KiSwahili Resource Page - Abibitumi Kasa Afrikan Language and Liberation Institutes and Community Networks

KaNisa · #1 (**permalink**) 08-13-2008, 02:35 PM

Kiswahili Resource Page

Swahili language is the only language in Africa that can technically be classified as a true "Lingua franca." Unlike most other African languages it is a non tribal language (see its history), rather it is more of an intra-national language of the Eastern Central and Southern Africa. The language spreads from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Zaire, Northern Zaire, Northern Malawi, Northern Mozambique, northern Zambia to as far as Somalia. According to Kassim A. Abdullah (1996), although not widely as in the above mentioned countries, Kiswahili is also used by some people in Congo, Southern Sudan, the Comoros Islands, Northern Malagasy Republic, and the Persian Gulf states. It is currently estimated that well over 100 million people use Swahili for communication. It is the official language for Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The language enjoys a unique position particularly at primary and intermediate level education at which is the official medium of instruction in these countries. My "premier" KiSwahili web sites

A Short History of Kiswahili Language. Thanks to Hassan Ali

Introductory Kiswahili Lessons. Thanks to Kassim A. Abdullah

Radio Deutsche Welle Online

audio-on-demand in Kiswahili

Swahili Dictionary at Yale University

The Yale Kiswahili Dictionary Project

Download the Swahili Dictionary Update

Swahili Dictionary: All files (Gopher)

Current Swahili Books at

Swahili listings at Yahoo

Swahili listing at AltaVista

Selected Bibliography of Swahili Poetry (at UCLA)