An Example of Diffusion of Languages: Swahili The Swahili language, is basically of Bantu (African) origin.
{"Image DocumentName": "An Example of Diffusion of Languages: Swahili", "Image ImageDescription": "The Swahili language, is basically of Bantu (African) origin. It has borrowed words from other languages such as Arabic probably as a result of the Swahili people using the Quran written in Arabic for spiritual guidance as Muslims. As regards the formation of the Swahili culture and language, some scholars attribute these phenomena to the intercourse of African and Asiatic people on the coast of East Africa. The word Swahili was used by early Arab visitors to the coast and it means the coast . Ultimately it came to be applied to the people and the language\u2026It is an undeniable truth that Arab and Persian cultures had the greatest influence on the Swahili culture and the Swahili language. To demonstrate the contribution of each culture into the Swahili language, take an example of the numbers as they are spoken in Swahili. moja = one, mbili = two, tatu = three, nne = four, tano = five, nane = eight, kumi = ten, are all of Bantu origin. On the other hand there is sita = six, saba = seven and tisa = nine, that are borrowed from Arabic... The Swahili words, chai = tea, achari = pickle, serikali = government, diwani = councillor, sheha = village councillor, are some of the words borrowed from Persian bearing testimony to the older connections with Persian merchants.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}