Definition

Noun: 1. A Bantu language: Kiswahili is a Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa, serving as a lingua franca in the region. It is an official language in Tanzania, Kenya, and the African Union.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She is fluent in Kiswahili and English.
  • The class focuses on learning basic Kiswahili greetings.
  • Kiswahili has absorbed many loanwords from Arabic.

Advanced Usage

• "Standard Kiswahili": Refers to the formal, standardized variety of the language, often based on the Zanzibar dialect.
  • The news is broadcast in Standard Kiswahili.
• "Kiswahili sanifu": The term for "Standard Kiswahili" within the language itself.
  • He teaches Kiswahili sanifu at the university.

Variants and Related Words

• Swahili: A common alternative name for the language. "Kiswahili" is often used to refer specifically to the language itself (the "ki-" prefix denotes language), while "Swahili" can refer to the language, the people, or the culture.
  • Swahili culture is rich and diverse.
• Ki-: A Bantu noun class prefix (specifically Class 7) used for languages, among other things.
• Mswahili (noun): A Swahili person.
  • He is a Mswahili from the coast.

Synonyms

• Swahili: The most direct synonym when referring to the language.

Notes on Meaning

• The term Kiswahili specifically denotes the language. The root "Swahili" originates from the Arabic word (coast), referring to the "people of the coast." The prefix "ki-" means "language of," making "Kiswahili" mean "the language of the Swahili people."

Noun

1. a Bantu language