Examine individual changes

'{{Languages of | country = the Democratic Republic of the Congo | official = [[French language|French]] | national = [[Kituba]], [[Lingala language|Lingala]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[Luba-Kasai language|Tshiluba]] | foreign = [[Dutch language|Dutch]] | indigenous = More than [[:Category:Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|200]] | extralabel = [[Lingua franca]] | extra = [[African French|French]], [[Kituba]], [[Lingala language|Lingala]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[Luba-Kasai language|Tshiluba]] | sign = [[American Sign Language]] ([[Francophone African Sign Language]]) }} {{Culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}} [[Image:Map - DR Congo, major languages.svg|thumb|right|300px|The geographical distribution of the four national languages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]] The '''[[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]''' is a multilingual country where an estimated total of 242 languages are spoken. [[Ethnologue]] lists 215 living languages.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CD Languages of Democratic Republic of the Congo], ethnologue.com</ref> The [[official language]], inherited from the colonial period, is [[French language|French]]. Four indigenous languages have the status of [[national language]]: [[Kituba]] (called "Kikongo"), [[Lingala language|Lingala]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[Luba-Kasai language|Tshiluba]]. When the country was a Belgian colony, it had already instituted teaching and use of the four national languages in primary schools, making it one of the few African nations to have had literacy in local languages during the European colonial period. During the colonial period Dutch and French were the official languages but French was by far the more important. == French == [[File:Connaisance du français en RDC (2005).PNG|thumb|right|400px|Knowledge of French language in the DRC in 2005 according to the OIF.]] {{see also|African French}} [[French language|French]] is the official language of the country since its colonial period under [[Belgian colonial empire|Belgian]] rule. Therefore, the variety of French used in the DRC has many similarities with [[Belgian French]]. French has been maintained as the official language since the time of independence because it is widely spoken around the educated groups in the country, it belongs to none of the indigenous ethnic groups and eases communication between them as well as with the rest of the [[Francophonie]], which includes many African countries. According to a 2014 [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|OIF]] report, 33 million Congolese people (47% of the population) can read and write in French.<ref> {{cite book |author=[[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]] |title= La langue française dans le monde 2014 |url=http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/ |location=Paris |publisher=Éditions Nathan |page=17 |date=2014 |isbn=978-2-09-882654-0 |access-date=2015-05-16 }} </ref> In the capital city [[Kinshasa]], 67% of the population can read and write French, and 68.5% can speak and understand it.<ref> {{cite book |author=[[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]] |title= La langue française dans le monde 2014 |url=http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/ |location=Paris |publisher=Éditions Nathan |page=30 |date=2014 |isbn=978-2-09-882654-0 |access-date=2015-05-16 }} </ref> The Democratic Republic of the Congo currently has the largest French-speaking population of any country outside France. == Kikongo == The [[Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|constitution]] says [[Kongo language|Kikongo]] is one of the national languages, but in fact it is a Kikongo-based creole, [[Kituba]] (''Kikongo ya Leta'' "Kikongo of the government", ''Leta'' being derived from French ''l'État'' "the State") that is used in the constitution and by the administration in the provinces of [[Bas-Congo]] (which is inhabited by the [[Bakongo]]), [[Kwango District|Kwango]], and [[Kwilu District|Kwilu]]. Kituba has become a [[vernacular language]] in many urban centres including [[Kikwit]], [[Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo|Bandundu]], [[Matadi]], [[Boma, Democratic Republic of the Congo|Boma]] and [[Muanda]]. == Lingala == [[Lingala language|Lingala]] is a language which gained its modern form in the colonial period, with the push of missionaries to standardize and teach a local ''[[lingua franca]]''. Nigga.. It was originally spoken in the [[Lualaba River|upper Congo]] river area but