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
surface form: Niger-Congo languages
glottologCode swah1253
hasAlternativeName Swahili language
surface form: Kiswahili
hasEstimatedSpeakers over 15 million native speakers
over 80 million total speakers
hasMajorDialect Kiunguja
surface form: Kiamu

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

English language
German
surface form: German language

Portuguese language
macrolanguage Swahili language self-linksurface differs
surface form: Swahili macrolanguage
nativeName Swahili language self-linksurface differs
surface form: Kiswahili
officialLanguageOf African Union
Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
East African Community
Kenya
Rwanda
Tanzania
Uganda
originRegion East Africa
surface form: East African coast
primaryRegion Central Africa
East Africa
spokenIn Burundi
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kenya
Mozambique
Oman
Rwanda
Somalia
Tanzania
Uganda
standardBasedOn Swahili language self-linksurface differs
surface form: Zanzibar dialect (Kiunguja)
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.

Mandima Health Zone languageUsed Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Kalunguta Health Zone hasLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Mikumi National Park languageUsed Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Swahili Coast language Swahili language
Sabaki languages includeLanguage Swahili language
Sabaki languages majorLanguage Swahili language
Katwa Health Zone languageUsed Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Northeast Coast Bantu languages hasMember Swahili language
Northeast Coast Bantu languages hasNotableLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Standard Swahili
Northeast Coast Bantu languages hasNotableLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Kiunguja Swahili
Zanzibar City languageUsed Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Zanzibar City hasHeritage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa (BAKITA) officialLanguageRegulated Swahili language
subject surface form: Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa
this entity surface form: Swahili
Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa (BAKITA) operatesInOfficialLanguage Swahili language
subject surface form: Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa
this entity surface form: Kiswahili
Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa (BAKITA) associatedLanguage Swahili language
subject surface form: Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa
this entity surface form: Kiswahili
Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa (BAKITA) associatedLanguage Swahili language
subject surface form: Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa
this entity surface form: Swahili
Narrow Bantu includes Swahili language
Malagasy lexicalInfluenceFrom Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
East African Monetary Union hasLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Mangina hasLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Bantoid languages hasNotableLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Gombe Stream National Park officialLanguageCountry Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Kiamu partOf Swahili language
Katwa hasLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Beni languageSpoken Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Yao neighboringLanguages Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Senate of Rwanda languageUsed Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Mvita associatedWithLanguage Swahili language
Makua languages haveInfluenceFrom Swahili language
Proto-Bantu ancestorOf Swahili language
Eastern Bantu hasMemberLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Eastern Bantu hasMemberLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Pemba Swahili
Mwanza, Tanzania language Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Tanzania–Zambia Railway (TAZARA) languageOfOperation Swahili language
subject surface form: Tanzania–Zambia Railway
this entity surface form: Swahili
PRC (African Union) language Swahili language
this entity surface form: Kiswahili
African Union policy organs language Swahili language
this entity surface form: Kiswahili
Jambojet languageOfOperation Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Shinyanga Region languageUsed Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Uyui District officialLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Kaliua District officialLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Ha language hasNeighborLanguage Swahili language
Kiha hasNeighborLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Fipa countryOfficialLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Igunga District hasOfficialLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Hakuna Matata. language Swahili language
subject surface form: Hakuna Matata
this entity surface form: Swahili
mainland Tanzania officialLanguage Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Mpanda language Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Tabora language Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili
Nzega languageSpoken Swahili language
this entity surface form: Swahili