Where is swahili spoken in africa
It’s a national language in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and an official language of the East African Community which comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.4 okt. 2018
- The Swahili language is spoken in several African countries. The major Swahili speaking countries are Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Comoros Islands. Small communities equally exist in Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia.
Where are the Swahili located in Africa?
The Swahili people (or Waswahili) are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting East Africa . Members primarily reside on the Swahili coast, in an area encompassing the Zanzibar archipelago, littoral Kenya, the Tanzania seaboard, and northern Mozambique.
What is the most common language spoken in Africa?
Top 10 Most Popular African Languages SWAHILI . The most spoken language in Africa is Swahili which is said to have over 100 million speakers. AMHARIC. Amharic is one of the main languages spoken in Ethiopia by over 20 million speakers. YORUBA. OROMO. Hausa. IGBO. ZULU . SHONA .
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 related to Arabic?
Swahili is definitely an African language. It’s not a Middle Eastern language, nor a Semitic language like Hebrew. The structure of Swahili is Bantu, and the lion’s share of the words are of Bantu origin. It’s also interesting to note the types of Arabic words that got a foothold in Swahili .
Is Swahili African?
For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. Swahili , also known by its native name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language and the native language of the Swahili people. Swahili is also one of the working languages of the African Union and officially recognised as a lingua franca of the East African Community.
Is Swahili hard to learn?
How hard is it to learn ? Swahili is said to be the easiest African language for an English speaker to learn . It’s one of the few sub-Saharan African languages that have no lexical tone, just like in English. It’s also much easier to read as you read out Swahili words just the way they are written.
Who speaks the best English in Africa?
Top 10 African Countries With The Best English Speakers The self styled ‘World Linguistic Society’ dropped a ranking of the best English speakers in Africa. According to the report by World Linguistic Society, Uganda has the best English speakers in Africa . It is then followed by Zambia , South Africa and Kenya respectively.
What is the oldest language in Africa?
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 main religion in Africa?
The majority of Africans are adherents of Christianity or Islam . African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions . Abrahamic religions are widespread throughout Africa.
How do you say hi in Swahili?
There are basically five ways to say hello in Swahili : Hujambo or jambo (how are you?) – Sijambo (seeJAmbo) (I am fine / no worries) Habari? (any news?) – nzuri (nZOOree) (fine) U hali gani? (oo HAlee GAnee) (how are you) – njema (fine) Shikamoo (a young person to an elder) – marahaba. For casual interactions: mambo?
Is Zulu and Swahili the same?
If your destination is Zimbabwe or South Africa, take into account that Zulu is the most widely spoken and understood language. If you’re traveling to East Africa, familiarize yourself with Swahili , a language that’s a blend of Arabic and Bantu.
What percentage of Africa speaks Swahili?
10 percent
What does Swahili mean in English?
1 : a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Zanzibar and the adjacent coast. 2 : a Bantu language that is a trade and governmental language over much of East Africa and in the Congo region.
How old is Swahili?
Around 3,000 years ago, speakers of the proto-Bantu language group began a millennia-long series of migrations; the Swahili people originate from Bantu inhabitants of the coast of Southeast Africa, in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique. They are mainly united under the mother tongue of Kiswahili , a Bantu language.
Who speaks Swahili?
It’s a national language in Kenya , Uganda and Tanzania , and an official language of the East African Community which comprises Kenya , Uganda , Tanzania , Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. Its use is spreading to southern, western and northern Africa.