Swahili Translation
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GENERAL BUSINESS TRANSLATION
GOVERNMENT AND LEGAL TRANSLATION
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TRANSLATION
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH TRANSLATION
AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE TRANSLATION
SWAHILI FACTS:
NATIVE: Kiswahili
NATIVE SPEAKERS: Approximately 10 million L1, approximately 75 million total
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN: Tanzania, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Comoros
WRITING SYSTEMS: Latin (Swahili alphabet); Arabic Swahili
REGULATED AND PROMOTED BY: Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa (BAKITA) in Tanzania; and Chama cha Kiswahili cha Taifa (CHAKITA) in Kenya
Language
A Bantu language, Swahili is used as a lingua franca throughout Southeast Africa and the African Great Lakes region. It is taught in primary education in Tanzania and secondary education in Kenya. The basic syntax is Subject-Verb-Object-Adjunct.
Economic Significance
There are estimated to be over 100 million speakers of Swahili. As African economies continue to grow, this language will continue to be crucial in international business and diplomacy.
History
Swahili is heavily influenced by the Arabic language. Coastal peoples had extensive contact with Arabic traders since at least the 2nd century AD. In fact, about 30% of Swahili vocabulary is derived from Arabic. It became an administrative language with the arrival of Europeans. German and British colonial administrators chose Swahili as a common language to administer colonies that spoke scores of different languages.
Dialects
There are about 15 main dialects.