KIRUNDI OR KINYARWANDA
What's Going On?

In some online shortwave radio lists and the World Radio TV Handbook, we often see the two African languages of Kinyarwanda and Kirundi listed for the same broadcast. For example, the BBC schedule indicates that both languages are broadcast simultaneously for the same service. Currently, you can hear these broadcasts on the following schedule:

0500-0600 Saturdays to EAf on 15400 (via Madagascar), 17750 (via Dhabayya)

0530-0600 Sundays to EAf on 15400 (Madagascar), 17750 (Dhabayya)

1630-1700 Weekdays to EAf on 13740 (Dhabayya), 17745 (Madagascar)

Another station broadcasting in Kirundi is Trans World Radio, Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland):

1555-1700 Sundays to EAf on 13580 (via Manzini)

And, before its demise, the Voice of America regularly broadcast in Kirundi with weekday and weekend services in the morning and evening (East African Time).

So, what's going on here? Why does the BBC list both languages? Well, my curiosity got the better of me and I did a little research. Here's what I discovered:

Kirundi and Kinyarwanda are closely related Bantu languages—in fact, they are so similar that they are often considered mutually intelligible dialects of the same language cluster, sometimes referred to as Rundi-Rwanda or Rwanda-Rundi.

Kirundi is spoken in Burundi, with approximately 10 million speakers, and is a Bantu language from the Niger-Congo region. It is one of Burundi's three official languages, alongside French and English.

Kinyarwanda is spoken in Rwanda, has approximately 12 million speakers, and is also a Bantu language from the Niger-Congo region, serving as the official language of the country.

And, there is 85-90% mutual intelligibility between the two languages. Speakers of Kirundi can understand Kinyarwanda without formal study, and vice versa. Language learners often study one language and can understand the other with minimal additional effort. Some differences may emerge in formal settings (e.g., legal or governmental language), loanwords, or idiomatic expressions.

Both Kirundi and Kinyarwanda belong to the Rwanda-Rundi subgroup of the Bantu family. They share:

Very similar grammar (noun classes, verb structures), nearly identical for some grammatical features.
Shared vocabulary (90-95%)
Similar phonology and pronunciation rules, minor differences in some regions.

In fact, people from Rwanda and Burundi can typically understand each other quite well when speaking their respective languages, especially in rural or traditional contexts. However, there are differences in vocabulary, idioms, and some pronunciation patterns—comparable to the differences between British and American English or between Croatian and Serbian.

Despite their linguistic closeness, Kirundi and Kinyarwanda are considered separate national languages due to their association with distinct national identities.

Pretty cool, huh?!

73 and wishing you good DX!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW