Tonga (native name Chitonga) is a Bantu language spoken mainly in the Nkhata Bay District of Malawi.[3] The number of speakers is estimated to be 170,000.[4] According to the Mdawuku wa Atonga (MWATO) (formerly the Nkhata Bay Tonga Heritage) there are also significant numbers of speakers living elsewhere in Malawi and in neighbouring countries.
The Tonga language of Malawi is described as "similar" to Tumbuka, and Turner's dictionary (1952)[5] lists only those words which differ from the Tumbuka, with the added comment that "the Tonga folk, being rapid speakers, slur or elide the final syllable of many words, e.g. kulira becomes kuliya, kukura becomes kukuwa, kutoa becomes kuto’." Tonga (Nyasa), i.e. Malawian Tonga, is grouped in the Glottolog classification along with Tumbuka in a single group.
Malawian Tonga is classified by Guthrie as being in Zone N15, whereas the Zambian Tonga is classified as Zone M64 and can thus be considered a different language.
Nkhata Bay, chief town in the Tonga-speaking area of Malawi
The Tonga language is tonal, with underlying tones High and non-High. Unlike Tumbuka, the high tones are not confined to the penultimate syllable of the word, but can be found in different places in different words.[6]
Most verb roots in Tonga are toneless, although there are a few such as bangulá "shout" or sambilá "learn/swim" which have a tone on the final syllable of the stem. When a tone is final, as in the verb bangulá "shout", it tends to spread backwards to the penultimate syllable, giving the result bangǔlá (where ǔ represents a rising tone).[6]
Tenses
Some of the Chitonga tenses are formed as follows:[6]
Present habitual or continuous:
ndívina – I am dancing (root -vin-)
Monosyllabic verbs or verbs starting with a vowel add -t(ú)- in this tense:
nditurgha – I eat, I am eating (root -ly-)
nditénda – I am walking/travelling (root -end-)
Present Perfect
ndavina - I have danced
ndargha - I have eaten
ndayenda - I have walked
Past simple:
ndinguvína – I danced
ndingurgha – I ate
ndingwenda – I walked
Past habitual:
ndavínanga – I was dancing or I used to dance
ndarghanga – I was eating or I used to eat
ndayendanga – I was walking or I used to walk
Simple Future:
ndívinengi – I will dance
ndirghengi – I will eat
ndiyendengi – I will walk
An example of Tonga
An example of a folktale in Tonga, Tumbuka and other languages of Northern Malawi is given in the Language Mapping Survey for Northern Malawi carried out by the Centre for Language Studies of the University of Malawi.[7] The Chitonga version goes as follows:
FUWU NDI KALULU (Chitonga)
Fuwu wanguruta kwachipempha vakurgha ku ŵanthu. Pakupinga thumba laki, wanguchita kumanga kuchingwi chitali ndi kuvwara mu singo laki. Ndipu pakwenda, thumba lazanga kuvuli kwaki.
Penipo wanguwa pa nthowa, Kalulu wanguza kuvuli kwaki ndipu wanguti “Ndato, thumba langu!” Fuwu wanguti “Awa upusika ndangu, wona chingwi ichi ndamanga sonu ndiguza pakwenda”. Kalulu wangukana ndipu wanguti “Tikengi ku Mphala yikatiyeruzgi”. Mphala yingudumuwa mlandu ndi kucheketa chingwi cho Fuwu wangumangiya Thumba. Ŵanguchito thumba liya ndikumpaska Kalulu. Zuwa linyaki lo Kalulu wayendanga, Fuwu wangumusaniya ndipu wanguti, “Ndato mchira wangu!” Kalulu wanguti “ake! yiwi Fuwu m’chira ngwangu.” Fuwu wangukana ndipu wanguti, “Ndato ngwangu”. Ŵanguluta ku Mphala kuti yikayeruzgi. Ku Mphala kuwa, mlandu wungutowe Fuwu. Ŵangudumuwa m’chira waku Kalulu ndi kupaska Fuwu.
(Translation: THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Tortoise went to beg food from people. To carry his bag, he tied it to a long string and wore it round his neck. As he walked along, the bag was coming behind him.
When he was on his way, Hare came up behind him and said, "I've found it, my bag!" Tortoise said "No, you're lying, see this string I've tied now I'm pulling it as I go." Hare refused to accept this and said "Let's go the Court, it will judge us." The Court examined the case and cut Tortoise's string which he'd tied the bag with. They took that bag and gave it to Hare. Another day when Hare was walking along, Tortoise found him and said, "I've got my tail!" Hare said, "Nonsense, this is my tail, Tortoise." Tortoise refused to accept this and said, "What I've got is mine." They went to the Court so that it could make a judgement. In that Court, the case went in Tortoise's favour. They cut off Hare's tail and gave it to Tortoise.)
