eMakhuwa
Makhuwa
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Makhuwa (eMakhuwa) is the largest Bantu language of Mozambique, native to the northern half of the country. It groups multiple varieties (Lomwe, Chuwabo, etc.) sometimes treated as separate languages, with Central Makhuwa as the literary standard.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Makhuwa
Water
maasi
/maːsi/
Fire
moro
/moɾo/
Sun
ettsuwa
/etsuwa/
Moon
mweri
/mweɾi/
Mother
maama
/maːma/
Father
paapa
/paːpa/
Eat
ohuula
/ohuːla/
Drink
ohwèwa
/ohwɛwa/
Love
ophenta
/opʰenta/
Heart
murima
/muɾima/
Tree
muri
/muɾi/
House
empa
/empa/
Dog
mphwa
/mpʰwa/
Cat
paaka
/paːka/
Hand
nikhono
/nikʰono/
Eye
nittho
/nitːo/
Hello
salaama
/salaːma/
Thank you
kosheni
/koʃeni/
One
mosa
/mosa/
Good
ratteene
/ɾatːeːne/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Makhuwa | Lomwe | Sena | Yao | Shambala | Nyaturu | Soga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | maasi /maːsi/ | mahi /mahi/ | madzi /madzi/ | mesi /mesi/ | mazi /mazi/ | maazi /maːzi/ | amaaji /amaːdʒi/ |
| Fire | moro /moɾo/ | moro /moɾo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ |
| Sun | ettsuwa /etsuwa/ | nsuwa /nsuwa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | lyuwa /ʎuwa/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | nzua /nzua/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ |
| Moon | mweri /mweɾi/ | mweri /mweɾi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwesi /mwesi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ |
| Mother | maama /maːma/ | ammai /amːai/ | mai /mai/ | amao /amaː/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | maama /maːma/ |
| Father | paapa /paːpa/ | atati /atati/ | baba /baba/ | atati /atati/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | taata /taːta/ |
| Eat | ohuula /ohuːla/ | olya /oʎa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kuya /kuja/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kulya /kulja/ |
| Drink | ohwèwa /ohwɛwa/ | omwa /omwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ |
| Love | ophenta /opʰenta/ | osivela /osivela/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | kwagala /kwaɡala/ |
| Heart | murima /muɾima/ | murima /muɾima/ | mtima /mtima/ | mtima /mtima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | umutima /umutima/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Tree | muri /muɾi/ | mwiri /mwiɾi/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mtela /mtela/ | mti /mti/ | umuti /umuti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | empa /empa/ | nupa /nupa/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | enju /eɲɟu/ |
| Dog | mphwa /mpʰwa/ | nampwe /nampwe/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ |
| Cat | paaka /paːka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | enkaaku /eŋkaːku/ |
| Hand | nikhono /nikʰono/ | nthata /ntʰata/ | nkono /nkono/ | ngaila /ŋɡaila/ | ukono /ukono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | omukono /omukono/ |
| Eye | nittho /nitːo/ | nito /nito/ | diso /diso/ | liso /liso/ | izo /izo/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ |
| Hello | salaama /salaːma/ | salama /salama/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | salama /salama/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | mwaakire /mwaːkiɾe/ |
| Thank you | kosheni /koʃeni/ | ekoshelele /ekoʃelele/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | nakwete /nakwete/ | asante /asante/ | ahsante /ahsante/ | weebale /weːbale/ |
| One | mosa /mosa/ | mosaa /mosaː/ | posi /posi/ | mo /mo/ | imo /imo/ | umwe /umwe/ | ndala /ndala/ |
| Good | ratteene /ɾatːeːne/ | orera /oɾeɾa/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | chechete /tʃetʃete/ | hedi /hedi/ | kihi /kihi/ | bulungi /buluŋɡi/ |
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