Discover the Languages of Tanzania

A linguistic journey through 166 indigenous languages

Welcome to the linguistic heart of Africa. While Swahili proudly serves as the national language unifying Tanzania, the country is home to 150 distinct indigenous languages. They are deep reservoirs of history, tradition, technology, and cultural identity — the heartbeat of daily life, especially in rural areas.

View all 166 languages Download Atlasi ya Lugha za Tanzania (PDF)

A continent’s diversity in one country

Tanzania is the only country in Africa where all four major African linguistic families are spoken:

Niger-Congo (Bantu)

Over 85% of Tanzania’s languages, including Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Ha, Gogo, and Haya.

Nilo-Saharan (Nilotic)

Maasai, Datooga, Luo, and related languages of pastoral and lakeshore communities.

Afroasiatic (Cushitic)

Iraku (Iraqw), Burunge, Alagwa, and other Cushitic tongues of northern Tanzania.

Khoisan

Ancient click languages including Sandawe and Hadzabe.

Fast facts: the linguistic landscape

  • The largest language: Sukuma has over 5.1 million native speakers — the biggest indigenous language in Tanzania.
  • The million-speaker club: Ha (about 1.2 million) and Gogo (about 1.02 million) also have very large speaker populations.
  • Rich dialects: Sukuma includes Kidakama, Kinyantuzu, and King’weli; Haya includes Kiziba, Kinyaihangiro, Kihyoza, and Kihamba; Maasai includes Kipurko, Kilumbwa (Kikwavi), and Kisongo.

Language as a resource, not a problem

Indigenous languages hold highly specialized local knowledge. Speakers of Haya classify more than a dozen types of bananas — by whether they are for cooking, brewing, or eating ripe. When a language is lost, that knowledge is lost with it.

Modern linguists and cultural advocates urge us to see these languages as a human right and a resource — not a threat to national unity. Nukta Kamusi exists to celebrate, document, and preserve them for generations to come.

The threat of language loss

Rapid urbanisation, intermarriage without intergenerational transmission, and the dominance of Swahili in formal sectors are putting many languages at risk. Our mission is to keep them alive through community dictionaries, translations, and open resources.

Atlasi ya Lugha za Tanzania

This page draws on Atlasi ya Lugha za Tanzania, prepared by the Languages of Tanzania Project (Mradi wa Lugha za Tanzania) at the University of Dar es Salaam (2009).

Project coordinators
Josephat Rugemalira, Henry Muzale
Editorial board (Jopo la Wahariri)
Josephat Rugemalira, Henry Muzale, David Massamba, Kulikoyela Kahigi, Azaveli Lwaitama, Abel Mreta, Yared Kihore
Map designers & printers
InfoBridge Consultants Ltd.
Funding partner
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

Open the full atlas PDF (48 MB) →

All languages on Nukta Kamusi

166 languages · search by name, code, or alternate name

A

Aasáx aas Aasáx Alagwa wbj Alagwa Arabic arb Arabic, Kiarabu

B

Bemba bem Bemba, Chibemba Bembe bmb Bembe, Beembe Bena bez Bena, Ekibena Benamanga egm Bende-Tongwe bdp Bende, Bende-Tongwe Bondei bou Bondei, Bonde Bunu wun Bungu, Bunu Burunge bds Burunge, Burushi Bwali bwr Bwali

C

Chasu-Pare asa Asu, Pare Chigogo gog Gogo, Chigogo Chingoni xnj Tanzanian Ngoni, Angoni Chiyao yao Yao, Chiyao Cutchi-Swahili ccl

D

Datooga tcc Datooga, Datoga Dhaiso dhs Dhaiso Digo dig Kidigo, Digo Doe doe Doe

E

Ekegusii guz Gusii, EkeGusii English en

F

Fipa fip Fipa, Ichifipa

G

Gorowa gow Gorowa, Gorwaa Gweno gwe Gweno

H

Hadza hts Hadza, Hadzabe

I

Ikiha haq Ha, Kiha Ikizu ikz Ikizu, Shashi Ikoma ntk Ikoma-Nata-Isenye, Ikoma Isanzu isn Isanzu Ishinyiha nih Nyiha, Ishinyiha

