Editing Chewa language (section)

===Historic changes===
Early dictionaries, such as those of [[Johannes Rebmann|Rebmann]], and of Scott and Hetherwick, show that formerly the number of concords was greater. The following changes have taken place:
*Class 2 formerly had the concord {{lang|ny|ŵa-}} (e.g. {{lang|ny|ŵanthu aŵa}} 'these people'), but this has now become {{lang|ny|a-}} for most speakers.
*Class 8, formerly using {{lang|ny|dzi-}} (Southern Region) or {{lang|ny|bzi/bvi/vi-}} (Central Region) (e.g. {{lang|ny|bzaká bziŵíri}} 'two years'),<ref>Scott & Hetherwick (1929), s.v. Ibsi; Rebmann (1877) s.v. Chiko, Psiwili/Pfiwili; Watkins (1937), p. 37.</ref> has now adopted the concords of class 10.
*Class 6, formerly with {{lang|ny|ya-}} concords (e.g. {{lang|ny|mazira aya}} 'these eggs'),<ref>Rebmann (1877) s.v. Aya, Mame, Mano, Yonse; cf Goodson (2011).</ref> now has the concords of class 2.
*Class 11 ({{lang|ny|lu-}}) had already been assimilated to class 5 even in the 19th century, although it still exists in some dialects of the neighbouring language [[Tumbuka language|Tumbuka]]. 
*Class 14, formerly with {{lang|ny|bu-}} concords (e.g. {{lang|ny|ufá bwángá}} 'my flour'),<ref>Rebmann (1877), s.v. Ufa; Watkins (1937), pp. 33–4.</ref> now has the same concords as class 3.
*Class 13 ({{lang|ny|ti-}}) had {{lang|ny|tu-}} in Rebmann's time (e.g. {{lang|ny|tumpeni utu}} 'these small knives'). This prefix still survives in words like {{lang|ny|tuló}} 'sleep'.

In addition, classes 4 and 9, and classes 15 and 17 have identical concords, so the total number of concord sets (singular and plural) is now twelve.