Puneet Varma (Editor)

Ometo languages

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Geographic distribution
  
Ethiopia

Glottolog
  
omet1238

Subdivisions
  
South East North

Linguistic classification
  
Afro-Asiatic Omotic North Ometo

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.

Bender (2000) classifies them as,

  • South: Maale
  • Basketo
  • Central: Wolaytta (Ometo), Oyda (Oyta), Melo (Malo), Dorze–Gamo-Gofa-Dawro
  • East: Gats'ame (Kachama-Ganjule), Koorete (Koyra, Harro), Zayse-Zergulla

    • Hayward (2003) added Basketo to Central Ometo and called the result 'North Ometo', a position followed by Blench (2006). Blench lists several additional North Ometo languages, and lists Chara as unclassified within the family.

  • 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), Koorite/Koyra (Badittu)
  • South: Maale
  • ?: Ch'ara

    • He also lists Balta, a regional name for Wolaytta, as a possibly separate language.

    References

    Ometo languages Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA