Swahili speakers may number 120 to 150 million in total. Swahili is among the first languages in Africa for which language technology applications have been developed.
How many countries speak Swahili 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. Its use is spreading to southern, western and northern Africa.
What percentage of Africa speaks Swahili?
About 10 percent speak Swahili, the lingua franca of Southeast Africa; about 5 percent speak a Berber dialect; and about 5 percent speak Hausa, which serves as a lingua franca in much of the Sahel.
Which country has the most Swahili speakers?
Most native speakers of Swahili — about 15 million — are concentrated in Tanzania, where the tongue is a national language.
Is Swahili the most spoken language in Africa?
1. SWAHILI. The most spoken language in Africa is Swahili which is said to have between 100 and 150 million speakers. … Swahili is the main medium of instruction in schools and it’s not considered a difficult language to learn, especially if you already know some Arabic.
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?
27.03.2017
Who speaks Swahili in Africa?
Swahili has official language status in Tanzania and Kenya and is also widely spoken in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Comoros Islands. It’s also spoken by smaller numbers in Burundi, Rwanda, Northern Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
Who speaks the best English in Africa?
A report by the World Linguistic Society has named Uganda as the best English speaking country in Africa. The study names Uganda at the top, followed by Zambia, South Africa and Kenya respectively.
What is the oldest African language?
Afrikaans is one of the official languages of South Africa. It belongs to the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European family. It evolved from the variety of Dutch which was spoken by Dutch settlers in South Africa.
What religion do Swahili practice?
Today, most Swahili people are Sunni Muslims. It is the largest group within the religion of Islam. The Swahili Coast peaked during the medieval period.
Which country owns Swahili?
Swahili is widely used as a lingua franca in: (1) Tanzania, where it is the language of administration and primary education; (2) Kenya, where it is, after English, the main language for these purposes; (3) Congo (Kinshasa), where a form of Swahili is one of the four languages of administration, the main language for …
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.
Is Swahili 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.
What is the hardest language in Africa?
Taa, the last vital language of the Tuu language family and formerly called ʻSouthern Khoisan’, it is believed to be the world’s most difficult language. Part of the Khoisan language group and is spoken in the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa, it is also known as ! Xóõ or !
Which country in Africa has the most languages?
Nigeria: And the African country with the most languages is… Nigeria. The official language is English, while 24 million people speak Igbo. 4.
Which language is most spoken in South Africa?
The most common language spoken as a first language by South Africans is Zulu (23 percent), followed by Xhosa (16 percent), and Afrikaans (14 percent). English is the fourth most common first language in the country (9.6%), but is understood in most urban areas and is the dominant language in government and the media.