The Mambai (also Mambae, Manbae) are the second largest ethnic group in East Timor. Their language is also called Mambai (or Mambae, Manbae) and has ISO 639-3 code mgm.[1][2]
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The Mambai number about 80,000[3] from the interior of Dili District to the south coast of the territory, especially in the districts of Ainaro and Manufahi. Circular houses with conical roofs are typical dwellings,[4] and the Mambai cultivate maize, rice, and root vegetables.[3]
Ethnically Mambai politicians include Francisco Xavier do Amaral,[5] Manuel Tilman,[6] Lúcia Lobato,[7] and Fernando de Araújo.[7]
The language of the Mambai is also known as Mambai. It is a Central Malayo-Polynesian language, in the branch of Timor–Babar languages, and has ISO 639-3 code mgm.[1][2] It is considered one of the national languages, alongside the official languages Tetum and Portuguese. It is also spoken by some Timorese groups in Australia.
There are substantial differences between Mambai and Tetum. The English word "name," for example, is "kala" in Mambai, but "naran" in Tetum.[8] There are four dialects of Mambai: Damata (mgm-dam), Lolei (mgm-lol), Manua (mgm-man), and a fourth also called Mambai (mgm-mam).[1][2] The four dialects have largely homogeneous vocabularies.[9]