Kinyamwezi
Nyamwezi
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sukuma-Nyamwezi)
Nyamwezi (Kinyamwezi, "people of the moon") is a Bantu language of west-central Tanzania, sister to Sukuma (suk) within the Sukuma-Nyamwezi dialect continuum. The Nyamwezi were prominent caravan-trade leaders in the 19th century, with Tabora as their commercial centre. Like Sukuma, it has tone and full Bantu noun-class agreement.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Nyamwezi
Water
minzi
/minzi/
Fire
moto
/moto/
Sun
izuba
/izuβa/
Moon
ng'wezi
/ŋweːzi/
Mother
mayu
/majʊ/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
kulya
/kuʎa/
Drink
kunywa
/kuɲwa/
Love
butogwa
/butoɡwa/
Heart
mtima
/mtima/
Tree
mti
/mti/
House
kaya
/kaja/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
ikobo
/ikoβo/
Eye
liso
/liso/
Hello
mwadita
/mwadita/
Thank you
twabakaba
/twaβakaβa/
One
imo
/imo/
Good
lihi
/lihi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sukuma-Nyamwezi) languages
| Meaning | Nyamwezi | Sukuma | Shambala | Makonde | Sangu | Nyaturu | Sena |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | minzi /minzi/ | minzi /minzi/ | mazi /mazi/ | mashi /maʃi/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ | maazi /maːzi/ | madzi /madzi/ |
| Fire | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | umoto /umoto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | izuba /izuβa/ | ilyuva /iʎuβa/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | lyuva /ʎuβa/ | liluga /liluɡa/ | nzua /nzua/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ |
| Moon | ng'wezi /ŋweːzi/ | ng'wezi /ŋweːzi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedi /mwedi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ |
| Mother | mayu /majʊ/ | mayu /maju/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mai /mai/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | kulya /kuʎa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kuya /kuja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kuhwa /kuhwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ |
| Love | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | kupenda /kupenda/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | kufuna /kufuna/ |
| Heart | mtima /mtima/ | ngholo /ŋɡoːlo/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Tree | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | umuti /umuti/ | umuti /umuti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ |
| House | kaya /kaja/ | kaya /kaja/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | nshenye /nʃeɲe/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | kalulu /kalulu/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Hand | ikobo /ikoβo/ | nkhono /ŋkono/ | ukono /ukono/ | nkono /nkono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | nkono /nkono/ |
| Eye | liso /liso/ | liso /liso/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ | iliho /iliho/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | diso /diso/ |
| Hello | mwadita /mwadita/ | mwangaluka /mwaŋɡaluka/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | nakushukuru /nakuʃukuɾu/ | mbasala /mbasala/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ |
| Thank you | twabakaba /twaβakaβa/ | nakulumba /nakulumba/ | asante /asante/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ | ahsante /ahsante/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ |
| One | imo /imo/ | imo /imo/ | imo /imo/ | nimo /nimo/ | imo /imo/ | umwe /umwe/ | posi /posi/ |
| Good | lihi /lihi/ | shihi /ʃihi/ | hedi /hedi/ | shibwana /ʃibwana/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ | kihi /kihi/ | nadidi /nadidi/ |
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