Nolence Mwangwego
Nolence Moses Mwangwego is a Malawian linguist, educator, and inventor of the Mwangwego script, an indigenous writing system developed for the Bantu languages of Malawi such as Chitumbuka and Chichewa, and neighboring regions. He is regarded as one of the few modern African inventors of a complete alphabetic system.
Early life
Mwangwego was born in Mwinilunga District, in what was then Northern Rhodesia, to Malawian parents of Tumbuka ancestry. In 1963, his family returned to Malawi, settling in Yaphet Mwakasungula village in Karonga District under the authority of Paramount Chief Kyungu.Career
Mwangwego became fluent in multiple languages, including Tumbuka, Chewa, Kyangonde, English, French, and Portuguese. He worked as a French teacher at the French Cultural Center in Blantyre.On 29 December 1997, he was installed as village headman of Yaphet Mwakasungula, assuming the traditional title Yaphet Mwakasungula IV.
Mwangwego script
Origins and development
Mwangwego conceived the idea of an indigenous Malawian script on 10 November 1977 while in Paris, reflecting on the existence of native words for “to write” in Malawian languages.'' He began designing the system in 1979 and completed the first version on 7 April 1997. The script was officially launched in 2003 after 24 years of development.''''Structure
The Mwangwego script is an abugida, with syllabic characters adapted for Bantu phonology. It includes:- 32 misisi
- 32 misiri
- 11 mituyo
Promotion and reception
At the 2003 launch, Malawian Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Kamangadazi Chambalo described it as "history in the making".Mwangwego personally promoted the script through teaching, lectures, and exhibitions. In January 2007, the "Mwangwego Club" was established to support learners. By the 2010s, several thousand Malawians had acquired some literacy in the script, though it has not yet been widely adopted.