rapidly spread to the middle Congo area and eventually became the major [[Bantu language]] in Kinshasa for many reasons. Lingala was made the official language of the army under [[Mobutu Sese Seko|Mobutu]], but since the rebellions, the army has also used Swahili in the east. With the transition period and the consolidation of different armed groups into the Congolese Army, the linguistic policy has returned to its previous form and Lingala is again the official language of the Army. == Swahili == [[Swahili language|Swahili]] is the most widespread ''lingua franca'' spoken in Eastern [[Equatorial Africa]]. Many variations of Swahili are spoken in the country but the major one is Kingwana, sometimes called ''Copperbelt Swahili'', especially in the Katanga area. == Tshiluba == The constitution does not specify which of the two major variations of [[Tshiluba]] is the national language. [[Luba-Kasai]] is spoken in the [[East Kasai Region]] ([[Luba people]]) and [[Luba-Lulua]] is used in the [[West Kasai Region]] among the [[Bena Lulua people]]. Luba-Kasai seems to be the language used by the administration. A related language, known as [[Luba-Katanga language|Luba-Katanga]], is spoken in [[Katanga Province]]. == Sign languages == There are 12 deaf institutions in the country, and most teach [[French Sign Language]] or variations.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} [[American Sign Language]] is also practiced in the country. == Other languages == The most notable other languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are [[Mashie language|Mashie]], [[Mongo language|Mongo]], [[Lunda language|Lunda]], [[Lega language|Kilega]], [[Tetela language|Tetela]], [[Chokwe language|Chokwe]], [[Budza language|Budza]], [[Ngbandi language|Ngbandi]], [[Lendu language|Lendu]], [[Mangbetu language|Mangbetu]], [[Yombe language|Yombe]], [[Nande language|Nande]], [[Ngbaka language|Ngbaka]], [[Zande language|Zande]], [[Lugbara language|Lugbara]] and [[Komo language (Bantu)|Komo]]. Considerable numbers of people in eastern Congo who came from Rwanda in either pre-colonial or recent times speak [[Kinyarwanda]]. As of 2010 the government decided to include [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] as an optional language at schools as a reflex of Brazil's increasing influence on the continent, and of the growing and considerable Angolan and Mozambican immigrant communities.<ref name="TSF">[[TSF (radio station)|TSF]]. (July 4th). ''[https://tsf.sapo.pt/PaginaInicial/Portugal/Interior.aspx?content_id=1585824 Português adoptado como língua opcional nas escolas da RD Congo]'', accessed on July 4, 2010</ref> Among the [[slang]]s spoken in the Congo, [[Indubil]] has been noted since around the sixties<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ghetto Blaster : Et la rumba congolaise rythma les indépendances|url=http://www.sebtheplayer.com/ghetto-blaster-et-la-rumba-congolaise-rythma-les-independances/|accessdate=20 February 2011}}</ref> and continues to evolve today.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The spread of Indubil through DR Congo: context and modalities |author=Georges Mulumbwa Mutambwa |url=http://www.vad-ev.de/2010/index.php/en/programme/zu-den-panels/panels-papers/doc_view/120-mutambwa-the-spread-of-indubil-through-dr-congo |accessdate=20 February 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719111839/http://www.vad-ev.de/2010/index.php/en/programme/zu-den-panels/panels-papers/doc_view/120-mutambwa-the-spread-of-indubil-through-dr-congo |archivedate=19 July 2011 |df= }}</ref> == External links == {{Portal|Democratic Republic of the Congo|Languages}} *[http://www.muturzikin.com/cartesafrique/12.htm Linguistic map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo] from Muturzikin.com * [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CD Ethnologue.com: Ethnologue report for the Democratic Republic of the Congo] * [http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/RepDemCongo PanAfrican L10n: Democratic Republic of Congo], languages and software localization * {{fr icon}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20121127023859/http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/czaire.htm Linguistic situation in RDC] * {{fr icon}} [http://info-langues-congo.1sd.org/ New Technologies and languages of both Congos] * {{fr icon}} [http://www.educ-rdc.org/ ''ONG Éveil du Congo''], NGO working in localization and translations in Congolese national languages == References == {{reflist}} {{Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}} {{DRC topics}} {{Africa in topic|Languages of}} [[Category:Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo| ]]'