View source for Languages of Kenya

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Languages of
| country  = Kenya
| official  = [[English language|English]] and [[Swahili language|Swahili]]<ref>{{cite web|title=The Constitution of Kenya|url=https://www.kenyaembassy.com/pdfs/the%20constitution%20of%20kenya.pdf|publisher=Kenya Law Reports|access-date=23 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035458/http://www.kenyaembassy.com/pdfs/the%20constitution%20of%20kenya.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
| main      = {{nowrap|[[Swahili language|Swahili]]}} (''lingua franca'')
| regionally dominant languages that form the main narratives and narratives that determine the political, economic and social influence with or without national agreement and consent = [[Kikuyu language|Kikuyu]], [[Luhya language|Luhya]], [[Luo dialect|Luo]], [[Meru language|Meru]], [[Kalenjin language|Kalenjin]], [[Kamba language|Kamba]], [[Somali language|Somali]]
| sign      = [[Kenyan Sign Language]] |vernacular=[[Kenyan English]]
|indigenous=[[Bajuni dialect|Bajuni]], [[Digo language|Digo]], [[Embu language|Embu]], [[Gusii language|Gusii]], [[Idaxo-Isuxa-Tiriki language|Idaxo-Isuxa-Tiriki]], [[Ilwana language|Ilwana]], [[Kamba language|Kamba]], [[Khayo language|Khayo]], [[Kikuyu language|Kikuyu]], [[Kuria language|Kuria]], [[Logoli language|Logoli]], [[Luhya language|Luhya]], [[Marachi language|Marachi]], [[Mijikenda language|Mijikenda]], [[Meru language|Meru]], [[Nyole language (Kenya)|Nyole]], [[Pokomo language|Pokomo]], [[Samia language|Samia]], [[Suba language|Suba]], [[Taita language|Taita]], [[West Nyala language|West Nyala]], [[Aweer language|Aweer]], [[Burji language|Burji]], [[Daasanach language|Daasanach]], [[Dahalo language|Dahalo]], [[El Molo language|El Molo]], [[Orma language|Orma]], [[Oromo language|Oromo]], [[Rendille language|Rendille]], [[Somali language|Somali]], [[Southern Oromo language|Southern Oromo]], [[Waata language|Waata]], [[Yaaku language|Yaaku]], [[Kipsigis language|Kipsigis]], [[Dholuo|Luo]], [[Maasai language|Maasai]], [[Naandi language|Naandi]], [[Ogiek language|Ogiek]], [[Omotik language|Omotik]], [[Pökoot language|Pökoot]], [[Samburu language|Samburu]], [[Tugen language|Tugen]], [[Turkana language|Turkana]]
| keyboard  = [[QWERTY]]<br />[[Image:KB United States-NoAltGr.svg|200px]]
|image=Nairobi - Wikipedia Zero - 258A9673.jpg
|caption=English shop sign in [[Nairobi]]
}}[[Kenya]] is a [[Multilingualism|multilingual]] country. 
The two official languages of Kenya, [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[English language|English]], are widely spoken as [[lingua francas]]; however, including second-language speakers, Swahili is more widely spoken than English.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ethnologue.com/country/ke/languages/| title = Kenya - Languages {{!}} Ethnologue| work = Ethnologue}} </ref> Swahili is a [[Bantu language]] native to East Africa and English is inherited from [[British Kenya|British colonial rule]].
[[File:Jamiibya kenya kulingana na wanamoishi.jpg|thumb|Map of language distribution in Kenya]]
==Overview==
[[File:Muigwithania.jpg|thumb|right|Page from the [[Kikuyu people|Kikuyu]] publication ''Muigwithania'' (1929).]]
According to ''[[Ethnologue]]'', there are a total of 68 [[language]]s spoken in Kenya. This variety is a reflection of the country's diverse population that includes most major ethnoracial and linguistic groups found in [[Africa]] (see [[Languages of Africa]]). 

Languages spoken locally belong to three broad language families: [[Niger-Congo languages|Niger-Congo]] ([[Bantu languages|Bantu branch]]), [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] ([[Nilotic languages|Nilotic branch]]) and [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] ([[Cushitic languages|Cushitic]]). They are spoken by the country's [[Bantu peoples|Bantu]], [[Nilotic]] and [[Cushitic peoples|Cushitic]]  populations respectively. The [[Arab]] ethnic minority speak languages belonging to the [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] branch of the latter [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] family, with the [[Hindustani people|Hindustani]] and [[British people|British]] residents speaking languages from the separate [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] family.<ref name="Ethnken">[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=KE Ethnologue - Languages of Kenya]</ref>

Kenya's various ethnic groups typically speak their [[mother tongue]]s within their own communities. The two [[official language]]s, [[English language|English]] and [[Swahili language|Swahili]], are used in varying degrees of fluency for communication with other populations. However, '''Swahili''' enjoys the status of the national language.

