T- like tenacity, which you will need to be able to speak and understand Swahili! Though a logically constructed language with few rules exceptions, Swahili, like any new language, can be far from easy to learn. This helped unify the 120 different tribes, each with their own language, and encouraged young people to participate in their country’s national development. The early post-colonial government of Tanzania mandated the use of Swahili as the language of instruction in all primary schools. In Tanzania the term is keepilefti (from the sign “keep left,” as a reminder of the direction of traffic flow at these road intersections.) Tanzanian English is of the British variety, though that is changing as American pop culture makes strong inroads in the former British colony. Queue (line) is one of many British English words used by English-speaking Tanzanians. It means “slowly.” Walking pole pole will bring you to the summit! When climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, pole pole is the word you will hear a lot. The earliest known documents written in Swahili are letters from the Tanzanian coastal island of Kilwa written in 1711 in Arabic script and sent to the Portuguese in Mozambique. The lyrics of Jackson’s Liberian Girl has Swahili phrases: “Nakupenda pia, nakutaka pia, mpenzi we!” (I love you, and I want you, my dear!) Meaning “sleep well,” which you say to someone before bedtime. Swahili is an official language of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The popular board game Jenga is derived from the Swahili verb –jenga meaning to build. Used as in “I think we will see lions on that kopje, inshallah.” A word taken from Arabic, meaning “God willing.” Used to indicate that forces beyond ones control may or may not allow things to happen as hoped. Disney borrowed many Swahili words for the film The Lion King. Speakers of all these languages have had interaction with the original Swahili speakers along the East African coast as traders, slavers and colonial officials. Swahili has adopted many words from Arabic and English, as well as from Portuguese and German. A very common state of being among Tanzanians. Many Swahili-speaking immigrant communities of the East African diaspora can be found in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, North America, and Europe.į- like Furaha. A free and easy-to-use app on your phone or computer for learning basic Swahili before your trip to Tanzania.Į- like Europe. The name Swahili comes from the plural sawāḥil (سواحل) of the Arabic word sāḥil (ساحل), meaning “boundary” or “coast.”ĭ- like Duolingo. Swahili is a Bantu language.Ĭ- like Coast. The most important Swahili word (along with jambo), since Tanzanians hold politeness in high regard. Funny and interesting facts about Swahili, the language of the people of the East African coast.Ī- like Asante.
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