Makwe language

Makwe
Kimakwe
Native to	Mozambique, Tanzania
Region	Cabo Delgado Province, Mtwara Region
Native speakers	150,000 (2009–2017)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Bantu Northeast Coast Bantu Sabaki Swahili Makwe
Language codes
ISO 639-3	ymk
Glottolog	makw1236
Guthrie code	G.402[2]
ELP	Makwe

The Makwe or Macue language (Kimakwe) is a close relative of Swahili spoken on the coast of the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique, and across the border in Mtwara Region of Tanzania. Although it shares high lexical similarity (60%) with Swahili, it is not intelligible with it, nor with its cousin Mwani. Arends et al. suggest it might turn out to be a Makonde–Swahili mixed language.^[3]

A grammar of the Makwe language by Maud Devos was published in 2008.^[4]

References

1. Makwe at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
3. Arends, Jacques; Muysken, Pieter; Smith, Norval (1995). Pidgins and Creoles: An Introduction. Creole Language Library. Vol. 15. John Benjamins. doi:10.1075/cll.15. ISBN 9781556191695.
4. Devos, Maud (2008). A Grammar of Makwe. LINCOM. ISBN 978-3895861079.