Rwanda-Rundi

Rwanda-Rundi
RegionRwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania
EthnicityHutu, Tutsi, Twa, Ganwa, Ha, Shubi, Hangaza, Vinza
Native speakers
20 million (2001–2007)
Dialects
Official status
Official language in
 Rwanda
(as Kinyarwanda)
 Burundi
(as Kirundi)
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
kin  Rwanda
run  Rundi
haq  Ha
suj  Shubi
han  Hangaza
vin  Vinza
Glottologrwan1241

Rwanda-Rundi or West Highlands Kivu is a group of Bantu languages, specifically a dialect continuum, spoken in Central Africa. Two dialects, Kirundi and Kinyarwanda, have been standardized as the national languages of Burundi and Rwanda respectively. These neighbouring dialects are mutually intelligible, but other dialects which are more distant ones may not be. The other dialects are spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinyabwisha in North Kivu), Uganda (Rufumbira, spoken by the Bafumbira in Kisoro District), and Tanzania; Ha, with one million speakers, is the most widely spoken.