Kutchi-Swahili Explained

Kutchi-Swahili
Also Known As:Asian Swahili
Nativename:Jangbari / جنگباري / જંગબારી
States:Tanzania, Kenya
Region:Zanzibar, larger cities
Speakers:45,000
Date:2002
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Creole
Family:Swahili-based creole
Iso3:ccl
Glotto:cutc1238
Glottorefname:Cutchi-Swahili
Guthrie:G40A,B

Kutchi-Swahili, or Cutchi-Swahili, is a Swahili-based creole derived from the Kutchi language of the Kutch district in Gujarat and spoken among the Indian population of East Africa. It is the native language of some Kutchi families from Zanzibar that have settled in the larger cities of mainland Tanzania and Kenya, and is used as a second language by others of the Indian community. In these areas of East Africa, the language is typically only used by Muslim groups, whereas Hindu groups use Gujarati instead.[1]

In the language, words that are taken from Swahili are often modified to fit Kutchi pronunciation patterns; for instance, the Swahili word Swahili: sahani, meaning "plate", becomes saani in Kutchi-Swahili.[2]

Maho (2009) assigns different codes to Kutchi-Swahili and Asian Swahili (Kibabu), and Ethnologue also notes that these may not be the same.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rahemtullah. Omme-Salma. 2021-04-20. Tongue Tied. 2021-05-16. South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). en.
  2. Web site: Bachu. Mahida. 2014-01-01. Heritage Voices: Language – Kutchi. Center for Applied Linguistics.