You'll learn about languages as diverse as Arabic, Berber, Oromo and Swahili. There are 11 official South African languages. Many South Africans are bilingual and can speak at least two of the country's 11 official languages. The course also provides students with some cultural information about the people African languages translation services. It is spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Since 1965, we have offered over 100 courses and tutorials in 40 African languages at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels as well as in Linguistics field Feb 13, 2024 · As a part of the African Union's linguistic repertoire, Swahili stands tall among languages fostering continental connections. Start your 7-Day FREE Trial of Pimsleur Swahili! 4. The ALP boasts some of the most innovative foreign language-learning pedagogy. Jun 2, 2023 · African languages such as Bambara, Pedi, Swati, Tsonga, Twi, and Venda also have online visibility, but don’t appear on any major brand sites. Hausa, a Chadic language, holds great significance in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria. io is the biggest innovation that provides access to deep and rich cultural values beautifully crafted on our cultural and traditional languages Speak Africa is designed with built-in assistant to help individuals: Learn your favorite language on the go. Afrikaans based Creole; Arabic based; Kongo based; Krio based; Swahili based Creole. Jul 15, 2022 · Published on July 15, 2022 / Updated on February 12, 2024. This is the official language of Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya, but it is also used in countries Jun 5, 2019 · Official Languages: Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Venda, Swati, Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tsonga and Tswana. To say hello in Yoruba, one says, BAWO’. Afrikaans is spoken in South Jul 6, 2023 · Kiswahili originated in east Africa, spreading around the continent and the globe. These last two are spoken especially in South Africa, a country that has 11 official languages. nl. When evaluated on our blind Test set, AfroLID achieves 95. leidenuniv. The vast majority of Afrikaans is Dutch in nature, which is why the two languages are said to be mutually intelligible. Naturally, the number of African languages is proportionately mirrored in the vastness of this captivating blend of diverse cultures, historical richness, and stunning landscapes. Concluding remarks, with a focus on the proposed theoretical framework— Prestige Planning —for African languages. It is one of the official languages in Nigeria. Toggle for dual language texts, many with audio! African Language Translations In the past few decades, industry in Africa has blossomed. Read this post to learn about the top 50 languages in Africa, all with example phrases, speaker numbers and geographical areas. Cambridge University Press, Aug 3, 2000 - Foreign Language Study - 396 pages. The most spoken language in Africa is Swahili which is said to have between 100 and 150 million speakers. Creoles. dialect) at between 1,250 and 2,100, and by some counts at over 3,000. Each language Oct 4, 2020 · Somali. After Apartheid officially ended in 1994, the new constitution gave official status to 11 languages; English, Afrikaans, and 9 indigenous African languages. In short: you are free to distribute and modify the file as long as you attribute its author (s) or licensor (s). Oct 25, 2012 · The study of African languages has motivated many contributions to the theory of language, notably by revolutionizing the understanding of tonal phonology (e. While there is no linguistic property that is common to all of the 2000-plus African languages, it seems possible on the basis of the quantitative data presented to define Africa as a linguistic area: African languages exhibit significantly more of the 11 properties listed in Jul 19, 2018 · 1. Colonial languages, such as English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, and Spanish, have had a lasting impact on African languages, influencing their use in government, education, and commerce. Map 1. Jul 2, 2023 · Africa is a linguistic wonderland, with over 3,000 languages spoken on the continent. Starting from the monosyllabic, isolating tonal languages of the Guinea coast as “typical,” Meinhof disregards, or is unaware of, the numerous languages of the Sudanese area which exhibit class prefixes or suffixes akin to those of Bantu. Somali is the official language of Somalia along with Arabic. Culture and Heritage. , using the autosegmental approach) and informing lexicalist approaches to syntax. Jun 27, 2024 · Compiled by 56 internationally renowned scholars, this ground breaking study looks at past and current research on 'African languages' and 'language in Africa' under the impact of paradigmatic changes from 'colonial' to 'postcolonial' perspectives. 9. Pidgins. The African Languages Translation Initiative (ALTI) aims to encourage inter-cultural communication and understanding between Americans and Africans through the translation of documents, texts and information into critical African languages. African American Language (AAL) exhibits variation and differences from other varieties of American English in the sound (phonological) system, the grammatical (morphosyntactic) system, as well as the lexicon. Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere, a Swahili advocate. , 2021 ). Africa is believed to host at least one third of the world's languages, usually classified Mar 21, 2023 · A report by Research and Markets forecasts that the online global language learning market will grow 20. Once just an obscure island dialect of an African Bantu tongue, Swahili has evolved into Africa’s most internationally recognised language. The consequences of language policy failures for these languages and the majority of their speakers. We are top translation agency services & interpretation agency services in Africa, and over 53 countries in Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Morocco, Cote divoire, Tunisia and so on, The Program in African Languages (PAL) is a key component of the Center for African Studies’ mission to advance Africa-related studies at the University. In South Africa, it is given official status with 10 other languages. Yoruba is widely spoken in Nigeria and also various parts of Togo and Benin. African Languages. About 12 million people in South Africa speak Zulu as a first language and about 16 million as a second language. It is worth to mention that Zulu is considered to be the second most widely used of the Bantu languages, after Shona. [6] Estimates of the number of Swahili speakers, including both native and second-language speakers, vary widely The African Language Program in the Department of African and African American Studies offers courses in more than twenty African languages every semester. To greet someone formally in Swahili, you can say: “Jambo” (pronounced jahm-boh) – This is a common greeting used throughout East Africa. Africa is believed to host at least one-third of the world’s languages, usually classified into four phyla—Niger-Congo Feb 20, 2022 · X (Twitter) LinkedIn. Effective Learning. For instance, no African language is the only official Jul 26, 2023 · It is the most popular language in Africa. Africa is a continent rich with language diversity. Languages. One language cluster, Fula (also called Fulani, Peul, Fulfulde, and Toucouleur), accounts for more Speak Africa. Swahili, or Kiswahili, as the speakers of the language call it, is the most widely spoken African language south of the Sahara. Nigeria alone has over 500 languages (according to SIL Ethnologue ), one of the greatest concentrations of linguistic Dutch. The 2,000 languages that Africa contains fall within a relatively small number of large families (15). Come join us as we examine how these unique languages inform and are informed by development by getting to know more about their use in West African A creole language, [2] [3] [4] or simply creole, is a stable natural language that develops from the process of different languages simplifying and mixing into a new form (often, a pidgin ), and then that form expanding and elaborating into a full-fledged language with native speakers, all within a fairly brief period. Together, they have approximately 300 million speakers. Led by John Mugane, Professor of the Practice of African Languages and Cultures Abstract. They form the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid languages . Linguists estimate that nearly 2,000 native languages are spoken in Africa. Classification of African Languages Language Group. About 90% – 95% of Afrikaans derives from Dutch. 1 As can be seen from its lack of shading in Map 1, the language of Madagascar, Malagasy, is not an African language; it is an Austronesian language, akin to many of the languages of Island Southeast Asia and Oceania. Portuguese is spoken as the official The history of African languages, by comparison, is even older. As a center for excellence for researching, learning, and teaching about Africa Preserve African Languages, cultural diversity, and heritage. This blog post will provide an overview of some of the major African languages that are widely spoken across the continent. The English language as used in Africa. Swahili, also known by its local name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language originally spoken by the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent littoral islands). Arabic language. Every two weeks, a language dies, according to UNESCO. 