Swahili: language as evidence

What can linguistic evidence, in particular the presence of words that exist in multiple languages, tell us about East African history?

In The Story of Swahili John Mugane opens Chapter 3, “A Smorgasbord of Language” by describing the wide variety of items available at a duka (small shop) in rural Tanzania

“Tunauza: sukari, mayai, baiskeli, kanga, pilau, walikuku, sambusa, tairi za trekta, madaftari, bia aina zote, petroli, terafini, nywele za kusukia, nazi, vitumbua, mitumba, supu ya utumbo, maziwa, mabati, vocha, mtego wa panya, makabati ya nguo, kompyuta, juisi, mboga, mahindi ya kuchoma, pilipili, sabuni, kufuli, bajaji, dawa, sementi, leso, vitanda, gondoro, bangili, na kadhalika.

Aisee, huyu mangi anawaza nini kwa biashara hii? “

We sell: sugar, eggs, bicycles, kanga, pilaf, chicken-( cooked) rice, samosas, tractor tires, notebooks, all kinds of beer, petroleum, turpentine, hair for weaving, coconut, fried dough, second hand clothes, soup made of goat/ cow intestines, milk, iron sheets, vouchers (phone cards), mouse traps, wardrobe cabinets, computers, juice, vegetables, roasted corn, hot peppers, soap, padlocks, three wheeled scooters, medicine, cement, leso, beds, mattresses, bangles, etcetera.

 “I say, what is this mangi (chief) thinking about this business?”

Mugane, John M. (2015-08-20). Story of Swahili (Africa in World History) (Kindle Locations 949-974). Ohio University Press. Kindle Edition.

Mugane traces how these words, and more, made their way into Swahili from several other languages

Bantu Migration

Most Swahili words are directly related to words in other Bantu languages. Bantu words in Swahili are viewed as the oldest parts of the language.  Swahili words and phrases “having to do with aquatic technologies, such as ‘boat,’ ‘paddle,’ ‘to float,’ ‘to fish with a line,’ ‘net,’ and ‘hook.’” are related to words in other Bantu languages (Mugane Kindle Locations 1048-1050).

Indian ocean world.  

Below is a selected list of Swahili words from the Indian ocean world.  Some of these words are in multiple languages.  Arabic contains Persian words, for instance.  Swahili words have made their way into other languages, too.  Pay attention to the types of words that entered Swahili by focusing on the third column.  The first column is blank in cases where Mugane did not include the original word in his book.

What kinds of words entered Swahili from the Indian Ocean world?  Put another way, into what categories do these words fit?

How might these words have entered Swahili? What conversations might the words have facilitated? What does the presence of these words in Swahili tell us about Indian Ocean networks?

Name____________________________________________

Make a claim about Swahili culture and the Indian Ocean and support it with linguistic evidence and the writing of Ibn Battuta.

What other possible sources could you use to support this claim?  How might it support the claim?