Safwa

SBK

vigorous

Alternate Names: Cisafwa, Ishisafwa, Kisafwa, Shisafwa

Dialects: Central Safwa, Guruka (Shisafwa), Mbwila (Uleenje, Ulenje), Poroto (Polooto), Songwe (Soongwe).

Genealogy:

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

Demographics: 158,000 (1987), increasing.

Language Use: Vigorous. Home. All ages. Also use Swahili [swh].

Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 0%. SIL has transition literacy work (Swahili to Safwa). Bible portions: 2011–2013.

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.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Tanzania

Other Comments: Traditional religion, Christian.