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Yao

chiYao

Yao is an Atlantic-Congo language spoken in Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.

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Yao · 13.6°S 35.2°E

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

MeaningWordRomanization
womanŵakongwe
namelina
toothlino
tonguelulumi
breastliŵele
watermeesi
nightcilo
birdcijuni
pigliguluŵe
onemo
twowili
threetatu
fourmcheche
fivemsano
tenlikumi
milkwuma

Most similar languages

Vocabulary

Grammar

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

Nearby languages

Elsewhere

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Glottolog · yaoo1241 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · yao