J

Jita jit Jita, Ecijita

K

Kabwa cwa Kabwa, Kabhwa Kacchi kfr Kacchi, Kachi Kahe hka Kahe Kamba kam Kamba Kami kcu Kami Kara reg Kara Kenye lke Kenye Kerebe ked Kerewe, Kerebe Kichagga chg Chaga, Chagga Kidakama dkm Kemunadakama, Dakama Kiga cgg Kiga, Chiga Kihamba hmb Hamba, Ekihamba Kihangaza han Hangaza, Kihangaza Kihehe heh Hehe, Kihehe Kihyoza hyz Hyoza, Kihoza Kiiraqw irk Asa, Iraqw Kikagulu kki Kagulu, Kikagulu Kikibosho kbs Chagga-Waso, Kibosho Kikuyu kik Kikuyu, Gikuyu Kilaangi lag Langi, Rangi Kilumbwa mlb Lumbwa, Kikwavi Kimarangu mrg Marangu Kimashami jmc Machame, Kimashame Kimbu kiv Kimbu Kimochi old Mochi, Moshi King'weli ngw Kemunangweeli, Ng'weli Kinga zga Kinga, Kikinga Kinyaihangiro ihg Ihangiro, Hangiro Kinyakyusa nyy Nyakyusa-Ngonde, Nyakyusa Kinyantuzu ntz Kimunantuzu, Ntuzu Kinyarwanda kin Kinyarwanda, Ikinyarwanda Kinyaturu rim Nyaturu, Turu Kinyiramba nim Nilamba, Iramba Kipurko mpk Purko, Il-Purko Kirombo rmb Rombo Kirombo rof Rombo, Kihorombo Kisankasa kqh Kisankasa Kisi kiz Kisi Kisiha shh Siha Kisongo msg Songo, Kisongo Maasai Kisukuma suk Sukuma, Kisukuma Kiuru uru Chagga-Uru, Uru Kivunjo vun Vunjo, Kivunjo Kiziba zib Ekiziba, Ziba Konongo kcz Konongo, Kikonongo Kuria kuj Kuria, Kikuria Kutu kdc Kutu, Khutu Kw'adza wka Kw'adza, Kwʼadza Kwaya kya Kwaya, Ruri Kwere cwe Kwere, Kakwere

L

Lambya lai Lambya, Central Lambya Leki lek Leki Lingala lin Lingala Lomwe lon Lomwe, Elomwe Luguru ruf Luguru, Ikiruguru Luo luo Dholuo, Luo Luragolli rag Logooli, Luragolli

M

Maasai mas Maasai, Maa Machinga mvw Machinga Magoma gmx Magoma Makonde kde Makonde, Chimakonde Makua mgh Makhuwa, Makua Makwe ymk Maraba, Makwe Malila mgq Malila, Ishimalilia Mambwe-Lungu mgr Mambwe, Mambwe-Lungu Manda mgs Manda, Matumba Matengo mgv Matengo, Chimatengo Matumbi mgw Matumbi, Kuchi Mbugu mhd Mbugu Mbugwe mgz Mbugwe, Buwe Mbunga mgy Mbunga Mpoto mpa Mpoto, Chimpoto Mwera mjh Mwera, Chimwera

N

Namwanga mwn Nyamwanga, Namwanga Ndali ndh Ndali, Chindali Ndamba ndj Ndamba, Kindamba Ndendeule dne Ndendeule, Kindendeule Ndengereko ndg Ndengereko Ndonde Hamba njd Ndonde Hamba, Ndonde Ndwewe nww Ndwewe Ngasa nsg Ngasa Ngindo nnq Ngindo, Kingindo Ngoni ngo Ngoni, Chingoni Ngoreme ngq Ngoreme, Ngurimi Nguu ngp Ngulu, Nguu Nindi nxi Nindi Nyagatwa nyg Nyagatwa Nyamwezi nym Nyamwezi, Kinyamwezi Nyankore nyn Nyankore, Runyankore Nyiha nyr Nyiha Nyika nkt Nyika

O

Okiek oki Akie, Ogiek Orunyambo now Nyambo, Orunyambo

P

Pangwa pbr Pangwa, Ekipangwa Pimbwe piw Pimbwe, Cipimbwe Pogoro poy Pogoro, Pogolo Pokomo pkb Pokomo, Kipokomo

R

Rieri rng Rieri Rufiji rui Rufiji, Ruuri Ruhaya hay Haya, Oluhaya Rundi run Rundi, Kirundi Rungwa rnw Rungwa, Rwingo Ruwila rwl Ruwila Rwa rwk Rwa, Kirwa

S

Safwa sbk Safwa, Cisafwa Sagala sbm Sagala, Sagara Sandawe sad Sandawe, Kisandawe Sangu sbp Sangu, Ishisangu Segeju seg Segeju Shambala ksb Shambala, Sambaa Shubi suj Shubi Somali som Somali, Soomaali Songwe swk Songwe Sonjo soz Sonjo, Temi Suba sxb Suba, Kisuba Suba-Simbiti ssc Suba-Simbiti, Simbiti Subi xsj Subi Sumbwa suw Sumbwa Swahili swh Swahili, Kiswahili

T

Tanzanian Sign Language tza Lugha ya Alama ya Tanzania, TZSL Taveta tvs Taveta Tiliko til Tiliko Tongwe tny Tongwe Tumbuka tum Tumbuka, Kitumbuka

V

Vidunda vid Vidunda, Chividunda Vinza vin Vinza Vwanji wbi Vwanji, Kiwanji

W

Wanda wbh Wanda Wemba wem Wemba

Z

Zanaki zak Zanaki, Ekizanaki Zaramo zaj Zaramo, Kizaramo Zigua ziw Zigula, Zigua Zinza zin Zinza, Kula