The Ometo languages of Ethiopia are a dialect cluster of the Omotic family, generally accepted as part of the Afro-Asiatic language family. They include the most populous Omotic language, Wolaytta, with two million speakers.[1] The languages have around 4 million speakers.
| Ometo | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Ethiopia |
| Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic |
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | omet1238 |
Classification
editBender (2000)
editBender (2000) classifies them as,[1]
- South: Maale
- Basketo
- Central: Wolaytta (Ometo), Oyda (Oyta), Melo (Malo), Dorze–Gamo-Gofa-Dawro
- East: Gats'ame (Kachama-Ganjule), Koorete (Koyra, Harro), Zayse-Zergulla
Blench (2006)
editHayward (2003) added Basketo to Central Ometo and called the result 'North Ometo',[2] a position followed by Blench (2006).
Blench (2006) lists several additional North Ometo languages, and lists Chara as unclassified within the family.[3]
- North: Misketto (Basketto), Dokka, Doko-Dolo, Wolaitta (Welamo), Zala, Oyda, Malo, Dorze–Laha–Gamo–Gofa–Kullo-Konta–Dache, Ganjule, Gidicho, Kachama
- East: Gatame (Haruro), Zayse (+Zergula), Koore/Koyra (Badittu)
- South: Maale
- ?: Ch'ara
He also lists Balta, a regional name for Wolaytta, as a possibly separate language.
Notes
edit- ^ a b Bender, M. Lionel. 2000. Comparative Morphology of the Omotic Languages. Munich: LINCOM. Classification copied in Raymond G. Gordon Jr., ed. 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 15th edition. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Blench, 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List
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