25. Facebook. In this guide, we will explore the formal and informal ways to say “welcome” in South African languages, focusing on Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, and English. The tremendous range includes major languages such as Swahili and Hausa, spoken by millions of people, and minor languages such as Hazda, which have fewer than a thousand speakers. Some of the most spoken African languages in this group include Arabic, Amharic, Somali, Oromo, Tamazight, and Hausa. This course introduces students to the study of an African language and develops conversational skills in that language. As more companies take their products and services into regions of Africa, African language translations take on increasing importance Apr 21, 2015 · April 21, 2015. Hausa. With more than 2,000 distinct languages, Africa has a third of the world's languages with less than a seventh of the world's population. Mar 10, 2020 · Here are a few examples: 1. Linguists now agree that Africa is home to 2,000 distinct Nov 28, 2023 · Many languages in Africa are part of this group, which encompasses around 375 languages in total. West Africa Languages Western Africa is linguistically rich with a variety of languages. Unclassified Languages. Multilingualism Plays a Major Role in Africa If we look at the value of languages in terms of their online access GDP (eGDP), 69% of it is accessible through European languages. ) published The Oxford Handbook of African Languages | Find, read and cite During Apartheid, South Africa had 2 official languages, English and Afrikaans. Hausa stands out as one of the most spoken languages in Africa, a true cornerstone of West African communication and trade. Hamitic, non-Semitic languages north of the Bantu line. Dimmendaal (eds. Harvard’s African Language Program (ALP) is one of the largest language programs in the world. Learn what they are, how many people speak them and more. This is because Dutch colonists who arrived in South Africa in the 17th century brought their language with them, which later evolved into Afrikaans. May 19, 2023 · Africa’s total number of native languages can prove hard to count as the continent is the second-largest and second-most populous in the world after Asia. Heine, in Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics (Second Edition), 2006 Conclusion. Jun 28, 2024 · The African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) fosters Africa’s integration and development through the development and promotion of the use of African languages in all domains of life in Africa. Africa has over 2000 languages, each with its own story and expression, but they are at risk of extinction. SWAHILI. Africa's 1 billion people collectively speak about 2000 languages. Jul 5, 2023 · Language is an integral part of cultural identity, serving as a powerful tool for communication, expression, and preservation of traditions. Zulu and Xhosa are the most common mother tongues, although English is understood by most people. Keystone/Getty Images Conclusion. Hausa based; Swahili based; Zulu based. With more than 1,500 different languages, Africa boasts greater linguistic variety than any other continent. Swahili. YORUBA. 3% by 2029, to reach a market size of $31. A serious understanding of Africa begins with language study. It is the most spoken language in Africa. 2. "This book provides a comprehensive overview of current research in African languages, drawing on insights from anthropological linguistics, typology, historical and comparative linguistics, and sociolinguistics. : Bernd Heine, Derek Nurse. The linguistic situation is constantly changing. Collaborating with the Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures (LLC), CAS is dedicated to fostering a robust program in African languages for both undergraduate and graduate students. Its native name is ‘Ede Yoruba’ and places where Yoruba is spoken referred to as ‘Ile Yoruba’. These languages contribute to the cultural diversity of Western Africa, each with its own unique characteristics and history. A legacy of colonialism is largely responsible for the heavy presence of Indo-European languages in Africa. Aug 3, 2000 · African Languages. Subfamilies of the Afroasiatic language group include the Semitic Mar 22, 2021 · My animation about the many languages, language families and language areas of Africa. One of these divisions is the Bantu languages, such as Swahili (82. The overall aim of the program is to help students gain the linguistic skills necessary to function in all areas 8. It is spoken by over 100 people in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Swahili: Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, is spoken by millions of people in East and Central Africa. Get Started. The French, Germans, Dutch, Belgians Jul 29, 2023 · Ethnologue estimates the number of languages spoken in Africa as 2144 (Eberhard et al. Sep 21, 2023 · Indigenous knowledge, African languages, queer rights and Afrofuturism are some of the issues discussed in the new book. By comparison, Europe, which has about an Apr 7, 2023 · Language. At least thirty-five languages are spoken in South Africa, twelve of which are official languages of South Africa: Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, South African Sign Language, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, and English, which is the primary language used in parliamentary and state discourse, though Jan 1, 1979 · The Journal of African Languages and Linguistics is a peer-reviewed journal of international scope. Somali belongs to the Cushitic family of languages similar to Oromo. English is the only one of the official South African languages which is not indigenous. B. “The historical impact of colonialism on Jun 11, 2018 · AFRICAN ENGLISH Short form AfrE. Published March 15, 2022. The family of Niger-Congo languages is spoken on most of the continent. Mar 15, 2022 · Why African languages matter. 