Mwani

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A language of Mozambique

ISO 639-3
wmw
Alternate Names
Ibo, Kimwani, Muane, Mwane, Quimuane
Population

100,000 (2006).

Location

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

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

Kisanga (Kikisanga, Quissanga), Nkojo (Kinkojo), Nsimbwa (Kinsimbwa), Wibo (Kiwibo). 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

20,000 L2 speakers. Home, community, religion, commerce. Also use Portuguese [por], Swahili [swh], or Makhuwa [vmw].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 30%–40% in Arabic, 30%–40% in Portuguese. Dictionary. Bible portions: 2002–2006.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mwani
Writing
Arabic script. Latin script.
Other Comments

Ethnonym: Namwaní or Mwaní by Portuguese speakers. Muslim.