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Cushitic language of Ethiopia and Kenya
Oromo
Afaan Oromoo
Native to
Ethiopia, Kenya[1]
Region
Oromia
Ethnicity
Oromo people
Native speakers
37,400,000 (all countries) (2018)[2] 36,600,000 in Ethiopia, 627,000 in Kenya,[3] 41,600 in Somalia (2015 census)[1]
Language family
Afro-Asiatic
Cushitic
Lowland East Cushitic
Oromoid
Oromo
Writing system
Latin (Qubee, Oromo alphabet)
Official status
Official language in
Ethiopia[4]
Recognised minority language in
Kenya
Language codes
ISO 639-1
om
ISO 639-2
orm
ISO 639-3
orm – inclusive code Individual codes: gax – Borana–Arsi–Guji–Wallaggaa-Shawaa Oromo hae – Eastern Oromo orc – Orma gaz – West Central Oromo ssn – Waata
Glottolog
nucl1736
Areas in East Africa where Oromo is spoken
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.
Oromo (/ˈɒrəmoʊ/[5] or /ɔːˈroʊmoʊ/;[6][7] Oromo: Afaan Oromoo), in the linguistic literature of the early 20th century also called Galla (a name with a pejorative meaning and therefore rejected by the Oromo people[8]), is an Afroasiatic language that belongs to the Cushitic branch. It is native to the Ethiopian state of Oromia and Northern Kenya and is spoken predominantly by the Oromo people and neighboring ethnic groups in the Horn of Africa. It is used as a lingua franca particularly in the Oromia Region and northeastern Kenya.[9][10][11]
With more than 36 million speakers[12] making up 33.8% of the total Ethiopian population,[13] Oromo has the largest number of native speakers in Ethiopia, and ranks as the second most widely spoken language in Ethiopia by total number of speakers (including second-language speakers) following Amharic.[14] Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by an additional half-million people in parts of northern and eastern Kenya.[15] It is also spoken by smaller numbers of emigrants in other African countries such as South Africa, Libya, Egypt and Sudan. Oromo is the most widely spoken Cushitic language and among the five languages of Africa with the largest mother-tongue populations.[16]
Oromo serves as one of the official working languages of Ethiopia[4] and is also the working language of several of the states within the Ethiopian federal system including Oromia,[13] Harari and Dire Dawa regional states and of the Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region. It is a language of primary education in Oromia, Harari, Dire Dawa, Benishangul-Gumuz and Addis Ababa and of the Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region. It is used as an internet language for federal websites along with Tigrinya.[17][18] Under Haile Selassie's regime, Oromo was banned in education, in conversation, and in administrative matters.[19][20][21]
^ abEberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2021). Oromo. Ethnologue: Languages of the World (Eighteenth ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
^Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2021). Ethiopia. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
^Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2021). Borana. Ethnologue: Languages of the World (Eighteenth ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
^ abShaban, Abdurahman (2020-03-04). "One to Five: Ethiopia Gets Four New Federal Working Languages". Africa News. Archived from the original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
^Bauer, Laurie (2007). The Linguistics Student's Handbook. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-2759-2.
^"Oromo". Dictionary Reference.
^"Oromo". TheFreeDictionary.com.
^Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D. "Oromo, West-Central [gaz]". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Twenty-fifth edition. Dallas: SIL International. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
^Bulcha, Merkuria (1997). "The Politics of Linguistic Homogenization in Ethiopia and the Conflict over the Status of Afaan Oromoo". African Affairs. 96 (384): 325–352. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a007852. JSTOR 723182.
^"Oromo (Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Oromoo)". Language Centre Resources. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
^"Oromo Language". MustGo. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
^"Ethiopia". Ethnologue. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
^ ab"Ethiopia". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 6 June 2022.
^"Amharic". Ethnologue.
^"Oromo". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 2016-08-25. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
^"Children's Books Breathe New Life Into Oromo Language". BBC. 16 February 2016.
^"mcit.gov.et". mcit.gov.et. Archived from the original on 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
^"ቤት | FMOH". moh.gov.et. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
^Davey, Melissa (2016-02-13). "Oromo Children's Books Keep Once-Banned Ethiopian Language Alive". The Guardian. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
^"Oromo" (PDF) (Brochure). National African Language Resource Center (NALRC).
