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Kinyarwanda

Bantu Languages

Kinyarwanda, officially known as Ikinyarwanda, is a Bantu language and the national language of Rwanda. It is a dialect of the Rwanda-Rundi language also spoken in Uganda, and is mutually intelligible with Kirundi, the national language of neighbouring Burundi.

Facts
ISO 639-3 Code
kin 2
Speaker Count
15,000,000 2
2014-2024 estimate, native speakers.
Status
Living 2
Wikipedia article on Kinyarwanda: a currently spoken living language with an active native-speaker population; checked 2026-09-27.
Region
Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda 2
Classification
Language Kind
Safe 1
Official Status
National Language (Symbolic, Not Sole Official) 2
Connections

In Family

Atlantic-Congo, Language Families
Source Wikipedia: Kinyarwanda Language
Bantu, Language Families
Source Wikipedia: Kinyarwanda Language

Written In

Latin Script, Scripts

Kinyarwanda is standardly written in the Latin alphabet.

In the Other Atlases

Found In

Africa

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Glottolog: Kinyarwanda (Glottolog languoid kiny1244)
GlottologEndangerment, AES status
Quote, Endangerment, AES status
AES status: not endangered
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Kinyarwanda Language
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    Kinyarwanda, officially known as Ikinyarwanda, is a Bantu language and the national language of Rwanda. It is a dialect of the Rwanda-Rundi language that is also spoken in Uganda, where the dialect is known as Ikinyakore, Rufumbira, or Urufumbira. Kinyarwanda is universal among the native population of Rwanda and is mutually intelligible with Kirundi, the national language of neighbouring Burundi.
  • Infobox, ISO 639-3
    kin
  • Infobox: date
    2014-2024
  • Geographic distribution section
    Kinyarwanda is spoken in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
  • Official status, Kinyarwanda entity page
    Kinyarwanda, officially known as Ikinyarwanda, is a Bantu language and the national language of Rwanda.
  • In Family: Atlantic-Congo, Infobox: fam2
    Atlantic-Congo
  • In Family: Bantu, Infobox, Language family
    Bantu
View the Source
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