Here's a breakdown:
* Bantu languages: The foundation of Swahili is derived from the Bantu languages spoken by indigenous groups along the East African coast.
* Arabic: Over centuries, Arab traders and settlers interacted with these communities, introducing Arabic words and grammatical structures into the local languages. This linguistic exchange, driven by trade and cultural exchange, gradually shaped the development of Swahili.
Therefore, Swahili is considered a creole language, a language that emerged from the fusion of two distinct language families.