Congo Swahili
Congo Swahili, formerly sometimes known as Zaïre Swahili, are the varieties of the Swahili language spoken in the Democratic Republic of The Congo.
Overview
Congo Swahili differs greatly from Standard Swahili. There is a common saying among Swahili speakers that goes: "Swahili was born in Zanzibar, grew up in Tanzania, fell sick in Kenya, died in Uganda and was buried in Congo", which highlights how speakers of other dialects often find Congo Swahili incomprehensible. One of the main reasons for the differences is that, unlike Standard Swahili, Congo Swahili is strongly influenced by French, rather than Arabic. It has also borrowed words from the local languages spoken in the DRC, which are not found in other varieties of Swahili.Grammar
These are some of the grammatical innovations of Congo Swahili that do not exist in Standard Swahili:- A distinction between near past and remote past.
- A distinction between near future and remote future.
- A distinction between present progressive and present habitual.
- Loss of locatives in ''-ni''