Fililwa dialect
| Fililwa dialect | |
|---|---|
| Chifililwa | |
| Native to | Malawi, Tanzania |
| Region | Northern lakeshore communities |
Native speakers | 21,000 (local use) |
Niger–Congo
| |
| Latin alphabet and Mwangwego script | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
N.21 (parent)[1] | |
Fililwa dialect (Chifililwa) is a lakeshore dialect[2] of the Tumbuka language, spoken mainly in Chitipa, Rumphi and Karonga districts.[3]
Mutual intelligibility
Fililwa is mutually intelligible with standard Tumbuka but features localized pronunciation, conserved older Tumbuka-lakeshore terms, and distinct tone realizations, especially in vocabulary linked to fishing and lake-based community life.[4]