The history of the Kiswahili language began more than 1000 years ago on the coast of East Africa. The word Sahil is of Arabic origin. Sahil means coast.
SOURCE
Kiswahili began as the language of the cities and trading ports on the East African coast.
Cities such as Kilwa and Lamu it was founded by Arab or Persian traders who married the locals.
Kiswahili has between 30% and 40% Arabic words.
A new culture emerged that was African and Islamic, so Kiswahili was born as a Bantu language.
BUSINESS LANGUAGE
Kiswahili was used as the language of business between the people of the coast and the mainland. Swahili traders continued their business to the Congo.
ENGLISH THEORIES
- SWAHILI IS A HYBRID LANGUAGE
Interaction of foreign languages such as Arabic, Persian, Hindi and those of the native tribes of East Africa, words were taken by Artifacts of that environment. Foreigners intermarried and thus their languages were used to create Kiswahili.
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CHOTARA LANGUAGE WEAKNESS
The claim that this is a mixed language is unfounded because hybrid/pidgin languages are very different from the languages they meet.
Also, this language is widespread with only one criterion; vocabulary.
It is true that Kiswahili has many Arabic, Persian, Hindi and Portuguese words, but the vocabulary alone is not enough.
2. SWAHILI IS BANTU
The founder of this theory was Professor Malcolm Guthrie.
According to research, the origin of humans is Africa West – Cameroon, from there the people spread to the places where they live now.
The first phase took place between 10-40 years before Christ.
One group of people went to the south of the Congo and the other to the west of Lake Victoria.
The article is written by Jellys Wanzala.
Do you have any comments or questions in Kiswahili? You can ask and get direct answers via obed.simiyu@tuko.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
