Our Language
In Kimilili you hear many different languages; You hear the national language and the local tribal languages. However the two that you hear in Kimilili will be Kiswahili (Swahili) and English as well as Bukusu, which is the local language.
The Swahili language is basically of African origin and it has borrowed words from other languages such as Arabic. The reason why there tends to be Arabic in the language is because the Eastern Africans read the Quran which is in Arabic. Early Arab visitors to the coast used the word “Swahili” and it means "the coast". The earliest known document that was written in Swahili was on the East African coast in the 2nd century AD.
Swahili has also borrowed some words from the Portuguese, English and Germans during the colonial times.
Christian missionaries learnt Swahili as the language of communication to spread the Gospel in Eastern Africa. A missionary prepared the first Swahili-English dictionary. During the colonial time, Swahili was used for communication with the local inhabitants.
Now Swahili is spoken in many countries of Eastern Africa. Tanzania has had a big influence on the language spreading across the continent. Tanzania's has strong relations with countries of southern Africa, which is one of the reasons of the spread of Swahili to Zambia, Malawi, South Africa, and other neighbouring countries to the south.
Learn Swahili
Why don't you learn some basic Swahili in minutes by clicking on our links below before you arrive to Kimilili. You can also download the free language software by visiting www.byki.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a BYKI list?
A BYKI list is a collection of learnable information, usually a set of words or phrases in a foreign language, expressed on flash cards. BYKI lists may include sound or images for each card.
How do I play sound?
If a list has sound for each card, it will play automatically whenever the foreign word or phrase is displayed. You may also play the sound for any card by pressing the play sound button on the bottom left. Slow sound may be used by pressing the turtle button.
How do I increase my Score?
Each correct answer increases your score, while each incorrect answer reduces it. The size of score movements will depend upon your previous progress in all of the learning modes. You will see the score for each card displayed on the card itself and in the View List tab. The scoring area to the right of the card will track your progress and display how many cards you have raised to each scoring level.
