Nyamwezi is a major
Bantu language
The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu: *bant蕣虁) are a large family of languages spoken by the Bantu people of Central, Southern, Eastern africa and Southeast Africa. They form the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid languages.
The t ...
of central
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
. It forms a
dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...
with
Sukuma, but is more distinct from other neighboring languages.
Konongo and
Ruwila are sometimes considered dialects.
Phonology
Consonants
* Prenasalized voiceless stops
祼p 鈦縯may also frequently occur, as a result of loan words.
* Nasal sounds /m 艐/ may also occur as labialized
史 艐史
Vowels
Tones
Tones present in Nyamwezi are high /v虂/, low /v虁/, and rising /v虒/.
Sample text
''Banhu bose bubyalagwa biyagalulile, n'ikujo haki zilenganelile. Banhu bose bina masala na wiganiki, hu kuyomba ihayilwe bitogwe giti bana ba mbyazi bumo.''
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
References
Northeast Bantu languages
Languages of Tanzania
{{bantu-lang-stub