LINGALA

Culture & Language Studying LINGALA

Lingala is a Central Bantu language that belongs to the in the U.S.
largest African languages phylum: the Niger-Congo. It is one
of an estimated five hundred Bantu languages (along with Below is a list of some of the universities in
Cishona, Gikuyu, Kikamba, Kikongo, Kiswahili, isi Zulu, the United States that currently offer
Setswana, and isiXhosa) that are spoken in much of Sub- Lingala. For more information, please
Saharan Africa from the Cameroon all the way to the
Republic of South Africa.
contact the National African Language
Resource Center, or check the NALRC web
Lingala, like any other lingua franca or Language of Wider site, located at
Communication, has several dialects or varieties. However, http://www.nalrc.indiana.edu.
a mastery of Standard Lingala facilitates the learning of the
other dialects through contact with their speakers under
Boston University
immersion.
Michigan State University
Lingala originally emerged among the tradesmen and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
riverine people of Mongala, Ngiri, and the Ubangi rivers
who sailed these rivers by wooden canoes, known as bwato in
Lingala, before and after colonization to sell their agricultural
and fishing products all the way to the Congo River as far as
Kinshasa and Kisangani. These Bangala or Lingala-speaking
people as they came to be called, are known for their
navigational expertise and prowess in fishing and handling of
the swift currents of the Congo River and its tributaries on
these bwato. They used these vessels to travel incredibly long
distances for weeks and sometimes months not only to fish
and sell their catch, but also to sell two of the agricultural
products for which they are famous: palm oil and palm wine.
While there are core beliefs that many of them share, there is
no typical Lingala culture; instead, there are Bangala sub-
cultures. These are reflected in the Congolese music and
dances—the dominant form of entertainment in the region.
National African
By all indications, Lingala is poised to become the link Language Resource
language of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa during the Center (NALRC)
next decades. Currently it is viewed as the de facto “national
language” of DRC and Congo-Brazzaville, as it is spoken 701 Eigenmann Hall, 1900 East 10th Street
Bloomington, IN 47406 USA
and heard by much of their estimated 58 plus million a congolese woman in a traditi0nal
Telephone: (812) 856-4199, Fax: 8128564189
inhabitants. The possibility of its achieving the “super-lingua mamputa attire in her backyard
Email: [email protected]
franca” status in the region is largely contingent on the socio- Website: http://www.nalrc.indiana.edu
economic development of DRC.
National African Language
Resource Center (NALRC)
Why Study Lingala? Who Speaks lingala?
Lingala is undoubtedly the most important and influential People and History
language among those that are recognized as national languages
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Lingala is spoken as a first, second, and third language
Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). In DRC Lingala is primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the
one of four national languages (i.e., Kikongo, Kiswahili, and Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), and in parts of five
Tshiluba) that serve as lingua francae in selected public sectors: neighboring central African states: Northwestern Angola,
education, administration, judiciary, radio and TV eastern Gabon, southern Central African Republic, and
broadcasting, and health services. In Congo-Brazzaville Lingala southwestern Sudan. The estimated number of speakers
and Kikongo serve as national languages. In both countries ranges from twenty to twenty five million.
A Banagala family en route to an extended fishing stay on the Ngiri River
French functions as the official language in administration,
education, and international communication; but Lingala is the Lingala serves as one of the four national languages of inter-
dominant trade language along the mighty Congo River (the ethnic and inter-regional communication in a highly
second largest river in the world after the Amazon) and its multilingual country. Lingala and its national counterparts
major tributaries (e.g., Ubangi, Mongala, Lomami, Kwa, (i.e., Kikongo, Kiswahili, and Tshiluba) are each used by
Tshuapa, and Lulonga). With the prospect for peace and socio- about 25 -38% of the population of DRC. The same
economic development in DRC, and its emergence as the situation holds true in Congo-Brazzaville where Lingala and
leading economic powerhouse in Africa, Lingala will likely Kikongo serve as national languages, with French as the
become the quintessential lingua franca of Central, eastern, and official language.
southern Africa.
In DRC Lingala functions as the dominant lingua franca in
A knowledge of Lingala in the near future provides multiple four and a half of the eleven provinces. In Congo-
benefits to this African sub-region: it permits the learner to Brazzaville, it is the dominant lingua franca in its three major
earn academic credit to satisfy a foreign language requirement; cities. Lingala’s popularity in this Congo River basin has
it offers access to research, business, and tourism in Central made it the lingua franca of trade on the Congo River and its
Africa; it enhances her/his appreciation of Congolese-Africa’s main tributaries, and is complemented by what is generally
greatest dance—music; and it exposes her/him to the rich acclaimed as Africa’s greatest dance music: the Congolese A Bangala family making fishing traps for shallow waters
Lingala cultures embodied in its music and orature. In the music known variously as “Soukous” (Sukusu in Lingala),
distant future, the acquisition of Lingala will open up a rich and Congolese rumba music. As Gerald Seligman noted
frontier of linguistic, cultural, and communicative recently:
opportunities in the magnificent heart of Africa that contains “No music in Africa matches Soukous for its importance, its
incredibly immense natural and human resources and an popularity and its reach. Whether called Congolese or rumba
incomparable ecological system.
music, it [has] influenced the music of nearly all the countries
surrounding it-[Congo-Brazzaville], Kenya, Tanzania, the
Central African Republic, Zambia-and [has] even reached
countries as far off as Zimbabwe and South Africa (in Mondo
Soukous, 2001).”

It is this music and the other common agents of language

spread (i.e., trade, colonization, religion, armed forces,
education, administration, and urbanization) that have
facilitated and privileged the rapid expansion of Lingala in
the two Congos and beyond. This expansion and reputation
will undoubtedly continue in the future, especially when
DRC’s economic and political situations are stabilized, and its A Congolese woman
immense natural and human resources are fully developed performing one of the
Congolese teenagers in a variety of attires in Mbinza, Kinshasa and utilized. Congolese popular dances,
the mutwashi