Kistane

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A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3
gru
Alternate Names
North Gurage, Soddo, Soddo Gurage
Population

255,000 (1994 census). Ethnic population: 364,000 (1994 census) including 4,000 Gogot.

Location

Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Gurage, Kambaata, and Hadiyya zones, southwest of Addis Ababa.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, South, Outer, n-Group
Dialects

Dobi (Dobbi, Goggot, Gogot), Soddo (Aymallal, Aymellel, Kestane, Kistane). Not intelligible with Silt’e [stv] or Sebat Bet Gurage [sgw]. Dobi dialect comprehension of Soddo is 76%, and Soddo speakers’ of Dobi is 90%.

Typology

SOV

Language Use

60,538 L2 speakers. Some also use Amharic [amh].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 22%.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kistane
Writing
Ethiopic script.
Other Comments

Not used in media. Christian.