Getrokken uit Dr Steere's Swahili languages handbook.
L is pronounced as in English.
L is not distinguished from R in African languages of the same family as the Swahili. The distinction becomes important in Swahili on account of the Arabic words which have been incorporated into it. - Thus Waredi means a rose but Waledi a youth. — Slaves, however, frequently confound even these.
When R can be used for L, it has a light smooth sound, as in English.
L and U are sometimes apparently interchanged: Mlango, a door, is vul-p2garly pronounced Mwango. - Ufalme, a Kingdom, may be written Ufaume.
L becomes D after N, and is sometimes confounded with D in inexact pronounciation:[1] Ndume = Nlume or Nume, male.
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The following letters are interchanged: L and R, S and SH, KI and CHI, TH and Z.
| Zanzibar CH | = T in Mombas |
| " E | = A " |
| " H | = KH of خ (arab.) |
| " J | = D (mombas); Y (Lamoo) |
| " T | = CH (Ozi dialect.) |
| " V | = Z (Lamoo = Kiamu) |
| " Z | = V (Merima), TH (Patta) and J (vulgar.) |
p3A and U have a tendency to coalesce into an O sound. —
A occurs in some dialects where E is used in Zanzibar.
N changes into M before B, as mbaya for nbaya, bad. mbwa for nbwa, a dog.
NW also becomes MB: mbingu for nwingu, the heavens.
In the Zanzibar dialect CH frequently stands for T of more northern Swahili:
Chupa, bottle (Zanzib.) Tupa (Mombas.)
Kucheka, to laugh "[2] Kuteka "[3]
CHI = KI = TY = DI = J ....
D occurs as an initial letter chiefly in words derived from the Arabic.
L or R and T become D after an N: Refu, long, makes kamba ndefu, a long rope, not nrefu. - kanitafutia and seek out for me, when pronouncedp4quickly, becomes Kanidaftia.
D in the dialect of Mombas becomes J or Dy in that of Zanzibar: Ndoo, come = Njoo.
F and V are confounded by the Arabs, though in Swahili perfectly distinct... however, there is a common termination, ifu and ivu.
The Arabs talking Swahili turn p into f: funda for punda, donkey; and conversely, some inland slaves turn f in p. However, P does sometimes become f before a y sound: as Kuogopa, to fear, kuogofya, to frighten.
M before B generally represents N.
Enzoovoorts
