The Makua or Makhuwa languages are a branch of

Bantu languages The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀) 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 ...

spoken primarily in

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

Name

The name ''Makua (Macua)'', more precisely ''Makhuwa'', is used on three levels. Some sources distinguish these with differences in spelling 'Makua' vs. 'Makhuwa', but they are not consistent. #Central Makhuwa, or "Makhuwa-Makhuwana", the

prestige dialect Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

and the basis of the national language of

#The

Makhuwa language Makhuwa (''Emakhuwa''; also spelt Makua and Macua) is the primary Bantu language of northern Mozambique. It is spoken by 4 million Makua people, who live north of the Zambezi River, particularly in Nampula Province, which is virtually entirely ...

, including various dialects which also go by the name ''Makhuwa''; sometimes called 'core' or 'nuclear' Makua, but this is not consistent #Closely related languages which often have their own names, such as Lomwe (also known as Western Makua)

Classification

Makhuwa is assigned to Zone P of the

Guthrie classification of Bantu languages The 250 or so "Narrow Bantu languages" are conventionally divided up into geographic zones first proposed by Malcolm Guthrie (1967–1971). These were assigned letters A–S and divided into decades (groups A10, A20, etc.); individual languages ...

. With the classification of the other Zone-P languages as Rufiji–Ruvuma, Makhuwa becomes essentially synonymous with Zone P. However, the zones are geographic rather than genealogical clades. The closest relatives of the Makhuwa branch are not clear, but some classifications place them with the Nyasa and

Southern Bantu languages The Southern Bantu languages are a large group of Bantu languages, largely validated in Janson (1991/92).Tore Janson (1991-92) "Southern Bantu and Makua", ''Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika'' (''SUGIA'') Vol. 12/13: 63-106, Rüdiger Köppe Verlag ...

. * Makhuwa (Core Makhuwa, including dialects Makhuwa-Meetto, Makhuwa-Shirima, Makhuwa-Marrevone, etc.) * Koti * Sakati * Lomwe (including Ngulu dialect) * Chuwabu * Moniga The core languages, and beyond, have minimal

mutual intelligibility In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. It is sometimes used as ...

References

{{Bantu-lang-stub