Igiswahili ni rwo rurimi ruvugwa cyane muri Afurika, rufite abarenga miliyoni 140. Uru rurimi ruzwi kandi nka Kiswahili, ni ururimi rwa Bantu rukekwa ko rwaturutse mu zindi ndimi, cyane cyane indimi zitavuka muri Afurika nk'icyarabu n'Igiporutugali, nyuma y'amateka y'imibanire n'imikoranire n'abavuga izo ndimi b'iburasirazuba.
Ni ururimi rukoreshwa mu karere k'ibiyaga bigari bya Afurika ndetse no mu bindi bice byo mu burasirazuba no mu majyepfo y'uburasirazuba bwa Afurika, harimo Uganda, u Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, u Burundi, Mozambique, na Repubulika Iharanira Demokarasi ya Kongo (DRC).
Kugeza ubu, Igiswahili ni ururimi rw'igihugu mu bihugu bine, aribyo Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, na DRC. Shikomor, ururimi rwemewe muri Comoros kandi ruvugwa muri Mayotte (Shimaore), narwo rufitanye isano n'igiswahili.
Igiswahili, bitandukanye nizindi ndimi nyafurika, nta tone rugira, ibi bikaba bituma igiswahili kiba ururimi rworoshyecyane kwiga. Cwandikwa kandi mu nyuguti z'ikilatini.
Ibi akaba ari ibintu bitandatu bitangaje byerekeranye n'igiswahili ugomba kumenya.
•Imvugo zitandukanye z'Igiswahiri
Igiswahili, kimwe n'indimi nyinshi nyafurika, gifite imvugo zitandukanye, ariko igishimishije nuko hari igiswahili imvugo zacyo zimwe zitandukanye kuburyo abandi bavuga Igiswahili badashobora kumenya nubwo bashobora kuba baba mu gihugu kimwe.
•Imiterere yihariye y'uru rurimi muri Uganda
Igiswahili ni ururimi rwemewe muri Uganda ariko hanze y'umurwa mukuru Kampala, ururimi ntiruvugwa cyane kuko rutera amarangamutima yihariye kandi ateye ubwoba ku baturage.
Muri Uganda, Igiswahili gifitanye isano n'ubutegetsi bw'igitugu bwa Idi Amin kuko yahatiye Igiswahiri kuba ururimi rwemewe rw'igihugu, bityo kwangwa n'Abagande benshi.
•Igiswahiri gikora mugihe cyacyo
Mu mico myinshi, isaha, n'umunsi, bitangira saa sita z'ijoro ariko ntabwo ariko biri mu giswahili. Umunsi wabo utangira saa kumi n'ebyiri cyangwa saa moya za mugitondo kandi ibi byasobanuwe nk'inkurikizi z'aho ibihugu bivuga uru rurimi bihereye.
Ahanini, igihe gipimwa kuva izuba rirashe kugeza izuba rirenze. Uku guhuza bibera icyarimwe mu bihugu byose aho Igiswahili kivugwa muri Afurika.
Igitangaje nuko Abanya-Ethiopia bakunze gukoresha isaha yo mu giswahili nubwo atari igihugu kivuga Igiswahili.
•Biroroshye kugisoma
Turabizi ko Igiswahili cyoroshye kukiga kuko nta tone kigira. Ariko nanone, biroroshye kugisoma kuko amagambo yacyo avugwa uko yanditswe, kimwe no mu kilatini.
•Igiswahili ntabwo ari ururimi rwa kera
Inyandiko ya mbere yanditswe mu giswahili yanditswe mu 1711. Yari amabaruwa yandikiwe mu karere ka Kilwa. Aya mabaruwa yandikiwe abaturage b'Abaporutugali bo muri Mozambique n'abandi bafatanyabikorwa baho. Kugeza ubu, ibisigazwa by'izo nyandiko bibitswe mu bubiko bw'amateka i Goa mu Buhinde.
•Igiswahili huzuyemo imvugo n'imigani
Igiswahili kizwihokubamo imvugo n'imigani bifata ishusho ya Mathali. Methali ni igoragozwa ry'magambo, guhuza injyana y'amagambo kandi ibyo ni biintu byiganje cyane mu rurimi rw'igiswahiri. Abaraperi n'abaririmbyi bo mu bihugi bivuga igiswahili bakunze gukoresha methali mu muziki wabo.
Urugero ni nka: 'Wapiganapo tembo wawili ziumiazo nyasi.' bishatse gusobanura ko 'Iyo inzovu ebyiri zirwana ni ibyatsi bihakomerekera.' Ubusobanuro bw'ibi bukaba: 'Iyo abakire n'ibikomerezwa bahanganye hagati yabo ni abanyantege nke n'abadafite ubushobozi bahagwa.'
