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,
Kenya and
Djibouti.
The most prominent East Cushitic language is
Oromo, with about 21 million speakers. Other prominent languages include
Somali (in
Somalia,
Ethiopia, Kenya,and
Djibouti) with about 15 million speakers,
Sidamo (in
Ethiopia) with about 2 million speakers, and
Afar (in
Eritrea and
Djibouti) 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 Yaaku (extinct) and Boon (endangered).
List of Eastern Cushitic languages
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Highland East Cushitic
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Alaba (or Alaaba)
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Burji
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Gedeo
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Hadiyya (or Hadiya)
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Kambaata
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Libido
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Sidamo
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Lowland East Cushitic
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★ Rendille-Boni (
Rendille and
Boni)
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Somali languages
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Somali
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Af-Maay
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Saho-Afar languages
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Saho
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Afar
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★ Konso-Gidole
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Konso (or Komso)
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Dirasha (or Gidole, Kidole, Diraytata)
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Oromo
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★ Dullay
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Bussa (endangered)
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★ Gawwada
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★ Tsamai
★ Western Omo-Tana
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★ Arbore
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★ Baiso
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★ Daasanach
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★ El Molo/Elmolo (extinct; all speakers have shifted to Elmolo-Samburu)
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Yaaku (moribund; all speakers have shifted to Mukogodo-Maasai, only three fluent speakers left)
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Boon (endangered, possibly extinct)
See also
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Languages of Ethiopia
External link
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East Cushitic on the Ethnologue.