Who Speaks Swahili? Th ere are over 50 million people in East and Central SWAHILI Africa who speak Swahili. It is spoken in 13 countries of East and Central Africa. A little over 4 million people speak Swahili as their fi rst language. Most others speak Swahili fl uently as a second, third or fourth language. Th ose who speak it as a fi rst language are found along the coast of East Africa stretching from southern Somalia to ! " " # the border between Tanzania and Mozambique. Th ere are also many native Swahili speakers on the Indian Ocean islands of Unguja and Pemba (which together $ make up Zanzibar), Lamu, the Comoro Islands and the % &'( northwestern part of Madagascar. Swahili speakers also $ known as Waswahili like to refer to themselves in terms of where they come from. So, Swahili speakers from ! " Unguja, for example, will refer to themselves as Wanguja • Ruins of Gedi in Kenya are the remains of a or Wazanzibari; those from Kenya as Wakenya and those medieval Swahili-Arab coastal settlement. from Tanzania as Watanzania. ) * ! + ,'-& ,'-. Some Famous Speakers of Swahili
Julius Nyerere - fi rst president of Tanzania Shaaban bin Robert - poet Christopher Mwashinga - poet Mathias E. Mnyampala - poet Tumi Molekane - poet National African Euphrase Kezilahabi - poet and author Lupita Nyong’o - Hollywood actress Language Resource Ken Walibora - scholar and author Center Ngugi wa Th iong’o - novelist (NALRC) Shafi Adam Shafi - novelist Muhammed Said Abdalla - novelist Room 3075, Hamilton Lugar Lamu Fort in Lamu Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Ali Mazrui - scholar, political scientist and pan- School of Global and International Studies, considered to be the oldest example of Swahili culture in Africanist 355 N. Jordan Ave., Indiana University all of Africa. Bloomington, IN 47405-1105 Phone: (812) 855-4060 | Fax: (812) 586-4189 Email: [email protected] National African Language Website: https://nalrc.indian.edu Resource Center (NALRC) Why Study Swahili? Learn these everyday Swahili (or Kiswahili as it is called when one is speak- Phrases! ing the language) is the most important and widely • Hello!: Jambo! studied African language. It is the national and offi cial • Shikamoo! (greeting to an elderly person) language of Kenya and Tanzania. It is the offi cial • Welcome: Karibu language of Uganda and Rwanda. It is also the lingua • How are you?: Habari gani? franca of East and Central Africa, and the working • Fine or Peace: Nzuri or Salama language of the African Union. • What is your name?:
Jina lako ni nani? It is aired in radio broadcasts such as British Broad- A wedding ceremony in Zanzibar • My name is ______. cast Corporation, Voice of America, and Deutshe Jina langu ni ______. Welle. It is heard in songs of famous singers such as • Goodbye: Kwaheri Miriam Makeba and in popular fi lms like . • Morning greeting: Habari ya asubuhi African Americans refer to their annual cultural • Afternoon greeting: Habari ya mchana festival as Kwanzaa, which is derived from the Swahili • Evening greeting: Habari ya jioni word, kwanza (‘fi rst’ in English). • Good luck: Kila la kheri • Travel safely: Safi ri salama Swahili is taught in academic institutions from Japan • Excuse me: Samahani in the east to the United States and Mexico in the • Sorry!: Pole! west, and in various countries in the African conti- • No worries: Hakuna matata Tourists on a Mombasa beach nent. Th e study of the language provides interesting platforms for discussing sociocultural, linguistic, political, and economic issues of the region. Th ere are many benefi ts of knowing the Swahili language, including the fact that it serves as a good vehicle to accessing Swahili culture and other African cultures in the region. Whatever the area of research one is in such as linguistics, anthropology, geography, archae- ology, or even sociology, knowledge of Swahili and its many varieties is essential if one is working in East and Central Africa. Knowing the language enhances the credibility of researchers interested in the region. A fi sh market in Zanzibar Most importantly, Swahili is a critical language in promoting development in the lives of the people of eastern and central Africa. Swahili Language Map
/ 0
* " 12 3 Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest 4$2% mountain in Africa