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Afaan Oromo

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 94 10:21:09 +0000 Reply-To: Ben_Parker@padis.gn.apc.org Subject: Afaan Oromoo - the Oromo language and the latin alphabet

The Following paper was presented by Tilahun Gamta, Professor of Linguistic Studies at the University of Addis Ababa and author of Oromo/English dictionary, at the 1992 Oromo Studies Conference, and Published, among others, in the Journal of Oromo Studies.

QUBE AFAAN OROMO

The Oromo, the largest ethnic group, comprise 50%-60% or about 25 million of the population of the Ethiopian Empire State. They are "a very ancient race, the indigenous stock, perhaps, on which most other peoples in this part of Eastern Africa (the Horn of Africa) had been grafted" [1]. Their fertile country, Oromiyaa, located between 2 and 12 N and 34 and 44 East, is 600,000 square kilometers.

Afaan Oromo, a highly developed spoken language, is at the top of the list [2] of the distinct and separate 1000 or so languages used in Africa, the most polyglot of the continents. It is classified [3] as one of the Kushitic [4] languages spoken in the Ethiopian Empire, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Kenya.

Of the Kushitic languages spoken in the Ethiopian Empire State, Afaan Oromo, Somali, Sidama, Hadiya, and Afar-Saho are the languages with the greatest number of speakers.

Afaan Oromo had remained essentially a well-developed oral tradition until the early 1970's when the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) began to use it as an official language in the liberated areas. The Front adopted the Latin script as its official alphabet, too.

The adoption of a script for Afaan Oromo had been a burning issue. In the 1970's both Sabean and Latin scripts were suggested. Until 1974 when Mengistu's ruthless regime came to power, writing Afaan Oromo in any script had been banned officially. Although Mengistu's regime lifted the ban and reluctantly allowed the use of the Sabean script, it continued to pay only lip service to the development of Afaan Oromo. For instance, the regime made the teaching of Afaan Oromo illegal at any level in its school system.

About five months after the collapse of Mengistu's regime in May 1991, the OLF convened a meeting of Oromo intellectuals on November 3, 1991. The purpose of the meeting was to adopt the Latin script the OLF had been using or suggest an alternative. Over 1000 Oromo intellectuals met in the Parliament Building at Arat Kilo, Finfinne (Addis Ababa).

After a six-hour deliberation, it was unanimously decided that the Latin script be adopted. Some of the reasons for this landmark decision - primarily linguistic, pedagogic, and practical - are as follows:

LINGUISTIC REASONS

Writing [5] itself has passed through three stages of development before reaching the alphabet stage. The three stages are: iconography, logography, and syllabary, each of which is very briefly discussed below:

Iconography consists of drawings of animals or objects. The drawings are disconnected and fragmented, and they are intended to give just a static impression. Later standardized pictures were selected, arranged in a series, and were made to tell a story the same way as today's action photographs do. Iconography was common among North American Indian tribes.

Logography is the use of signs to represent words. In English, for example, whole words such as one, two, three, dollar are, respectively represented by the signs 1, 2, 3, $. The Chinese, which uses a minimum of 4000 characters, is the only language that uses the logographic writing system to date.

Syllabary is a set of characters which represent syllables. A syllable is a part of a word in which a vowel sound is heard. For example, the Oromo word "bilisummaa" has four syllables, namely, bi, Ii, su, and mmaa. In a syllabaric writing, obviously one stage behind, each sign stands for a syllable of a consonant and vowel. Fri the point of view of a linguist who wish to explicate the sounds of a language, one of the major drawbacks of syllabaric writing is that its characters do not represent the vowels and the consonants of a language separately notwithstanding the two are distinct categories.

The syllabary, used in Ethiopian Empire State today, is a very good example of a syllabaric writing. It should be clear that this syllabary is nothing but a progenitor of the script adapted for writing Geez (liturgic), Tigre, Tigrigna, and Amharic. The Sabean syllabary, too, was suggested as another alternative. However, its roughly 250 characters are too unweildly to adapt to Afaan Oromo. After failing to read The GalIa Spelling Book (written in Sabean syllabary in 1884), Cerulli eloquently expressed his frustrations in these words: " ... reading this small book is very like deciphering a secret writing, and it is evident why, for twenty- five years after its publication, its substance remained unknown..." [6]. It must ala be added that the Sabean syllabary not only fails to indicate vowel length and gemination, but also slows down a writer's speed since each symbol, which cannot be written cursively, has to be printed.

An alphabet is a set of characters used to represent the basic sounds of a language, technically known as phonemes. Languages vary "in the number of these basic sounds, from around 20 for Hawaiian and Japanese, to about 40 for English, and over 60 for several languages spoken in the Caucasus. One of the largest number of phonemes is found in the language spoken by a branch of the Southeast Asian people variously known as Hmong or Miao or Meo. The White Meo language has no fewer than 80 phonemes - 57 consonants, 15 vowels, and 8 tones" [7] - The relative height of pitch that is a phoneme of a languages. Being a phoneme, a tone distinguishes meaning.

Afaan Oromo, excluding those represented by p, v, z, has 34 basic sounds (10 vowels and 24 consonants). One possibility is to invent 34 signs corresponding to each of these 34 sounds, an impractical and unnecessary effort. Instead, it was decided that the Latin alphabet be adopted. This decision is historic because the alphabet is "the most highly developed and the most convenient system of writing... readily adaptable to almost any language" [8].

Qube Afaan Oromo, the adapted Latin alphabet, consists of 14 characters as detailed in Table 1.

TABLE 1

PEDAGOGIC REASONS

These 37 characters (or 52 if the capital letters are considered important) can be learned in less than a month. In fact, only 32 symbols (minus the 5 double vowels) a,b,c,ch,d,dh, ,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,ny,o,p,ph,q,r,s,sh,t,u,v,w,x,y,z, and ?) need be recognized and memorized. For an Oromo learning these signs and the sounds they represent, the task is even much easier. It may take a non- Oromo a little longer because producing the sounds - especially those not found in his/her language - takes time.

In addition to these 32 symbols a learner of Oromo writing system will have to be taught the principles that:

I. two vowels in succession indicate that the vowel is long, e.g. bitaa (left); 2. gemination (a doubling of a consonant) is phonemic in Oromo, e.g. damee (branch), dammee (sweet potato); 3. h is not geminated; 4. the same word can have two or more forms depending on its context, e.g. nama kadhu (ask people) namaa kadhu (ask for people); 5. when it occurs word finally, the single "a" is pronounced schwa (inverted e) whereas it is pronounced (delta) elsewhere; and that 6. understandably, instead of diacritic signs, the combined Latin letters ch,dh,ny,ph, and sh are used so as to align them with typewriter characters.

The learner needs to have only this much information at early stage of his/her lesson. After such a simple, uncomplicated explanation, the learners are asked to read passages written in Afaan Oromo.

Example:

Uummata Oromoo/Ormaan hinsaamsiu Dache Oromiyaa/alagaa hindhiichisu Aadaa abbaa kooti/diinaan hinbookessu Nama bishaan dhabe/?annan hinobaasu Afaan koo baleesse/lammii ko hinboossisu Garaa dhaan bitamee/uummata ko hincabsiisu Saba abbaa gadaa/garbicha hintaasisu Sirna demokraasi/Of jalaa hinballeessu Utuun lubbuun jiruu/Oromoo hintamsaasu

(Kumsaa Buraayyuu)

PRACTICAL REASONS

The Latin alphabet was adapted to many languages such as the following:

Germanic languages - English, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch; Romance languages - Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian; Slavonic languages - Polish, Czech, Croatian, Sloven; Finno-Ugrian languages - Finnish, Hungarian; Baltic languages - Lithuanian, Lettish; Quoc-ngu - Vietnamese; and it was adapted to Somali, Swahili, and others.

Qube Afaan Oromo also aligned itself with so many countries that use the Latin script. One obvious advantage of this is that an Oromo child who has learned his own alphabet can learn, say, the form of the English script in a relatively short period of time. Another practical reason is the adaptability to computer technology which gives alphabetic writing "an edge over even the simplest of syllabic writing" [10].

The purpose of this paper is not to rate writing systems. Any script can serve the specific language for which it is designed and used. No one can deny the fact that writing "can never be considered an exact counterpart of the spoken language." [11] In the present Oromo writing system, one letter corresponds to one sound. But, unless accompanied by a well-planned reading instruction, even such a relatively refined alphabet can be almost valueless. As stated, the Sabean syllabary may be very good for the purpose of writing the Semitic languages such as Tigre, and Tigrigna. Definitely, it is not so good for writing Afaan Oromo, a Kushitic language.

It is hoped that this paper has acquainted those who are genuinely interested in the development of Afaan Oromo with of the major reasons for adopting the Latin Alphabet. The decision was made after taking linguistic, pedagogic, and practical factors into account. In other words:

Global functional considerations suggest putting the Latin Alphabet at the top of the list. If familiarity with a script and emotional attachment are taken into consideration, it is likely that all conventional orthography would be ranked first by the people who use them [12].

The struggle the Oromos have made for self-determination has started to pay off. They have adopted the Latin alphabet to Afaan Oromo without fear of incrimination. It is now high time they started writing and producing useful reading materials for Oromiyaa schools and the public, again without fear of an autocrat who used to have an absolute power to censor and censure. Our people have a highly developed oral tradition which, the writer believes, has contributed to the sharpening of their powers of memorizing. In addition, they need to acquire a taste for reading and writing.

Notes

1. Bates, Darrell. The Abyssinian Difficulty, New York: Oxford University Press, 1979; p.7 2. Afaan Oromo, Hausa, and Arabic are the top 3 of the 30 languages in Africa with over million native speakers. 3. Joseph Greenberg has classified Afro-Asiatic (also called Hamito-Semitic) languages into five branches:

3.1 Kushitic - e.g. Afaan Orono, Somali,... 3.2 Semitic - e.g. Arabic, Amharic 3.3 Berber languages in Northern Africa - e.g. Kabyle of Algeria, Tuareg of the Sahara. 3.4 The Ancient Egyptian and its daughter language Coptic, now extinct. 3.5 Chadic, spoken in Chad, Cameroon, and Northern Nigeria, although Hausa is used throughout much of Western Africa.

4 Kush or Cush is one of the descendants of Ham, Sheme's brother, according to the Biblical account in Genesis. 5 Just exactly who invented writing, when, and where it was invented is not clear. However, it is generally agreed that "all exiisting alphabets as well as those no longer used, derived from one original alphabet, the north semitic, which probably originated about the 18th Century B.C. in the region of Palestine and Syria". (Americana, p. 561. See note 8 for other details.) 6 Cerulli, Enricho. The Folk-Literature of the GalIa of Southern Abyssinia. Massachusetts: Peabody Museum of Harvard University, 1922, p.l5

7 Defrancis, John. Visible Speech: The Diverse Openess of writing Systems, Honolulu: Howaii Press, 1989, p. 9 8 "Writing", Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 29), Connecticut: Grolier Incorporated, 1990. 9 Double counts has to be avoided. The components of the combined letters ch, dh, ny, ph, and sh are already counted once. 10 Defrancis, p. 268. 11 Gelb, Ignace. A Study of Writing, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963, p. 15. 12 Defrancis, p. 268.

Oromo not the only ethnic group abused in Ethiopia
By: Jeremy O’Kasick
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 7/28/2004
Some argue that claims of oppression are exaggerated

" Not just Oromos oppressed in Ethiopia, Part 1" and related comment

Conclusion of a two-part story

If you asked 50 Ethiopians in the Twin Cities the same question about Oromo politics, you might hear 50 drastically different responses.

In recent years, the conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Oromo population has intensified with growing concerns internationally about human rights abuses.

The Oromo is Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, making up approximately 55 percent of its population of 70 million. They primarily reside over a vast region that stretches to many parts of Ethiopia. However, the country’s prime minister of some nine years, Meles Zenawi, comes from the minority Tigray ethnic group. His political party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, has a lock on most political power in the country.

“The Ethiopian government is torturing and killing people because of their political beliefs and their ethnic backgrounds,” said Bula Atomssa, president of the Oromo Community of Minnesota. “Taxpayer dollars are going towards oppression and weapons to use against the Oromo. There is no peace and democracy in Ethiopia.”

While there are no concrete figures, the largest Oromo community outside of Ethiopia itself may be in Minnesota. Atomssa presides over a nonprofit group that provides social services and advocacy for Oromo throughout the state. Their community center is located in South Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside area, where many Oromo reside.

Atomssa estimated that there could be up to 15,000 Oromo in the state, and he said that 2000 state census figures, which record only approximately 5,000 Ethiopians total, do not account for Oromo who have migrated from other states, as well as large numbers who have come from Ethiopia in recent years. [The 2004 State estimate is 7,500.]

If the community is not the country’s largest, it’s certainly the most active in Oromo politics, both in the U.S. and Ethiopia. Last week’s issue of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder profiled some young Oromo activists, but the community in the Twin Cities has been politically active to some degree long before those teenagers were even born.

“Large numbers of Oromo refugees started coming here after 1998-99, but the others came in the 1980s and further back,” Atomssa said. “It’s an older community with many intellectuals and leaders, so we are well organized.”

