Omotic languages
Encyclopedia
The Omotic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic family spoken in southwestern Ethiopia
. The Ge'ez alphabet
is used to write some Omotic languages, the Roman alphabet for some others. They are fairly agglutinative, and have complex tonal systems (see Bench language
).
and South Omotic
branches ("Nomotic" and "Somotic") are universally recognized. The primary debate is over the placement of the Mao languages
. Bender
(2000) classifies Omotic languages as follows:
Apart from terminology, this differs from Fleming
(1976) in including the Mao languages, whose affiliation had originally been controversial, and in abolishing the "Gimojan" group. There are also differences in the subclassification of Ometo, which is not covered here.
Hayward (2003) separates out the Mao languages as a third branch of Omotic, and breaks up Ometo–Gimira:
Greenberg (1963) had classified it as the Western branch of Cushitic
. Fleming (1969) argued that it should instead be classified as an independent branch of Afroasiatic, a view which Bender (1971) established to most linguists' satisfaction, though a few linguists maintain the West Cushitic position.
Blench (2006) notes that Omotic shares honey-related vocabulary with the rest of Afroasiatic, but not cattle-related vocabulary, suggesting that the split occurred before the advent of pastoralism
. A few scholars have raised doubts that the Omotic languages are part of the Afroasiatic language family at all,
and Theil (2006) proposes that Omotic be treated as an independent family.
However, the general consensus, based primarily on morphological evidence, is that membership in Afroasiatic is well established.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. The Ge'ez alphabet
Ge'ez alphabet
Ge'ez , also called Ethiopic, is a script used as an abugida for several languages of Ethiopia and Eritrea but originated in an abjad used to write Ge'ez, now the liturgical language of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Church...
is used to write some Omotic languages, the Roman alphabet for some others. They are fairly agglutinative, and have complex tonal systems (see Bench language
Bench language
Bench is a Northern Omotic language of the "Gimojan" subgroup, spoken by about 174,000 people in the Bench Maji Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, in southern Ethiopia, around the towns of Mizan Teferi and Shewa Gimira...
).
Language list
The NorthNorth Omotic languages
The North Omotic or Nomotic languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.- References :*...
and South Omotic
South Omotic languages
The South Omotic or Somotic languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.- References :*...
branches ("Nomotic" and "Somotic") are universally recognized. The primary debate is over the placement of the Mao languages
Mao languages
The Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia. This group comprises Bambasi spoken in the Bambasi woreda of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Hozo and Seze spoken around Begi in the Mirab Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, and Ganza, which is spoken south of Bambasi in the...
. Bender
Lionel Bender (linguist)
Marvin Lionel Bender was an American author and co-author of several books, publications and essays regarding African languages, particularly from Ethiopia and Sudan. He retired from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He did extensive work in all four language families of Ethiopia: Semitic,...
(2000) classifies Omotic languages as follows:
- South OmoticSouth Omotic languagesThe South Omotic or Somotic languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.- References :*...
/ Aroid (Hamer-BannaHamer-Banna languageHamer or Hamer-Banna is an Omotic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. It is spoken primarily in the southern part of Ethiopia by the Hamer and Banna people.- References :...
, AariAari languageAari is an Omotic language of Ethiopia. The speakers of this language have been known as Shankilla , a name which is considered derogatory...
, DimeDime languageDime is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in the northern part of the Selamago district in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region of Ethiopia, around Mount Smith. Dime divides into at least two dialects, which include Us'a and Gerfa. It has six case suffixes, in addition to an...
, KaroKaro languageKaro is an Omotic language spoken in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in Ethiopia...
) - North OmoticNorth Omotic languagesThe North Omotic or Nomotic languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.- References :*...
/ Non-Aroid- MaoMao languagesThe Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia. This group comprises Bambasi spoken in the Bambasi woreda of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Hozo and Seze spoken around Begi in the Mirab Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, and Ganza, which is spoken south of Bambasi in the...
