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Mwani

Kimwani

Mwani is an Atlantic-Congo language spoken in Mozambique, by about 100 thousand people.

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Mwani · 12.6°S 40.5°E

The Mwani language, also known by its native name Kimwani, (Kimwani [kiˈmwani]) is a Bantu language spoken on the coast of the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique, including the Quirimbas Islands. Although it shares high lexical similarity (60%) with Swahili, it is not intelligible with it. It is spoken by around 167,150 people (including 147,150 who speak it as a first language and 20,000 who use it as their second language). Speakers also use Portuguese (the official language of Mozambique), Swahili and Makhuwa language. Kiwibo, the dialect of the Island of Ibo is the prestige dialect. Kimwani (sometimes spelled as Quimuane) is also called Mwani (sometimes spelled as: Mwane, Muane) and Ibo. According to Anthony P. Grant Kimwani of northern Mozambique appears to be the result of imperfect shift towards Swahili several centuries ago by speakers of Makonde, and Arends et al. suggest it might turn out to be a Makonde–Swahili mixed language.

From Wikipedia · Mwani language · CC BY-SA 4.0

Words in Mwani

MeaningWordRomanization
mothermama
fatherbaba
childmwana
mannlume
womanmuka
personmunu
namezina
eyeriso
earsikiro
toothrino
tonguelulimi
handnkono
heartmoyo
headkiswa
blooddamu
breastwere
watermaji
firemoto
sunjuwa
moonmwezi
rainnvula
windmepo
stonemwala
mountainmwango
treemuti
nightusiku
dogumbwa
catmaka
fishinswi
birdnyuni

Most similar languages

Vocabulary

  • KwereAtlantic-Congo51% alike
  • KotiAtlantic-Congo51% alike
  • SwahiliAtlantic-Congo49% alike
  • RungwaAtlantic-Congo48% alike
  • NathemboAtlantic-Congo47% alike
  • DoeAtlantic-Congo45% alike

Grammar

Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.

Nearby languages

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Glottolog · mwan1247 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · wmw