Shanqella

Shanqella (Ge'ez ሻንቅላ šānḳillā sometimes spelled Shangella, Shánkala, Shankalla or Shangalla) is an Ethiopian term (originally an Agaw term) used to refer to a number of ethnic groups residing primarily in the western-most part of Ethiopia (from the border of Eritrea to Lake Turkana) and who constitute about 5% of Ethiopia's population. The term is used derogatorily by highland Ethiopians referring to darker-skinned and broader-featured Ethiopians, mostly those with a Nilo-Saharan ethnic background, but also a few with Omotic backgrounds.

Appearances in Early European Literature

• Thomas Malthus, An Essay on the Principle of Population, London: John Murray, 1826, Chapter VIII, ¶ 8 (polygamy among the Shangalla) and ¶ 22 (premature aging).
• John Bathurst Deane, Worship of the Serpent, 1833, Chapter VII, pp. 427 and 437.
• Timothy Harley, Moon Lore, 1885, Chapter III, pp. 113–114.

References

•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Shangalla". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• University of Pennsylvania material on Ethiopia taken from Encarta 1994