Alternate Names: Kisuaheli, Kiswahili
Dialects: Mambrui (Malindi), Mgao (Kimgao), Mrima (Mtang’ata), Pemba, Unguja (Kiunguja, Zanzibar). Lexical similarity: Bajun dialect 85% with the Amu dialect, 78% with the Mvita dialect, 72% with the Mrima dialect; Mvita dialect 86% with Amu, 79% with Mrima; Mrima dialect 79% with Amu. A member of macrolanguage Swahili ,.
Status Notes: De facto national language.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 15,000,000 in Tanzania (2012), increasing. Population total all countries: 15,457,390. L2 users: Probably over 80% of rural people are L2 users; they use the local language for most activities, but Swahili , with outsiders.
Language Use: It is also common for people of numerous ethnic groups to speak Swahili as L1, especially in urban and very mixed areas. All domains. All ages. Positive attitudes.
Language Development: Language of instruction in primary school. In secondary school taught as a subject. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1891–2009.
Typology: SVO.
Spoken In: Kenya
Writing System: Braille, Latin
Nation of Origin: Tanzania
Other Comments: Muslim, Christian, traditional religion.