Shi language

Shi, or Nyabungu, is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Shi
Kishi/Mashi
Native toDemocratic Republic of Congo
RegionSud-Kivu Province
Native speakers
(660,000 cited 1991)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
shr – Shi
nyg – Nyindu
Glottologshii1238  Shi
nyin1248  Nyindu
JD.53,501[2]

The Nyindu variety is heavily influenced by Lega, and speakers consider it a dialect of Lega rather than Shi, as Shi speakers see it. Maho (2009) leaves it unclassified as JD.501.[2]

The people who speak Mashi are known as Bashi. They are the largest tribe in South Kivu, whose capital city is Bukavu.

The Bashi occupy a vast region known as Bushi. Like Ngweshe, Kabare, Katana, Luhuinja, Burhinyi, Kaziba, Nyengezi, and Idjui where live the Bahavu who are also part of this group; Idjui is a large island in Kivu lake between DRC and Rwanda.

References
  1. Shi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Nyindu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online


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