[[British English]] is primarily used in Kenya. Additionally, a distinct local dialect, [[Kenyan English]], is used by some communities and individuals in the country, and contains features unique to it that were derived from local [[Bantu languages]] such as [[Kiswahili]], [[Gikuyu language|Kikuyu]] and Nilotic languages such as Dholuo.<ref name="Cliike">{{cite web|last1=Nyaggah|first1=Lynette Behm|title=Cross-linguistic influence in Kenyan English: The impact of Swahili and Kikuyu on syntax|publisher=University of California|url=http://phdtree.org/pdf/24677752-cross-linguistic-influence-in-kenyan-english-the-impact-of-swahili-and-kikuyu-on-syntax/|access-date=8 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226102504/http://phdtree.org/pdf/24677752-cross-linguistic-influence-in-kenyan-english-the-impact-of-swahili-and-kikuyu-on-syntax/|archive-date=26 December 2016}}</ref> It has been developing since colonisation and also contains certain elements of [[American English]]. English is widely spoken in commerce, schooling and government.<ref name="Cugrwed">{{cite book|last=Proquest Info & Learning (COR)|title=Culturegrams: World Edition|year=2009|isbn=978-0977809165|pages=98}}</ref> Peri-urban and rural dwellers are less multilingual, with many in rural areas speaking only their native languages.<ref name="Broassim">{{cite book|last=E. K. Brown, R. E. Asher|first=J. M. Y. Simpson|title=Encyclopedia of language & linguistics, Volume 1, Edition 2|year=2006|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=0080442994|pages=181}}</ref>

==Language families==

===Major languages===
[[File:Swahili-pn.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Lord's Prayer]] in [[Swahili language|Swahili]], a [[Bantu languages|Bantu language]] that alongside [[English language|English]] serves as a lingua franca for many in Kenya.]]
The 2019 census reports the largest communities of native speakers in Kenya as follows:

*[[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
**[[Kikuyu language|Kikuyu]] 8.1 million
**[[Kamba language|Kamba]] 4.7 million
**[[Luhya language|Luhya]] 1.0 million
***(incl. [[Bukusu language|Bukusu]] 1.2 million)
**[[Gusii language|Gusii]] 2.7 million
**[[Meru language|Meru]] 2.0 million
**[[Mijikenda language|Mijikenda/Giriama]] ca. 1 million<!--not 1.0 million. Ethn. doesn't understand basic arithmetic-->
*[[Nilotic languages|Nilotic]]
**[[Dholuo]] 5.0 million
**[[Kalenjin languages]] 4.6 million
***([[Kipsigis language|Kipsigis]] 1.9 million, [[Naandi language|Nandi]] 940,000)
**[[Maasai language|Maasai]]  1.2 million (1.9 million including Tanzania)
**[[Turkana language|Turkana]] 1.0 million
*[[Cushitic languages|Cushitic]]
** [[Oromo language|Oromo]] (over 48 million incl. Ethiopia)
*** [[Southern Oromo language|Borana]], 276,000 speakers in 2019
*** [[Orma language|Orma]], 92,000 speakers in 2019
**[[Somali language|Somali]] 2.8 million (27 million incl. Ethiopia and Somalia)

===Minor languages===
Languages spoken by the country's ethnic minorities include:

*[[Afroasiatic languages]]
**[[Cushitic languages|Cushitic]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Languages of Kenya |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=KE |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref><ref>“Orma”, ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015)</ref>
***[[Rendille language|Rendille]], 60,000 speakers in 2015<ref>“Rendille”,  ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015)</ref>
**[[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
***[[Arabic language|Arabic]]
*[[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]]
**[[Hindi]]
**[[English language|English]]
*[[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
**[[Swahili language|Swahili]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.muturzikin.com/cartesafrique/17.htm Linguistic map of Kenya at Muturzikin.com]
*[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=KE ''Ethnologue'' page for Kenya]
*[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5371609 National Public Radio story about Kisii language] from ''All Things Considered'' program, April 29, 2006
*[http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/Kenya PanAfriL10n page on Kenya]

{{Languages of Kenya}}
{{Kenya topics}}
{{Africa in topic|Languages of}}
{{English official language clickable map}}

[[Category:Languages of Kenya| ]]
[[Category:Multilingualism|Kenya]]