In the early 19th century, the spread of Swahili inland received a great impetus from its being the language of the Arab ivory and slave caravans, which penetrated as far north as Uganda and as far west as Congo. What language do Congolese refugees speak? While French is the officialRead More →
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. Is Swahili a foreign language? Under Arab influence, Swahili originated as aRead More →
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. When speaking the language, the language is called Kiswahili. … By contrast, the people are referred to as watu waswahili, and theRead More →