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Alaba-Kʼabeena language

Alaba-Kʼabeena (Alaaba, Alaba, Allaaba, Halaba), also known as Wanbasana, is a Highland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia by the Halaba and Kebena people in the Great Rift Valley southwest of Lake Shala, specifically in Alaba special district, the Kebena district of Gurage Zone, and the Goro district of Oromia Region. The literacy rate of native speakers in their language is below 1%, while their literacy rate in second languages is 8.6%; Alaba-Kʼabeena is taught in primary schools. It has an 81% lexical similarity with Kambaata.[1] However, Fleming (1976) classifies Kʼabeena (also transliterated "Qebena" or "Kebena") as a dialect of Kambaata, and Blench (2006) classifies both as dialects of Kambaata. The 2007 census in Ethiopia lists Alaba and Qebena as separate languages.[2]

Alaba-Kʼabeena
Native toEthiopia
RegionRift Valley southwest of Lake Shala
Native speakers
280,000 (2007 census)[1]
Ge'ez script
Language codes
ISO 639-3alw
Glottologalab1254

A collection of over 400 proverbs in this language has been published with English translations.[3]

The Alaba speakers consists of 23 different groups.

The Alaba Groups [4]
Siidee Kolminee T'orumboraa Ajjaa
Sofaatoo Toogoo Genzaa Korjoo
Wusharminee Azoobaddaa Torodaa Guzubee
K'ujjee Zeebaddaa Dariimoo Kuuk'ee
Kanassaa Galminee Gumbee Anashakoo
Wushiiraa Melgaa Shadgeraa

The number of speakers of this language has increased. In 2001 there were 204,000 speakers and in 2007 approximately 280,000 speakers.

Phonology

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Vowel Inventory

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Alaba has ten vowels, which contrast in height and backness as well as in length.

Vowels [5]
front back
high ɪ ⟨i⟩     iː ⟨ii⟩ ʊ ⟨u⟩     uː ⟨uu⟩
mid-low ɛ ⟨e⟩     ɛː ⟨ee⟩ ɔ ⟨o⟩     ɔː ⟨oo⟩
low a ⟨a⟩     aː ⟨aa⟩

Consonants

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Consonants [6]
labial dental/
alveolar 		post-alveolar/
palatal 		velar glottal
plosive/
affricate 		voiceless (p) t tʃ k ʔ
voiced b d dʒ g
ejective pʼ tʼ tʃʼ kʼ
fricative voiceless f s ʃ h
voiced z ʒ
sonorant nasal m n ɲ
liquid ɾ/r
l
glide (ɰ) j ɰ

Geminates

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In linguistics, the term refers to the duplication of sounds or words as well as the associated linguistic phenomena, such as a longer pronunciation.

This denotes a doubled of sounds in the pronunciation of the word. Almost all consonants have a geminated counterpart. This means, in terms of stops, that the release is being delayed while other consonants are being extended.[7] Similarities to the Shaddah and its function in Arabic are visible.

Geminates in Alaba are often used to indicate the plural form.

Examples of Gemenation in Alaba - Plural Forms [7]
Alaba Translation Alaba Translation
zazzát(a) scythe zazzarrát(a) scythes
sumudát(a) sign sumuddát(a) signs
wot'át(a) ghost wott'át(a) ghosts
gomát(a) cloud gommát(a) clouds

Syllabic Structure

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Syllables in Alaba consist of a consonant or one or two vowels. There are several syllables in Alaba, for example light, heavy and extra heavy.[8]

Alaba - Syllable Structure [8]
Alaba Translation onset peak coda Comment
ʔa-li body C V light syllable
ʔa-fóo mouth C VV heavily syllable, open
gen-na-nú shoulder C V C heavy syllable, closed
huun-kí sweat C VV C extra heavy syllable

Grammar

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Gender

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In Alaba grammatical gender is indicated by word-final vowels for masculine and feminine words. "Apart from cases of biological sex, there is no semantic motivation for gender."[9]

Masculine Nouns [9]
Alaba Translation
ʔanná father
ʔanjá saliva
c'ullí son, boy, child
mulí kidney

"Feminine nouns, as they appear in citation form end almost exclusively in -t(a)."[9]

Feminine Nouns [10]
Alaba Translation
ʔamát(a) mother
laagát(a) voice
ʔillít(a) eye
ʔashó ant

Cases

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Alaba differentiates between several different types of cases. There are primary and secondary cases. Absolutive and Nominative are the primary cases and will therefore be mentioned first. The Absolutive can be further subdivided into six more cases, i.e. Instrumental, Similative Genitive, Dative, Ablative and Locative.[11]

Absolutive

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The Absolutive is used in different syntactic environments: as the citation form of nouns, to encode the direct object, as the nominal predicate, marginally to indicate a location with non-motional verbs and to indicate a certain point of time.[11]

The Absolutive is used to encode the direct object:

t’uma

good

min-í

house

hirʔ-éem(i)

buy (1SG)

t’uma min-í hirʔ-éem(i)

good house {buy (1SG)}

I bought a nice house.[11]

Nominative

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The Nominative is used to encode the subject of an intransitive, as well as the subject of a transitive sentence.[12]

Genetive

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The Genetive in Alaba is mainly used to indicate a possessive relationship by using a suffix marker as it can be seen below in the table.[13]

Genetive - Possessive Relationship [13]
Alaba Translation Possessor Possessed
c'uuli kitaabi The boy's book masculine masculine
c'uule kitaabi The girl's book feminine masculine
c'uuli buʔlá The boy's head masculine masculine
c'uule buʔlá The girl's head feminine masculine
c'uuli hak'éeta(a) The boy's dream masculine feminine
c'uule hak'éet(a) The girl's dream feminine feminine
c'uuli lokkát(a) The boy's leg masculine feminine
c'uule lokkát(a) The girl's leg feminine feminine

So, the suffix marker attaches to the possessor, independent from the gender of the possessed.

In terms of phonetics it is important to mention that "the final vowel for masculine words ending in a short vowel is i, for those ending in a long vowel it is ee." And regarding feminine nouns; "they drop -t(a), and end in e. (...) The last vowel of those nouns ending in é or ó does not change but they do lose the high pitch. If the corresponding vowel is a, long ee or aa, the Genitive ending is also a, ee or aa."[14]

Dative

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The form of the Dative in Alaba is based on morphological features that were shown in the Genetive above. The final vowel is lengthened, if not yet done, and gets a high pitch.

Again, there is difference between female and male nouns. Regarding male nouns there are two possibilities. "Either -h(a) is suffixed or it is not; when choosing, e.g. between mancíi and mancíih(a),"[15] The second version [mancíih(a)] refers to a specific man/person.

Feminine nouns suffix -t(a) without exception.

Names like Muhammad, only the last vowel is lengthened, which leads to Muhammadii but NOT Muhammadiih(a). Therefore, -h(a) is never suffixed.

One example for more clarity:

mánc(u)

mánc(u)

person (NOM)

kitaab-í

kitaab-í

book

mancóot(a)

mancóot(a)

person (DAT)

ʔaassée

ʔaaʔʔ-is-ée

take from (CAUS)

mánc(u) kitaab-í mancóot(a) ʔaassée

mánc(u) kitaab-í mancóot(a) ʔaaʔʔ-is-ée

{person (NOM)} book {person (DAT)} {take from (CAUS)}

The man gave the book to the woman.

And the other way around:

mancút(i)

person (NOM)

mancíih(a)

person (DAT)

kitaab-í

book

ʔaattóo

give (SG)

mancút(i) mancíih(a) kitaab-í ʔaattóo

{person (NOM)} {person (DAT)} book {give (SG)}

The woman gave the book to the man.[16]

Pronouns

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The table below shows the pronouns and pronominal clitics (PC) related to their grammatical cases.[17]

Absolutive Nominative Genitive Genitive Ablative Instrumental Similative
Pronoun PC Pronoun PC Pronoun PC
1st
person 		singular ʔisá -(ʔ)e an(i) ʔii -(ʔ)e ʔesáa/
ʔisáa 		-(ʔ)e ʔicc(i) ʔíin(i) ʔíg(a)
plural nesa -(n)ne ʔnáʔ(u) nii -(n)ne nesáa -(n)ne níicc(i) níin(i) nig(a)
2nd
person 		singular kesa -he/
-ke 		at(i) kii -ki kesáa -he/-ke kíicc(i) kíin(i) kig(a)
plural kiʔnet(a) -hiʔne/
-kiʔne 		ʔáʔn(u) kiʔne kiʔne kiʔnée -hiʔne/
-kiʔne 		kiʔnéecc(i) kiʔnéen(i) kiʔneg(a)
3rd
person 		singular fem. ʔiset(a) -se ʔíse(e) ʔise -se ʔisée -se ʔiséecc(i) ʔséen(i) ʔiseg(a)
masc. ʔisú -si ʔis(i) ʔisi -si ʔisíih(a)/
ʔisíi 		-si ʔisíicc(i) ʔisíin(i) ʔisig(a)
plural ʔissat(a) -(s)sa ʔíss(a) ʔissa -(s)sa ʔissáa -(s)sa ʔissáacc(i) ʔssáan(i) ʔsság(a)

Negation

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The most common negative marker is -baʔ(a). If the whole clause is negated, the clitical element is attached to the main verb.

Muslím-mat(i)

PL

ʔasaam-á

pig/pork

ʔit-táa-baʔ(a)

eat not

Muslím-mat(i) ʔasaam-á ʔit-táa-baʔ(a)

PL pig/pork {eat not}

Muslims do not eat pork.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b Alaba-Kʼabeena at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ 2007 Census Archived 2010-11-14 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Schneider-Blum 2009, p. 114.
  4. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 2.
  5. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 7.
  6. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 14.
  7. ^ a b Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 17.
  8. ^ a b Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 27.
  9. ^ a b c Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 48.
  10. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 49.
  11. ^ a b c Schneider-Blum 2007, pp. 72–73.
  12. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, pp. 82–83.
  13. ^ a b Schneider-Blum 2007, pp. 84–88.
  14. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 85.
  15. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 88.
  16. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, pp. 88–89.
  17. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 174.
  18. ^ Schneider-Blum 2007, p. 350.

Worked cited

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  • Schneider-Blum, Gertrud (2007). A Grammar of Alaaba: A Highland East Cushitic Language of Ethiopia. Cushitic Language Studies. Vol. 25. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. ISBN 978-3-89645-483-6.
  • Schneider-Blum, Gertrud (2009). máakut(i) t'awá shuultáa: Sayings of the Alaaba (Ethiopia) [Proverbs Finish the Problems]. Verbal Art and Documentary Literature in African Languages. Vol. 28. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. ISBN 978-3-89645-284-9.
  • Crass, Joachim (2005). Das Kʼabeena: Deskriptive Grammatik einer hochlandostkuschitischen Sprache [The Kʼabeena: Descriptive Grammar of a Highland East Cushitic Language]. Cushitic Language Studies (in German). Vol. 23. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.
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For a list of words relating to Alaba-Kʼabeena language, see the Alaba language category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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