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<!DOCTYPE HTML> <html> <head> <title>Yao language and pronunciation</title> <meta name="description" content="Yao is a Bantu language spoken mainly in Malawai, Tanzania and Mozambique by about 3 million people." />  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-WB7PSHBG');</script>  <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.omniglot.com/images/logos/omniglot_thumbnail.jpg" /> <meta property="og:type" content="https://www.facebook.com/pg/Omniglot-100430558332117/posts/" /> <link href="/styles/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script src="https://the.gatekeeperconsent.com/cmp.min.js" data-cfasync="false"></script> <script async src="//www.ezojs.com/ezoic/sa.min.js"></script> <script> window.ezstandalone = window.ezstandalone || {}; ezstandalone.cmd = ezstandalone.cmd || []; </script></head> <body> <div id="header">  <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-WB7PSHBG" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <p><a href="/index.htm"><img src="/images/logos/header_omniglot.png" width="600" height="70" alt="Omniglot - the online encyclopedia of writing systems & languages" /></a></p> <ul> <li><a href="/index.htm">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/index.htm">Alphabets</a></li> <li><a href="/conscripts/index.htm">Constructed scripts</a></li> <li><a href="/writing/languages.htm">Languages</a></li> <li><a href="/language/phrases/phraseindex.htm">Phrases</a></li> <li><a href="/language/numbers/index.htm">Numbers</a></li> <li><a href="/language/ml.htm">Multilingual Pages</a></li> <li><a href="/search.htm">Search</a></li> <li><a href="/news/index.htm">News</a></li> <li><a href="/about.htm">About</a></li> <li><a href="/contact.htm">Contact</a></li> </ul></div> <div id="bodybox"> <span style="text-align:center;"><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-162"></div> <script> ezstandalone.cmd.push(function() { ezstandalone.showAds(162); }); </script></span><div id="body"> <h1>Yao (chiYao)</h1> <p>Yao is a Bantu language spoken by about 3 million people in Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique, and also in Zambia. The main dialect in Malawi, Mangoche, is spoken around Lake Malawi, particularly around the southeast tip of the lake. The main dialects in Mozambique are known as Makale and Massaninga, and most Yao speakers live in Niassa Province. The majority of speakers in Tanzania are found east of Lake Malawi in the Mtwara and Ruvuma Regions. </p> <p>Yao is also known as chiYao, ciYao, Achawa, Adsawa, Adsoa, Ajawa, Ayawa, Ayo, Ayao, Djao, Haiao, Hiao, Hyao, Jao, Veiao or waJa. </p> <h2>Yao alphabet and pronunciation</h2> <p>This is the spelling system used in Malawi, which is based on Chichewa. The orthography used in Tanzania is based on Swahili. </p> <p><img src="../images/writing/yao.gif" width="521" height="204" alt="Yao alphabet and pronunciation" /> </p> <h3>Notes</h3> <ul> <li>The sound represented by J is also written Dy.</li> <li>Macrons are sometimes used on vowels to indicate length</li> </ul> <h2>Sample text in Yao</h2> <p>Wandu wosope akasapagwa ni ufulu ni uchimbichimbi wakulandana. Asapagwa ni lunda, niwakupakombola ganisya, m'yoyo kukusosekwa kuti mundu jwalijose am'woneje mundu jwimwe mpela mlongomjakwe. </p> <h3>Translation</h3> <p>All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. <br /> <em>(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)</em> </p> <h2>Samples of spoken Yao</h2> <h2>Sample videos</h2> <div class="intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBX65s966oA" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> <div class="intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/06Tjfdnp3OI" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> <div class="intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RFdx8Lok3q8" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> <p class="info"><a href="/writing/yao.htm">Information about Yao</a> | <a href="/language/numbers/yao.htm">Numbers</a> | <a href="/babel/yao.htm">Tower of Babel</a></p> <h2>Links</h2> <p>Information about the Yao language<br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yao_language">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yao_language</a><br /> <a href="http://www.ethnologue.com/language/yao">http://www.ethnologue.com/language/yao</a> </p> <h2>Bantu languages</h2> <p><a href="/writing/bafaw-balong.htm">Bafaw-Balong</a>, <a href="/writing/bangi.htm">Bangi</a>, <a href="/writing/basaa.php">Basaa</a>, <a href="/writing/bemba.php">Bemba</a>, <a href="/writing/bena.htm">Bena</a>, <a href="/writing/benga.htm">Benga</a>, <a href="/writing/bhaca.htm">Bhaca</a>, <a href="/writing/bube.htm">Bube</a>, <a href="/writing/bukusu.htm">Bukusu</a>, <a href="/writing/bulu.htm">Bulu</a>, <a href="/writing/centralteke.htm">Central Teke</a>, <a href="/writing/chichewa.php">Chichewa</a>, <a href="/writing/chokwe.htm">Chokwe</a>, <a href="/writing/chuwabu.htm">Chuwabu</a>, <a href="/writing/comorian.htm">Comorian</a>, <a href="/writing/dciriku.htm">Dciriku</a>, <a href="/writing/digo.htm">Digo</a>, <a href="/writing/duala.php">Duala</a>, <a 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