Kirwa
Rwa
Atlantic-Congo
Rwa (Kirwa) is a Bantu language of the North Pare mountains in northeastern Tanzania, the largest variety of the Pare cluster (E.30 in Guthrie classification). The Pare people are linguistically and culturally distinct from but neighbors to the Chaga (cluster including Machame jmc, Old Moshi old, Vunjo) of Kilimanjaro to the south. Rwa preserves typical Bantu tone-and-noun-class features alongside ~10 noun classes and an active morphological aspect system. Bible translation work since the 1990s has yielded standardized literacy materials, with the Rwa New Testament published 2010s.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Rwa
Water
mende
/mende/
Fire
msika
/msika/
Sun
mlao
/mlao/
Moon
mwere
/mwere/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
kuria
/kuria/
Drink
kunyua
/kuɲua/
Love
lumbo
/lumbo/
Heart
ngiti
/ŋɡiti/
Tree
mte
/mte/
House
nyumba
/ɲumba/
Dog
mboha
/mboha/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
mkono
/mkono/
Eye
liso
/liso/
Hello
kira
/kiɾa/
Thank you
asante
/asante/
One
mongo
/moŋɡo/
Good
kya
/kja/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo languages
| Meaning | Rwa | Asu | Shambala | Makonde | Nyaturu | Sangu | Sena |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mende /mende/ | mende /mende/ | mazi /mazi/ | mashi /maʃi/ | maazi /maːzi/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ | madzi /madzi/ |
| Fire | msika /msika/ | mshika /mʃika/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | umoto /umoto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | mlao /mlao/ | nyu /ɲu/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | lyuva /ʎuβa/ | nzua /nzua/ | liluga /liluɡa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ |
| Moon | mwere /mwere/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedi /mwedi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mai /mai/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | kuria /kuria/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | kuya /kuja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | kunyua /kuɲua/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ |
| Love | lumbo /lumbo/ | lumba /lumba/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | kupenda /kupenda/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ | kufuna /kufuna/ |
| Heart | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Tree | mte /mte/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ | umuti /umuti/ | umuti /umuti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ |
| House | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mboha /mboha/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | nshenye /nʃeɲe/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Hand | mkono /mkono/ | mkono /mkono/ | ukono /ukono/ | nkono /nkono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | nkono /nkono/ |
| Eye | liso /liso/ | jicho /dʒitʃo/ | izo /izo/ | liso /liso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | iliho /iliho/ | diso /diso/ |
| Hello | kira /kiɾa/ | shiloi /ʃiloi/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | nakushukuru /nakuʃukuɾu/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | mbasala /mbasala/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ |
| Thank you | asante /asante/ | mwasanga /mwasaŋɡa/ | asante /asante/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | ahsante /ahsante/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ |
| One | mongo /moŋɡo/ | imwe /imwe/ | imo /imo/ | nimo /nimo/ | umwe /umwe/ | imo /imo/ | posi /posi/ |
| Good | kya /kja/ | mwamba /mwamba/ | hedi /hedi/ | shibwana /ʃibwana/ | kihi /kihi/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ | nadidi /nadidi/ |
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