and Mlanje mountains, and into Malawi. (Webbook)
3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
According to Ethnologue:
- Chuwabu/Chwabo 786,715 (1997 census)
- Lolo 150,000 (2002 SIL)
- Lomwe 1,300,000 (1991)
- Maindo 20,000 (2003)
- Makua/Makhuwa 2,500,000 (1996)
- Makhuwa-Marrevone 420,101 (2000 WCD)
- Makhuwa-Meetto 800,000 in Mozambique (1997 census)
- Makhuwa-Moniga 200,000 (2003 Kröger)
- Makhuwa-Saka 200,000 (2003 Kröger)
- Makhuwa-Shirima 500,000 (1996)
- Manyawa 150,000 (1999)
- Marenje 75,000 (1997 census)
- Takwane 150,000 (1997 census)
- Total all related languages: 7,251,816
4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
Although a detailed survey has not been published, Price (personal communication, 1985) points out that "the dialectal variation is considerable" within Lomwe, but he notes that Makua and Lomwe are dialects of the same language. (Webbook)
The following listings in Ethnologue appear to be related:
- Chuwabu/Chwabo [Lexical similarity 78% between Chuwabo of Makusi District and Marrare]
- Central Chuwabo
- Nyaringa
- Marale
- Karungu
- Maindo
- Lolo [May be a dialect of Lomwe or Makhuwa. Close to Takwane]
- Lomwe [Closest to Makhuwa, Chwabo]
- Maindo [Lexical similarity 84% with Chwabo]
- Makua/Makhuwa
- Emwaja
- Enaharra (Maharra, Nahara, Emathipane)
- Enyara
- Central Makua (Makhuwana, Makuana, Emakhuwana)
- Empamela (Nampamela)
- Enlai (Mulai)
- Makhuwa-Marrevone
- Makhuwana (Emakhuwana)
- Naharra (Enaharra)
- Enlai
- Nampamela (Empamela)
- Makhuwa-Meetto [Imeetto has 81% to 88% lexical similarity with Saka, 78% to 82% with Nahara, 78% to 80% with Makua, 66% to 68% with Lomwe]
- Makhuwa-Moniga [Lexical similarity 56% with Lomwe]
- Makhuwa-Saka [Lexical similarity 81% to 88% with Makhuwa-Meetto, 78% to 80% with Makhuwa]
- Saka (Esaaka)
- Rati (Erati)
- Makhuwa-Shirima [Probably not intelligible with the Metto, Makhuwa, or Lomwe]
- Manyawa [Close to Takwane. Lexical similarity 69% with Takwane]
- Marenje [Related to Lolo and Kokola]
- Takwane [Related to Manyawa]
5. Usage / Utilisation
Makua and Lomwe are used largely as local languages. (Webbook)
6. Orthography / Orthographe
6.1 Status / Statut
No standardized orthography currently exists for Makua/Lomwe, although differences between the dialects do not appear to present serious difficulties. (Webbook)
6.2 Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple
A table at http://www.bisharat.net/A12N/MozaSource.htm gives some information for "Emakhuwa" in Mozambique.
Sample texts are shown on the "Language Museum" site:
- Makhuwa-Metto http://www.language-museum.com/m/makhuwa-metto.php
- Lomwe http://www.language-museum.com/l/lomwe.php
7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
7.1 Fonts / Polices
7.2 Keyboard layouts / Dispositions de clavier
7.3 Content on computers & internet / Contenu en informatique et sur l'Internet
7.4 Localized software / Logiciels localisés
Not aware of any localisation efforts.
7.5 Language codes / Codes de langue
Lomwe
- ISO 639-1: -
- ISO 639-2: -
- ISO 639-3: ngl
Makua/Makhuwa
- ISO 639-1: -
- ISO 639-2: -
- ISO 639-3: vmw
Chuwabu
- ISO 639-3: chw
Lolo
- ISO 639-3: llb
Maindo
- ISO 639-3: cwb
Makhuwa-Marrevone
- ISO 639-3: xmc
Makhuwa-Meetto
- ISO 639-3: mgh
Makhuwa-Moniga
- ISO 639-3: mhm
Makhuwa-Saka
- ISO 639-3: xsq
Makhuwa-Shirima
- ISO 639-3: vmk
Manyawa
- ISO 639-3: mny
Marenje
- ISO 639-3: vmr
Takwane
- ISO 639-3: tke
7.6 Other / Autre
Human Network International is reportedly working on localising a mobile phone interface in Makhuwa (2015)
8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
8.1 Individuals (experts) / Individuelles (experts)
8.2 Institutions / Institutions
8.3 On the internet / Sur la toile
9. Comments / Remarques
10. References / Références
Dwyer, David (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/hiermenu.html (page on "Makua/Lomwe," http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/Makua_root.html )
SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Chuwabu," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/chw
______, "Lolo," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/llb
______, "Lomwe," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/ngl
______, "Maindo," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/cwb
______, "Makhuwa," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/vmw
______, "Makhuwa-Marrevone," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/xmc
______, "Makhuwa-Meetto," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mgh
______, "Makhuwa-Moniga," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mhm
______, "Makhuwa-Saka," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/xsq
______, "Makhuwa-Shirima," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/vmk
______, "Manyawa," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mny
______, "Marenje," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/vmr
______, "Takwane," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/tke
SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/codes.asp
U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2: Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages: Alpha-3 codes arranged alphabetically by the English name of language," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php
Wikipedia, "Makhua language," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makhua_language
______, "Makua languages," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makua_languages
< Maasai | Major Languages | Malagasy >
Categories: Languages, Mozambique, Malawi