In August 2017 a cultural organisation originally known as the Nkhata Bay Tonga Heritage was established to promote Tonga language and culture. But shortly after its establishment the name was changed to Mdawuku wa aTonga (MWATO).[8][9][10] The group honours well-known Malawians of Tonga origin and supports a band known as the Park Town Band, whose speciality is the local honala dance, danced by men and women wearing suits and hats.[11][12] (The dance is named after the Hohner accordion, which is used for accompaniment.)
The chairman of the original organising committee, Rev. Maxwell Mezuwa Banda, is quoted as saying in 2017 that one of the aims of the organisation was to preserve the Tonga language, which he said was being swallowed up by Chichewa, more especially among youths. "We want to revive this language among the young ones. Otherwise, if we leave it as it is, in 10 years’ time, the language will be gone."[13]
References
^Tonga at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^Tonga heritage change name to Mudawuku Watonga (Nyasa Times, September 4, 2017).
^Mutharika to miss Mdawuka wa aTonga ceremony (Nation newspaper, August 18, 2018).
^Mwato outlines 5-year plan (Nation newspaper, August 17, 2019).
^Mdawuku wa aTonga Saturday (Daily Times newspaper, August 16, 2019).
^82 years of honala performances (Nation newspaper, February 13, 2015).
^Tongas set to launch heritage group (Nation newspaper, August 18, 2017).
External links
Honala dance
Honala dance
Another version of the dance
January 07, 2023
tonga, language, malawi, other, languages, called, tonga, tonga, language, disambiguation, tonga, native, name, chitonga, bantu, language, spoken, mainly, nkhata, district, malawi, number, speakers, estimated, according, mdawuku, atonga, mwato, formerly, nkhat. For other languages called Tonga see Tonga language disambiguation Tonga native name Chitonga is a Bantu language spoken mainly in the Nkhata Bay District of Malawi 3 The number of speakers is estimated to be 170 000 4 According to the Mdawuku wa Atonga MWATO formerly the Nkhata Bay Tonga Heritage there are also significant numbers of speakers living elsewhere in Malawi and in neighbouring countries TongaMalawi TongaChiTongaNative toMalawiEthnicityTongaNative speakers170 000 2001 1 Language familyNiger Congo Atlantic CongoBenue CongoBantoidBantuNyasa languagesTongaLanguage codesISO 639 2 span class plainlinks tog span ISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code tog class extiw title iso639 3 tog tog a Glottologtong1321Guthrie codeN 15 2 The Tonga language of Malawi is described as similar to Tumbuka and Turner s dictionary 1952 5 lists only those words which differ from the Tumbuka with the added comment that the Tonga folk being rapid speakers slur or elide the final syllable of many words e g kulira becomes kuliya kukura becomes kukuwa kutoa becomes kuto Tonga Nyasa i e Malawian Tonga is grouped in the Glottolog classification along with Tumbuka in a single group Malawian Tonga is classified by Guthrie as being in Zone N15 whereas the Zambian Tonga is classified as Zone M64 and can thus be considered a different language Nkhata Bay chief town in the Tonga speaking area of Malawi Contents 1 Tones 2 Tenses 3 An example of Tonga 4 Mdawuku wa aTonga MWATO 5 References 6 External linksTones EditThe Tonga language is tonal with underlying tones High and non High Unlike Tumbuka the high tones are not confined to the penultimate syllable of the word but can be found in different places in different words 6 Most verb roots in Tonga are toneless although there are a few such as bangula shout or sambila learn swim which have a tone on the final syllable of the stem When a tone is final as in the verb bangula shout it tends to spread backwards to the penultimate syllable giving the result bangǔla where ǔ represents a rising tone 6 Tenses EditSome of the Chitonga tenses are formed as follows 6 Present habitual or continuous ndivina I am dancing root vin Monosyllabic verbs or verbs starting with a vowel add t u in this tense nditurgha I eat I am eating root ly nditenda I am walking travelling root end Present Perfect ndavina I have danced ndargha I have eaten ndayenda I have walkedPast simple ndinguvina I danced ndingurgha I ate ndingwenda I walkedPast habitual ndavinanga I was dancing or I used to dance