Ongota language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ongota
iifa ʕongota
Spoken in: Ethiopia 
Region: Southern Omo Zone, Southern Region
Total speakers: 19 (2000)
Language family: Unclassified, probably Afro-Asiatic
Language codes
ISO 639-1: none
ISO 639-2: afa
ISO 639-3: bxe

Ongota (also known as Birale [ISO 639-3], Birayle) is a moribund language of southwest Ethiopia. In 2000, it was said to be in a state of decline with only 8 elderly native speakers, the rest of their small village on the west bank of the Weyt'o River having adopted the Ts'amakko language instead.[1] The grammar follows a Subject Object Verb word order. It is probably Afro-Asiatic, but has not been definitively classified. As of 2004, it is being studied by Aklilu Yilma of Addis Ababa University.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Fleming, Harold 2002. "Ongota Lexicon: English-Ongota". Mother Tongue, VII, pp. 39-65.
  • Fleming, Harold: Ongota: A Decisive Language in African Prehistory. - Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 2006. ISBN 3-447-05124-8
  • Mikesh, P. and Seelig, J.M. 1992. "Ongota or Birale: a moribund language of Gemu-Gofa (Ethiopia)". Journal of Afroasiatic Languages, 3,3:181-225.
  • Savà, Graziano and Mauro Tosco 2000. A sketch of Ongota, a dying language of southwest Ethiopia. Studies in African Linguistics 29.2.59-136.

[edit] External links