Kinyarwanda
Language & Studying Kinyarwanda
in the U.S.
Culture Below are some universities in the United States that currently
offer Kinyarwanda. Please contact the National African Language
Kinyarwanda is the language most
Resource Center or check the NALRC website at
widely spoken in Rwanda. English
http://lang.nalrc.wisc.edu/nalrc.
and French are basically tied for
second place linguistically, though
French has the au-dessus main. Michigan State University
Swahili is also useful in some parts
of the country especially in Kigali
and other towns; it is also used for
commerce. According to the 2001
census, Kinyarwanda is spoken by
99% of the population, Swahili
20%, French 8%, and English 5%.
Kinyarwanda is a Bantu language
Rwanda woman with basket.
spoken by approximately
20,000,000 people, with over 8,000,000 in Rwanda.
Kinyarwanda is part of the Bantu sub-group of the central branch
of the Niger-Congo language family. It is closely related to
Kirundi, the language of Burundi. The Rwanda language is
mutually intelligible with Kirundi, which is spoken in
neighboring Burundi.
In terms of religion, Christianity dominates. It is practiced by
two-thirds of the population. Due to the influx of Christian
missionaries under German colonialism in the early 1900s, tribal
religious beliefs occupy another 25% of Rwandans, while less than
10% of residents are Muslims.
Music and dance play an important role in the traditions of
Rwandan people. Many songs and dances include epics that
commemorate excellence and bravery, humorous lyrics, and National African
hunting roots. They are often accompanied by the Inanga, a harp- Language Resource
like instrument used by Rwandan Artists. Center (NALRC)
Some common Kinyarwanda words one is bound to come across 701 Eigenmann Hall, 1900 East 10th Street
include: Amakuru, a greeting expression equivalent to ‘how are Bloomington, IN 47406 USA
things?’; Nimeza which is the reply to mean ‘that’s fine’; Yego which Telephone: (812) 856-4199, Fax: 8128564189
means ‘yes’; Oya, which means ‘no’; Ndabizi which means ‘I know’; Email: nalrc@indiana.edu Intore Dancer
simbizi which means ‘I don’t know’; and Amazi, which means Website: http://www.nalrc.indiana.edu
‘water’.
National African Language
Resource Center (NALRC)
Why Study Kinyarwanda
Kinyarwanda People and History
Kinyarwanda, also known as Ikinyarwanda or Urunyarwanda, is an The Rwandan people inhabit Rwanda, a small country tucked
African language of the Bantu family spoken in Rwanda. As a deep in the central part of Africa, east of the Democratic
national language, it is spoken all over the country by the entire Republic of the Congo. All of them speak Kinyarwanda, as their
population of Rwanda. As an official language, it is used in mother tongue, although there are slight dialectical variations
administration, schools, and media along with French and English. associated with the way the language is spoken in certain
Swahili Language is also used mostly in Rwandan urban areas and in northern parts of the country. Kinyarwanda also goes across the
commerce. borders of Rwanda where it is adopted to a lesser extent by
One reason to study Kinyarwanda is that Rwanda is a great tourist certain communities within Burundi, Tanzania, Congo, and
destination. Located in the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa, Uganda.
Rwanda is often called “the country of a thousand hills” and praised
to be “the land of perpetual springs.” Most importantly, Rwanda is The inhabitants of Rwanda belong to three different groups Rwanda ceramics.
best known as the home of the endangered species; particularly the known as Hutu, Tutsi and Twa who for centuries lived side by
“Mountain Gorillas”—the largest of the apes which reside in the side to the point of forging a relatively unified culture. The
Hutus—who make up the majority group in Rwanda—were Rwanda woman with
volcanic forests of Rwanda and whose breathtaking mysteries were traditional attire.
featured in the famous film “Gorillas in the Mist.” In this respect, the originally Bantu-speaking farmers who for most of the past five
study of Kinyarwanda may not only interest tourists, but it would centuries found themselves under the domination of the Tutsi
certainly be instrumental for conservationists of the endangered monarchs.
mountain gorilla and their habitat, who may be involved in anti-
poaching or wildlife research programs. Oral tradition says during the 15th century, a ruler named
Gihanga forged a centralized Rwanda State with similar roots to
Potential visitors may also want to familiarize themselves with the Buganda and Bunyoro empires in neighboring Uganda. The
Kinyarwanda, which is the language of the locals, so as to discover Rwanda kingdom, which quickly came under control of the
Rwanda’s cultural and artistic wonders. Although the country has minority Tutsi cattle-keepers, relied much upon cattle owning
experienced several episodes of violence which culminated in the nobility and the agriculturalist serfdom system. The precursors of
1994 genocide, it has kept alive its sophisticated traditional values, this powerful state were able to repel all early attempts at of
which are worth to discovering. So, if one has a personal interest in European penetration. Rwanda eventually became a German
the dominant central African cultures one might find it useful to colony until the Belgian colonialists took over, just after World
learn Kinyarwanda. War II. With the Belgian colonial rule, the tensions between
In addition, Rwanda would undoubtedly constitute a unique case Hutu and Tutsi widened due the colonial policies that favored the
study for researchers and students in Genocide studies, minority Tutsi at the expense of the Hutu majority. So, the Tutsi
Anthropology, Sociology, African linguistics, etc… and all those who aristocracy remained in power until it was removed by the Hutu
may want to conduct research in Rwanda and its environs would uprisings of the late 1950s, just a few years before the Belgians
obviously find a working knowledge of Kinyarwanda very helpful conceded to Rwanda’s independence in 1962.
since most of the locals speak no other language than Kinyarwanda.
On their part, Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries, and However, after independence, and throughout the Hutu-
International Aid workers, will be able to work smoothly in Rwanda controlled regimes, ethnic tensions between Hutus and Tutsis
if they can communicate in the language of the locals. became increasingly volatile, culminating in a 4-year-long civil
war. The war started in 1990 and ended with the most
One added advantage of learning Kinyarwanda is definitely the fact horrendous genocide of the 20th Century, targeting the Tutsis
that it is closely related to Kirundi, a language spoken in neighboring minority in 1994. Today, Rwanda is relatively secure compared to
Burundi, and Giha spoken in Western Tanzania, to which it is fully other countries of the sub-region.
intelligible. And if one considers that Kinyarwanda is also spoken by
different tribes in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of
Congo as well as in the Southern part of Uganda, regional immersion
wouldn’t be difficult for one who speaks that local language. Rwandan man in a sorghum plantation.
