Swahili language

E2738

Swahili is a major Bantu language widely spoken in East and Central Africa, serving as a regional lingua franca and an official language in several countries including Tanzania and Kenya.

All labels observed (15)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Bantu language
lingua franca
natural language
developedAs trade language
dominantWordOrder subject-verb-object
family Niger-Congo languages
glottologCode swah1253
hasAlternativeName Kiswahili
linked to: Swahili language
hasEstimatedSpeakers over 15 million native speakers
over 80 million total speakers
hasMajorDialect Kiamu
linked to: Kiunguja

Kimvita
Kiunguja
hasNounClassSystem true
historicallyWrittenIn Arabic script
iso639-1Code sw
iso639-2Code swa
iso639-3Code swh
lexicalInfluenceFrom Arabic language
linked to: Arabic

English language
German language
linked to: German

Portuguese language
macrolanguage Swahili macrolanguage
linked to: Swahili language
nativeName Kiswahili
linked to: Swahili language
officialLanguageOf African Union
Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
East African Community
Kenya
Rwanda
Tanzania
Uganda
originRegion East African coast
linked to: East Africa
primaryRegion Central Africa
East Africa
spokenIn Burundi
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kenya
Mozambique
Oman
Rwanda
Somalia
Tanzania
Uganda
standardBasedOn Zanzibar dialect (Kiunguja)
linked to: Swahili language
subfamily Bantu languages
usedAsMediumOfInstructionIn Tanzania (primary education)
usedIn broadcast media in East Africa
popular music in East Africa
writingSystem Latin script

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (345)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Latin alphabet writingSystemFor Swahili language
Arabic influencedLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Swahili language hasAlternativeName Kiswahili
linked to: Swahili language
Swahili language nativeName Kiswahili
linked to: Swahili language
Swahili language macrolanguage Swahili macrolanguage
linked to: Swahili language
Swahili language standardBasedOn Zanzibar dialect (Kiunguja)
linked to: Swahili language
African Union hasOfficialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kigoma Region officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Nairobi officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
East African Community officialLanguage Swahili
subject linked to: EAC
linked to: Swahili language
Southern African Development Community officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Niger–Congo languages includesLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Democratic Republic of the Congo recognizedNationalLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Uganda officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Uganda nationalLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Friends World Committee for Consultation hasOfficialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Google Translate availableLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Islamic world hasLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kenya officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kenya nationalLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue hasOfficialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Samuel hasLanguageForm Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
East African Community officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Tanzania officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Tanzania nationalLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
UNECA language Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Voice of America languageOfWorkOrName Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Whisper supportsLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
East Africa widelySpokenLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kiunguja partOf Swahili language continuum
linked to: Swahili language
Kiunguja basisFor Standard Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kiunguja alternativeName Zanzibar Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kiunguja ancestorOf Tanzanian Standard Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kimvita subdivisionOf Swahili language
Kimvita hasAlternativeName Mombasa Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kimvita mutuallyIntelligibleWith Standard Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kimvita influencedStandardVariety Kenyan Standard Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Rwanda officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Bantu languages majorLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Bantu languages majorLanguage Kiswahili
linked to: Swahili language
Nicholas hasLanguageOfUse Swahili language
Islamic music usesLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Western Zone of Tanzania languageUsed Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Western Zone of Tanzania officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
African Union Commission officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Tabora Region languageUsed Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Executive Council of the African Union hasOfficialLanguage Kiswahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kigoma languageUsed Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Katavi Region officialLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language
Kasulu hasLanguage Swahili
linked to: Swahili language