1 CLASSIFICATION
AND WHERE SPOKEN
Oromo belongs to the Lowland East Cushitic family (Oromo subgroup) and is spoken
in the southern half of Ethiopia as well as mostly in Eastern Province, Kenya.
2 NUMBER OF SPEAKERS
|
Variety
|
Country
|
Speakers
|
Source
|
|
Kenya
|
100-150,000
|
Heine
& Möhlig
|
|
| Oromo Borana |
Ethiopia
|
512,000
|
UBS
|
| Oromo Borana |
Kenya
|
80,000
|
UBS
|
| Oromo Borana-Arsi-Guji |
Ethiopia
|
3,809,000
|
Grimes
1996
|
| Oromo, Qotu |
Ethiopia
|
2,142,000
|
Grimes
(1996)
|
| Oromo, Western |
Ethiopia
|
5.75
million
|
UBS
|
| Oromo, West-Central |
All
|
8
million
|
Grimes
(1996)
|
| Oromo overall |
18
million
|
Gragg
|
3 DIALECT SURVEY
Some dialect survey work
is detailed in Gragg and also in Heine (1980). Gragg (personal communication,
1984) feels that all dialects are "largely mutually intelligible" and that "one
Western-based standard, with many Eastern and Southern loan elements, will
eventually emerge."
4
USAGE
Oromo is a significant
regional first language and is spoken by the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia.
It is broadcast over the Voice of Revolutionary Ethiopia, and there is a weekly
newspaper, Berisa, in Oromo.
5
ORTHOGRAPHIC STATUS
There is no standardized orthography; Oromo is written either
with Amharic or Romanized script. Gragg (personal communication, 1984) states
that "a written standard using the Ethiopia syllabary is gradually being evolved."
6
SETS OF LEARNING MATERIALS
One set of learning materials appears to be sufficient.
| [African Studies Center] |