The official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is French, though there are over 200 languages spoken there. Francophone African Sign Language and American Sign Language are both used.
It became a lingua franca amongst different ethnic groups, particularly in the north, that spoke many different languages.
…the Republic of the Congo—speak Kikongo and account for about one-eighth of the population.
The Congo is the largest Francophone country in the world, as over 33 million Congolese people – one-third of the country’s population – are literate in the French language. View Plan » Language Vitality Profile.
Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo: Tips: Kongo is a tonal language and formed the base for Kituba, a Bantu creole and lingua franca throughout much of west central Africa. Kikongo or Kongo is the Bantu language spoken by the Bakongo and Bandundu people in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola.
Kikongo is the name used by its speakers. Expanded PDF Digest, 46 pp. As a result, the Congo was one of the only colonized countries in Africa that taught literacy in indigenous languages.Today, at least 215 languages are spoken throughout the Congo, most of them local, regional languages. The dialect of French that is expressed in the Congo bears more resemblances to Belgian French, the language of the country’s colonizers, than it does to Parisian French.
Other websites.
…Pigafetta included a number of Kongo words and phrases in a description of the kingdom of Congo that he based on information provided by Oduardo Lopez, a Portuguese traveler to Luanda in 1578. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.Kongo was one of the first African languages to be studied and documented by Western scholars. The Congolese army recognizes Lingala as its official language.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is commonly referred to only as the Congo (or sometimes just Congo) is located in central Africa.It was colonized by Belgium under King Leopold II at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Kongo language, Kongo also called Kikongo and also spelled Congo, a Bantu language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. Kituba is a creole language hybrid of Kikongo and French.
History at your fingertips Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
The four national languages were initially identified by the Belgian government as national languages of the Congo, which enabled them to be taught in schools across the country.
The most widely spoken minority languages include Ngbaka, Budza, Lendu, Ngbandi, Mangbetu, Zande, Nande, Komo, Lugbara, Chokwe, Tetela, Kilega, Lunda, Mongo, and Mashie. Your preference has been recorded
The official language of the Republic of Congo is French.Other languages are mainly Bantu languages, and the two national languages in the country are Kituba and Lingala (13%), followed by Mboshi, Bateke (17.3%), and more than forty other languages, including Pygmy languages (1.4%), which are not Bantu languages. Based on design of File:Map_of_the_Niger-Congo_and_Khoisan_languages.svg. Swahili, another Bantu language, is generally the primary language of the large Swahili ethnic group. Languages of Congo.
Click to enlarge with explanation. Kongo is related to Swahili, Shona, and Bembe, among others. At present there is no standard orthography of Kikongo, with a variety in use in written literature, mostly newspapers, pamphlets and a few books.
The two primary varieties of sign language used there are French Sign Language and American Sign Language. Niger-Congo Languages By YourDictionary Atlantic-Congo Languages Fufulde (Maasina) Translator Eggon Language Learners Guide to Pular (PDF Book) Pulaar Phrases and Vocabulary Twi Language Books and Other Resources Yoruba Language Books and Other Resources
Lizenz. While French is the official language and widely used in education and government, there are four national languages: Kikongo (Kituba), Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba.
Many people in the country’s urban centers speak Kituba, while Kikongo is more commonly expressed in rural areas.The Lingala language developed in the upper region of the Congo and rapidly spread to the Middle Congo under colonial rule, mainly under the influence of missionaries who wanted to establish institutions like schools and healthcare centers. $199.95. The first such documentation came in 1591 when the Italian The languages that are spoken in the Congo are primarily from the Bantu language group of the The Official Language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo