Chasu
Asu
Atlantic-Congo
Asu (also Pare, Chasu) is a Bantu language of the South Pare mountains in northeastern Tanzania, sister to North Pare Rwa (rwk) within the E.31 Pare cluster. The Pare people (Asu + Rwa together ~640K) have a distinctive iron-smelting tradition that historically supplied iron tools across the Kilimanjaro region. Linguistically, Asu shows typical Bantu E.30 features: ~10 noun classes with concord, complex tonal system, and active morphological aspect. Bible translation work since the 1990s has produced standardized Asu literacy materials, with the Asu New Testament published 2005.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Asu
Water
mende
/mende/
Fire
mshika
/mʃika/
Sun
nyu
/ɲu/
Moon
mwezi
/mwezi/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
kurya
/kuɾja/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
Love
lumba
/lumba/
Heart
ngiti
/ŋɡiti/
Tree
mti
/mti/
House
nyumba
/ɲumba/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
mkono
/mkono/
Eye
jicho
/dʒitʃo/
Hello
shiloi
/ʃiloi/
Thank you
mwasanga
/mwasaŋɡa/
One
imwe
/imwe/
Good
mwamba
/mwamba/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo languages
| Meaning | Asu | Rwa | Shambala | Makonde | Machame | Sangu | Nyaturu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mende /mende/ | mende /mende/ | mazi /mazi/ | mashi /maʃi/ | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ | maazi /maːzi/ |
| Fire | mshika /mʃika/ | msika /msika/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | mòò /moːʔ/ | umoto /umoto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | nyu /ɲu/ | mlao /mlao/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | lyuva /ʎuβa/ | ìsùwà /isuwa/ | liluga /liluɡa/ | nzua /nzua/ |
| Moon | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwere /mwere/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedi /mwedi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ |
| Eat | kurya /kuɾja/ | kuria /kuria/ | kuya /kuja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | ìlya /iʎa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kuria /kuɾia/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunyua /kuɲua/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | ìnyo /iɲo/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| Love | lumba /lumba/ | lumbo /lumbo/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | kupenda /kupenda/ | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ |
| Heart | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | mòyò /mojo/ | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Tree | mti /mti/ | mte /mte/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | mtí /mti/ | umuti /umuti/ | umuti /umuti/ |
| House | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mboha /mboha/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | nshenye /nʃeɲe/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Hand | mkono /mkono/ | mkono /mkono/ | ukono /ukono/ | nkono /nkono/ | kùoòko /kuoːko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Eye | jicho /dʒitʃo/ | liso /liso/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ | rítiò /ɾitio/ | iliho /iliho/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ |
| Hello | shiloi /ʃiloi/ | kira /kiɾa/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | nakushukuru /nakuʃukuɾu/ | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ | mbasala /mbasala/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ |
| Thank you | mwasanga /mwasaŋɡa/ | asante /asante/ | asante /asante/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | ahsànte /ahsante/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ | ahsante /ahsante/ |
| One | imwe /imwe/ | mongo /moŋɡo/ | imo /imo/ | nimo /nimo/ | ìmwí /imwi/ | imo /imo/ | umwe /umwe/ |
| Good | mwamba /mwamba/ | kya /kja/ | hedi /hedi/ | shibwana /ʃibwana/ | ìchá /itʃa/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ | kihi /kihi/ |
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