Kinyarwanda - is It Still Original

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

Kinyarwanda - is It Still Original

The New Times (Kigali)
NEWS
February 21, 2007

Kigali

Languages are an essential part of the cultural diversity of our planet. Languages and dialects are not only expressions of the human culture and the human mind, they are also the means by which we communicate with others and seek ways of explaining the world we live in. At the same time, languages are a very vulnerable part of our cultural heritage.

According to UNESCO, the preservation and promotion of linguistic diversity is important for the society as a whole and for the individual. Language is an essential part of what defines a culture or civilisation. The identity of an individual person is defined by its social affiliation. The language used in his social environment, transmitted to him by social and linguistic interactions, forms his linguistic identity. Linguistic identity means the identification with a language and its speakers as well as the identification with linguistic varieties such as dialects or sociolects and their speakers.

Rwanda is one of the few countries in Africa where virtually all the population has the same mother tongue - Kinyarwanda. It is estimated that the language is spoken by over 25 million speakers in East and Central Africa; it is the biggest vernacular language in the world competing for that honour with Kurdish according to Mamdani's When Victims Become Killers.

However, the turbulent history of Rwanda and the region surrounding the country has ensured that language goes through various changes. For example, there's Kinyarwanda with either, Congolese, Ugandan, Tanzanian or Kenyan orientations but still Rwandans are able to understand one another.

Following the war in Rwanda in the early 1990s, many Rwandans settled in Belgium. Initially, members of this community were bilingual - speaking French and Kinyarwanda (the official languages of Rwanda). However, the community is facing a serious threat of language shift as young people's competence in Kinyarwanda decreases dramatically, by the time they come back they will also bring a new dialect to the language.

Rwanda has chosen the path of multilingualism. This has economic, social and political justification. Apart from the mother tongue of Kinyarwanda, French and English have been introduced in all schools as curriculum subjects and as the language of instruction from primary 4. All three languages are found throughout the education system from primary to tertiary levels.

However, the teaching of three languages from primary level onwards has created problems for teachers who have been in the system for many years and only speak one of the two international languages, and are still expected to teach in both languages at primary level. The country also lacks experts in linguistic disciplines.

This was seen a few years ago when a small team Microsoft developers came in Rwanda to begin working on a project to produce a localised version of Open Office, an open-source alternative to Microsoft's market-leading productivity software, but they realised they had a problem.

Kinyarwanda, the language spoken by most Rwandans, has no words for many basic technical and computing terms, including the very word "computer," explained Steve Murphy, organiser of the project. After debating whether to borrow English or French terms or come up with their own native word, the group settled on "mudasobwa," which roughly translates to "something or someone that does not make mistakes."

The UN General Assembly stated in February 2002 that it "pursues multilingualism as a means of promoting, protecting and preserving diversity of languages and cultures globally", and recognised that multilingualism "promotes unity in diversity and international understanding."

Medium of instruction in educational institutions

The Minister of education is promoting a multilinguistic approach in education sector, because of the unique nature of Rwanda's population and their educational background.

Mujawamariya says, "The ministry is promoting a multilingual system as a medium of instruction across all levels of education in the educational sector." With this system, Rwanda could potentially attract business through the bilingual French/English skills many locals have.

Reacting on the matter, Sports, Youth and Culture Minister, Joseph Habineza said International Mother Language day is crucial in Rwanda's context.

"As a country that speaks one language, it's imperative that we preserve our mother tongue at any cost," Habineza said by phone on Monday.

He said unlike other nations in Great lakes region like Democratic Republic of Cong (DRC), Rwanda has no option other than respecting our mother tongue.

Habineza revealed that the ministry is seeking a law in Parliament to legalise what he termed as language and cultural academics whose bottom line is to preserve our mother tongue (Kinyarwanda).

Borrowing from other languages

According to Bucyana Cheysogone, 76, a member of Abashesha'kaguhe, an association of old men and Kabandana Louis Azarias, 79, from Inteko-izirikana Association (Reflection group), Kinyarwanda as a language has changed due to the immigration of Rwandans.

"When Rwandans migrated due to the political instabilities in the country, they intermarried hence adapting the language of the place they had fled to.

Rwandans in Diaspora could not keep on speaking the same Kinyarwanda they knew before migrating due to the interactions of other people in the country of their refuge."

"Migration is one of the major reasons why our language keeps on loosing its touchy and rich words," said Mzee Kabandana Louis.

Describing some of the words that never existed in the former Kinyarwanda, Mzee Kabandana said "Amakwe is one of the words Rwandans use to describe many weddings taking place."

In his argument, Kabandana corrected the statement saying that the word Amakwe is wrong, it should remain as "Ubukwe", and the word "Ubukwe" has no plural or singular.

While laughing in his deep voice Mzee Kabandana said, "Its worse when it comes to asking time among Rwandans today. Saying that "Nisahazingahe? Or (What time is it?) is very wrong. The right statement should be (Ufite igiheki)," said Kabandana.

Influence of Swahili

Most of the words used in Kinyarwanda are from Swahili. Swahili is a strong language that is assimilating almost all the world's languages swiftly. There's no language which has no any single word of Swahili.

Mzee Bucyana intimated that some of the weak African languages will at one day be swept away by Swahili. To avoid this, Rwandan should be serious on preserving their language by learning the language both in primary and higher institutions of learning.

The government should help to preserve the language by setting up radio and television programmes that will aim at teaching Rwandans their culture. With the help of the old men, Kinyarwanda grammar should be written to be taught in primary and higher institutions of learning.

BY GEORGE KAGAME, IMMACULATE CHAKA & LOICE BUSINGYE