- BambassiBambassi languageBambassi is an Omotic Afroasiatic language spoken in Ethiopia around the town of Bambasi in the area east of Asosa in Benishangul-Gumuz Region. The parent language group is the East Mao group...
- West Mao (HozoHozo languageHozo is an Afroasiatic language spoken in Ethiopia near Begi in the area south of Asosa of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region. The language is also called Begi-Mao.- Further reading :...
, SezeSeze languageSeze is an Afro-Asiatic Omotic language, spoken in the western part of Ethiopia, near the town of Begi and just north of the Hozo-speaking community....
, GanzaGanza languageGanza is an Afro-Asiatic language , spoken in the western Oromo region of Ethiopia, near the border of Sudan. The Ganza people may originally have been from Sudan....
)
- Bambassi
- Dizoid (Dizi, ShekoSheko languageSheko is an Omotic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken in the area between Tepi and Mizan Teferi in western Ethiopia, in the Sheko district in the Bench Maji Zone...
, NayiNayi languageNayi is an Omotic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken in western Ethiopia. The 2007 census listed 1998 census listed 7,188 speakers; the 1998 census 3,656 speakers, with 1,137 identified as monolinguals....
) - Gonga–Gimojan
- Gonga/KefoidGonga languagesThe Gonga or Kefoid languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.thisdays, the Kafacho, Shekkacho,Boro Shinasha, Anfillo mainly are speakers of the language...
(BoroBoro language (Ethiopia)Shinasha, also known as Boro is a North Omotic language spoken in western Ethiopia by the Shinasha people. Its speakers live in scattered areas north of the Abay River: in the Dangur, Dibate and Wenbera districts, which are parts of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.-References:* Lamberti, Marcello ...
, AnfilloAnfillo languageAnfillo is a Northern Omotic language spoken in western Ethiopia by a few hundred people. The term Anfillo is used to refer both to the language and the people found in a small community in the Anfillo woreda, part of the Mirab Welega Zone. The language is on the verge of extinction as it is...
, KafaKafa languageKaffa is an Afroasiatic language spoken in Ethiopia around Bonga in the Keficho Shekicho Zone. The language is also called Kafi nono.- Further reading :...
, ShekkachoShekkacho languageShekkacho is an Afro-Asiatic Omotic language, spoken in the north Kafa region of southwest Ethiopia, in the Maasha area. It is closely related to Kafa.-Bibliography:...
) - GimojanGimojan languagesThe Gimojan languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.It is not clear if the Bench language forms a branch of Gimojan in its own right, or if it is part of an Ometo–Gimira group.- References :*...
- YemsaYemsa languageYemsa is the language of the Yem people of the former Kingdom of Yamma, known as Kingdom of Janjero to the Amhara. It is a member of the Omotic group of languages, most closely related to Kaffa. It is distinctive in having a several levels of lexicon contingent on social hierarchy, rather like...
- Ometo–Gimira
- BenchBench languageBench is a Northern Omotic language of the "Gimojan" subgroup, spoken by about 174,000 people in the Bench Maji Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, in southern Ethiopia, around the towns of Mizan Teferi and Shewa Gimira...
- CharaChara languageChara is an Afro-Asiatic language of the North Omotic variety spoken in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region of Ethiopia by more than 13,000 people.-Status:...
- Ometo languages
- Bench
- Yemsa
- Gonga/Kefoid
- Mao
Apart from terminology, this differs from Fleming
Harold C. Fleming
Harold Crane Fleming is an American anthropologist and historical linguist, specializing in the cultures and languages of the Horn of Africa. As an adherent of the Four Field School of American anthropology, he stresses the integration of physical anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, and...
(1976) in including the Mao languages, whose affiliation had originally been controversial, and in abolishing the "Gimojan" group. There are also differences in the subclassification of Ometo, which is not covered here.
Hayward (2003) separates out the Mao languages as a third branch of Omotic, and breaks up Ometo–Gimira:
- South OmoticSouth Omotic languagesThe South Omotic or Somotic languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.- References :*...
