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The Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia and parts of Sudan. The group had the following categories:
- Bambasi, spoken in the Bambasi woreda of Benishangul-Gumuz Region,
- Hozo and Seze (often described together as 'Begi Mao'), spoken around Begi in the Mirab (West) Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, and
- Ganza, which is spoken south of Bambasi in the Asosa Zone of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, west of the Hozo and Seze languages and in Blue Nile State in Sudan.[1]
| Mao | |
|---|---|
| Blue Nile Mao | |
| Geographic distribution | Ethiopia, Sudan[1] |
| Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | maoo1243 |
It is estimated that there are 5,000 speakers of Bambasi, 3,000 speakers each of Hozo and Seze and a few hundred Ganza speakers (Bender, 2000). During recent political upheavals, a few thousand Bambassi speakers established themselves in the valley of the Didessa River and Belo Jegonfoy woreda. Much of the Mirab Welega Zone was once the home of Mao languages, but they have lost speakers because of the increasing influence of Oromo.
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Mao languages are in close contact with Koman languages. Some Koman-speaking groups in Ethiopia consider themselves to be ethnically Mao.[2]
Comparison of numerals in individual languages:[3]
| Language | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ganza (Gwàmì Nánà) (1) | ʔìʃì kwéʔèn | mámꜜbú | tʼíꜜzí | máꜜs’í | k’wísʼí | ʔìʃkìbínꜜ | mámpʰìn | wòbóꜜ | ʃèléꜜ | kónsó-báꜜ (litː 'hand-pair') |
| Ganza (Gwàmì Nánà) (2) | ʔìʃì kwéʔèn | mámꜜbú | tʼíꜜzí | máꜜs’í | k’wísʼí | ʔìʃkìbínꜜ | mámpʰìn | wòbóꜜ | ʃèléꜜ | kónsó-báꜜ (litː hand-pair) |
| Ganza (3) | ʔíʃkúwéén | mámbùʔ | tíízìʔ | más’s’ìʔ | k’wíssíʔ | ʔíʃkípín | mámpín | wóp’ò | ʃéléʔ | kónsóbààʔ |
| Hozo (1) | ʔónnà | dòmbó | sìjázì | bétsʼì | kwítsʼì (lit: 'hand') | kwítsʼì ʔòttá ʔónnà (5 + 1) | kwítsʼì ʔòttá dòmbó (5 + 2) | kwítsʼì ʔòttá sìjázì (5 + 3) | kwítsʼì ʔòttá bétsʼì (5 + 4) | pʼóʃì |
| Hozo (2) | ʊnːa / onna | dʊmbo / dombo | sìɑːsi /siyazi | bɛtsíː / betsʼi | kʷɪtsí / kʼwitsi (lit: 'hand', kutsi) | kɛniː / ota-onna (5 + 1) | ʔɔːta / ota-dombo (5 + 2) | ʔɔ̀ːtá / ota-siyazi (5 + 3) | ʔɔ̀ːtì / ota-beːtsi (5 + 4) | pʼɔ́ːʃi / poːši |
| Northern Mao | hishkì | numbo | teezè | mesʼe | kʼwíssí | kyaansè | kúlùmbò (litː hand-two ?) | kúteezé (litː hand-three?) | kúsmésʼe (litː hand-four ?) | kúúsú |
| Sezi (Seze / Sezo) (1) | ʔìʃílè | nòmbé | sììzé | besʼsʼé | kʼwíssé (lit: 'hand', kusɛ) | kʼwíssé ʔòòt ʔìʃílè (litː 5 remaining 1) | kʼwíssé ʔòòt nòmbé (litː 5 remain. 2) | kʼwíssé ʔòòt sììzé (litː 5 remaining 3) | kʼwíssé ʔòòt besʼsʼé (litː 5 remain. 4) | kúúsé |
| Seze (Sezo) (2) | ɪ̀ʃìlɛ / ɪšilɛ | nɔ̀mbɛ́ / noːmbɛ | sìːzí /siːzɛ | bɛ̀sʼɛ́ / bɛtsʼɛ | kʼúsɛ́ / kʼʊsse (lit: 'hand', kusɛ) | dʒɑ;j / ot-šilɛ | ʔɔːt nɔ̀mbɛ́ / ot-nombɛ | ʔɔ̀ːt síːzí / ota-siːzɛ | ʔɔ̀ːt bèːtsʼé / ota-bɛːsʼɛ | ̞kʊ́ːsɛ̀ / kʊːsɛ |
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- Mao word lists (Wiktionary)
- Küspert, Klaus-Christian (2015). "The Mao and Komo Languages in the Begi–Tongo area in Western Ethiopia: Classification, Designations, Distribution". Linguistic Discovery. 13 (1). doi:10.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.447.
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