SWH ISO 639-3
Swahili
Kiswahili Autonym
A language of Tanzania
- ISO 639
- swh
- Alternate Names
- Kisuaheli
- Autonym
- Kiswahili
- Population
- 47,000,000 in Tanzania, all users. L1 users: 15,000,000 in Tanzania (2012), increasing. L2 users: 32,000,000 (2015 D. Nurse). Total users in all countries: 71,403,210 (as L1: 16,043,210; as L2: 55,360,000).
- Location:
- Widespread. Unguja North and Unguja South regions: coastal areas.
- Language Status
- 1 (National). De facto national language.
- Classification
- Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.42)
- Dialects
- Mrima (Mtang’ata), Unguja (Kiunguja, Zanzibar), Pemba, Mgao (Kimgao). Lexical similarity: Bajun dialect 85% with the Amu dialect, 78% with the Mvita dialect, 72% with the Mrima dialect; Mvita dialect 86% with Amu, 79% with Mrima; Mrima dialect 79% with Amu. A member of macrolanguage Swahili [swa].
- Typology
- SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; 18 noun classes; no articles; verb affixes mark person, number, object; passives; causatives; comparatives; 22 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable.
- Language Use
- It is also common for people of numerous ethnic groups to speak Swahili as L1, especially in urban and very mixed areas. All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes.
- Language Development
- Language of instruction in primary school. In secondary school taught as a subject. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1891–2017.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Swahili
- Writing
- Braille script [Brai]. Latin script [Latn].
- Other Comments
- Muslim, Christian, traditional religion.
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Arab Emirates
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
21,400 in United Arab Emirates (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
11,500 in Australia (2016 census).
- Location
- Widespread in the capital. L1 in Buyenzi, Quartier asiatique, Muslim and Congolese neighborhoods (probably Congo Swahili [swc]). Spoken by Muslims in other cities like Gitega.
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. In Burundi, it is a mixture of Congolese and Tanzanian or Kenyan Swahili. Muslim. View other languages of Burundi
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
11,800 in Burundi (2017), increasing.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
13,400 in Canada (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Finland
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
2,070 in Finland (2018 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
15,100 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
- Location
- Garissa and Lamu counties: Somali border to Tana river mouth, along coast and inland.
- Dialects
- Amu (Ozi), Mvita (Kimvita, Mombasa), Bajuni (Bajun, Gunya, Tikulu, Tikuu, Tukulu), Pemba (Hadimu, Phemba, Tambatu), Mambrui (Malindi), Pate, Siu (Siyu), Jomvu, Kilindini, Changamwe, Ngare, Vumba, Tangana, Chitundi, Faza, Katwa, Kilifi, Mtwapa, Shaka.
- Language Status
- 1 (National)
- Other Comments
- Bajuni most divergent. Muslim. View other languages of Kenya
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
19,111,000 in Kenya, all users. L1 users: 111,000 in Kenya (2019 census), increasing. , based on ethnicity. 5,140 Amu, 91,400 Bajuni, 320 Chitundi, 1,340 Changamwe, 4,730 Jomvu, 110 Katwa, 690 Kilifi, 640 Kilindini, 240 Mtwapa, 400 Mvita, 1,160 Ngare, 1,120 Pate, 170 Shaka, 1,020 Siu, 530 Tangana, 1,450 Vumba (2019 census). L2 users: 19,000,000 (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Comoros
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
1,000 in Comoros (2018).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Madagascar
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
5,600 in Madagascar (2020 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Cabo Delgado province.
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication) View other languages of Mozambique
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
22,000 in Mozambique (2017).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
1,130 in New Zealand (2013 census).
- Location
- Ash Sharqiyah South and Muscat governorates; urban centers Muscat and Sur.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Oman
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
51,800 in Oman (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Rwanda
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
4,710 in Rwanda (2011 UNSD).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Saudi Arabia
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
395,000 in Saudi Arabia (2018). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Jubbada Hoose region: Kismayuu south to Kenya border (Bajuni dialect); Baraawe and dispersed in southern towns (Mwini dialect).
- Dialects
- Mwini (Af-Chimwiini, Barawa, Barwaani, Bravanese, Chimbalazi, Chimiini, Chimwiini, Mbalazi, Miini, Mwiini), Bajuni (Af-Bajuun, al-Jaziira, Bajun, Gunya, Kibajuni, Tikuu).
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- May have come centuries ago from Zanzibar. View other languages of Somalia
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
274,000 in Somalia (2019).
- Location
- Widespread.
- Dialects
- Shamba (Kishamba).
- Language Status
- 1 (National)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Muslim. View other languages of Uganda
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
4,364,700 in Uganda, all users. L1 users: 4,700 in Uganda (2016 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 4,360,000 (2014).
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
88,700 in United States (2015 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Mayotte
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
6,300 in Mayotte (2017).
- Location
- KwaZulu-Natal province: Chatsworth 1, southwest of Durban proper on the coast.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Zanzibaris brought from Zanzibar and northern Mozambique from 1873–1878. Muslim. View other languages of South Africa
Language Name
Swahili
User Population
2,000 in South Africa (2012 J. Leclerc).
Map
Location: Widespread. Unguja North and Unguja South regions: coastal areas.
Size and Vitality
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