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
31 core words in Makhuwa
Water
maasi
/maːsi/
Fire
moro
/moɾo/
Sun
ettsuwa
/etsuwa/
Moon
mweri
/mweɾi/
Star
enettha
/enetʰːa/
Mother
maama
/maːma/
Father
paapa
/paːpa/
I
miyo
/mijo/
You
weyo
/wejo/
Name
nsina
/nsina/
Eye
nittho
/nitːo/
Hand
nikhono
/nikʰono/
Heart
murima
/muɾima/
Love
ophenta
/opʰenta/
Tree
muri
/muɾi/
House
empa
/empa/
Dog
mphwa
/mpʰwa/
Cat
paaka
/paːka/
Eat
ohuula
/ohuːla/
Drink
ohwèwa
/ohwɛwa/
One
mosa
/mosa/
Two
piili
/piːli/
Hello
salaama
/salaːma/
Thank you
kosheni
/koʃeni/
Good
ratteene
/ɾatːeːne/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Makhuwa | Lomwe | Shambala | Sena | Maore Comorian | Yao | Nyaturu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | maasi /maːsi/ | mahi /mahi/ | mazi /mazi/ | madzi /madzi/ | maji /maji/ | mesi /mesi/ | maazi /maːzi/ |
| Fire | moro /moɾo/ | moro /moɾo/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | ettsuwa /etsuwa/ | nsuwa /nsuwa/ | zuwa /zuwa/ | dzuwa /dzuwa/ | jua /dʒua/ | lyuwa /ʎuwa/ | nzua /nzua/ |
| Moon | mweri /mweɾi/ | mweri /mweɾi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwesi /mwesi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ |
| Star | enettha /enetʰːa/ | nyenyeeri /ɲeɲeːri/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyenyezi /ɲeɲezi/ | nyota /ɲota/ | ndondwa /ndondwa/ | nyeenyeeri /ɲeːɲeːri/ |
| Mother | maama /maːma/ | ammai /amːai/ | mama /mama/ | mai /mai/ | mama /mama/ | amao /amaː/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | paapa /paːpa/ | atati /atati/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | atati /atati/ | tata /tata/ |
| I | miyo /mijo/ | miyo /mijo/ | niye /nije/ | ine /ine/ | wami /wami/ | une /une/ | une /une/ |
| You | weyo /wejo/ | weyo /wejo/ | weye /weje/ | iwe /iwe/ | wawe /wawe/ | mmwe /mːwe/ | uwe /uwe/ |
| Name | nsina /nsina/ | nsina /nsina/ | izina /izina/ | dzina /dzina/ | dzina /dzina/ | lina /lina/ | izina /izina/ |
| Eye | nittho /nitːo/ | nito /nito/ | izo /izo/ | diso /diso/ | jicho /dʒiʃo/ | liso /liso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ |
| Hand | nikhono /nikʰono/ | nthata /ntʰata/ | ukono /ukono/ | nkono /nkono/ | mkono /mkono/ | ngaila /ŋɡaila/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Heart | murima /muɾima/ | murima /muɾima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mtima /mtima/ | moyo /moʝo/ | mtima /mtima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Love | ophenta /opʰenta/ | osivela /osivela/ | kwenda /kwenda/ | kufuna /kufuna/ | mahaba /mahaba/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ |
| Tree | muri /muɾi/ | mwiri /mwiɾi/ | mti /mti/ | mtengo /mteŋɡo/ | mti /mti/ | mtela /mtela/ | umuti /umuti/ |
| House | empa /empa/ | nupa /nupa/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /njumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mphwa /mpʰwa/ | nampwe /nampwe/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /ɱbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | paaka /paːka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | ohuula /ohuːla/ | olya /oʎa/ | kuya /kuja/ | kudya /kudja/ | kula /kula/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kuria /kuɾia/ |
| Drink | ohwèwa /ohwɛwa/ | omwa /omwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| One | mosa /mosa/ | mosaa /mosaː/ | imo /imo/ | posi /posi/ | moja /moja/ | mo /mo/ | umwe /umwe/ |
| Two | piili /piːli/ | eli /eli/ | mbili /mbili/ | piŵiri /piwiri/ | mbili /ᵐbili/ | iŵili /iβili/ | aviri /aβiri/ |
| Hello | salaama /salaːma/ | salama /salama/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ | mwadzukabwanji /mwadzukabwandʒi/ | Habari /habari/ | salama /salama/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ |
| Thank you | kosheni /koʃeni/ | ekoshelele /ekoʃelele/ | asante /asante/ | ndatenda /ndatenda/ | asante /asante/ | nakwete /nakwete/ | asante /aˈsante/ |
| Good | ratteene /ɾatːeːne/ | orera /oɾeɾa/ | hedi /hedi/ | nadidi /nadidi/ | nzuri /ɲzuri/ | chechete /tʃetʃete/ | kihi /kihi/ |
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