Talk:Makhuwa language

Number of Speakers

On the body of the article it says 5 million, on the right side table it says 2.5 million. This one looks more authoritative.Teixant 12:44, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

• This is now gone, but I take issue with another thing. A 1997 census concluded that Macua is the mother tongue of over 4 million Mozambicans (sources vary, but well over 3 million is a fixture). That is, the number is way above the figure indicated in the article, and in Mozambique alone. As a matter of fact, A Questão Linguística na África Pós-colonial (Gregório Domingos Firmino) mentions some 2.5 million in the province of Nampula itself, not to mention Tanzania. The last census was carried out in 2007, but it is painfully lacking in data (the website makes it look as if the language issue was only raised in Maputo and surrounding areas, plus Gaza). Statistics on Mozambique are in general flawed and very discrepant. Can anyone come up with an actual number? Cromag ^{talk to me} 23:00, 12 January 2010 (UTC)

Makhuwa language template

If you are a native speaker of Makhuwa then you can help translate this template into your own language:

vmwThis user is a native speaker of Makhuwa.

Edit

--Amazonien (talk) 22:37, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

Some Words and Phrases

We're not a dictionary, but I didn't want to just delete this:

• okhuwa - to shout
• waatta - to beat
• oyara - bring to light
• opwexa - to leave, depart
• otheka - a drink (noun)
• waakhela - to chop for someone (-ela shows the dative form)
• niino - tooth
• ongonga - to resound, echo
• epula - rain (compare Tswana)
• ephula - nose
• orupa - to sleep
• osoma - to read
• oṱeka - to build (ṱ is an "oclusiva dental surda", a dental t)
• otteka - (tt could be written ʈ) to open an umbrella
• ottheka - (with ʈ + h) insult, affront
• muru - head
• wiiwa - to hear, listen to
• exima - mass, volume (in some localities pronounced eshima, in others esima)
• nikhule - mouse, rat
• vapuwani - in the house
• mphironi - in the road, in the way
• aManuwele! - O senhor Manuele! (prefix used as sign of respect)
• ephiro - the way
• enupa aka - my house
• Ela ekaaro ela - This is a cart, wagon.
• mulipa-òhòna - a blind man
• atthu athanu na araru - eight people (lit. "5 + 3")
• mmosá - a certain person, a person
• n'yari - pal, crony, compadre
• n'yaru, nnyaru - ear
• n'hakha - barn, farm storage building
• n'huwo - cub, young of animal
• Mukimorele ikharari! - Have mercy on me!
• nlopwana ookukhurya - a mischief-making person
• mwana a Davidi - son of David
• mulopwana mmosa thajiri - a rich man
• ihaniwa X. - called, he was called/named, X.
• nlumi naka - my tongue
• alopwana anli - two men
• yahikela - they went to
• olelo - today
• yahikhuma - they were walking
• itthu sikhumelenle - things that happened
• sothene sakhumelenle oYerusalemu - everything that happened in Jerusalem
• mwali mmosa - a woman, a girl
• moyareliwa - he is born
• atthu othene - all people
• amakampusi - herdsmen, shepherds
• Nawehe itthu sikhumelenle" - Let's see what's happened.
• nrimona - we have seen
• nrwenle - we have come
• rowakani - go (you people)!
• miyo-tho kirowé - I also will be able to go...
• etheneri - star
• elapo ya - (to) their country
• elapo ya Israyeli - (to) the land of Israel
• iyakha sothene - every year
• nsu - voice
• moro ni màsi - fire and water
• nsuwa nipajeryaka okhuma - just as the sun was rising
• nluku - stone
• munimphavela - you (plural) are looking for...
• Mwa nyuwo nnokhumelela nloko nulupale - You will become a great people.
• inama - flock, beasts, animals
• Miyo kinorumani... - I am sending you...