East Cushitic languages

The East Cushitic languages comprise more than thirty languages belonging to the Cushitic family within the Afro-Asiatic phylum. East Cushitic languages are spoken mainly in Ethiopia but also in Somalia and Kenya.

The most prominent East Cushitic language is Oromo, with about 21 million speakers. Other prominant languages include Somali (in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti) with about 15 million speakers, Sidamo (Ethiopia) with about 2 million speakers, and Afar (Eritrea) with about 1.5 million.

In the internal classification of East Cushitic, the most common major division is between Highland East Cushitic and Lowland East Cushitic. Western Omo-Tana is a distinct branch, as are the two branches represented by the endangered languages Yaaku and Boon.

List of Eastern Cushitic languages

• Highland East Cushitic
  • Alaba (or Alaaba)
  • Burji
  • Gedeo
  • Hadiyya (or Hadiya)
  • Kambaata
  • Libido
  • Sidamo
• Lowland East Cushitic
  • Rendille-Boni (Rendille and Boni )
  • Somali
  • Saho-Afar languages
    • Saho
    • Afar
  • Konso-Gidole
    • Konso (or Komso)
    • Dirasha (or Gidole, Kidole, Diraytata)
  • Oromo
  • Dullay
    • Bussa (endangered)
    • Gawwada
    • Tsamai
• Western Omo-Tana
  • Arbore
  • Baiso
  • Daasanach
  • El Molo/Elmolo (extinct)
• Yaaku (endangered)
• Boon (endangered, possibly extinct)

External link

• East Cushitic on the Ethnologue.