Comoros Languages

Description
The official languages of the Comoros are Comorian, French and Arabic, as recognized under its 2001 constitution. Although each language holds equal recognition under the constitution, language use varies across Comorian society. Unofficial minority languages such as Malagasy and Swahili are also present on the island with limited usage. Comorian

French

Arabic

Malagasy

Swahili
 * Historically, Swahili served as the lingua franca of the Comoros, used for trade with the Arabic Peninsula, the East African Coast
 * As a Bantu language, Swahili shares similarities with the Comorian language and is estimated to be spoken by 1% of the population
 * Much of the early history of the Comoros is written in Swahili, using the Arabic script
 * Many ancient Comorian poems and songs written in Swahili detail key historical events such as the slave trade, and the various battles between the Sultans who once ruled the Comoros.
 * Kiunguja, a dialect of Swahili, is also spoken in the Comoros, particularly in Grande Comore Islands