Why is Swahili not considered a creole?
I just heard that 40% of Swahili words are of Arabic origin. That seems like an insane proportion for a language that’s considered of the Bantu family. I understand that the grammar is mostly similar to other Bantu languages, but it emerged in every similar ways to other creoles, for trade purposes. So why is it not considered a creole?
Posted Jul 25, 2026, 11:34 PM UTC
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