89 F_1-score. The manuscripts should be submitted per e-mail to jall@hum. The Bantu languages (English: UK: / ˌbænˈtuː /, US: / ˈbæntuː / Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀) [1] [2] are a language family of about 600 languages that are spoken by the Bantu peoples of Central, Southern, Eastern and Southeast Africa. Known as a ‘Bantu’ language, Swahili apparently originated from other languages like Arabic. Sotho: 4 days ago · We address this pressing issue for Africa by introducing AfroLID, a neural LID toolkit for 517 African languages and varieties. It is the official language of several countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Swahili has a significant cultural and historical importance in the region and is also used as a lingua franca. For the thirty-third consecutive year, the Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL) has provided the major forum for the discussion of linguistic data geared towards understanding how African Feb 14, 2018 · Ko Kicinio. These differences are systematic and are a result of the origin and continued development of AAL. It has also proved to be a crucial tool for documenting and understanding contact-induced language Apr 29, 2020 · Preprint. Akan Includes languages like Twi, Fante, and Akuapem, spoken in Ghana and […] Jan 30, 2023 · With over 2,000 languages and dialects spoken in Africa alone, there are many interesting and unique ways of communicating with each other. Fun and Interactive. It’s been adopted as a working language at the African Union and there’s a push for it to become Africa’s Mar 22, 2024 · The African Studies Center (ASC) at Boston University is one of the nation’s oldest leaders in promoting African language and area studies since its founding in 1953, with federal funding from the US Department of Education as a Title VI National Resource Center. With over 2,000 languages, Africa is home to nearly one-third of the world's languages. Aug 12, 2017 · Since “African languages” is a really broad category, I’ll be splitting this into four parts based on language families: Bantu Languages; Niger-Congo Languages (other than Bantu) There are four major groups of African languages: Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharian, Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo), and Khoisan, on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languages. Aug 18, 2021 · African languages are being left behind in the online revolution, says Kathleen Siminyu, a specialist in machine learning and natural language processing for African languages based in Kenya THE CLASSIFICATION OF AFRICAN LANGUAGES. The continent is one of the world's most diverse due to the large population. there are about 2000 languages, many of which are on the verge of extinction. : An article in Science Times on Tuesday about the ancient nature of click languages in southern Africa misspelled the given name of a linguist at Northern Arizona University who Nov 9, 2011 · Eme and Mbagwu (2011: 121) observe government policies that could encourage the use of African languages in African literature are absent. Making South African Sign Language The Oxford Handbook of African Languages. Mugane. Feb 22, 2024 · A year after the much-celebrated ‘Conference of African Writers of English Expression’, which took place in Uganda in 1962, Obiajunwa Wali published a scathing article, ‘The Dead End of African Literature?’ in the journal Transition, in which he criticized the privileging of African literatures written in European languages over those in indigenous African languages, as evidenced by AAL Linguistic Patterns. The 10 most spoken languages in Africa, including Swahili, Arabic, French, Hausa, Yoruba, Oromo, Igbo, and Amharic, highlight the linguistic richness and cultural diversity of the continent. The twelve chapters are written by a team of fifteen eminent Africanists, and their topics include the Storybooks African Languages is a free educational resource that promotes literacy and language learning. The forces reducing African language diversity come from the Jan 1, 2023 · Issue. It’s equivalent to saying “Hello” in English. Spoken in several West African countries, including Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. John M. Atlantic languages, branch of the Niger-Congo language family spoken primarily in Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Anlo (Togo) Bete (Nigeria) Gibanawa (Nigeria) Hwla (Togo) Imeraguen (Mauritania) A. we do all African languages and 1000 international languages. There are over 3,000 languages spoken in Africa, many of which have roots to the major language