Koorete

Print

A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3
kqy
Alternate Names
Amaarro, Amarro, Badittu, Haro, Harro, Koore, Koyra, Kwera, Nuna
Population

157,000 (2007 census), increasing. 84,400 monolinguals (1994 census). Baiso [bsw] and Oromo [orm] are replacing Harro on Gidiccho Island (Dimmendaal and Voeltz 2007). Ethnic population: 136,000 (2006 Southern Region Population and Statistics Office).

Location

Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Sidama zone, Amaro mountains east of Lake Abaya. About 60 Harro families (200 people) in Lake Abbaya, on Gidicho (Gidicció) island, Harro village.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Omotic, North, Gonga-Gimojan, Gimojan, Ometo-Gimira, Ometo, East
Dialects

Middle Koorete, North Koorete, South Koorete. The dialects are mutually intelligible. Lexical similarity: 54% with Dorze [doz], 53% with Wolaytta [wal], 52% with Gofa [gof], 49% with Gamo [gmv], 48% with Dawro [dwr], 45% with Male [mdy].

Typology

SOV

Language Use

Vigorous. All domains. All ages.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 24%. Used in education. NT: 2011.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Koorete
Writing
Ethiopic script, used in Church literature. Latin script, primary usage.