- Source: Chonyi language
Chonyi (Conyi, Kichonyi, Chichonyi) is a Bantu language spoken along the eastern coast of Kenya in Kilifi County by the Chonyi people. It is part of the Mijikenda dialect cluster.
In 2019, there were an estimated 310,000 speakers. Of these, 39,000 spoke the Jibana dialect (Chidzihana) and 71,000 the Kauma dialect (Chikauma).
References
The major distinction of the Chonyi dialect to their close neighbours which are the Giriama is the use of prefix chi-, instead of ki-.
Chichonyi incorporates intonation during pronunciation which is not very conspicuous in Kiswahili