Tumbuka language

Chitumbuka is a Bantu language which is spoken in Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania.^[3] It is the native language of at least five groups of people, namely, the Senga, Tumbuka, Yombe, Phoka/Hewe and Tonga people with 12 dialects.^[4] It is also known as Tumbuka or Citumbuka — the chi- prefix in front of Tumbuka means "in the manner of" and is understood in this case to mean "the language of the Tumbuka people". Chitumbuka belongs to the same language group (Guthrie Zone N) as other Bantu languages.^[5] In Northern Malawi, it is spoken in 6 districts of Rumphi, Mzuzu, Mzimba, Chitipa, Nkhata-Bay, Monkey Bay and Karonga.^[6] In Central Malawi, it is spoken in 2 districts of Kasungu and Nkhotakota. In the Eastern Province of Zambia, Chitumbuka is spoken in 4 districts, namely, Lumezi, Chasefu, Lundazi and Chama.^[7] In Muchinga Province of Zambia, Chitumbuka is spoken in the districts of Isoka and surrounding areas.^[8] In Southern Tanzania, it is spoken in Mbeya and Njombe districts that share boundary with Northern Malawi.^[5][9][8]

Senga (also called Tumbuka-Senga) is a dialect of Tumbuka^[10] spoken in Zambia's Chama district and surrounding areas. ^[5][10]

The World Almanac in 1998, now an outdated number, estimated that there were approximately two million Tumbuka speakers, though other sources estimated a higher number. The majority of Tumbuka speakers live in Malawi and Zambia, with half a million living in South Tanzania.^[11]