Analyzing ways of speaking Kivu Swahili: Variation and ethnic belonging

This paper aims to discuss specific contact-induced features of Kivu Swahili (DR Congo), taking into account variationist patterns of different ways of speaking. Language contact scenarios in the multilingual landscape of Kivu reveal a discrepancy: While the language of North Kivu contains traces of Kinyabwisha and Kinande, in South Kivu Mashi and Kilega have predominantly shaped the site-specific realization of Swahili. Other languages, such as French or Lingala, which have – lexically and structurally – largely contributed to the present form of the language are not bound to one area or any group of speakers. This paper deals with the question of whether different realizations of Kivu Swahili, with differing levels of contact features (such as a major influence of Lingala lexicon, more or less Kinyabwisha/Kinande morphology etc.), can be understand as “ethnic registers”, serving different social purposes. When analyzed against the background of the ongoing conflict in the area, the differing realizations can be seen to create in-group status, intimidation, protection, mockery or deliberate exclusion. By focusing largely on sociolectal and inter-register variation of poorly documented Kiswahili dialects from the western periphery, the contribution aims to contribute to the description of non-standard realizations of the language and their variability