- MaoMao languagesThe Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia. This group comprises Bambasi spoken in the Bambasi woreda of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Hozo and Seze spoken around Begi in the Mirab Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, and Ganza, which is spoken south of Bambasi in the...
- North OmoticNorth Omotic languagesThe North Omotic or Nomotic languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.- References :*...
- Dizoid
- Ta–Ne languages
- GongaGonga languagesThe Gonga or Kefoid languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.thisdays, the Kafacho, Shekkacho,Boro Shinasha, Anfillo mainly are speakers of the language...
- GimojanGimojan languagesThe Gimojan languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.It is not clear if the Bench language forms a branch of Gimojan in its own right, or if it is part of an Ometo–Gimira group.- References :*...
- YemsaYemsa languageYemsa is the language of the Yem people of the former Kingdom of Yamma, known as Kingdom of Janjero to the Amhara. It is a member of the Omotic group of languages, most closely related to Kaffa. It is distinctive in having a several levels of lexicon contingent on social hierarchy, rather like...
- BenchBench languageBench is a Northern Omotic language of the "Gimojan" subgroup, spoken by about 174,000 people in the Bench Maji Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, in southern Ethiopia, around the towns of Mizan Teferi and Shewa Gimira...
- Ometo–Chara
- Yemsa
- Gonga
Classification
Omotic is generally considered the most divergent branch of the Afroasiatic languages.Greenberg (1963) had classified it as the Western branch of Cushitic
Cushitic languages
The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family spoken in the Horn of Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan and Egypt. They are named after the Biblical character Cush, who was identified as an ancestor of the speakers of these specific languages as early as AD 947...
. Fleming (1969) argued that it should instead be classified as an independent branch of Afroasiatic, a view which Bender (1971) established to most linguists' satisfaction, though a few linguists maintain the West Cushitic position.
Blench (2006) notes that Omotic shares honey-related vocabulary with the rest of Afroasiatic, but not cattle-related vocabulary, suggesting that the split occurred before the advent of pastoralism
Pastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
. A few scholars have raised doubts that the Omotic languages are part of the Afroasiatic language family at all,
and Theil (2006) proposes that Omotic be treated as an independent family.
However, the general consensus, based primarily on morphological evidence, is that membership in Afroasiatic is well established.
Sources cited
- Bender, M. Lionel. 2000. Comparative Morphology of the Omotic Languages. Munich: LINCOM.
- Fleming, Harold. 1976. Omotic overview. In The Non-Semitic Languages of Ethiopia, ed. by M. Lionel Bender, pp. 299–323. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.
- Newman, Paul. 1980. The classification of Chadic within Afroasiatic. Universitaire Pers Leiden.
General Omotic bibliography
- Bender, M. L.Lionel Bender (linguist)Marvin Lionel Bender was an American author and co-author of several books, publications and essays regarding African languages, particularly from Ethiopia and Sudan. He retired from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He did extensive work in all four language families of Ethiopia: Semitic,...
1975. Omotic: a new Afroasiatic language family. (University Museum Series, 3.) Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University. - Blench, Roger. 2006. Archaeology, Language, and the African Past. AltaMira Press
- Hayward, Richard J., ed. 1990. Omotic Language Studies. London: School of Oriental and African Studies.
- Hayward, Richard J. 2003. Omotic: the "empty quarter" of Afroasiatic linguistics. In Research in Afroasiatic Grammar II: selected papers from the fifth conference on Afroasiatic languages, Paris 2000, ed. by Jacqueline Lecarme, pp. 241–261. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
- Lamberti, Marcello. 1991. Cushitic and its classification. Anthropos 86(4/6):552-561.
- Zaborski, Andrzej. 1986. Can Omotic be reclassified as West Cushitic? In Gideon Goldenberg, ed., Ethiopian Studies: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference, pp. 525–530. Rotterdam: Balkema.
External links
- Is Omotic Afro-Asiatic? by Rolf Theil