Safwa

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A language of Tanzania

ISO 639-3
sbk
Alternate Names
Cisafwa, Ishisafwa, Kisafwa
Autonym
Shisafwa
User Population

322,000 (Mradi wa Lugha za Tanzania 2009), increasing. Includes 22,000 Songwe.

Location

Mbeya region: Chunya, Mbeya rural, and Mbeya urban, and Mbozi districts, Mbeya and Poroto mountain ranges; Iringa region border area, north of Lake Malawi.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, M, Nyiha-Safwa (M.25)
Dialects

Guruka (Guluxa, Kiguluka), Mbwila (Uleenje, Ulenje), Poroto (Kiporoto, Polooto), Songwe (Kisongwe, Soongwe), Central Safwa.

Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; noun classes; verbal affixation for subject, object, tense, aspect, mood and derivation; 36 consonant phonemes; 14 vowel phonemes; tonal.

Language Use

Vigorous. Home. Used by all. Also use Swahili [swh].

Language Development

SIL has transition literacy work (Swahili to Safwa). Literature. Texts. Bible portions: 2011–2017.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Safwa
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Traditional religion, Christian.