Mwani

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A language of Mozambique

ISO 639-3
wmw
Alternate Names
Ibo, Muane, Mwane, Mwaní, Namwaní, Quimuane
Autonym
Kimwani
User Population

166,000, all users. L1 users: 146,000 (2017). L2 users: 20,000.

Location

Cabo Delgado province: coast north of Pemba, Arimba to Palma, Ibo and Mocimboa da Praia; Querimba archipelago offshore.

Language Maps
Language Status

5* (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.403)
Dialects

Wibo (Kiwibo), Kisanga (Kikisanga, Quissanga), Nkojo (Kinkojo), Nsimbwa (Kinsimbwa). Not intelligible of Swahili [swh]. Kiwibo is prestige dialect. Kinsimbwa, the northernmost Mocimboa da Praia dialect, is inherently intelligible with others, even though it is the most distinct. Lexical similarity: 60% with Swahili [swh], 48% with Yao [yao].

Language Use

Home, community, religion, commerce. Also use Makhuwa [vmw]. Also use Portuguese [por]. Also use Swahili [swh]. Used as L2 by Makwe [ymk].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 30%–40% in Arabic, 30%–40% in Portuguese [por]. Dictionary. NT: 2013.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mwani
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Muslim.