ɪt wʌz ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli spˈoʊkən ɪnðɪ ˌʌpɚ kˈɑːŋɡoʊ ɹˈɪvɚɹ ˈɛɹiə bˌʌt ɹˈæpɪdli spɹˈɛd tə ðə mˈɪdəl kˈɑːŋɡoʊ ˈɛɹiə ænd ᵻvˈɛntʃuːəli bɪkˌeɪm ðə mˈeɪdʒɚ bˈæntuː lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ ɪn kɪnʃˈɑːsə.
It was originally spoken in the upper Congo river area but rapidly spread to the middle Congo area and eventually became the major Bantu language in Kinshasa.