SWC ISO 639-3
Swahili, Congo
Kiswahili Autonym
A language of Democratic Republic of the Congo
- ISO 639
- swc
- Alternate Names
- Zaïre Swahili
- Autonym
- Kiswahili
- Population
- 11,100,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, all users. L1 users: 2,000,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo (2019). L2 users: 9,100,000 (1991 UBS). Total users in all countries: 11,143,000 (as L1: 2,043,000; as L2: 9,100,000).
- Location:
- Widespread in Haut-Katanga, Haut-Lomami, Ituri, Lualaba, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, and Tanganyika provinces.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in eastern regions (2006, Constitution, Article 1(8)).
- Classification
- Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40)
- Dialects
- Ituri Kingwana, Lualaba Kingwana, Katanga Swahili, Kivu Swahili. Kingwana is a pidgin Swahili which functions sociolinguistically as a dialect. There are several regional dialects, with that of the formerly Arabized areas reportedly being most similar to Swahili of Kenya and Tanzania. Lexical similarity: 30% with Lingala [lin] and with the Lega group; 15%–20% with Bira-Huku group, Bali [bcp], and Lika [lik]. A member of macrolanguage Swahili [swa].
- Language Use
- Used as L2 by Alur [alz], Bali [bcp], Bendi [bct], Bhele [bhy], Bila [bip], Bira [brf], Budu [buu], Fuliiru [flr], Kakwa [keo], Kango [kzy], Kaonde [kqn], Komo [kmw], Lamba [lam], Lega-Mwenga [lgm], Lendu [led], Lengola [lej], Lese [les], Lika [lik], Lugbara [lgg], Mangbetu [mdj], Mba [mfc], Ndaka [ndk], Ndo [ndp], Nyali [nlj], Nyanga [nyj], Nyindu [nyg], Talinga-Bwisi [tlj], Zimba [zmb].
- Language Development
- Taught in primary schools. Bible: 1960–1997.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Swahili, Congo
- Writing
- Latin script [Latn].
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Northern province: Kaputa and Mporokoso districts; Copperbelt province: Masaiti district.
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Zambia
Language Name
Swahili, Congo
User Population
43,000 in Zambia (2017 J. Leclerc).
Map
Location: Widespread in Haut-Katanga, Haut-Lomami, Ituri, Lualaba, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, and Tanganyika provinces.
Size and Vitality
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