Ethiopians of all ethnic groups, in fact, sought refuge in Minnesota as far back as the late 1970s when Ethiopia was ruled by a repressive Marxist regime. There are longstanding Tigray and Amharra communities in the Twin Cities, as well as smaller Ethiopian ethnic groups.

Adam Mohammed, a Tigray who has lived in the Twin Cities more than 20 years, said that he still closely follows current politics in Ethiopia. He refutes allegations of widespread atrocities against the Oromo.

“If I tell people [in Ethiopia] what I hear about Ethiopia in the U.S., they would call me crazy sometimes,” said Mohammed. “To some extent, [the Oromo] are right. All ethnic groups have been oppressed. But what I see and hear from the Oromo community in Minnesota is highly exaggerated.”

Mohammed said that even though he is of the same ethnicity as the ruling party, he does not believe they are exclusively favoring Tigray Ethiopians, and he does not support everything the government has done.

“It is not a perfect democracy. I don’t represent the government, but I tend to support what is gong on in Ethiopia,” he said. “For an African country, it is getting there. In time, it will improve.”

After Ethiopia’s Marxist regime was overthrown in 1991, the transitional government adopted a political system of ethnic federalism with regions and political parties organized along ethnic lines. Solomon Gashaw, a professor of sociology from Ethiopia now at the University of Minnesota-Morris, explained that the system appears to function like a democracy with regular elections, numerous political parties, and a balanced representation in the Ethiopian parliament.

“But the real power in the government is with the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and his party,” Gashaw said. He added that he believes Zenawi uses the politics of divide-and-conquer by supporting parties within each region to counteract true opposition groups.

For example, he explained, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) seeks self-determination with the possibility of independence for all Oromo people. To accomplish this, they have been waging a small-scale armed resistance along with other political actions. However, the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO), which supports and is supported by the Zenawi regime, also has a presence throughout the large Oromoland regions, and sometimes politically neutralizes the OLF.

Like Mohammed, Gashaw said that it is critical to note that the government has committed atrocities and human rights abuses against many ethnic groups, not just the Oromo.

“There are victims in Gambella, the Ogaden, all regions of Ethiopia,” he said. “There are more arrests of Oromos, it is true. For example, the OLF may incite some Oromo high school students to protest, so the government comes and arrests anyone who they think is a sympathizer, even if you have never been part of the OLF whatsoever.”

Gashaw said that there are a large number of OLF supporters and leaders in Minnesota, who came here after the Zenawi regime tried to disband the party in the 1990s. He added that several Lutheran churches sponsored Oromo Lutheran refugees to come to Minnesota, as well as Oromo of other faiths.

Just as the complexity of the conflict is great, so too is the diversity of opinion among Ethiopians across Minnesota. Almost all of the people interviewed for this story said that the Oromo community does not often interact with other Ethiopian communities.

Nevertheless, heated political viewpoints have resulted in incidents between some groups. At the University of Minnesota, the Department of African and African American Studies hosted an African night a couple of years ago, inviting African students to come and share part of their culture and also show their country’s flag. Many Ethiopian students brought their national flag, but when they saw that some Oromo students came in with the flag of the OLF, an intense argument broke out that almost turned into a fight.

The use of flags at the University’s African nights has since been barred.

There are a few spaces where various Ethiopians interact regularly without problems. Just off the Cedar-Riverside Ave. intersection sits Mapps Café, which is co-owned by someone of Ethiopian Oromo descent. In the back of the building there is another café, Brook’s Coffee, owned by a man who is Tigray. Both establishments draw a cross-section of international customers who may come for the coffee and hang around for hours for the political debate.

In further interviews for this article, other Ethiopians and East Africans who were not Oromo expressed strong support for the Oromo and other persecuted Ethiopian groups like the Anuak, which has a refugee community in southern Minnesota.

Ketsela Fessya has lived in Minnesota for 30 years and is a co-founder of the Ethiopian Community of Minnesota. As an Oromo, he still identifies himself as an Ethiopian first and stresses the need for Ethiopian unity.

“The news that comes from [Ethiopia] is one-sided,” he said. “It often comes from either the government or political parties. In the absence of anything, you just make a subjective view.”

Yet, he said that he still sees the need for a balance of power in Ethiopia and great improvements in Ethiopia’s democracy.

“Sometimes a hungry hyena bites the horn out of his hunger,” Feyssa said, citing an Ethiopian proverb. “It is a good question for the opposition in Ethiopia. They still require tact and follow-through.”

Senator Coleman acts to support Oromo

Senator Norm Coleman recently expressed his deep concern about human rights abuses in Ethiopia, stating that the Oromo in the East African nation have faced persecution and systematic discrimination for the past half century.

In a statement recently released from his office, Coleman said that the Oromo should have “more access to the political process” in Ethiopia, and that “Ethiopia as a nation must embrace its majority Oromo population.”

“The Oromo have been politically marginalized by persecution and systematic discrimination, despite being an ethnic majority in East Africa,” he said.

The senator, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, had sent letters to the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, Aurelia Brazeal, and the Ethiopian ambassador in Washington, D.C.

“There are reports that the Ethiopian central government forced the Oromo regional government out of Addis Ababa... and also suspensions issued to hundreds of Oromo students by the University of Addis Ababa,” the senator had written to Ambassador Brazeal.

Senator Coleman referred to an incident at the University of Addis Ababa earlier this year when a government-backed Oromo cultural show was shut down after many Oromo students disrupted the event in protest.

Reportedly, the students were captured by security forces and imprisoned, prompting a large student protest days later in which some 500 students were rounded up and eventually suspended from the university. Allegedly, the students were also taken to a detention center where some were beaten, tortured and raped.

A group of Oromo organizations and individuals informed a large group of legislators about the incident and their cause at the Minnesota State Capital in April. The correspondence between Senator Coleman and Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal then ensued.

Besides the Oromo of Minnesota, Coleman also raised the issues of human rights abuses in Ethiopia’s Gambella region against the Anuak ethnic group, some members of which now have settled in southern Minnesota.

However, the senator was also clear in his support of American-Ethiopian cooperation in the war on terrorism.

“I am grateful for Ethiopia’s partnership in the global war on terror,” wrote the senator. “It is my hope that our partnership with Ethiopia on counter terrorism issues will invite, rather than preclude, a serious dialogue on these critical human rights issues.”

Ambassador Brazeal responded to the senator with a letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

“I can assure you that Ethiopia’s cooperation with the United States in the War on Terrorism does not mean that the government is turning a blind eye to human rights issues,” the ambassador replied. “The dialogue between our two governments is very good, allowing us to raise sensitive issues in an open and honest matter.”

The ambassador wrote that she had met with the president of Addis Ababa University and expressed the U.S. government’s concern about human rights abuses. She wrote that the U.S. embassy was also closely following an independent investigation of atrocities committed by government troops against Anuak civilians.

In his recently released statement, Coleman said that he was pleased with the ambassador’s response and he hopes that the two nations can work together to end discrimination and lay the grounds for open and fair national elections in Ethiopia in 2005.

Many members of the Oromo community said that they were satisfied with the letter and support from Ambassador Brazeal. Others expressed reservations, either because they believe that the senator had been misinformed, or that he did not go far enough in condemning the Ethiopian government.

“About 100 Oromo students have been allowed back into school,” said Girma Daka Msise, secretary general of the Oromo American Citizen’s Council, later adding that he believes efforts by the ambassador and senator led to the reinstatement. “We are asking for the re-admittance of all students and release of prisoners. But this is a good start.”

Daka said that his group, among others, now hopes to make a similar presentation to the U.S. Congress while continuing to advocate for bipartisan support in Minnesota. Other Ethiopians have also met with Senator Coleman’s political staffs and those of other high-ranking politicians about support and scrutiny of the upcoming 2005 national elections in Ethiopia.

“Even if you are living here, psychologically part of you is still there in Ethiopia,” said Daka.

" Not just Oromos oppressed in Ethiopia, Part 1" and related comment

Oromia, Ethiopia, Kenya

Geography

The Oromo people constitute the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, or about 30 million people out of a total population of 60 million. Their original homeland, Oromia, included most of what is now Ethiopia and stretched into northern Kenya, where some Oromos still live.

History and Politics

During the early twentieth century Oromos lost their sovereignty to the government of Abyssinia and suffered unrelenting political, economic, and social oppression. For close to 400 years Oromos suffered under the occupation of consecutive Ethiopian regimes. In spite of centuries of suffering Oromo cultural identity remained strong. So much so, that Oromos never felt comfortable calling themselves Abyssinians, or Ethiopians, or totally abandoning their culture for that of Abyssinian culture. Many Oromos perceive that the Ethiopians never tried to allow Oromos to feel that they were part and parcel of the Ethiopian empire. Oromos were not allowed to be part of the ruling class. Some Oromos essentially became Ethiopians, changing their names and other pieces of their cultural identity in order to live among the dominant culture with less discrimination. For example, some Oromos changed their names to Amharic names to increase their chances of being hired by employers who normally discriminated against hiring Oromos.

Oppression was especially harsh and brutal under the imperial rule of Haile Silassie, of the Amhara ethnic group. During the reign of Haile Silassie the Oromo language was banned and speakers were privately and publicly ridiculed. The government did every thing in its power to ensure the domination of the Abyssinian language and cultures over the Oromo people. In early 1974, a grass roots Oromo resistance movement along with other movements made it possible for the military government to overthrow Haile Silassie. Soon after, the new Communist Military Government, led by strongman Mengistu Hailemariam, resumed the persecution of Oromo nationals.

The United States began accepting refugees from Ethiopia in the late 1970's, when the military dictatorship was receiving political, military, and financial support from the former Soviet Union. It was during the reign of the military regime known as "Derge", that Oromos were severely persecuted for their nationality and perceived threat to the minority dictatorial government. The United States granted refugee status to Oromos working or associated with Oromo liberation fronts, on the basis of risk of imprisonment or death for their activities.

In the early 1990's, with the aid of the United States' government, the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated the ruling government of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic (EPRDF), and joined with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in co-authoring a democratic charter. Subsequently, the TPLF, with support from the United States, consolidated its grip of power and further continued to deny Oromos their political autonomy. Like its predecessors, the government dominated by the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front was vicious in its brutality against the Oromo people. As a consequence, Oromo refugees and asylum seekers are still coming to the United States from refugee camps in Kenya and elsewhere.

Today, Oromo children living under the current regime are still not allowed to study in the Oromo language, despite promises made by the "New Ethiopian Democracy" of the early 1990's. Today, more than ever before, Oromos suffer brutal political, social, and economic suppression under the Meles regime. Unemployment, loss of land, on-going armed incursion and occupation into Oromia regions to murder, imprison, torture intimidate, and terrorize the Oromo population is ongoing. A true profile of ethnic cleansing can be seen in Ethiopia today.

Language

The traditional Oromo language is Oromiffa, the written form of which has recently changed to use the Roman alphabet. Oromiffa was banned during the regime of Haile Selassie, and Amharic was the only language taught in schools or used in the public sphere for decades. Thus Oromos who had formal education or grew up in urban areas can speak and write Amharic, while people in the countryside who were isolated from educational campaigns have continued to speak Oromiffa. Some Oromos may also speak Tigrigna, Somali, Arabic, or Swahili, but most Oromo refugees prefer to speak Oromiffa as a matter of cultural pride. Literacy in English is limited but growing as more people take English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

Additional article on Alphabets and Sounds by Taha Roba, December 2002

Interpersonal Relationships

Naming

Each person has one main name, their given name. They are often given other personal "love names" by family members. Their second name is the main name of their father. A third name is usually the name of their paternal grandfather.

Additional comments, May 2003
Traditionally, the father picks Oromo children's names but the mother has great influence in naming the daughter of the family. It must also be said that Oromo names have meanings as if to convey wishes of success, wisdom, and prosperity through generations. For instance, the most popular Oromo names are Ibsaa for males and Ibsituu for females, both meaning "light".

Status, Role, Prestige

Added, May 2003
Oromos view advance in age with great respect. The "Gadaa system", an Oromo traditional government, is based on age grade system. For instance, to take full responsibility for a nation or society "Abbaa Gadaa" (the leader/President) reaches full leadership only at age 40 or on eighth Gadaa. (The Oromo people use base eight as opposed to the traditional Western base ten.)

Oromos have a tradition of viewing long age as accumulation of wisdom gained from experience. Therefore, Oromos approach elders as students would professors, ready to learn. The elder of the village or the household is a leader of a given domain and perhaps beyond. Responsibilities, light or heavy, are assigned to persons according to how old the person is. The older the person, the less physical responsibilities, such as farming, heavy lifting, etc. are given. Physical responsibilities are usually assigned to the young, physically strong and able. Elders are given the task of thinking, conveying and radiating wisdom as needed.

When issues such as weddings, death, or disputes arise, the most able and senior of elders are assembled. Issues can be won or lost on the credibility and ability of the elders, much like the quality of counsel defending or prosecuting legal cases in Western cultures.

