Introduction
  Name
  Sounds
  Noun Classes
  Verb Affixation
  Swahili Time
  Dialects
  References
  Useful Links

SWAHILI DIALECTS

Since colonial times, circa 1870 to 1960 and into the present time, Kiunguja, the Zanzibar dialect of Swahili, has become the basis of Standard Swahili as used in East Africa. Nevertheless Swahili encompasses more than fifteen distinct dialects including:  

• Kiunguja: Spoken on Zanzibar island and environs. The basis of Standard Swahili. (The name Kiunguja is derived from Unguja, the Swahili name for the archipelago's main island.)
  
  
• Kimrima: Spoken around Pangani, Vanga, Dar es Salaam, Rufiji and Mafia Island.
  
  
• Kimgao: Spoken around Kilwa and to the south.
  
  
• Kipemba: Spoken around Pemba, Tanzania.
  
  
• Kimvita: Spoken in and around Mvita (Mombasa). Historically the major dialect alongside Kiunguja.
  
  
• Kiamu: Spoken in and around the island of Lamu (Amu).
  
  
• Kingwana: Spoken in the eastern and southern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sometimes called Copperbelt Swahili, especially the variety spoken in the south.
  
  
• Kingozi: Is a special case as it was the language of the inhabitants of the ancient town of "Ngozi" and is perhaps the basis of the Swahili language.
  
  
• Shikomor, the languages of the Comoros Islands, are closely related to Swahili. The dialects: Kingazija (or shingadzija) spoken on Grande Comore and Mahorian spoken on Mayotte are usually considered Swahili dialects.
  
  
• Kimwani: Spoken in the Kerimba Islands and northern coastal Mozambique.
  
  
• Chimwiini: Spoken in Barawa, in the south eastern coast of Somalia.
  
  
• Sheng - a sort of street slang, is a blend of Swahili, English, and some ethnic languages spoken in and around Nairobi in informal settings. Sheng originated in the Nairobi slums and is considered fashionable and cosmopolitan among a growing segment of the population.