Gumuz (ŋgiša baha)

Gumuz is spoken by about 249,000 people in northwestern Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. It is tentatively classified as a Nilo-Saharan language. There are about 160,000 Gumuz speakers in the Kamashi and Metekel zones of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, and another 1,000 outside the town of Welkite in the Central Ethiopia Regional State. In Sudan, there are about 88,000 Gumuz speakers around Famaka and Fazoglo to the east of Er Roseries, a town in the north of the Blue Nile State.

Gumuz is also known as Gumaz. Some people who speak it call it ŋgiša baha ("language of the people"), while others us their clan name. There are northern and southern dialects, and possibly others, not which are not all mutually intelligible.

In the past the Ethiopic (Ge'ez) script was used to write Gumuz. A way to write it with the Latin alphabet was officially approved in Ethiopia in 2007. Gumuz is used as a language of instruction in the first four years of primary school in Gumuz-speaking areas of Ethiopia, and is taught as a subject after that.

Latin alphabet for Gumuz

Latin alphabet for Gumuz

Notes

Sh might also be written š.

Ethiopic script for Gumuz

Ethiopic script for Gumuz

Download alphabet charts for Gumuz (Excel)

Sample text

Dubꞌaga bꞌaga metaam metaam alamaam kamaanzaakꞌoma kasꞌe bipokꞌoga kamadꞌab maafucꞌakꞌwa haaga bacꞌaga tso. Kábꞌaga jajanda kwa jala etigafalagash maꞌiiya nago metaagwa eyaal yida-eba bicꞌaga tso.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample videos in Gumuz

Links

Information about Gumuz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumuz_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumuz_(langue)
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_gumuz
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Гумуз_(язык)
https://www.gumuz-web.com/guk
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/12559

Nilo-Saharan languages

Aringa, Avokaya, Baka, Beli, Bongo, Daza, Fur, Gumuz, Jur Modo, Kanuri, Keliko, Komo, Lokoya, Lugbara, Ma'di, Morokodo, Moru, Narim, Nobiin, OldNubian, Olu'bo, Shilluk, Uduk, Wa'di, Zaghawa, Zarma

Languages written with the Ethiopic (Ge'ez) script

Aari, Amharic, Argobba, Awngi, Bench, Blin, Chaha, Dizin, Ge'ez, Gumuz, Hamer(-Banna), Harari, Inor, Sidama, Silt'e, Tigre, Tigrinya, Xamtanga

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 25.10.23. Last modified: 25.10.23

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