Nyungwe language

Nyungwe (Cinyungwe, Chinyungwe or Nhungue) is a Bantu language of Mozambique. It is used as a trade language throughout Tete Province. It belongs in the Southeastern Bantu branch, particularly in Guthrie zone N. It is closely related to Sena, Chewa, Nsenga and Tumbuka.

Geographic distribution
Nyungwe is spoken by more than 439,000 people in Mozambique along the Zambezi River, principally in Tete Province.

Official status
While Portuguese is the only official language of Mozambique, Nyungwe is one of the recognized national languages.

Phonology
The phonological inventory is:

History
Many vocabulary words collected by David Livingstone in Tete in the 1850s, and Courtois in the 1890s are similar to the words in common use by Nyungwe-speaking people today.