Editing Tumbuka language (section)

{{Short description|Niger-Congo  language spoken in Southern and Eastern Africa}}
{{redirect|Senga language|the Bantu language known as Nsenga|Nsenga language}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Chitumbuka
| nativename       = {{lang|tum|Chitumbuka}}
| states           = [[Malawi]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zambia]], [[Zimbabwe]]
| region           = 
| speakers         = 7.1 million
| date             = 2024 estimate
| ref              = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Chitumbuka,Citumbuka,Tamboka,Tambuka,Tumboka,Tumbuka to English dictionary . |url=https://lughayangu.com/index.php/tumbuka |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Lughayangu}}</ref>
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam2             = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3             = [[Volta-Congo]]
| fam4             = [[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]]
| fam5             = [[Bantoid languages|Bantoid]]
| fam6             = [[Southern Bantoid]]
| fam7             = [[Bantu languages|Bantu]] ([[Guthrie classification of Bantu languages#Zone N|Zone N]])
| fam8             = [[Nyasa languages|Nyasa]]
| iso2             = tum
| iso3             = tum
| glotto           = tumb1250
| glottorefname    = Tumbuka
| script           = {{Plainlist}}
* [[Latin script]] ([[#Orthography|Roman alphabet]])
* [[Mwangwego script]]
{{endplainlist}}
| minority         = {{plainlist}}
* {{flag|Malawi}}
* {{flag|Zambia}}
* {{flag|Tanzania}}
{{endplainlist}}
| guthrie          = N.21
| lingua           = [http://linguasphere.info/?page=linguascale&linguacode=99-AUS-wc 99-AUS-wc] (+ chi-Kamanga) incl. varieties 99-AUS-wca...-wcl
| dia1             = Chikamanga (Malawi)
| dia2             = Chiphoka (Malawi)
| dia3             = Chisenga (Zambia)
| dia4             = Chitumbuka (Malawi, Zambia)
| dia5             = Chifililwa (Tanzania)
| dia6             = Chiyombe (Zambia)
| dia7             = Chihewe(Malawi)
| dia8             = Chinenya (Malawi, Tanzania)
| dia9             = Chinthali (Malawi)
| dia10            = Chikandawire (Malawi, Zambia)
| dia11            = Chifungwe (Zambia)
| dia12            = Chiwenya (Malawi)

| speakers2        = 
| ethnicity        = [[Senga people|Senga (Zambia)]], [[Tumbuka people|Tumbuka]], [[Yombe people (Zambia)|Yombe (Zambia)]], [[Tumbuka people|Phoka (Malawi)]], Hewe, Nenya, Northern Ngoni and Tonga people (Malawi)
| nation           =  {{flag|Malawi}} (from 1942 - 1968)
}}

'''Chitumbuka''' is a [[Bantu languages|Bantu language]] which is spoken primarily in [[Malawi]], [[Zambia]], [[Tanzania]], and [[Zimbabwe]].<ref name="Michigan">[http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/Tumbuka_root.html Michigan State University African Studies Center information page].</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=PeopleGroups.org |title=PeopleGroups.org - Tumbuka of Zimbabwe |url=https://www.peoplegroups.org/Explore/GroupDetails.aspx?peid=15683 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=peoplegroups.org}}</ref> It is the native and primary language of at least eight groups of Bantu peoples, namely, the [[Senga people|Senga]], [[Tumbuka people|Tumbuka]], [[Yombe people (Zambia)|Yombe]], [[Tumbuka people|Phoka]], Hewe, Balowoka, the Northern Ngoni and [[Tonga people (Malawi)|Tonga]] people, with 12 known and studied dialects.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1911-04-01 |title=HISTORY OF THE KAMANGA TRIBE OF LAKE NYASA: A NATIVE ACCOUNT |url=https://academic.oup.com/afraf/article-abstract/X/XXXIX/331/57688?redirectedFrom=PDF |journal=African Affairs |volume=X |issue=XXXIX |pages=331–341 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a101800 |issn=0001-9909|url-access=subscription }}</ref> It is also known as {{lang|tum|Tumbuka}} or {{lang|tum|Citumbuka}} — the ''chi-'' prefix in front of ''Tumbuka'' means ''"the language of",'' so the language is usually called ''Chitumbuka'' even in English publications''.'' In [[Northern Region, Malawi|Northern Malawi]], it is spoken in 6 districts of [[Rumphi]], [[Mzimba]] (including [[Mzuzu|Mzuzu City]]), [[Karonga District|Karonga]], [[Chitipa District|Chitipa]], [[Nkhata Bay District|Nkhata-Bay]], and Monkey Bay.<ref>University of Malawi (2006) Language Mapping Survey for Northern Malawi.</ref> In [[Central Region, Malawi|Central Malawi]], it is spoken in 3 districts of [[Kasungu District|Kasungu]], [[Nkhotakota District|Nkhotakota]] and [[Ntchisi District|Ntchisi]]. In the Eastern Province of Zambia, Chitumbuka is spoken mainly in 5 districts, namely, [[Lumezi District|Lumezi]], [[Chasefu District|Chasefu]], [[Lundazi District|Lundazi]] and [[Chama District|Chama]], with some in Chipata.<ref name=":23">{{Cite web |title=Glottolog 5.1 - Senga |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/seng1277 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=glottolog.org}}</ref> In Muchinga Province of Zambia, Chitumbuka is spoken in the districts of [[Isoka District|Isoka]], [[Mafinga District|Mafinga]] and surrounding areas.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Tumbuka {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/tumbuka |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> In Southern Tanzania, it is spoken in [[Mbeya District|Mbeya]], [[Rungwe District|Rungwe]] and [[Njombe District|Njombe]] districts that share boundary with Northern Malawi.<ref name=":0">Kiso (2012), pp.21ff.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chitumbuka,Citumbuka,Tamboka,Tambuka,Tumboka,Tumbuka to English dictionary . |url=https://lughayangu.com/index.php/tumbuka |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Lughayangu}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> In Zimbabwe, Chitumbuka is spoken to the lesser extent in [[Harare]] due to migrant labour by over 20, 000 people who migrated in early 18th Century.

Chitumbuka belongs to the same language group (Guthrie Zone N) as other Bantu languages.

[[Tumbuka language#dialects|Senga]] is a dialect of Tumbuka<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Glottolog 5.1 - Senga |url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/seng1277 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=glottolog.org}}</ref> spoken in Zambia's Chama district and surrounding areas.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />