| Shi | |
|---|---|
| Kishi/Mashi | |
| Native to | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Region | Sud-Kivu Province |
Native speakers | (660,000 cited 1991)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:shr – Shinyg – Nyindu |
| Glottolog | shii1238 Shinyin1248 Nyindu |
JD.53,501[2] | |
Shi, or Nyabungu, is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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.