What is the difference between Swahili and Kiswahili?

While “Swahili” can refer to the people, the culture, and the language, it is the commonly accepted way of referring to the language when speaking (or writing) English. What is this? When speaking the language, the language is called Kiswahili. Which language is Kiswahili?
Swahili language Swahili language, also called kiSwahili, or Kiswahili, Bantu language spoken either as a mother tongue or as a fluent second language on the east coast of Africa in an area extending from Lamu Island, Kenya, in the north to the southern border of Tanzania in the south.

How many countries speak Swahili?

It is one of two official languages (the other being English) of the East African Community (EAC) countries, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. … Swahili language.

Swahili
Ethnicity	Waswahili
Native speakers	Estimates range from 2 million (2003) to 18 million (2012) L2 speakers: 90 million (1991–2015)

Why do we study Kiswahili?
It is also a Lingua franca of the African Continent spoken as a second language by millions of people mainly in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and East Zaire. … It can be used to fulfill language requirements. The study of Swahili also provides interesting issues regarding language policies and language planning.

Why Kiswahili is an international language?

Kiswahili scholars and promoters especially in Tanzania and Kenya have always argued that Kiswahili is the undisputed lingua franca of Eastern and Central Africa. They have also claimed that the language is spreading fast across Africa and beyond hence gaining the status of an international language. How much of Swahili is Arabic?

6. If I learn Swahili, will it help me with any other languages? Around 35% of the Swahili vocabulary comes from Arabic. This is due to more than twelve centuries of contact with Arabic-speaking inhabitants of the coast of Zanj.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Do they speak Swahili in Mozambique?

Mozambique is a multilingual country. A number of Bantu languages are indigenous to Mozambique. … Other widely spoken languages include Swahili, Makhuwa, Sena, Ndau, and Tswa-Ronga (Tsonga). Other indigenous languages of Mozambique include Lomwe, Makonde, Chopi, Chuwabu, Ronga, Kimwani, Zulu, and Tswa.

Is Swahili spoken in Cameroon?

While many people in Cameroon speak Pidgin English, English and French are the official languages in Cameroon: there are over 600 indigenous languages spoken throughout the country. … The most widely spoken by total number of speakers is Swahili.

Is Zulu and Swahili the same?

Zulu (/ˈzuːluː/), or isiZulu as an endonym, is a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni branch spoken in Southern Africa. … According to Ethnologue, it is the second-most-widely spoken of the Bantu languages, after Swahili. Like many other Bantu languages, it is written with the Latin alphabet.

How widely spoken is Swahili?

There are about 16 million people throughout the world who speak a dialect of Swahili as a native language. As a second language, it has about 82 million speakers. The language is considered to be the lingua franca of the African Great Lakes region and other parts of eastern and southeastern Africa.

Is Swahili Arabic?

What is the oldest African language?

Khoisan languages Africa is known for being home to some of the ancient languages in the world. Although it is hard to be certain that a particular language spoken in Africa was the oldest, many people agree on the name of Ancient Egyptian. The name of the Khoisan languages also shows up often during such discussions.

What is the official language of Ashanti?

Twi

Twi
Official language in	Ashanti City-State and the Ashanti City-State capital Kumasi Ghana (both dialects used in national status)
Regulated by	Akan Orthography Committee
Language codes
ISO 639-1	tw Twi

What is the main language of Africa?

While Arabic is the most spoken language in Africa, there’s plenty more – other popular languages include Amharic, Berber, Portuguese, Oromo, Igbo, Yoruba, Zulu and Shona.

Is Swahili a beautiful language?

Swahili is spoken primarily in Kenya and Tanzania, but speakers of this beautiful language can be found right across the continent of Africa. … The word Swahili is itself an Arabic word meaning ‘coastal people’.

Is Swahili worth learning?

The culture of the Swahili people is built on centuries of traditions. Myths, legends, and other folklore are common in this unique culture. … Countries like Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, etc. have Swahili speakers amounting to millions. Hence it is a very useful language to know regardless of where you are in Africa.

Is Kiswahili a Bantu language?

Swahili is a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family and has a typical, complicated Bantu structure.

What is Swahili a mix of?

It is the mixture of Perso-Arab and Bantu cultures in Kilwa that is credited for creating Swahili as a distinctive East African culture and language.

What languages do they speak in Tanzania?

Swahili English Tanzania / Official languages Vinually all Tanzanians speak Swahili today and Swahili has become an identity marker for Tanzanians. The use of Swahili has expanded so much that it is now replacing vernacular languages as the language of everyday interaction and is also replacing English as the languaJe of education and government.

What are the advantages of Kiswahili?

Swahili will definitely make it easier for one to build relationships and trust when working with people who speak Swahili, and it`s a bit more efficient than trying to learn many other different tribal languages of East and Central Africa.

Why is Swahili so popular?

1. Swahili is spoken by over 100m people in Africa so it’s pretty hard to ignore a language that’s spoken by so many people. Its importance as a lingua franca is recognised by foreign media organisations such as the BBC, which broadcasts radio programmes in Swahili.

Is Swahili written right to left?

Left-to-Right (LTR) Languages are written and read from left to right, and localization for billions of these native speakers is usual default for software localization. … Which are Right-to-Left Languages?

ISO 639-2 Code Language	ht
Haitian
ISO 639-2 Code Language	sw
Swahili

Do Arabs understand Swahili?

Kiswahili was the native language in an area that now includes Tanzania and parts of coastal Kenya. It was the trading language adopted by Arab speaking traders (trading largely in slaves.) Most bantu speakers can understand kiswahili if exposed to it. Most arabic oriented speakers can understand swahili.

What is the religion of Swahili?

Today, most Swahili people are Sunni Muslims. It is the largest group within the religion of Islam.

Where is Zulu spoken?

South Africa The Language, Culture and People IsiZulu is one of the 11 official languages spoken in South Africa. Approximately 10 million people in South Africa speak isiZulu as a first language and many more as a second language.

Is Mozambique a poor country?

Despite facing tremendous adversity, Mozambique has made great progress in poverty reduction. … Over the last 15 years, the nation has reduced its multidimensional poverty rates from 92.8% to 71%, and its Human Development Index (HDI) has increased from 0.217 in 1990 to 0.446 in 2018.

What language do Cameroonians speak?

French English Cameroon / Official languages Cameroonians speak mostly French and English, which are foreign but official languages and part of an entrenched separatist conflict that has cost about 3,000 lives since 2017.

What are Cameroonians known for?

Its cities with largest populations are Douala on the Wouri River, its economic capital and main seaport; Yaoundé, its political capital; and Garoua. Cameroon is well known for its native music styles, particularly Makossa and Bikutsi, and for its successful national football team.