Comorian language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Comorian Shikomor
Spoken in:	Comoros and Mayotte
Region:	Throughout Comoros and in Madagascar, Mayotte and Réunion
Total speakers:	350,702 (2004)
Language family:	Niger-Congo Atlantic-Congo Volta-Congo Benue-Congo Bantoid Southern Narrow Bantu Central G Comorian
Language codes
ISO 639-1:	none
ISO 639-2:	`bnt`
ISO 639-3:	variously: `swb` – Comorian `wlc` – Mwali `wni` – Ndzwani `zdj` – Ngazidja
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode.

Comorian (Shikomor) is the most widely used language on the Comoros (independent islands in the Indian Ocean, off Mozambique and Madagascar). It is a close relative of Swahili with a very strong Arabic influence. Each island has a slightly different dialect; that of Anjouan is called Shindzuani, that of Mohéli Shimwali, that of Mahoré Shimaore, and that of Grande Comore Shingadzija. No official alphabet existed in 1992, but Arabic and Latin scripts were both used.

Shimasiwa is another name for Comorian, but while Shikomoro means "Comorian language", the meaning of Shimasiwa is "language of islands".

It is also the language of Udzima wa ya Masiwa, the national anthem of the "moon islands" ("al-qamar" is Arabic for "moon").

[edit] Bibliography

Ahmed-Chamanga, Mohamed. (1992) Lexique Comorien (shindzuani) - Français. Paris: L'Harmattan.
Ahmed-Chamanga, Mohamed. (1997) Dictionnaire français-comorien (dialecte Shindzuani). Paris: L'Harmattan.
Johansen, Aimee. A History of Comorian Linguistics. in John M. Mugane (ed.), Linguistic Typology and Representation of African Languages. Africa World Press. Trenton, New Jersey.