Languages of Kenya

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kenya is a multilingual country.

The two official languages of Kenya,

British colonial rule
.

Overview

Page from the Kikuyu publication Muigwithania (1929).

According to Ethnologue, there are a total of 68 languages spoken in Kenya. This variety is a reflection of the country's diverse population that includes most major ethnoracial and linguistic groups found in Africa (see Languages of Africa).

Languages spoken locally belong to three broad language families:

Hindustani and British residents speaking languages from the Indo-European family.[2]

Kenya's various ethnic groups typically speak their

mother tongues within their own communities. The two official languages, English and Swahili
, are used in varying degrees of fluency for communication with other populations. Today, English is the official language in Kenya, while Swahili enjoys the status of the national language.

Kikuyu.[3] It has been developing since colonisation and also contains certain elements of American English. English is widely spoken in commerce, schooling and government.[4] Peri-urban and rural dwellers are less multilingual, with many in rural areas speaking only their native languages.[5]

Language families

Major languages

Lord's Prayer in Swahili, a Bantu language that alongside English serves as a lingua franca for many in Kenya.

The 2019 census reports the largest communities of native speakers in Kenya as follows:

Minor languages

Languages spoken by the country's ethnic minorities include:

References

  1. ^ "Kenya - Languages | Ethnologue".
  2. ^ Ethnologue - Languages of Kenya
  3. ^ Nyaggah, Lynette Behm. "Cross-linguistic influence in Kenyan English: The impact of Swahili and Kikuyu on syntax". University of California. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  4. ISBN 978-0977809165
    .
  5. ISBN 0080442994
    .
  6. ^ "Languages of Kenya". Ethnologue.
  7. ^ “Orma”, Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  8. ^ “Rendille”, Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)

External links

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