Shi language explained

Shi
Nativename:Kishi/Mashi
States:Democratic Republic of Congo
Region:Sud-Kivu Province
Speakers:660,000
Date:1991
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Benue–Congo
Fam4:Bantoid
Fam5:Bantu
Fam6:Northeast Bantu
Fam7:Great Lakes Bantu
Fam8:Shi–Havu
Lc1:shr
Ld1:Shi
Lc2:nyg
Ld2:Nyindu
Guthrie:JD.53,501
Glotto:shii1238
Glottoname:Shi
Glotto2:nyin1248
Glottoname2:Nyindu

Shi, or Nyabungu, is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Nyindu variety is heavily influenced by Lega, and speakers consider it a dialect of Lega rather than Shi, as Shi speakers see it. Maho (2009) leaves it unclassified as JD.501.

The people who speak Mashi are known as Bashi. They are the largest tribe in South Kivu, whose capital city is Bukavu.

The Bashi occupy a vast region known as Bushi. Like Ngweshe, Kabare, Katana, Luhuinja, Burhinyi, Kaziba, Nyengezi, and Idjui where live the Bahavu who are also part of this group; Idjui is a large island in Kivu lake between DRC and Rwanda.