16th edition

US$ 100.00

Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Ethiopia > Bench

Bench

A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3: bcq

Population	174,000 (1994 census). 149,293 monolinguals. 10,002 She, 1,070 Mer. Ethnic population: 173,123 (1994 census).
Region	Kafa region, Mizan Teferi area, Shewa Bench towns.
Language map	Southwestern Ethiopia, reference number 14
Alternate names	Dizu, Ghimarra, Gimarra, Gimira
Dialects	Bench (Bencho, Benesho), Mer (Mieru), She (Sce, Kaba).
Classification	Afro-Asiatic, Omotic, North, Gonga-Gimojan, Gimojan, Ometo-Gimira, Gimira
Language use	22,640 L2 speakers. Also use Amharic [amh].
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 12% Amharic. NT: 1990.
Writing system	Ethiopic script.
Comments	SOV; tonal, 5 level tones, 1 glide. Agriculturalists: wheat, barley, maize, sorghum. Traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

BREEZE, Mary J., author. 1986. "Personal pronouns in Gimira (Benchnon)."

BREEZE, Mary J., author. 1988. "Phonological features of Gimira and Dizi."

BREEZE, Mary J., author. 1990. "A sketch of the phonology and grammar of Gimira (Benchnon)."

RAPOLD, Christian, author. 2010. A Brief Grammar of Benc'non.

WEDEKIND, Klaus, author. 1983. "A six-tone language in Ethiopia: Tonal analysis of Benč4⁰ non4⁰ (Gimira)."

WEDEKIND, Klaus, author. 1985. "Why Bench’ (Ethiopia) has five level tones today."

WEDEKIND, Klaus, author. 1990. "Gimo-Jan or Ben-Yem-Om: Benč̡ - Yemsa phonemes, tones, and words."

Vernacular Publications

Benc'non gah gad maxsap; Bench transition primer. 2009.

Yizqnus' Benc' ats dosa its yitsa. 2009.