ndarghanga I was eating or I used to eat ndayendanga I was walking or I used to walkSimple Future ndivinengi I will dance ndirghengi I will eat ndiyendengi I will walkAn example of Tonga EditAn example of a folktale in Tonga Tumbuka and other languages of Northern Malawi is given in the Language Mapping Survey for Northern Malawi carried out by the Centre for Language Studies of the University of Malawi 7 The Chitonga version goes as follows FUWU NDI KALULU Chitonga Fuwu wanguruta kwachipempha vakurgha ku ŵanthu Pakupinga thumba laki wanguchita kumanga kuchingwi chitali ndi kuvwara mu singo laki Ndipu pakwenda thumba lazanga kuvuli kwaki Penipo wanguwa pa nthowa Kalulu wanguza kuvuli kwaki ndipu wanguti Ndato thumba langu Fuwu wanguti Awa upusika ndangu wona chingwi ichi ndamanga sonu ndiguza pakwenda Kalulu wangukana ndipu wanguti Tikengi ku Mphala yikatiyeruzgi Mphala yingudumuwa mlandu ndi kucheketa chingwi cho Fuwu wangumangiya Thumba Ŵanguchito thumba liya ndikumpaska Kalulu Zuwa linyaki lo Kalulu wayendanga Fuwu wangumusaniya ndipu wanguti Ndato mchira wangu Kalulu wanguti ake yiwi Fuwu m chira ngwangu Fuwu wangukana ndipu wanguti Ndato ngwangu Ŵanguluta ku Mphala kuti yikayeruzgi Ku Mphala kuwa mlandu wungutowe Fuwu Ŵangudumuwa m chira waku Kalulu ndi kupaska Fuwu Translation THE TORTOISE AND THE HARETortoise went to beg food from people To carry his bag he tied it to a long string and wore it round his neck As he walked along the bag was coming behind him When he was on his way Hare came up behind him and said I ve found it my bag Tortoise said No you re lying see this string I ve tied now I m pulling it as I go Hare refused to accept this and said Let s go the Court it will judge us The Court examined the case and cut Tortoise s string which he d tied the bag with They took that bag and gave it to Hare Another day when Hare was walking along Tortoise found him and said I ve got my tail Hare said Nonsense this is my tail Tortoise Tortoise refused to accept this and said What I ve got is mine They went to the Court so that it could make a judgement In that Court the case went in Tortoise s favour They cut off Hare s tail and gave it to Tortoise The Tumbuka version of this story can be found for comparison in the article Tumbuka language An example of Tumbuka Mdawuku wa aTonga MWATO EditIn August 2017 a cultural organisation originally known as the Nkhata Bay Tonga Heritage was established to promote Tonga language and culture But shortly after its establishment the name was changed to Mdawuku wa aTonga MWATO 8 9 10 The group honours well known Malawians of Tonga origin and supports a band known as the Park Town Band whose speciality is the local honala dance danced by men and women wearing suits and hats 11 12 The dance is named after the Hohner accordion which is used for accompaniment The chairman of the original organising committee Rev Maxwell Mezuwa Banda is quoted as saying in 2017 that one of the aims of the organisation was to preserve the Tonga language which he said was being swallowed up by Chichewa more especially among youths We want to revive this language among the young ones Otherwise if we leave it as it is in 10 years time the language will be gone 13 References Edit Tonga at Ethnologue 18th ed 2015 subscription required Jouni Filip Maho 2009 New Updated Guthrie List Online Language map of Northern Malawi produced by the Centre for Language Studies of the University of Malawi Tonga at Ethnologue quoting Johnstone and Mandryk 2001 Turner Rev Wm Y Tumbuka Tonga English Dictionary Hetherwick Press Blantyre Malawi 1952 a b c Mtenje A D 1994 Tone in Malawian Tonga verbs Journal of Humanities Nos 8 9 1994 5 Language Mapping Survey p 60 64 Tonga heritage change name to Mudawuku Watonga Nyasa Times September 4 2017 Mutharika to miss Mdawuka wa aTonga ceremony Nation newspaper August 18 2018 Mwato outlines 5 year plan Nation newspaper August 17 2019 Mdawuku wa aTonga Saturday Daily Times newspaper August 16 2019 82 years of honala performances Nation newspaper February 13 2015 Tongas set to launch heritage group Nation newspaper August 18 2017 External links EditHonala dance Honala dance Another version of the dance Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tonga language Malawi amp oldid 1057758239, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
