How did Swahili evolve?

Answer 1

Swahili evolved over many centuries as a lingua francaamong people who spoke different languages but interacted with each other It is a Bantu language, as are most East African languages, in form and vocabulary. It grew as a coastal trade language when African people interacted with each other and with peoples from overseas, particularly Arabs and Shirazi Persians, beginning more than a thousand years ago, and later with Indians, Portuguese, English, and Germans. Fifty years ago it was thought that possibly a third of Swahili words were of Arabic origin, but in the last half century in East Africa it has relied most heavily on English as a source for new words. New words are also formed fro roots in various Bantu anguages. In Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi there is more French influence, and in Mozambique more Portuguese.

German had little influence on standard Swahili: hela for small amounts of money (frrom heller) and shule for school.