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The ŵ sound is dying out in Chewa because it makes little/no difference to the meaning of a word whether you use it or not.
Other languages e.g. Yao/Tumbuka, have retained the sound because for instance the word ŵanthu means people while the word wanthu makes no sense https://twitter.com/Shanto3000/status/1386035808289935368
The ŵ sound is dying out in Chewa because it makes little/no difference to the meaning of a word whether you use it or not.
Other languages e.g. Yao/Tumbuka, have retained the sound because for instance the word ŵanthu means people while the word wanthu makes no sense https://twitter.com/Shanto3000/status/1386035808289935368
Most Chewa speakers tend not to learn the sound as it can be a bother for a sound that has an easier to pronounce and equivalent substitute.
Regardless some Chewa speakers stick with it, notably President Chakwera
For instance his pronounciation of the word eti, he says ŵati
Regardless some Chewa speakers stick with it, notably President Chakwera
For instance his pronounciation of the word eti, he says ŵati
Also trouble arises when representing the atypical sound especially today considerig its not readily available on Keyboards.
Some white missionary transliterators put little effort into it and said the closest sound is V
i.e. Maravi kingdom
Some white missionary transliterators put little effort into it and said the closest sound is V
i.e. Maravi kingdom
And some said B or the Greek letter β, before the letter W with a circumflex (hat/cap) ŵ was settled on by the majority.
Microsoft's swiftkey keyboard app has ŵ available but you have to turn on accent marks in the settings
Microsoft's swiftkey keyboard app has ŵ available but you have to turn on accent marks in the settings
Kamuzu always encouraged the propoper pronounciation of Malaŵi. And that we should correct white people and other foreigners when they say it wrong.
