Omotic Languages - Language List

Language List

The North and South Omotic branches ("Nomotic" and "Somotic") are universally recognized. The primary debate is over the placement of the Mao languages. Bender (2000) classifies Omotic languages as follows:

• South Omotic / Aroid (Hamer-Banna, Aari, Dime, Karo)
• North Omotic / Non-Aroid
  • Mao
    • Bambassi
    • West Mao (Hozo, Seze, Ganza)
  • Dizoid (Dizi, Sheko, Nayi)
  • Gonga–Gimojan
    • Gonga/Kefoid (Boro, Anfillo, Kafa, Shekkacho)
    • Gimojan
      • Yemsa
      • Ometo–Gimira
        • Bench
        • Chara
        • Ometo languages

Apart from terminology, this differs from Fleming (1976) in including the Mao languages, whose affiliation had originally been controversial, and in abolishing the "Gimojan" group. There are also differences in the subclassification of Ometo, which is not covered here.

Hayward (2003) separates out the Mao languages as a third branch of Omotic, and breaks up Ometo–Gimira:

• South Omotic
• Mao
• North Omotic
  • Dizoid
  • Ta–Ne languages
    • Gonga
    • Gimojan
      • Yemsa
      • Bench
      • Ometo–Chara

Blench (2006) gives a more agnostic classification:

• South Omotic
• North Omotic
  • Mao
  • Dizoid
  • Gonga (Kefoid)
  • Yem
  • Gimira
  • Ometo (?Chara)

Bosha† is unclassified; Ethnologue lists it as a dialect of Kafa, but notes it may be a distinct language.