Yao
chiYao
Yao is an Atlantic-Congo language spoken in Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.
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Yao is a Bantu language of Malawi and Mozambique. In Malawi, the main dialect is Mangochi, mostly spoken around in Mangochi District. In Mozambique, the main dialects are Makale and Massaninga.
In Malawi, most Yao speakers live in the Southern Region near the southeast tip of Lake Malawi and bordering Mozambique to the east. In Mozambique, most speakers live in Niassa Province from the eastern shore of Lake Malawi (Lago Niassa) to the Lugenda River up to where it meets the Rovuma River. In Tanzania, most speakers live in the south Ruvuma, east of Lake Malawi along the Mozambican border.
From Wikipedia · Yao language · CC BY-SA 4.0
Written down
Wandu wosope akasapagwa ni ufulu ni uchimbichimbi wakulandana. Asapagwa ni lunda, niwakupakombola ganisya, m'yoyo kukusosekwa kuti mundu jwalijose am'woneje mundu jwimwe mpela mlongomjakwe.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR in Unicode).
Words in Yao
| Meaning | Word | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| woman | ŵakongwe | |
| name | lina | |
| tooth | lino | |
| tongue | lulumi | |
| breast | liŵele | |
| water | meesi | |
| night | cilo | |
| bird | cijuni | |
| pig | liguluŵe | |
| one | mo | |
| two | wili | |
| three | tatu | |
| four | mcheche | |
| five | msano | |
| ten | likumi | |
| milk | wuma |
Most similar languages
Vocabulary
- Mwera (Chimwera)Atlantic-Congo66% alike
- MatumbiAtlantic-Congo46% alike
- MbungaAtlantic-Congo41% alike
- MatengoAtlantic-Congo41% alike
- NdengerekoAtlantic-Congo41% alike
- MpotoAtlantic-Congo39% alike
Grammar
- HeheAtlantic-Congo97% alike
- LuyiAtlantic-Congo96% alike
- ShambalaAtlantic-Congo96% alike
- Mambwe-LunguAtlantic-Congo95% alike
- Congo SwahiliAtlantic-Congo95% alike
- GwenoAtlantic-Congo94% alike
Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.
Nearby languages
Elsewhere
Glottolog · yaoo1241 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · yao