Examine individual changes

' I LOVE CHICKEN! {{Languages of | country = the Democratic Republic of the Congo | official = [[French language|French]] | national = [[Kongo language|Kikongo]], [[Lingala language|Lingala]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[Luba-Kasai language|Tshiluba]] | indigenous = More than [[:Category:Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|200]] | extralabel = [[Lingua franca|Lingue france]] | extra = [[African French|French]], [[Kongo language|Kikongo]], [[Lingala language|Lingala]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[Luba-Kasai language|Tshiluba]] }} {{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]]: [[Kongo language|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 both Dutch and French were the official languages but French was by far the most 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 the [[OIF]]<ref>http://20mars.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/FICHE_03_Nombre_de_francophones.pdf</ref>, 6,080,000 or 10% of the population were proficient French speakers in 2005 whereas another 18,240,000 or 30,0% were partially French speaking. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently the most populous French-speaking country. == Kikongo == The [[Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|constitution]] says [[Kongo language|Kikongo]] is one of the national languages, but it is in fact a [[dialect continuum]] with several varieties which may not be [[Mutual intelligibility|mutually intelligible]]. It is commonly accepted that the [[Kituba]] variant, also called ''Kikongo ya Leta'' (Kikongo of the government, ''Leta'' being derived from French ''l'État'', "the State") is the language used in 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 uniformize and teach a local [[vehicular language]]. It was originally spoken in the 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 spoken vehicular language 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 variation of [[Tshiluba]] is a national language. There are two major variations of Tshiluba: [[Luba-Kasai]], spoken in the [[East Kasai Region]] ([[Luba people]]) and [[Luba-Lulua]], in the [[West Kasai Region]] ([[Bena Lulua people]]). Luba-Kasai seems to be the language used by the administration. == Sign languages == There are 12 deaf institutions in the country, most teach [[French Sign Language]] or variations. [[American Sign Language]] is also practiced in the country. == Other languages == The most noticeable other languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are [[Mongo language|Mongo]], [[Lunda language|Lunda]], [[Tetela language|Tetela]], [[Chokwe language|Chokwe]], [[Budza language|Budza]], [[Lendu language|Lendu]], [[Mangbetu language|Mangbetu]], [[Nande language|Nande]], [[Ngbaka language|Ngbaka]], and [[Eborna language|Eborna]]. As of 2010 the government decided to include [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] as an optional language at schools as a reflex of the increasing influence in the continent.<ref name="TSF">[[TSF]]. (July 4th). ''[http://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|slangs]] spoken in 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 nowadays<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}}</ref>. == External links == {{Portalbox|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}} [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}} {{Africa in topic|Languages of}} {{Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}} {{DRC topics}} [[Category:Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo| ]] [[es:Idiomas de la República Democrática del Congo]] [[fr:Langues de la République démocratique du Congo]]'