Kinyarwanda
| Kinyarwanda | |
|---|---|
| Ikinyarwanda | |
| Pronunciation | /ˌkɪnjərəˈwɑːndə/ ⓘ |
| Native to | Rwanda, Uganda |
| Ethnicity | Banyarwanda |
Native speakers | 15 million (2014–2024) |
| Dialects |
|
| Latin | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Rwanda |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | rw |
| ISO 639-2 | kin |
| ISO 639-3 | kin |
| Glottolog | kiny1244 |
JD.61 | |
| Linguasphere | 99-AUS-df |
| Person | Umunyarwanda |
|---|---|
| People | Abanyarwanda |
| Language | Ikinyarwanda |
Kinyarwanda, officially known as Ikinyarwanda, is a Bantu language and the national language of Rwanda. It is a dialect of the Rwanda-Rundi language that is also spoken in Uganda, where the dialect is known as Ikinyakore, Rufumbira, or Urufumbira. Kinyarwanda is universal among the native population of Rwanda and is mutually intelligible with Kirundi, the national language of neighbouring Burundi.
In 2010, the Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture (RALC) was established to help promote and sustain Kinyarwanda. The organization attempted an orthographic reform in 2014, but it was met with pushback due to their perceived top-down and political nature, among other reasons.