Rwanda
-- Language
The
nation's
official
languages
are French
and Kinyarwanda;
Swahili
is commonly
used in
commerce.
Kinyarwanda
is part
of the Bantu
sub-group
of the central
branch of
the Niger-Congo
language
family.
It is closely
related
to Kirundi,
the language
of Burundi.
Kinyarwanda-Kirundi
speakers
comprise
the third
largest
group of
all the
Bantu languages.
All Rwandans
speak Kinyarwanda,
but there
is some
variation
in pronunciation.
The forms
spoken by
the Tutsi
and Hutu
are very
similar.
There are
also dialectical
differences
between
regions.
The length
and tone
of Kinyarawanda
vowels can
be changed,
and such
changes
can significantly
alter the
meaning
of a word
or sentence.
Like other
Bantu languages,
Kiyarawanda
has different
noun classes,
but it has
over 20
different
noun classes.
As a note
of comparison,
English
has only
two noun
classes,
singular
and plural.
In
addition
to Kinyarwanda,
a small
number of
educated
Rwandans
have adopted
French as
a second
language.
In some
areas Swahili
is also
spoken.
Recently,
English
has gained
ground and
is becoming
more common
due to the
leadership
of the Rwanda
Patriotic
Front which
was educated
in anglophone
Uganda.
Also, many
Rwandans
are taking
English
classes
in the cities,
especially
Kigali.
Source:
Taylor,
C.C. 1995.
Rwandans.
In Worldmark
Encyclopedia
of Cultures
and Daily
Life.