Komuz languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Komuz languages are a family of languages along the Sudan-Ethiopia border. They are believed to belong to the Nilo-Saharan family, but opinions vary as to their position within it. Gumuz was originally classified as a separate branch of Nilo-Saharan, and is only distantly related to the Koman languages.

The classification, from Ethnologue, is,

• Gumuz
  • Gumuz language (Ethiopia) - the largest language, with 160,000 speakers
• Koman
  • Uduk language, or Twampa, (formerly in Sudan) - about 20,000 speakers, most at a large refugee camp at Bonga, near Gambela
  • Kwama language (Ethiopia) - about 15,000 speakers, mainly in Benishangul-Gumuz
  • Komo language (Sudan) - about 12,000 speakers mainly in An Nil al Azraq
  • Opuuo language (Ethiopia) - spoken in 5 villages north of the Nuer by about 300 people
  • Gule language (Sudan) - extinct

In addition, Shabo shows strong Koman influence, and it has been suggested that it may be a Koman language.