Gofa

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A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3
gof
Alternate Names
Goffa
Population

363,000 (2007 census), increasing. 190,000 monolinguals. L2 users: 33,400.

Location

Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Gamo-Gofa zone.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

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

None known. Lexical similarity: 79%–91% with Gamo [gmv], 76% with Dawro [dwr].

Typology

SOV; derived nouns formed by suffixation of verbs; passives; case suffixes; postpositions; tonal.

Language Use

Neutral attitudes. Also use Amharic [amh].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 19%. Church-based literacy program started 2007. Offered at the university as a major. Taught in primary schools in grades 1–4 as the medium of instruction, in grades 5–9 as a subject. NT: 2011.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Gofa
Writing

Ethiopic script [Ethi], used in Church literature. Latin script [Latn], official usage.