Greetings

The traditional greeting used by men and women is called "salamatta". They grasp each other's hands and kiss the top of the other person's hands. If they are related or close friends, they would kiss each other. In the US they often shake hands in the western manner. When meeting a person on the road or street they say, "Did you have a peaceful nght or day?" Children are commonly hugged when greeted. "Galla" is a derogitory term used in the past for Oromos by the ruling groups in Ethiopia. It is considered a very insulting term.

Added, May 2003

Good morning - "Akkam bultan"
Good afternoon - "Akkam ooltan"

The Oromo language tends to be more formal than English language in their social exchange. Oromo are formal with everyone except family, close friends, classmates and young children. Compare the following dialogues:
Informal

Roba meets Galgale in a store
Galgale: akkam bulte
Roba: nagaya bulte...ati akkam...
Galgalee: Nagaya fayya waaqa galanni haagayu
Roba: Nagayaatti Galgalee
Galgalee: nagayaan jiraadhu

Formal

Mr. Leenjisoo meets his neighbor Mr. Leenco on street.
Obbo Leenjiso: akkam bultaan obbo Leenco
ObboLeenco: nagaya isin akkam jirtan
Obbo Leenjiso: waaqa galanni haagayouu fayya
Obbo Leenco: nagayaan jiraadha
Obbo Leenjiso: nagayaan galaa

Greetings - Gulantaa Ul'finnaa

In Oromo, women are greeted as "aaddee". Good morning would sound like "akkam bulte aaddee!" If the woman has children, she may be called "haadha" plus her oldest child's name. For instance, if a woman's oldest child is called "Rooba" people may call the woman "haadha Rooba". Another woman, whose child is named "Caaltu", may be called "haadha Caaltu".

In Oromo, civilian men are greeted as "obbo". Military men are greeted as "jaalle". If a man has a child, he will be called "abba" plus the name of the child. For example a man whose son is "Bunna" will be called "abba bunna".

Social Distance

At meetings or social gatherings, Oromos commonly sit in a circle. The space between people who are speaking to each other in informal settings is commonly the same as in Western cultures.

Displays of Respect

"Obbo" is the Oromiffa equivalent to "Mister", for a married woman the term is "Ayo", and for a young woman "Addee". Elders are generally given great respect within their communtiies. Within the language there is a formal for of "you" which is used to address respected persons. Persons who are older are addressed as "mother" and "father".

General Etiquette/Social Distance

Added May 2003
At meetings or gatherings Oromos normally reserve the most comfortable area for the elderly and the seniors of the group. Displays of respect for age and wisdom is expected from the audience. Respect for the start time of the meeting is also important. If a person does not respect the set time, his ideas and contribution to the group will have cold reception or he will be reminded of his/her offense from this and previous experiences. Depending on the subject matter, the young are encouraged to attend meetings as a way to teach the social etiquette and pass it on to the next generation.

Marriage, Family and Kinship

Marriage

Added, May 2003

Marriage is one of the most important rituals in the Oromo culture. There are three things Oromos talk about in life: birth, marriage, and death. These are the events that add to or take away from the family. Before the onset of foreign religions, namely Christianity and Islam, Oromo marriage rituals included exchange of gifts, mainly by the bride to be.

The ritual of courting begins a long time before the marriage date. It may entail encounters at events, mainly at weddings, or the courting may stem from understanding between the families. Once the boy has demonstrated responsibilities, not only for his own livelihood but also for the society in which he lives, he picks the girl he is interested in. He will inform a family member, usually his father, who then contacts the family of the girl. Usually the girl knows of the boy's intent and, in many instances, she encourages him to pursue her in this way. There are mediators, such as the girl's best friends, who convey the girl's wishes to the boy.

The first visit to the girl from the family of the groom-to-be involves other elders from his village. Special clothing is worn to underscore the importance of the meeting. A stick called "siinqee" is carried to the bride-to-be's house and left at the door to indicate to her parents that the process of courting their daughter has begun in earnest. On the second visit, the "siinqee" may come in with the groom's party indicating the girl's family has accepted the gesture. Visits by the groom's party may continue over the course of two years. The visits will prepare the way for acceptance of the young man, not only by the girl's immediate family, but by her relatives as well. It may also happen that the future son-in-law must till the land of his future in-laws - the idea is to make parents' sure that their daughter is marrying into a family who can support their daughter and her needs.

Once the needs of all relatives are satisfied, the actual date for a marriage will be set. On the date of the wedding, gifts for the bride's family are brought by an assembly of well-respected elders who join the wedding party. Bringing home the new bride is an all day process. Without the presence of knowledgeable elders, the marriage can be delayed. Once the groom is home with his new bride, the wedding party may take another three or more days to complete. This is a period when the groom's family and relatives bring presents. In old days, Oromos never married within their immediate clans, and today some Oromos continue to abide by that restriction. However, with the introduction of foreign religions and influences, times are changing the marriage traditions of the Oromo people and many Oromo marriages resemble marriages of Western or Middle Eastern cultures.

Since girls have to marry into different clans in traditional Oromo society, their relatives are almost always some distance away. Traditional Oromo wedding rituals fostered understanding and interconnectedness between different societies as well shattering a stereotypical myth that African societies were at war with one another before the arrival of foreigners, mainly Europeans and Arabs.

Gender Roles

Expanded, May 2003
In Oromia, children are trained to do specific family tasks at certain age, starting at age three. Girls and boys have different roles depending on the composition of the family. Girls are taught cooking, cattle tending and gathering of firewood while boys are thought horse riding, spear throwing, hunting, farming, cattle tending and survival techniques. The Oromo culture expects men to feed, shelter, cloth and protect the family while women are expected to rear children and care for the whole family from home. Women marry starting about fifteen years of age and are expected to be virgins until then. During "Gadaa" tradition however, a young man may not marry until the age of 28, a practice that is considered "built-in" family planning.

Family and Kinship Structure

Added May 2003
In Oromo culture, the father is the head of the household but the true leader of the family is the mother. The day-to-day life of the family is dependent on the mother. The family may live in close proximity with other family members and relatives.

Extended Families

Updated, May 2003
In Oromia, living in extended family households is the norm. In Seattle, Oromo family households include one to eight persons on average, and nearly half of those people are children under 12 years of age. As the refugee and immigrant Oromo population grows in the United States, attracting relatives in one area or town for support will become common.

Reproduction

Pregnancy

Child Birth

In Oromia, women are helped through pregnancy and childbirth by female neighbors or female elders in the community. Formal prenatal care may be unfamiliar, but women traditionally increase the amount of meat in their diet and pay special attention to nutrition. If a woman was ready to deliver in Oromia, she might notify a female friend but not her husband. Men are not supposed to participate at all, and many women here are still reluctant to have their husbands involved in the birthing process. Oromo women in Seattle have several concerns with childbirth: they are uncomfortable with male doctors and medical students, as well as with the standard American high-tech approach to anesthesia, fetal monitoring, and augmenting delivery. Many women think that American doctors are too quick to perform Cesarean sections for what the women consider normal variations, such as post-term gestational age, and they may wait at home until they are well into labor to try to avoid unwanted procedures. After delivery, a woman is supposed to rest in bed for forty days attended by the other women of the community, who cook special foods for her and tend her other children while she regains her strength. Unfortunately, women have been unable to do that here because of school, work, and logistical problems.

