Lomwe language

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The Lomwe (Lowe) language, Elomwe, also known as Western Makua, is the Bantu language of Mozambique. It belongs with Makua in the group of distinctive Bantu languages in the northern part of the country.[3]

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Lomwe
Western Makhuwa
Elomwe
Native toMalawi, Mozambique
Native speakers
2,520,000 (2017)[1]
Dialects
  • Lomwe
  • Ngulu (Mihavane)
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3ngl
Glottologlomw1241
P.32–33[2]
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Apart from the regional variations found within the Makhuwa proper, the Lomwe uses ch where tt appears in the Makhuwa orthography: for instance the Makhuwa mirette ("remedy") corresponds to the Lomwe mirecce, the Makhuwa murrutthu ("dead body") to the Lomwe miruchu, the Makhuwa otthapa ("joy") to the Lomwe ochapa.[citation needed]

Unusual among Bantu languages is the infinitive of the verb with o- instead of the typically Bantu ku- prefix: omala (eMakhuwa) is "to finish", omeeela (also an eMakhuwa form) is "to share out".[3]

A mutually unintelligible form containing elements of Malawian Lomwe, is spoken in Malawi. Maho (2009) separates out Ngulu (Mihavane) as a separate language, close to Malawi Lomwe.[2]

Phonology

Consonants

More information Labial, Alveolar ...
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Vowels

More information Front, Central ...
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[3][4]

References

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