French is the official language in Congo, but
most people speak local languages. French is used in government and in
secondary and postsecondary education. Only a small proportion of the population
uses French as a working language.
As many as 250 African languages and dialects
are spoken in Congo. Most languages belong to the Bantu family, one of
Africa's five basic linguistic groups. Congo's four national languages
are Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili and Tshiluba. Most Congolese can easily communicate
in three, or even all four, languages. |
|
Lingala was developed as a trade language, so
that different ethnic groups could communicate. It is also the language
spoken in the military. A Bantu language, it uses the system of stressing
the first syllable of the stem word, and varying prefixes and nasal sounds
to form different words. Lingala has three tone levels, low, medium and
high, which are used to distinguish different words.
All conversations begin with a formal greeting,
often a lengthy one. A typical greeting might start with "Peace be unto
you" or "Thanks be to God," and continue with inquiries about the family,
health, work and so on. Another common greeting is Sango nini? (what
news?). The usual reply is Sango te (no news), meaning "everything's
fine." |
Did you know? |
Talking
drums have been used for generations to send messages from village to village.
Special rhythms signal a death, birth, marriage or the impending arrival
of a dignitary. They are used less frequently now, since television and
radio broadcasts spread the news. |
|
|
Handshakes are an important part of greetings.
It is considered impolite not to shake a man's hand when entering and leaving
a social or business gathering. The handshake is a soft, rather than firm,
grip. In most areas, men and women do not shake hands unless the woman
extends her hand first. Also, a younger person waits for an older person
to offer a hand first. The younger person reaches out with the right hand,
resting the right forearm on the left hand as a sign of respect.
In cities, traditional greetings may be replaced
by shorter greetings in French. There, the French habit of kissing the
cheek three times (starting with the left) is slowly becoming more acceptable
among friends in urban areas. |
|