8,582,000 (1995). Republic of Rwanda. Republika y'u Rwanda. Formerly part of Ruanda-Urundi. Literacy rate 50%; 27.5% (1977 C. M. Brann). Information mainly from Welmers 1971. Data accuracy estimate: B. Also includes Rundi, Swahili. Blind population 12,000 (1982 WCE). The number of languages listed for Rwanda is 3.
FRENCH [FRN] 72,000,000 in all countries (1995 WA). Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Romance. National language. Bible 1530-1986. NT 1474-1980. Bible portions 1483-1987.
HIMA (UROHIMA) [HIM] 4,000 in all countries (1971 Welmers). Also in Zaïre and Burundi. Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, J, Haya-Jita (J.20). Dialects: ORUHEMA (HEMA), ORUHIMA (HIMA), ORUHUMA (HUMA), KIHEMA. Survey needed.
RWANDA (RUANDA, KINYARWANDA, IKINYARWANDA, ORUNYARWANDA, URUNYARUANDA) [RUA] 8,436,000 in Rwanda, 98.3% (1993 Johnstone); 532,692 in Uganda (1991); 250,000 in Zaïre; 88,000 in Tanzania (1987); 9,306,800 in all countries. Also in Burundi. Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, J, Rwanda-Rundi (J.60). Dialects: IGIKIGA (KIGA, TSHIGA), BUFUMBWA, HUTU (LERA, ULULERA, HERA, NDARA, SHOBYO, TSHOGO, NDOGO), RUTWA (TWA). Intelligible with Rundi. Ethnic groups: Hutu 89%, Tutsi 10%, Twa (pygmies, 30,000; 1972 Barrett) 1%. Possibly 75% of the BaTwa killed in the 1994 war. National language. Typology: SVO. Christian, traditional religion, Muslim; Twa: traditional religion, Christian. Bible 1954-1993. NT 1931-1989. Bible portions 1914-1986.
Part of the Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F. Grimes, Editor.
Copyright © 1996, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc. All rights reserved.
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