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Chicheŵa - Chinyanja
This language belongs to the Nyanja Group of Bantu (Guthrie G30) (Webbook).
According to Ethnologue: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, N, Nyanja (N.30)
It is spoken in Malawi (where it is known as Chewa or Chichewa) and in Zambia (where it is known as Nyanja or Chinyanja). It is also spoken in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Tanzania. (Webbook)
7,000,000 in Malawi (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk); 1,600,000 in Zambia (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk); 497,671 in Mozambique (1997 census); 251,800 in Zimbabwe; Total=9,349,471 (Ethnologue)
Ethnologue mentions "400,000 second-language speakers (1999 WA)."
According to Ethnologue by country:
Malawi: Chewa (Chichewa, Cheva, Sheva), Ngoni, Manganja (Waganga, Cimanganja), Nyasa, Peta (Cipeta, Maravi, Marave, Malawi). Most Ngoni in Malawi speak Chewa or Tumbuka.
Mozambique: Chewa (Cewa, Chichewa, Cicewa), Ngoni (Cingoni), Nyanja (Cinyanja).
Zambia: Chewa (Cewa), Peta (Cipeta, Chipeta, Malawi, Maravi, Marave), Chingoni (Ngoni), Manganja (Waganga), Nyasa, Kunda.
Chewa is an official language in Malawi. Nyanja is an official language in Zambia, a lingua franca in Lusaka. Zambia has radio broadcasts in Nyanja as well as a monthly magazine. Malawi has radio broadcasts in Chewa. The Malawi department of information and tourism publishes Boma Latha, a Chichewa daily. (Webbook)
A standardized Latin-based orthography for Chewa in Malawi exists, as does one for Nyanja in Zambia, differences are minimal. (Webbook, with modifications)
Chewa has one diacritical character, a "bilabial" "w" marked with a circumflex: ŵ
Standardization efforts:
A table at http://www.bisharat.net/A12N/MozaSource.htm gives some information for Cinyanja in Mozambique.
Sample text in "Nyanja (Chewa)" on the "Language Museum" site: http://www.language-museum.com/encyclopedia/n/nyanja-chewa.htm
With the exception of the w with circumflex used in Chewa (Latin extended-A, U+0174 & U+0175) a font for European languages would suffice. [verify]
None known.
Chikalata Cha Mgwirizano Chofotokoza Za Ufulu Wa Chibadwidwe Wa Munthu Aliyense (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) : http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/nyj1.htm
Wikipedia in Chewa at http://ny.wikipedia.org/ (currently there are only a few shells for articles)
None known of but a project in Malawi is beginning.
Chewa (Chichewa) and Nyanja (Chinyanja):
Would one localisation suffice for Chewa and Nyanja, or would two separate ones be necessary?
There is apparently a USAID funded "Last Mile Initiative" project to "expand the access of the rural poor to communications" in the Chewa/Nyanja speaking region (crossing borders). Seeking info on localization angles. The project site does not have info as of 2006-8-8: http://www.lastmileinitiative.org/home
Chichewa Board (1973) New Orthography Rules. Pc No. 3/64. Lilongwe, Malawi.
________ (1980 and 1992) Chichewa Orthography Rules. Zomba, Malawi.
Dwyer, David (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/hiermenu.html (page on "Chewa/Nyanja," http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/Chewa_Nyanja-root.html )
Kyambazinthu, Edrienne (University of Malawi). The language planning situation in Malawi, in Baldauf, Richard B., Jr.; Kaplan, Robert B. Language planning and policy in Africa. Vol. 1, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. 2004
Mchombo, Sam, Chichewa, http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/aflang/chichewa/chichewa.html
SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Nyanja," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=nya
SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www.sil.org/iso639-3/codes.asp
U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2: Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages: Alpha-3 codes arranged alphabetically by the English name of language," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php
Wikipedia, "Chichewa Language," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichewa_language
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