Yao kana ChiYao rurimi rwunotaurwa munyika dzinoti: Malawi; Zambia, Mozambique neZimbabwe. Mutauro uyu wakapararira munyika dzeSADC nokuda kwevanhu vakatamira munyika idzi vachitsvaga mabasa, vari vashandi vakabva kuMalawi neZambia.

Mazwi Anotodzana neShona

ChiYao chine mazwi mazhinji anotodzana neChiShona nemamwe akafanana zvachose.

• Izwi rokuti nyama (meat; animals used for meat) ndiro rimwe kuChiYao neShona.
• Izwi rokuti mbwa (meat; animals used for meat) ndiro rimwe kuChiYao neShona.
• Izwi rokuti nguo (cloth; calico) ndiro rimwe kuChiYao neShona.
• Izwi rokuti chigamba (a patch) ndiro rimwe kuChiYao neShona.
• Izwi rokuti chilindo (hut in a field where watch is kept for thieves, animals etc) rinotaurwa mururimi rweYao richireva nhungu.
• VaYao vanoti kung'wa (to drink), kureva kunwa.
• VaYao vanoti kuwawa (bitter taste), kureva kuvava.
• VaYao vanoti wato (canoe), kureva bwato.
• VaYao vanoti kuwaka (to build), kureva kuvaka.
• VaYao vanoti mbusi (goat), kureva mbudzi.
• VaYao vanoti liso (eye), kureva ziso.
• VaYao vanoti lulimi, kureva rurimi.
• VaYao vanoti achimwenye (chief), kureva Ishe.
• VaYao vanoti chaka (a year counting from time of planting crops, season, a time).
• VaYao vanoti chikope (the eye lid).
• VaYao vanoti kulalika (to gather an army; to gather a caravan). Mararike izita remhuri.
• VaYao vanoti chiiga (a thigh), kureva chidya.
• VaYao vanoti likasa (a box), kureva chikasha.
• VaYao vanoti likumi (ten), kureva gumi.
• VaYao vanoti chala (toe, finger), kureva chigunwe.
• VaYao vanoti kujenda, kureva kuenda.
• VaYao vanoti kujimba(to sing) kureva kuimba.
• VaYao vanoti kuchuwika (to dip in water).
• VaYao vanoti kukomoka (to faint).
• VaYao vanoti kukumbatila (to embrace in a conjugal position).
• VaYao vanoti luwele (breasts).
• VaYao vanoti mapale (fragment of a broken pot).
• VaYao vanoti chipala (blacksmith’s forge).
• VaYao vanoti chipembere (rhinoceros).
• VaYao vanoti chisango (a divining instrument).
• VaYao vanoti chiselo kureva rusero.
• VaYao vanoti chitumba (a bud).
• VaYao vanoti chitumba (a calabash; salt).
• VaYao vanoti chiwamba (seedling grown in a verandah and afterward transplanted).
• VaYao vanoti chikosi (a bunch of grass tied to mark the limit of a field).
• VaYao vanoti dande (slime of a snail).
• VaYao vanoti luwala (an open space). Ko ruvara?
• VaYao vanoti luwilo (a race). Ko zita rokuti Nyaruviro?
• VaYao vanoti luwaso (accuracy in shooting).
• VaYao vanoti macheka (bracelet made of the skin of an elephant foot).
• VaYao vanoti machela (a net fixed in the water by means of stakes; pointed).
• VaYao vanoti machila (strength; price of redemption).
• VaYao vanoti mangawa (debt).
• VaYao vanoti gwiso kana Atati (father; master).
• VaYao vanoti lusama (green-coloured).
• VaYao vanoti lusese (dwarfishness). Ko Chisese?
• VaYao vanoti mbanga (space between 2 large rocks; a cave).
• VaYao vanoti mbale (a plate).
• VaYao vanoti mbali (the side).; sokuti pa mbali pamoto – near the fire.
• VaYao vanoti makala (charcoal), kureva marasha.
• VaYao vanoti chisukulu (grandchild), kureva muzukuru.
• VaYao vanoti chilo (night), kureva husiku kana chiro.

Mamwe Mazwi

• VaYao vanoti lichinga (animal kraal), kureva danga remombe.
• VaYao vanoti kujambanya (to commence weaving a palm leaf mat). Ko zita rinonzi Jambaya?
• VaYao vanoti chilungu (an earthquake).
• VaYao vanoti chinganga (a small drum; a necklace of beads).
• VaYao vanoti chindimba (a feast with dancing).
• VaYao vanoti chikungu (brass or copper).
• VaYao vanoti luwanda (a foetus).
• VaYao vanoti ngani (news), kureva nhau.

^{[1] [2]}

1. ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=AKNQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR16&lpg=PR16&dq=ciyawo#v=onepage&q=ciyawo&f=false
2. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/ahandbookyaolan00hethgoog/ahandbookyaolan00hethgoog_djvu.txt