Borna

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A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3
bwo
Alternate Names
Boro, Bworo, Scinacia, Shinasha
Population

37,500 (2007 census). 140 Gamila; 2,280 L2 speakers including 45 Gamila; 18,600 monolinguals including 77 Gamila.

Location

Benishangul-Gumuz Region, near Blue Nile river.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Omotic, North, Gonga-Gimojan, Gonga, North
Dialects

Amuru, Bulen-Dibat’e, Gamila, Guba, Wambera, Wenbera-Dangur. Related to Kafa [kbr]. Scattered dialect groups. Lexical similarity: 46% with Shekkacho [moy].

Typology

SOV

Language Use

Used by all children in Dibat’e and most children in Bulen and Dangur. Children in Wenbera speak Oromo [hae]. Positive attitudes. Also use Amharic [amh] or Oromo [orm].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 25% in Amharic.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Borna
Writing
Ethiopic script, used until 2007. Latin script, used since 2007.
Other Comments

Boro is the ethnic name.