Argobba language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Argobba is an Ethiopic language that spoken in an area north-east of Addis Ababa. It belongs to the South-Ethio Semitic subgroup together with Amharic and the Gurage languages. Writing in the mid-1960s, Edward Ullendorff noted that it "is disappearing rapidly in favour of Amharic, and only a few hundred elderly people are still able to speak it."^[1]

The language is spoken in a number of pockets and has at least four regional variations (dialects): Harar (extinct), Aliyu Amba, Showa Robit and Shonke.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Ullendorff, Edward (1965) The Ethiopians: An Introduction to Country and People, second edition (London: Oxford University Press), pp. 131f. ISBN 0-19-285061-X.

[edit] Further reading

• Cohen, Marcel (1931) Études d'éthiopien méridional (Collection d'ouvrages orientaux). Paris: Geuthner.
• Cohen, Marcel (1939) Nouvelles Études d'éthiopien méridional Paris: Ancienne Honoré Champion.
• Leslau, Wolf (1997) Ethiopic Documents: Argobba. Grammar and dictionary Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN 3-447-03955-8.
• Zelealem Leyew and Ralph Siebert (1994) Survey on Least Known Languages of Ethiopia - Argobba. S.L.L.E. Linguistic Reports Addis Ababa: S.I.L./Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University.
• Zalealem Leyew, Ralph Siebert (2002), Sociolinguistic Survey Report of the Argobba Language of Ethiopia SIL Electronic Survey Reports, SILESR 2002-026 (PDF)