The Non-Semetic Languages of Ethiopia

Editor's Preface

Maps

Figures

V
X

xii

Part 1: Background i

*

1 . Introduction 1

M. Lionel Bencfe/L

2. Bibliographical Sketch 25
Ricka/id PankkuJL&t

3. Lisramic (Afroasiatic) : 43

An Overview

CoLtilzton T. Hodge,

Part 2: Cushitic 66

4. Cushitic Overview 67
kndKzzj laboKbkl

5. Cushitic Prehistory 85

6. Beja 97
R-lduuid A. Hudson

7. Afar 133

LOKtYl BllZht

8. Oromo of Wellegga 166
Gznz Gstagg

9. Dasenech 196
HanA-Juxgzn S<u>&z

10. Werizoid 222

Paul Black

CONTENTS

11. Highland East Cushitic 232

12. Southern Cushitic 278
E. VtKzk Eld&Jikln

Part 3: Omotic 298

13. Omotic Overview 299
HaKold C. Fleming

14. Kullo 324

Edvoand J. Allan

15 . Kef a (Gonga) Languages 351
Ha/told C. Timing

16. Dizi 377
Edvoa/id J. Allan

17. Hamer 393
Jean Lydall

Part 4: Nilo-Saharan 439

18. Nilo-Saharan Overview 439
M. ilonzl Be.nde.ti

19. Nera 484
E. Vavld Thompson

20. Anywa 495

21. Berta 513
A. TkIuIzI, A. A. Vaiallan, M. L. BtndzK

22. Mursi 533
David TuKton and M. L. Bender

Vlll

CONTENTS

Part 5: Other Topics 562

23 . Sociolinguistics 563
Hobz/tt L. Cooptti

24. Hamer Speech Situations 583

25.1 Languages of Northern Eritrea 597
E, Vavld Tkompton

25.2 Languages of the Maji Area 603

William Muldstow

26. Language Education 608
J. Donald Bowzn and Hancy E, Hoxn

27. Mass Media and Literacy in Ethiopia 635

Sydmy W. Hzad

Bibliography 658

Indices

A. Persons 715

B. Languages and Linguistics 718

C. Other Topics 732

Biographical Notes 734

ix

MAPS
Key to detailed maps (2: p. 66, 3: p. 298, 4: p. 562)

Abbreviations :

O

nun

International boundary

River

Provinci ,^*zal

Important town

Mountain

Approximate edge of
central plateau

AR

ARABIC

B

Baiso

B?

Bir'ale?

EA

EAST ARGOBBA

GA

GATAME

GI

GIDICCHO

H

Hadiyya

K

Kwegu

Ku

Kunama

M

Majang

MB

MAO OF BAMBESHI

Mu

Muguji

OM

Omo Murle

Or

Oromo

SH

SHINASHA

T

Takruri

Ti

Timbaro

WA

WEST ARGOBBA

AMHARIC Semitic language

Oromo Cushitic language

KEFA Omotic language

Gumuz Nilo-Saharan language

+ Extinct

List of Maps

Map 1: Languages of Ethiopia Facing p. 1

Map 2: Languages of Ethiopia: Southern Section 66

Map 5.1: Suggested Initial Stages of Cushitic

Expansion about 5th-4th Millennium B. C.

Map 5,2: Suggested Cushitic Groupings about 3rd
Millennium B. C.

Map 5.3: Suggested Locations of Ethiopian Language
Groupings, 1st Millennium B. c.

Map 12.' Southern Cushitic Languages of East Africa
Map 3: ^cmages of Ethiopia: West Section

Map 18.1: Approximate Distribution of Nilo-Saharan

Languages

Map 22.1: Mursi Country

86

90

95
278
298

440
534

MAPS
Map 4: Languages of Ethiopia: Northern Section 562
Map 27.1: Proposed Educational Radio Sites 648

Map Credits

Maps 1, 2, 3, 4, and 12.1 were drawn by Lawrence G. Santeford
from originals by M. L. Bender,

Maps 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3 were drawn by Karen A. Schmitt and
Anne L. Aamodt from originals by Christopher Ehret.

Map 18.1 was drawn by Karen A. Schmitt and Anne L. Aamodt
from an original by M. L. Bender, redrawn by Taddese Kidane.

