Kinyarwanda
/ˌkiːni.ɑːˈrwɑːndə/noun
The Bantu language of Rwanda, spoken by most of the country’s population.
Did you know?Kinyarwanda is a Bantu language name built with the class-prefix ki- plus Rwanda, a pattern that turns a people’s name into the name of their language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Bantu
PB
*ki-
“A noun-class prefix used for languages and tools”
Precolonial Rwanda
Kinyarwanda
ki- + Rwanda
“The language associated with the people and kingdom of Rwanda”
19th Century
European usage
Kinyarwanda
“Recorded by missionaries and colonial linguists as the name of the language”
Modern English
English
Kinyarwanda
“The standard English name for the Rwandan language”
Explore more surprising origins