Table of Contents
Where is Kiswahili is originated from?
Tanzania
Swahili, also known by its native name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language and the native language of the Swahili people native primarily to Tanzania.
Is Swahili derived from Arabic?
Swahili is predominantly a mix of local Bantu languages and Arabic. Decades of intensive trade along the East African coast resulted in this mix of cultures. Besides Arabic and Bantu, Swahili also has English, Persian, Portuguese, German and French influences due to trade contact.
Why does Swahili have Arabic?
But it’s blindingly obvious that Arabic had a great influence on Swahili. Historically, we understand that this influence came via trade with Arabs and through the influence of religion (Islam). It’s also interesting to note the types of Arabic words that got a foothold in Swahili.
Is Swahili a creole?
Despite Swahili having evolved from earlier Bantu languages, it’s not a dialect, and even though it has many loan-words from Arabic, Hindustani, Persian, Portuguese, and Malay, it is a fully-fledged language and not a creole.
Is Afrikaans a creole language?
Afrikaans is a creole language that evolved during the 19th century under colonialism in southern Africa. This simplified, creolised language had its roots mainly in Dutch, mixed with seafarer variants of Malay, Portuguese, Indonesian and the indigenous Khoekhoe and San languages.
In what area of Africa did the early Bantu originate?
The Bantu are said to have originated from somewhere in the Congo region of central Africa and spread rapidly to the Southern and eastern Africa. (Today, more than one half of the population of Uganda are Bantu.)
Where did the Mijikenda come from?
The Mijikenda originated from Shungwaya, a region in southern Somalia around the 17th century and settled along the coastal hinterlands in fortified villages called ‘kaya’. Today, 11 ‘makaya’ are inscribed into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Giriama are the largest of the Mijikenda community.
Is Swahili an indigenous language of Africa?
Swahili, an East African language spoken today by over 50 million people, is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages of Africa (Swahili and Swahili language profile). It is the official language of Tanzania, is one of two official languages in Kenya, and is widely spoken in Uganda.