Post Partum Practices

See Infant Feeding below.

Infancy, Childhood and Socialization

Ceremonials During Infancy and Childhood

Infant Feeding, Care

In Oromia, the newborn infant's first feedings are water for twenty-four hours, after which the baby is given fresh butter as a laxative to expel meconium and then begins to breastfeed. In Oromia, breastfeeding in public is perfectly acceptable, and the vast majority of women do breastfeed. Here, women worry that nursing in public is inappropriate, and work or school may interrupt the feeding schedule, so they are having trouble maintaining breastfeeding as long as they would like. They are unfamiliar with pumping and storing milk, but some working women may be interested in that option.

Traditionally, mothers introduced other foods at about six months of age and continued nursing until they were ready to bear another child or up to three years of age. In fact, breastfeeding was the most common means of family planning, and the shortened or incomplete breastfeeding here is contributing to a high fertility rate in Seattle's Oromo community which taxes already stretched resources. Women may not take oral contraceptive pills correctly and dislike the spotting and subsequent amenorrhea from progesterone injections, so alternative methods of family planning are not widely practiced.

Children are considered full members of the family and of the community and are appreciated for their ability to keep their parents' spirit present in the community even after the parents' death. Unlike other cultural groups from Ethiopia, Oromos allow children to eat at the same table with adults and participate in discussions of significance as soon as they are old enough to talk and understand.

Child Rearing Practices

Updated, May 2003
Discipline is achieved by teaching respect for elders from an early age, by correcting bad behavior verbally, and occasionally spanking. The fear of child protection services involvement in family affairs has made many Oromo families stop spanking or correcting their children's unwanted and more often counter productive behavior. Many in the Seattle's Oromo community are unsure of other methods, aside from winning and enforcing respect, to manage unwelcome behaviors.

The community as a whole is concerned about their children surviving adolescence in the United States of America without getting involved in drugs and violence. Over the years, the local Community Organization has worked on involving kids in physical activities such as running, soccer and basketball in the spring and summer, and academic support in order to occupy the times and energy of young people.

Even though many now understand and grudgingly accept teenage dating, this is a new practice to many Oromo families. In Oromia, pre-arranged marriage is the norm and many Oromo immigrants still prefer old tradition to new.

Rites of Passage and Life Stages

Updated, May 2003
In contrast to other peoples of Africa, Oromos did not have a tribal chieftan structure. They had a democratic system of government called the "gadda". There were 5 political groupings and each group governed for 8 years in turn taking 40 years to complete the cycle. A person who proved himself for the five stages would become the father of the country, if given the majority vote. Democratic meetings where all speak out and where the selection of local leaders are made continue today in local Oromo groups. Women were traditionally given great respect and had a particular role in resolving conflicts respect and a prominent role in electing leaders. Physical beating of a woman by her husband was forbidden by Oromo law and a man who did this would be publicly shamed by powerful women. In Seattle, Oromo women commonly participate in discussion in community meetings and until recently, they sat mixed with men. Elders within the community are respected as counselors and advisors to the community and for resolving family disputes.

Nutrition and Food

Buddeenaa, (or bideenna, several spellings have been suggested), is a fermented flat bread made from teff flour and is commonly eaten by Oromos. A spicy barley dish mixed with butter is a special delicacy. Butter is added to most porridge and stew or soup dishes. Meat is an important part of the diet, both smoked and fresh, but pork is not eaten. Milk and coffee mixed with milk are common drinks. Traditionally food is eaten with the fingers of the right hand. Western utensils may now be used in Oromo homes in Seattle.

Drinks, Drugs, and Indulgences

New, May 2003
Back home many Oromos drink homemade bear called "farsoo" or "daadhi"(alcoholic) and "qaribo" (non-alcoholic version). Other harmful drugs common in Western cultures were historically unknown to Oromos.

Religious Life

Updated, May 2003
Traditional Oromo religious belief centers around one God, Waaqa, who is responsible for everything that happens to human beings. As Oromos adopted Islam or Christianity, they maintained the concept of Waaqa and incorporated their beliefs into the new religions. The majority of Oromos in Seattle practice Islam, reflecting a Muslim majority within Ethiopia, and they have had some difficulty maintaining their traditions in the U.S. For instance, during the month-long holiday of Ramadan, Muslims are supposed to fast all day, eat most of the night, and pay special attention to prayer, but American public schools and work places are not set up to accommodate such a schedule. Another large percentage of Oromos are Christian. Christians are primarily Catholic or Adventist rather than Orthodox, as the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is associated with the dominant Amhara cultural group. Within the Oromo nation, Muslims and Christians have mingled peacefully, as they do in the community here. Oromo Christians are less restricted in their abilities to worship as they see fit because the dominant religion in America is Christianity. Those Oromos whose traditions still mirror the traditions of "Waaqefataa" are less organized, less visible and therefore less understood.

Death

New, May 2003
In Oromia, when a household is faced with the reality of death, community support is given in the form of money, time, and physical labor. In Seattle, this tradition continues, as it is the only way to support the grieving families.

Traditional Medical Practices

Traditional Oromo healers are skilled at bone-setting, cautery, minor surgical procedures such as tonsillectomy or uvulectomy for throat infections and drainage of abscesses, and treating many illnesses with medicines made from local plants. Individuals were also accustomed to using plants for home remedies for minor illnesses, but of course those familiar herbs are not found growing in Western Washington. Hygiene is known to be important, and many diseases are recognized to be contagious, but many diverse forces are thought capable of affecting health. Illness and misfortune in general is often considered a punishment from Waaqa for sins a person has committed, and the "evil eye" is a malevolent influence from other people that can cause disease, especially in vulnerable young infants.

Endemic diseases in Oromia are similar to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa and include Hepatitis A and B, tuberculosis, falciparum malaria, syphilis, schistosomiasis and other tropical infectious diseases. AIDS is emerging as a significant problem, complicated by a social reluctance to discuss extramarital sexual activity, especially among teenagers.

Added, May 2003
Some members of the Seattle Oromo Community believe the Ethiopian government is purposely ignoring and under-funding disease control, particularly for HIV/AIDS, in Oromia regions as a political tool to either eliminate as many Oromos as possible or to further control Oromo lives.