Map 22.1 was drawn by Karen A. Schmitt and Anne L. Aamodt
from an original by David Turton.

Map 27.1 was drawn by Karen A. Schmitt and Anne L. Aamodt
from an original supplied by Sydney Head.

FIGURES

Chapter 1

1. Afroasiatic Superfamily

2. Semitic Family

3. Cushitic Family

4. Omotic Family

5. Nilo-Saharan Superfamily

Chapter 5

Cushitic cognate percentage ranges
Tree diagram of Cushitic
Cushitic history time scale

Chapter 7

Table 1: Distinctive Feature Matrix of
Afar Segmental Phonemes

2

3
3

4
5

87
88
89

136

Chapter 11

il) Comparative word list from Conti
Rossini (1913)

(2) Sidamo/Oromo/Welamo Comparisons

(3) Hadiyya/Burji/Gidole Comparisons

(4) Position of Burji in East Cushitic

(5) Lexical comparisons in East Cushitic

(6) Mutual intelligibility scores in HEC

(7) Consonants of HEC

(8) Sample of HEC words and syllable-types

(9) Demonstratives

(10) Nominative Pronouns

(11) Accusative Independent Pronouns

236

240-241

242-243

244

245

245

247

249

255-256

256

257

Xll

FIGURES

^misaMve Suffixed Pronouns 257

(13) Genitive Pronouns 258

(14) Interrogative Pronouns 259

(15) Cardinal Numerals 261-262

(16) Suffixes of the Simple Perfect 263-264

(17) Suffixes of the Present Perfect 264-265

(18) Suffixes of the Imperfect 265

(19) Suffixes of the Imperative 267

(20) Suffixes of the Jussive 268

(21) Suffixes of the Conjuna£i ve 269

(22) Suffixes of the § tl bordinate Conjugation

of Kambata an<§ sidamo 270

Chapter 13

Main des cent ii ne s of Omotic 300

Chapter 15

Gonga Language Cognate Percentages 364

Chapter 17

Categories of Vowels 397-398

Diphthongs, Contractions, Elisions 400

Consonant Chart 402-403

Consonant Clusters 404

Particular Noun Forms and Corresponding

Suffixes 407

Chart of Personal Pronouns 414

Chart of Possessive Pronouns 415

Chart of Demonstrative Pronouns 415

FIGURES

Chart of Relatives 418

Chart of Negative Stems 419

Chart of Negative Relatives 419

Chart of Irregular Negatives 420

Chapter 18

Table 1: Nilo-Saharan Languages of Ethiopia 439-441

List of Grammemes 442-443

Table 2: Nilo-Saharan Grammatical Feature Tally 44 5-44 7

Additional Grammemes 448-449

Table 3: Tally Counts on Nilo-Saharan

Diagnostic Features 449-450

Table 4: Nilo-Saharan Isomorph Tally 453-455

Table 5: Lexical Items 1 and 100 459-460

Table 6: Cognate Percentages 462

Figure 1: Nilo-Saharan Representative

Languages Multidimensional Scaling 463

Table 7: Independent Subject Pronouns in Surma 470

Chapter 25,2

Dialects of Dizi 605

Chapter 26

Table 1: Qualifications of Teachers at the

Primary Level 617

Table 2: Attendance Figures in Ethiopian

Schools - 1967/68 621

Table 3: Government Provincial School

Enrollment 623

FIGURES

Figure 1: Means for Age at Which Learning

English Began 625

Figure 2: Means for Number of Years Learning

English 627

Figure 3: Means for Age at Which English Test

Taken 628

Chapter 27

Figure 1: Page from a Literacy Primer 641

Figure 2: Flash Card 645

Appendix: A Chronological List of Selected

Amharic Primers 657

Monograph No. 5
Occasional Papers Series
Committee on Ethiopian Studies

The[Non-Semitic

Languages of Ethiopia!

Edited by M. Lionel Bender

Acting Series Editor, John Hinnant

~,ase send two copies of your review to
the African Stud.'es Center, MbU, t.
Lansing, Mi. 48824 _^-<

Copyright © 1976 by the Board of Trustees, Michigan State University

Ail rights reserved

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-42008

Printed in the United States of America

Published by the
African Studies Center
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824

in cooperation with
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Illinois