Glossary · Term

Tumbuka language

Also known as Chitumbuka

Tumbuka, or Chitumbuka, is a Bantu language spoken in northern Malawi and eastern Zambia. In the 19th century the Ngoni of Mbelwa, who had conquered the Tumbuka, gradually adopted it in place of their own Nguni language. Scottish missionaries of the Livingstonia mission used it for schooling and Bible translation, and it is the main language of northern Malawi.

Tumbuka language
Image: Tumbuka Arch · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Northern Ngoni Kingdom

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tumbuka language. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tumbuka-language
MLA
“Tumbuka language.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tumbuka-language. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Tumbuka language.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tumbuka-language.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tumbuka language’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tumbuka-language (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