Starting in the Middle Ages, Swahili became the "lingua franca," or common language, in trading ports along the eastern coast of Africa. What conclusions can you draw about Africans and trade, based on this fact? A) Traders from other cultures controlled the trade that took place in African ports.

B) The native Africans controlled the trade that took place in their ports.

C) Swahili as a language was created for the purposes of trade.

D) Swahili is a language that came from Persian or Arabia originally.