Kimashami
Machame
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Chaga)
Machame (Kimashami) is the largest of the Chaga Bantu languages of Mount Kilimanjaro's southern slopes in northern Tanzania. The Chaga people are famous as one of the most economically successful indigenous groups in East Africa, having developed a sophisticated agroforestry "homegarden" (kihamba) system on the rich volcanic soils of Kilimanjaro. Tonal with elaborate noun-class system; Machame and the closely related Vunjo, Rombo, and Kibosho dialects form a continuum spanning the Kilimanjaro escarpment.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Machame
Water
mringa
/mɾiŋɡa/
Fire
mòò
/moːʔ/
Sun
ìsùwà
/isuwa/
Moon
mwezi
/mwezi/
Star
nyenyeri
/ɲeɲeri/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
inyi
/iɲi/
You
uwe
/uwe/
Name
irina
/irina/
Eye
rítiò
/ɾitio/
Hand
kùoòko
/kuoːko/
Heart
mòyò
/mojo/
Love
ìkwenda
/ikwenda/
Tree
mtí
/mti/
House
nyumba
/ɲumba/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Eat
ìlya
/iʎa/
Drink
ìnyo
/iɲo/
One
ìmwí
/imwi/
Two
iwi
/iwi/
Hello
máshàlòmà
/maʃaloma/
Thank you
ahsànte
/ahsante/
Good
ìchá
/itʃa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Chaga) languages
| Meaning | Machame | Shambala | Rwa | Asu | Nyaturu | Maore Comorian | Sangu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ | mazi /mazi/ | mende /mende/ | mende /mende/ | maazi /maːzi/ | maji /maji/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ |
| Fire | mòò /moːʔ/ | moto /moto/ | msika /msika/ | mshika /mʃika/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | umoto /umoto/ |
| Sun | ìsùwà /isuwa/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | mlao /mlao/ | idhuva /iðuʋa/ | nzua /nzua/ | jua /dʒua/ | liluga /liluɡa/ |
| Moon | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwere /mwere/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ |
| Star | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ | nyeenyeeri /ɲeːɲeːri/ | nyota /ɲota/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | inyi /iɲi/ | niye /nije/ | inyi /iɲi/ | mine /mine/ | une /une/ | wami /wami/ | une /une/ |
| You | uwe /uwe/ | weye /weje/ | uwe /uwe/ | uwe /uwe/ | uwe /uwe/ | wawe /wawe/ | uwe /uwe/ |
| Name | irina /irina/ | izina /izina/ | irina /irina/ | izina /izina/ | izina /izina/ | dzina /dzina/ | litawa /litawa/ |
| Eye | rítiò /ɾitio/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ | iiso /iːso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | jicho /dʒiʃo/ | iliho /iliho/ |
| Hand | kùoòko /kuoːko/ | ukono /ukono/ | mkono /mkono/ | mkono /mkono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | mkono /mkono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Heart | mòyò /mojo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | umutima /umutima/ | moyo /moʝo/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Love | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | lumbo /lumbo/ | lumba /lumba/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | mahaba /mahaba/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ |
| Tree | mtí /mti/ | mti /mti/ | mte /mte/ | mti /mti/ | umuti /umuti/ | mti /mti/ | umuti /umuti/ |
| House | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /njumba/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mboha /mboha/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /ɱbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | ìlya /iʎa/ | kuya /kuja/ | kuria /kuria/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kula /kula/ | kulya /kuʎa/ |
| Drink | ìnyo /iɲo/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunyua /kuɲua/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| One | ìmwí /imwi/ | imo /imo/ | mongo /moŋɡo/ | imwe /imwe/ | umwe /umwe/ | moja /moja/ | imo /imo/ |
| Two | iwi /iwi/ | mbili /mbili/ | iwi /iwi/ | avili /aβili/ | aviri /aβiri/ | mbili /ᵐbili/ | avili /aβili/ |
| Hello | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | kira /kiɾa/ | shiloi /ʃiloi/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | Habari /habari/ | mbasala /mbasala/ |
| Thank you | ahsànte /ahsante/ | asante /asante/ | asante /asante/ | mwasanga /mwasaŋɡa/ | asante /aˈsante/ | asante /asante/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ |
| Good | ìchá /itʃa/ | hedi /hedi/ | kya /kja/ | mwamba /mwamba/ | kihi /kihi/ | nzuri /ɲzuri/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ |
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