What country or countries speak Swahili?

4 Comments

1. annabananaruth says:

   May 16, 2010 at 5:26 am

   Swahili is primarily spoken in East Africa – specifically, Kenya, Tanzania, and to some extent Uganda. In these countries, it is used as a lingua franca, or trade language, whereby people who speak different tribal languages can converse with each other for business or other purposes using Swahili. Usually, once you need more advanced levels of or international communication, English is the go-to language. For example, most universities/colleges, businesses that deal internationally, etc., will use English. (Some businesses also use Chinese, that I know of.) Swahili is also spoken in some areas of the Congo, but there is a [somewhat morbid] joke that is told by East African Swahili-speakers which goes like this: "Swahili was born in Tanzania, got sick in Kenya, died in Uganda, and was buried in the Congo." In other words, Swahili is "purest" in Tanzania, more mixed with other languages – particularly English – and "corrupted" into slang in Kenya, even further mixed and altered in Uganda, and sometimes barely intelligible as Swahili in the Congo. Some people in surrounding countries such as Malawi, Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi, also speak Swahili – again, usually in an effort to do business with others who speak Swahili. Swahili is virtually no one’s "native" language, but used to communicate with those from other tribes. This is due to the fact that it evolved as a trade language when Arabic traders came to the East African coast back in the 1600s to trade with what was then known as the Bantu people. By mixing Bantu and Arabic, Swahili emerged. Nowadays, the Bantu group has evolved into multiple tribes with separate languages, often collectively known as the "Bantu language family." Therefore, many languages are similar to Swahili in East Africa, but Swahili has a unique position as being almost universally a second language. The major exception to this would be along the East African coast and on the island of Zanzibar, where Swahili originated. Many people there do speak Swahili as their first language. Additionally, some urban East Africans who grow up in cities where the different tribes are well-mixed may grow up speaking Swahili as the language they are most comfortable with, as it is the common language of communication in that scenario. Grade schools and many high schools are taught in Swahili throughout Tanzania and Kenya, though I am not sure about Uganda in that respect.
2. David says:

   May 16, 2010 at 5:26 am

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swahili
3. maxiumus says:

   May 16, 2010 at 5:26 am

   It will tell you on this website.
4. Peacemaka says:

   May 16, 2010 at 5:26 am

   Why’d you post this twice? I just answered it a minute ago, and I’ll answer it again:

   Swahili deprived from the Arabic language, and has incorporated Portuguese, Persian, German, English, and French words into its vocabulary. It is spoken by tens of millions within three different countries: Tanzania, Kenya, and Congo.