The vocabulary of the revolution (1975-1978)

Between 1975 and 1978, the Comoros experienced an intense revolution led by Ali Soilihi. The post-independence government was overthrown, the state radically redesigned, society entirely rethought — and with it, a linguistic project of rare ambition.

The revolutionary government decided to make Shikomori the sole official language of the country. For this, it had to be possible to express in Shikomori all modern notions: political, administrative, technical. Rather than borrowing from French or Arabic (as had been done until then), they coined or reactivated words from the Bantu stock and tradition.

This is what is called the Soilihist vocabulary.

Why this effort: it was part of the pan-African and anti-colonial logic of the 1960s-70s — the era of independences. Just as Julius Nyerere's Tanzania promoted Swahili against English, Ali Soilihi's Comoros wanted to promote Shikomori against French.

The central idea: a language that depends on borrowings from the former colonizer maintains cultural dependence. Coining one's own modern vocabulary means reclaiming one's language and thus one's sovereignty.

Why it didn't stick: the revolution was overthrown in May 1978. The following regime reinstated French as the administrative language. The Soilihist vocabulary was perceived as ideologically marked — using it was considered a sign of loyalty to a fallen regime.

Since then, this vocabulary has partially fallen into disuse. A few words survive (uhuru, mwanantsi), but many are forgotten. It's an underused linguistic heritage that could be reactivated — the luhayini platform contributes modestly to this work.

Survivors:

• Uhuru — still used for « freedom / independence », especially in official contexts and anthems.
• Mwanantsi — still common, but often paired in practice with the French calque « citoyen ».
• Watwaniya (patriots) — rare in speech, but present in political discourse.

Gone from everyday use:

• Ufwakuzi, mapindruzi — few people understand them spontaneously today.
• Mwendreleyo (progress) — replaced in practice by the French borrowing progrès or by paraphrases.
• Mudiria (administrative unit) — the administration uses French calques (commune, préfecture, région).

Words still worth knowing: they still appear in committed poetry, archives, commemorative speeches. To ignore them is to cut yourself off from a part of Comorian political memory.

Here you are at the end of the journey. 53 lessons covered, 7 modules explored. You now know how to:

• Read and pronounce the 56 graphic units of official Shikomori
• Build and parse words through their Bantu morphology
• Greet, conjugate, point, negotiate — for everyday exchanges
• Move from one dialect to another thanks to the major correspondences, checking each word
• Read old texts in the INALCO 1988 notation
• Appreciate the cultural heritage that the language carries

This course is open and evolving. If you spot errors, gaps, or want to contribute — the luhayini platform welcomes you.

Shikomori deserves to be spoken, written, read, and celebrated.

*Karibu kwa ushikomori — safe travels!*