When was swahili created

Although the history of the penetration of Swahili language from the coastal inland of East Africa practically coincides with that of Arab trade towards central Africa, the origin of the language itself remains disputed. However, it is generally accepted that Swahili developed as a result of trade between the coast people of East Africa and Arabs. The first reference to define commercial relations between Arabs and the east coast of Africa dates back to the end of the 1st century A.

Before embarking on the roundabout journey of Swahili language, however, I wish to explain that I do not intend to defend its status, its existence and relevance to black people asks for no defense and needs none. The growing world status of Swahili neither competes for nor precludes the importance or international possibilities of any other African language.

Swahili or Kiswahili as it is called when one is speaking the language is the most important and widely studied indigenous language of Africa, the National and official language of Kenya and Tanzania and more recently Rwanda.

It is spoken as a native language on the East coast of Africa and the islands adjacent to the coast from Southern Somalia in the north down through the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts. It is heard in songs of famous singers such as Miriam Makeba and in popular films like the Lion King. Over million people in eastern and central African speak Swahili.

It is widely used in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. A little over one million people speak it as their first language. Most others speak Swahili fluently as a second, third or fourth language. You do not currently have access to this article. Please login to access the full content. Access to the full content requires a subscription. Printed from Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Anthropology. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a single article for personal use for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice.

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology moved behind the paywall on September 29, For information on how to gain access to all articles visit how to subscribe or recommend the ORE to your librarians for an institutional free trial. Oxford Research Encyclopedias. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology. The diverse history of the Swahili Coast has also resulted in multicultural influences on Swahili arts, including furniture and architecture. The Swahili do not often use designs with images of living beings due to their Muslim heritage.

Instead, Swahili designs are primarily geometric. The most typical musical genre of Swahili culture is taarab or tarabu , sung in the Swahili language. Its melodies and orchestration have Arab and Indian influences, although Western instruments, such as guitars, are sometimes used. Swahili architecture, a term used to designate a whole range of diverse building traditions practiced or once practiced along the eastern and southeastern coasts of Africa, is in many ways an extension of mainland African traditions, although structural elements, such as domes and barrel vaulting, clearly connect to Persian Gulf area and South Asian building traditions as well.

Exotic ornament and design elements also connected the architecture of the Swahili coast to other Islamic port cities. In fact, many of the classic mansions and palaces of the Swahili Coast belonged to wealthy merchants and landowners, who played a key role in the mercantile economy of the region. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Search for:. Around 3, years ago, speakers of the proto-Bantu language group began a millennia-long series of migrations; the Swahili people originate from Bantu inhabitants of the coast of Southeast Africa, in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

They are mainly united under the mother tongue of Kiswahili, a Bantu language. Around the 8th century, the Swahili people engaged in the Indian Ocean trade. As a consequence, they were influenced by Arabic, Persian, Indian, and Chinese cultures. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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You cannot download interactives. This sub-Saharan empire had vast reach and power during the centuries of late antiquity. These dynasties promoted early literature on the Indian subcontinent and built important Hindu temples. Africa is sometimes nicknamed the "Mother Continent" as it's the oldest inhabited continent on Earth.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Image Traditional Sailing in Kilwa City-states along the east African coast have a longstanding tradition of trade and mingling between various peoples.

Photograph by John Kanyingi. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Article Vocabulary. Bantu Migration. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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