families: Afro-Asianic includes Arabic ancestrally native to East and North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula; Nilo-Saharan; Nilo-Congo (A) comprised of Niger-Congo’s non-Bantu branches Apr 19, 2021 · African Languages are numerous. Bonny Sands. Sep 9, 2022 · It is commonly spoken as a second language alongside indigenous languages, though many urban communities in Cameroon and Gabon have adopted French as a first language. Accent, number, and pitch of the syllables are 5 days ago · Africa - Diversity, Ethnicity, Languages: The knowledge of most of the individual languages of Africa is still very incomplete, but there are known to be in excess of 1,500 distinct languages. Although the particular group of factors at work in Africa may be unique, they come from a well-established inventory familiar elsewhere. Ek’s lief vir jou / Ek het jou life. Níger-Congo languages. Theo du Plessis, University of the Free State. Created Jan 01, 2023. Access variety of standby African language interpreters 24/7. Pronto’s African translation team can translate your document into any one of the continent’s 57 most spoken languages! Whether you are sending a message throughout the African market as an advertisement, public relations or public service message, press release or slide presentation, we can deliver of African languages within mainstream linguistics, while the Webb and Kembo-Sure volume is a more problem-driven sociolinguistic textbook that positions the study of African languages within the study of society, culture, and the nation-state. Many attempts to classify them have been inadequate because of the great complexity of the languages and because of a confusion relating language, “race,” and economy; for example, there was once a Jan 31, 2023 · The major non-native languages of Africa come from the Indo-European language family, which includes tongues across the world like English, German, Hindi, Greek, Russian, Polish and many more. The philosophy behind the African Language Program is that any serious understanding of Africa begins with language study. The older a language family, the greater the differences among its individual languages. One of the most widely spoken languages in Africa is Arabic. The academy seeks to empower African languages, promote use of multiple languages at every level, especially in the education sector and to ensure the Sep 15, 2021 · South Africa is known for its eleven official languages, each with its unique charm and variation. Part of the Global Storybooks project, it makes 40 stories from the African Storybook available in a wide variety of African languages as well as English and French. 5 million speakers in the world), Zulu (27. Our focus is on syntheses and analyses of the linguistic systems and structures of West African languages and the role the languages play in the daily lives of their speakers, in governance (leadership), and in development in the broadest sense. Links to African & diaspora language/linguistic history creators: https Other articles where African languages is discussed: percussion instrument: Sub-Saharan Africa: Languages of this area are characterized by pronounced high and low pitch tones (tone languages), a quality exploited when two drums—a lower-pitched, or male, drum and a higher-pitched, or female, one—transmit low and high tones, respectively. As elderly rural speakers die out, the survival of some African languages is at risk. Koloba is a language learning app that fosters a vibrant community to share African culture and heritage. African language families include languages that are so different from one another that they must have been spoken for many centuries before Indo-European languages were known in western Europe. AFLA 101 ELEMENTARY AFRICAN LANGUAGE I--Three hours; 3 credits. Each language has its unique characteristics and contributes to the rich cultural tapestry Jun 4, 2022 · English is the primary language of Botswana, Cameroon, Rwanda, Nigeria, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana. Afro-Asiatic; Khosian; Niger-Congo; Nilo-Saharan. In the face of this language crisis, we need recognise what is at stake, turn adversity into opportunity, and add value to our tremendous linguistic resources, says Victor Oladokun Serer language. With Koloba, you can learn various African languages in an effective and powerful way. 81bn. The total number of languages natively spoken in Africa is variously estimated (depending on the delineation of language vs. Many new and growing industries have gained a foothold there, including mining, infrastructure, telecommunications, international trade, and agriculture, to name a few. . Categories by language of Africa (1 C) African Urban Youth Languages (6 P) African-based pidgins and creoles (2 C, 5 P) Afrikaans (9 C, 26 P) Arabic languages (6 C, 61 P) Apr 24, 2016 · The challenges and prospects for African languages in the era of the globalization of English. Most of the Languages spoken in Africa are can be classified under three language groups, mainly the Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and the Niger-Congo Language families. By incorporating African languages, analysts say Duolingo fosters linguistic diversity, while expanding its subscriber base and ramping up profits. Sep 21, 2023 · Sign language is set to become South Africa’s 12th official language after a long fight for recognition. Feb 2018. Africa, with its vast linguistic landscape, is home to a multitude of languages that reflect its diverse cultures and histories. In principle, the term can refer to English used anywhere from the Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope, including in Egypt by speakers of Arabic, in Nigeria by speakers of Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, and in the Republic of South Africa by speakers of Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, and other regional languages, as well as by The African Languages group is the Facebook meeting point for people who want to support the languages of Africa. English is spoken as an official language in 24 African countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Namibia, and Nigeria. Written by New African. This book is an introduction to African languages and linguistics, covering typology, structure and sociolinguistics. In the Afar language, Ko Kicinio is the term used to express love. Swahili: Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, is a widely spoken language in East Africa. Many subdivisions are within the Niger-Congo language family, the largest in Africa. Areas of little or no population. Post. g. Indigenous African languages serve as road maps to understanding how social, political and economic institutions and processes As elsewhere in the world, languages in Africa are endangered. This book provides a comprehensive overview of current research in African languages, drawing on insights from anthropological linguistics, typology, historical and comparative linguistics, and sociolinguistics. Provide and support free education to all through African languages. Among others, there is the Afro-Asiatic family (to which belong Hebrew, Arabic dialects, and the Mar 18, 2003 · March 20, 2003. [5] Africa is incredibly linguistically diverse, with over 2,000 languages spoken across the continent. The approximately 45 Atlantic languages are spoken by about 30 million people. One of the countries with the highest number of indigenous Africa as a Linguistic Area. African language study at Indiana University has a long tradition of excellence and provides support to Africanists in the humanities, social sciences, and professional schools. PDF | On Apr 29, 2020, Rainer Vossen and Gerrit J. With speakers of the language concentrated across the horn of Africa, Somali has at least 21 million speakers, making it one of the most spoken languages in Africa. It is peer to the few languages Oct 22, 2023 · South Africa is a diverse nation with a rich language heritage. In the vast and diverse African diaspora, language diversity plays a vital role in connecting communities, fostering cultural heritage, and promoting a sense of belonging. This widespread lingua franca is an official language in Kenya and Tanzania. Here are examples of languages from different areas and regions in Africa: These are just a few examples, and the linguistic diversity in Africa is vast. Group members The Linguistic Typology and Representation of African Languages. 8M), and Xhosa (19,2M). 5. Africa World Press, 2003 - Foreign Language Study - 335 pages. Africa is home to a vast array of languages, belonging to different language families, showcasing the continent’s linguistic diversity and global significance. As one of Africa’s most widely spoken languages, Hausa’s popularity is attributable to its role as a trade language throughout the region. (Images from South African Tourism) South Africa’s constitution recognises 11 official languages: Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa ), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu. The language is spoken in the former Zululand, now known as KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. A lesser emphasis is put on reading and writing skills. In this sense, the two books are excellent complements to each other. African language courses are designed to help students work toward both communicative and cultural competence. AfroLID exploits a multi-domain web dataset manually curated from across 14 language families utilizing five orthographic systems. The estimates for language loss on a world scale likely hold for Africa as well. It is the largest group of languages in the world (about 1,300 languages). Recognizing that translation is fundamental in a multilingual, connected world, Howard University Oct 11, 2018 · According to 2016 estimates from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Africa was home to about 1,225,080,510 people. Full-text available. Contributors should submit their manuscripts prepared following the guidelines in the Instructions for authors. wutopkalnveddldrbfoz