Makhuwa language
Makhuwa (Emakhuwa; also spelt Makua and Macua) is the primary Bantu language of northern Mozambique. It is spoken by four million Makua people, who live north of the Zambezi River, particularly in Nampula Province, which is virtually entirely ethnically Makua. It is the most widely spoken indigenous language of Mozambique.
| Makhuwa | |
|---|---|
| Emakuana | |
| Native to | Mozambique, Tanzania |
| Ethnicity | Makua |
Native speakers | 8.6 million (2017) |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Variously:vmw – Central Makhuwamgh – Makhuwa-Meettovmk – Makhuwa-Shirimakzn – Kokolallb – Lolomny – Manyawavmr – Marenjetke – Takwanexmc – Makhuwa-Marrevonexsq – Makhuwa-Saka |
| Glottolog | maku1279 Makua–Lomwe; adds Lomwe & Monigachuw1239 Chuwaboic; adds Chuwabokoko1267 Kokolamany1259 Manyawa |
P.31 | |
Apart from the languages in the same group, eMakhuwa is distinguished from other Bantu languages by the loss of consonant + vowel prefixes in favour of e; compare epula, "rain", with Tswana pula.
Long and short vowels distinguish five vowel qualities /i e a o u/, which is unusually sparse for a Bantu language:
- omala - to finish
- omaala - to paste, stick
- omela - to sprout, bud
- omeela - to share out
The consonants are more complex: postalveolar tt and tth exist, both p and ph are used. Both x (English "sh") and h exist while x varies with s. Regionally, there are also θ (the "th" of English "thorn"), ð (the "th" of English "seethe"), z and ng. For instance in eLomwe, to which Makhuwa is closely related, the tt of eMakhuwa is represented by a "ch" as in English "church".