Swahili, Congo
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A language of Democratic Republic of the Congo
11,100,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, all users. L1 users: 2,000,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo (2019). L2 users: 9,100,000 (1991 UBS). Total users in all countries: 11,100,000 (as L1: 2,000,000; as L2: 9,100,000).
Widespread in Haut-Katanga, Haut-Lomami, Ituri, Lualaba, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, and Tanganyika provinces.
2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in eastern regions (2006, Constitution, Article 1(8)).
Ituri Kingwana, Lualaba Kingwana, Katanga Swahili, Kivu Swahili. Kingwana is a pidgin Swahili which functions sociolinguistically as a dialect. There are several regional dialects, with that of the formerly Arabized areas reportedly being most similar to Swahili of Kenya and Tanzania. Lexical similarity: 30% with Lingala [lin] and with the Lega group; 15%–20% with Bira-Huku group, Bali [bcp], and Lika [lik]. A member of macrolanguage Swahili [swa].
Used as L2 by Alur [alz], Bali [bcp], Bendi [bct], Bera [brf], Bhele [bhy], Bila [bip], Budu [buu], Fuliiru [flr], Kakwa [keo], Kango [kzy], Kaonde [kqn], Komo [kmw], Lamba [lam], Lega-Mwenga [lgm], Lendu [led], Lengola [lej], Lese [les], Lika [lik], Lugbara [lgg], Mangbetu [mdj], Mba [mfc], Ndaka [ndk], Ndo [ndp], Nyali [nlj], Nyanga [nyj], Talinga-Bwisi [tlj], Zimba [zmb].
Taught in primary schools. Bible: 1960–1997.
Latin script [Latn].