Circumcision

In Oromia, circumcision is performed on both boys and girls either in early infancy or at the time of marriage. Female circumcision is desirable but optional, while male circumcision is considered mandatory for reasons of health/hygiene and social acceptance, as well as religious law for Muslims. The community is very concerned that some of their boys who were born in refugee camps still have not been circumcised, as the Department of Health and Social Service pays for them in older children only if medically indicated, and the cost for a routine procedure with general anesthesia is over two thousand dollars. The urologists at Children's Hospital in Seattle may be willing to do the procedure with just local anesthetics in a cooperative patient but would need a special referral.

Experience with Western Medicine

In Country of Origin

Oromo refugees from urban centers in Ethiopia have some experience with Western-style medicine, but rural people may have trouble understanding our concepts of disease causation and our practice of withholding symptomatic treatment until a diagnostic workup is done. Back home, effective herbal medicines were available to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal viral syndromes, and antibiotics were used rather indiscriminately in cities and refugee camps, so Oromos expect to receive medications for every illness. Therefore, our failure to prescribe medicines for self-limited illnesses makes some people feel it is a waste of time to go to the doctor and is a common point of dissatisfaction.

Experience with Western Medicine in the United States

Most Oromos in Seattle come to Harborview Medical Center for care.

People tend to be nervous about venous blood draws because they worry that the lost blood will not be replaced (and the traditional method of replacing lost blood - drinking fresh blood from a sheep or cow - is not possible here), so finger pokes for lab tests are much more acceptable. Blood transfusions also generate fear and concern, although there is no specific cultural proscription against them. As in any area of potential misunderstanding, taking the time to explain our reasoning and answer questions can go a long way toward improving a doctor-patient interaction.

Women are generally reluctant to discuss gynecologic issues, especially with a male provider or male interpreter, and especially on a first visit before a relationship has been established with the provider. The words used for parts of the body vary in different dialects, so an Oromo interpreter may not know the right term to use with a particular woman. Also the idea of a pelvic exam may be completely foreign and unacceptable if a woman is not familiar with western medicine, as there is no tradition of such a thing in Oromo culture. After about age ten, Oromos would much prefer a same-sex health-care provider.

Community Structure

Seattle Community Life

Expanded, May 2003
After leaving their country, most people spent some time in refugee camps in Kenya, Sudan or Somalia. Refugee arrival in the United States began in the early 1980s and peaked in 1989-90, with the largest numbers of people settling in Seattle in 1989-93. The total population in the greater Seattle area numbers about 3000 and is growing, mainly with new babies but also with a few family members still emigrating from refugee camps in Kenya.

The Oromo Community Organization was founded by members of the community to help each other build new lives in Seattle, and a main focus of the Organization right now is education and job training so that Oromos can support themselves independently without needing public assistance. The Organization is especially interested in promoting education for its women as a way of improving the health and welfare of women, children and the community as a whole.

See article about Seattle Oromo soccer team

Local Community Resources

Oromo Community Resource List

Neighborhoods

Most of Seattle's Oromo population lives in south Seattle (Rainier Valley and Holly Park), but some families have also settled in Ballard, West Seattle, Kent, Redmond, and Bellevue.

Common Acculturation Issues

Most of the community comes from rural areas within Ethiopia and may have had little formal education, but many urban Oromos are well-educated and worked in nursing, teaching, or other professional fields before coming here. Oromos are working in a variety of capacities in Seattle, but unemployment and underemployment are problems for many heads of households.

Many familiar practices will be changing in the new American cultural milieu, but Oromos hope to celebrate and strengthen their own culture as they build a community here.

Compiled by Kebede Bekere, June 2000

The Oromo people are the largest ethic group in Ethiopia. The Oromo people account for more than 40% of the Sixty million total population of the country. The Oromo people are found all over the country predominantly in Wollega, shoa, Illubabour, Jimma, Arsi, Bale, Hararghe, Wollo, Borana, and southwestern part of Gojjam.

The Oromo people have their own language, which is called Afaan Oromo. The Oromo language has very rich vocabulary. It is a highly developed spoken language. The Oromo people are proud of their language. They really consider their language as their identity. Someone who speaks their language is very special to them; he or she is not considered alien, but a part of their community. The Oromo people do not have hatred to Amharic as a language of communication. However, they become furious when Amharic is used as a sign of oppression and in a way that displaces the Oromo language. When Oromos are forced by external power to use Amharic in a situation where they can use Oromo by some external power, they do not feel comfortable. The Oromos who know Amharic can use Amharic when it is necessary. I do think that the opposition of the Oromo people is not to speak Amharic, but about the subtle plot behind using Amharic in the Oromo areas. Most of the time people are confused about being involved in a political party and being conscious about being Oromo. I think that being in a political party is a choice one has to make, but being Oromo is a predestined. The Oromos claim that God created them Oromo and they have to use the language He gave them. Any power against this is intolerable.

The Oromo people recently adopted the Latin script to the Oromo language. The adoption of the Latin script was a burning issue in the country in the beginning of 1990's. The adoption of the Latin script was necessary for many reasons: (1) The Latin script is the most convinient system of writing best suit to the Oromo language. The Sabean script or the Amharic script syllabary does not indicate the length of vowels. In addition, the sabean script has more than 300 hundred characters while the Oromo language has 34 basic sounds which are easy for new beginners to learn the language. (2) It is easy to write the Oromo words clearly without any confusion using the Latin script. (3). Adaptability to the computer.

Since 1993, the medium of instruction in schools in the Oromo State, Oromiya is Oromo language in the Latin script. The offices are also using the Latin script. The Oromo people were prohibited from using their own native language in their own schools and offices for a century. They were forced to use Amharic by force, which created resistance to use Amharic in Oromo speaking areas.

The Oromo language has five major dialects in the country. They are the central and the western, the Arsi, the Eastern (Qottuu), the Guji, and the Borana dialects. The central and western dialect is the most widely used dialect because the sizes of the speakers are larger than the others. There is the whole Bible translation in the central and western dialect in both Latin and Sabean scripts. Since currently the Oromo language is being used in schools and offices, the barrier among the different dialects is being narrowed. The tendency is to use one national Oromo language all over the Oromo speaking areas. The step was taken and currently using the standardized national Oromo language, which is being used in schools, offices, and mass media, made communication among all Oromo speaking people very simple. I do believe that currently, there is no need to learn each dialect. The Oromos are being happy to reunite by speaking the same language and the same dialect.

There are ten vowels in the Oromo language.

