Swahili or Kiswahili language is one of the most popular languages in Africa and the world in general. Its popularity is due to many factors; including the ease of learning the Swahili language, its geographical spread in Africa, the way this language interacts with other languages, and so on. Africa’s east coast countries uses Kiswahili as a first or second language. Waswahili is the common name for people whose home tongue is Swahili.
Here are 7 interesting facts about the Kiswahili language you should know.
1. Swahili is the Official Language of Tanzania and Kenya
Kiswahili is widely used as a lingua-franca in Tanzania– it is the language of administration and primary education. In Kenya, after English, Kiswahili serves as the main language for these purposes. These two countries are famous for tourism around the world; especially for attractions like the Serengeti, Masai Mara, Mount Kilimanjaro and the Zanzibar Islands. Many tourists prefer to learn about the culture of East African people, and this language is one of the biggest attractions for cultural tourists in East Africa.
2. Swahili has been Influenced and Borrows Some Words from English
The English language entered East Africa from the colonialists many years ago. But it could not replace the Kiswahili language from the roots that the Swahili language had already established for native speakers. So, as with the growth of other languages, Swahili has been absorbing more words from English languages since then, such as police (polisi) bicycle (baiskeli), bus (basi), pencil (penseli), and machine (mashine).
3. The Easiest African Language for an English Speaker to Learn.
Swahili language is reported to be among the easiest African languages to learn for English speakers. This is because the Swahili language is one of the few sub-Saharan African languages, like English, that lacks lexical tone. Additionally, reading Swahili is much simpler since its words are read aloud exactly as they are written. If you are an English speaker, you can start to Learn Swahili Language here.
4. A large number of the Swahili Vocabulary Comes from Arabic
The great commercial and cultural interaction for more than a century between the Arabs and the people of the East African Coast led the Kiswahili language to absorb more words in the Arabic language than any other language. Throughout the previous five centuries, Swahili has also absorbed vocabulary from Persian, English, Portuguese, German, and French through contact. Another good reason to learn some Swahili is that United Nations and African Union (AU) Heads of State and Governments have approved Swahili to be one of the bloc’s official working languages.
5. There are Words Which can Lead to Confusion Depending on Pronunciation!
As in English, there are words in the Kiswahili language that can have more than one meaning depending on the pronunciation and context. For example; KUPIKA means to cook while KUPIGA means to hit. Barabara – it can mean either a road if you just ease up your tongue or exactly if you are strong on the r:
Another example is maziwa. It can refer to milk but sometimes Swahili speakers also use it as a word for breast.
6. Famous Idioms and Proverbs
The Kiswahili language has famous phrases that have been used in different parts of the world. Among the expressions that you may have heard or come across include:
- Hakuna Matata is the most popular quote and means no worries. Following its appearance in the animated film The Lion King, the saying attained widespread popularity.
- There are also popular expressions and idioms that speakers of the Kiswahili language use such as:
- Haraka haraka haina baraka which is the literal translation for hurry, hurry has no blessing. The real meaning is Haste makes waste.
7. Swahili Has First Letters To be Documented
The earliest Swahili-language writings are thought to be letters that were penned in Kilwa, Tanzania, around 1711. These letters were addressed to local allies and the Portuguese community in Mozambique. The original copies of the letters are preserved in the Historical Archive of Goa in India.
About Us
Lugha Swahili School is a UK online platform that offers Tanzania Kiswahili lessons from Beginners to Intermediate level. The school offers students a flexible way of learning Kiswahili, through our (a) well-designed self-paced online course and/or (b) virtual Kiswahili classes with native Tanzanian, English-speaking tutors and/or (c) self-learning student workbook with free audio.