^"Ethiopians: Amhara and Oromo". International Institute of Minnesota.
with a pejorative meaning and therefore rejected by the Oromo people), is an Afroasiatic language that belongs to the Cushitic branch. It is native to the...
who speak the Oromolanguage (also called Afaan Oromoo or Oromiffa), which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are...
Orma and Waata.[citation needed] The language is locally and commonly known as Afaan Oromoo("Oromolanguage"). "Oromo, Borana-Arsi-Guji". Ethnologue. Retrieved...
Oromo may refer to: Oromo people, an ethnic group of Ethiopia and Kenya Oromolanguage, an Afroasiatic languageOromo (dish), a Central Asia food item...
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA; Oromo: Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo, WBO) is an armed opposition group active in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. The OLA consist...
The Oromo conflict is a protracted conflict between the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ethiopian government. The Oromo Liberation Front formed to...
Oromia (Amharic: ኦሮሚያ) (Oromo: Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa. It...
Cushitic Omo-Tana Arbore language Baiso language Daasanach language (also in Kenya) Oromoid Konso language Dirasha languageOromolanguage (also in Kenya) Transversal...
The Oromo Liberation Front (Oromo: Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo, abbreviated: ABO; English abbreviation: OLF) is an Oromo nationalist political party formed...
Eastern Oromo is a form of Oromolanguage spoken in the East Hararghe Zone, West Hararghe Zone and northern Bale Zone of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia...
This is a list of notable Oromo people. Ali Birra – Artist Baalu Girma – Artist Bakri Sapalo – Historian and Artist Boonaa Mohammed – Poetry Elias Melka...
The Oromo Democratic Party (Oromo: Paartii Demokraatawaa Oromoo, ODP) was a political party in Ethiopia, and part of the alliance with the Amhara National...
the Cushitic languages of both the Oromo people and Somali people in the Horn of Africa. The word still means God in present Oromolanguage. Some traditions...
Yejju Oromo dynasty of the Wara Sheh, such as Ras Gugsa of Yejju. Prior to the Zemene Mesafint, Emperor Iyoas I had introduced the Oromolanguage (Afaan...
Hachalu Hundessa (Oromo: Haacaaluu Hundeessaa Boonsaa; Amharic: ሃጫሉ ሁንዴሳ; 1986 – 29 June 2020) was an Ethiopian singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist...
Orma is a variety of the Oromolanguage spoken by the Orma people in Kenya. It is a dialect of Southern Oromo. Orma at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription...
It is an endangered language, with speakers migrating to the mainland adopting the Oromolanguage, and increasing use of Oromo by the younger generations...
Oromo people in the Horn of Africa. The word Waaqeffanna derives from the word Waaqa, is the ancient name for the Creator in the Cushitic languages of...
Gadaa (Oromo: Gadaa; literally: era) is the indigenous democratic system of governance used by the Oromos in Ethiopia and northern Kenya. It is also practiced...
Today, many Argobba in the Harari Region are shifting to the Oromolanguage. The language is spoken in a number of pockets and has at least four regional...
were Oromo, Somali, Beja, Afar, Hadiyya, Kambaata, Saho, and Sidama. The Cushitic languages with the greatest number of total speakers are Oromo (37 million)...
Adama (Oromo: Adaamaa or Hadaamaa, Amharic: አዳማ), formerly Nazreth (Amharic: ናዝሬት), is a city in the central Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Located in the...
April 1980) was an Oromo scholar, poet and religious teacher. He is best known as the inventor of a writing system for the Oromolanguage. Bakri Sapalo was...
(/ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə/; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ ʾĪtyōṗṗyā, listen (help·info), Oromo: Itoophiyaacode: orm promoted to code: om , Somali: Itoobiyacode: som promoted...
This article contains special characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols. Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-'Amoudi...
Jawar Mohammed (Oromo: Jawaar Mahammad; born 12 May 1986) is an Ethiopian political analyst and activist. One of the founders of the Oromia Media Network...
holiday celebrating the end of the winter in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The Oromo people celebrate Irreecha to thank Waaqa (God) for the blessings and mercies...
Yejju Oromo people are a sub clan of the Barento branch of Oromo people. They are one of the northernmost communities of Oromo people residing in Ethiopia...
The Oromia Media Network (OMN) is an Oromo news channel headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.. OMN is established as a non-profit independent...
Global Information
Ethiopia[4]
Kenya