Short vowels long vowels

a aa aarii anger

e ee eeboo spear

i ii ilmoo offspring

o oo olaanaa super

u uu uffata dress/ cloth

There are also 24 basic consonants in Oromo language. .

b baabbaa dad

c caabii plate

d damma honey

f farda horse

g gaala camel

h harree donkey

j jaamaa blind

k kalee kideny

l lafa earth

m marga grass

n nama human/man

q qamalee ape

r raammoo worm

s saree dog

t tabba hill

w Waaqayyo God

x xaxamaa complex

y yakka crime

Diphthongs

Ch gurraacha black

Dh dhadhaa butter

Ny nyaata food

Ph salphaa easy

Sh shan five

Foreign sounds

The sounds of the following characters are not found in Oromo language, but they are used in the Oromo language as adopted sounds.

p koppii copy

v talavidzinii television

A key to pronunciation of any Oromo word

(1) If similar consonants are double in a word, the sound should be stressed/ emphasized.

komee complaint

kommee come

(2) If similar vowels are double in a word the sound should be longer.

Laagaa roof of the mouth

laga river

Greeting words

Come back safely. Nagaan gali/galaa

Come in seen/seenaa

God bless you. Waaqayyo si haa eebbisu.

Good afternoon? Attam oolte / ooltan?

Good morning? Attam bulte/bultan?

Goodbye Nagaan turi / turaa

Have a good day. Guyyaa nagaa siif haa ta'u.

Hello Ashamaa

Hi Attam

How are you? Attam jirta/jirtu?

I am fine, Praise the Lord. Nagaa, galata Waaqayyoo

I am fine. Nagaa. / Fayyaa.

Please maaloo

Sit down taa'i/ taa'aa

Thank you. Galatoomi/ galatoomaa

Von voyage. Karaa nagaa.

Welcome baga nagaan dhufte/ dhuftan

Transportation

Accident balaa

Address teessoo

Air port buufata xiyyaaraa

Airplane xiyyaara

Arrival dhufa, galma

Awake damaksuu

Baggage mi'a karaa

Bar mana buna

Bathroom mana dhiqannaa

Battery baatirii

Bed siree

Bicycle biskiliitii

Blanket uffata halkanii

Boat bidiruu

Brake fireenii

Bridge riqicha

Bus station buufata atoobisii

Bus atoobisii

Car konkolaataa

Cold water bishaan dilallaa'aa

Driver konkolaachisaa

Driving license hayyama konkolaachisuu

Electricity elektiriika

Envelope poostaa

Fire ibidda

Flea tafkii

Gasoline benizila

Go deemuu

Guest house mana keessummaa

Guest keessummaa

Guide dura-deemaa

Horse farda

Hot water bishaan o'aa

Hotel hoteela

Information odeeffannoo

Insurance inshuraansii

Light ibsaa

Map maappii

Market gabaa

Message ergaa

Mud dhoqqee

Mule gaangee

Needle lilimmoo

Package ba'aa

Passenger karaa-deemaa

Petrol station baka bobaa’aa bitatan

Police pooliisii

Post office mana poostaa

Railways karaa baaburaa

Receive fudhachuu

Restaurant mana nyaataa

Road daandii, karaa

Room kutaa

Send erguu

Ship doonii

Shop suuqii

Stop dhabadhu

Swimming pool bishaan daakaa

Taxi taaksii

Telephone bilbila

Tissue paper waraqaa mana fincaanii

Toilet mana fincaanii

Tout wayyaalaa

Towel fooxaa

Town, city magaalaa

Traffic tiraafikii

Train baabura

Umbrella dibaabee

Village ganda

Weather haala qillensaa

Directions

Back booda

East ba'a

Front fuuldura

Left bitaa

North kaaba

Right mirgaa

Side bukkee, cinaa

South kibba

West lixa

Time

Days of the week

Monday Wiixata

Tuesday Kibxata

Wednesday Roobii

Thursday Kamsa

Friday Jimata

Saturday Sanbata

Sunday Dilbata

3:00 am iyyaa handaaqqoo

Afternoon Waaree booda

Dawn Obboroo

Day Guyyaa

Evening Galgala

Mid night halkan walakkaa

Morning Ganama

Night Halkan

Noon Waaree, saafaa

Twilight Dimimmisa

Months of the Year

January Amajjii

February Guraandhala

March Bitootessa

April Caamsaa

May Ebla

June Waaxabajjii

July Adooleessa

August Haggaya

September Fulbaana

October Onkoloolessa

November Sadaasa

December Muddee

Seasons of the year

Autumn birraa

Spring arfaasaa

Summer ganna

Winter bona

General time related words

Afterwards gulana

Again ammas, lammaffaa

Ago dur, qaata

Always yeroo hundaa

Appointment beellama

Century jaarraa

Early dafee

Hour saatii, saa'a

Last year waggaa darbe

Late yeroo dabarsuu

Minute daqiiqaa

Month ji'a, baatii

Next year waggaa dhufu

Shadow gaaddidduu, gaaddisa

Sometimes takka takka, darbee darbee

Sun rise ba'a biiftuu

Sunset lixa biiftuu

The day before yesterday dheengadda

Time yeroo

Today har'a

Tomorrow booru

Tonight galgala har'aa

When yoom

Year waggaa

Yesterday kaleessa

Numbers
1                                            tokko
2                                            lama
3                                            sadii
4                                            afur
5                                            shan
6                                            ja'a
7                                            torba
8                                            saddeet
9                                            sagal
10                                        kudha
11                                        kudha-tokko
12                                        kudha-lama

20 digdama

21 digdamii-tokko

22 digdamii-lama

30 sodoma

31 sodomii-tokko

32 sodomii-lama

40 afurtama

41 afurtamii-tokko

42 afurtamii-lama

50 shantama

51 shantamii-tokko

52 shantamii-lama

60 jaatama

61 jaatamii-tokko

62 jaatamii-lama

70 torbatama

71 torbatamii-tokko

72 torbatamii-lama

80 saddeettama

81 saddeettamii-tokko

82 saddeettamii-lama

90 sagaltama

91 sagaltamii-tokko

92 sagaltamii-lama

100 dhiba

101 dhibaa fi tokko

102 dhibaa fi lama

110 dhibaa fi kudhan

120 dhibaa fi digdama

200 dhiba- lama

300 dhiba- sadii

1000 kuma

1001 kumaa fi tokko

1002 kumaa fi lama

2000 kuma lama

3000 kuma sadii

100,000 kuma dhiba

1000,000 kitila, miliyoonii

add (+) idda'uu

subtract (-) irrisuu

divide ( ) hiruu

multiply (x) baay'isuu

equal (=) walqixxee

Money

Bank baankii

Borrow liqeessuu

Buy bituu

Cash kaashii, callaa

Check cheekii

Cheep gatii cabaa, rakasa

Coin saantima, niiree, taamunii

Cost &nbs