Orthography

The Center for Language Studies, based out of Zomba, Malawi, and the Department of Education (Malawi) have been heavily involved in talks with Mozambican and other Southern African linguistic groups in standardizing an orthography, or way of writing, the language that the Yawo people speak. On this site, we have chosen to follow what the CLS has recommended, some of which is included below as downloadable documents in RTF format.

Pages 6-7 | Pages 8-9 | Pages 10-11 | Pages 12-13 | Pages 14-15

For more information, visit the CLS website or email them at cls(at)unima(dot)wn(dot)apc(dot)org.

New for 2010! The Centre for Language Studies, based at the University of Malawi in Zomba, has released “Amendments and/or Additional Rules to Ciyawo Orthography”. Please find it attached here in PDF form.

General Information about the language:

From SIL’s Ethnologue.com

“450,000 in Mozambique (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk). Niassa Province, south and west of Lake Malawi. Also possibly Zimbabwe. Alternate names: Chiyao, Ciyao, Achawa, Adsawa, Adsoa, Ajawa, Ayawa, Ayo, Djao, Haiao, Hiao, Hyao, Jao, Veiao, Wajao. Dialects: Makale (Cimakale), Massaninga (Cimassaninga), Machinga, Mangochi, Tunduru Yao, Chikonono (Cikonono). Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, P, Yao (P.20)”