Southern Oromo (Borana)

Southern Oromo is a member of the Lowland East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. It is spoken by about 9.6 million people in southern Ethiopia amd northern Kenya. Southern Oromia speakers in Ethiopia can be found in the Oromia region, while those in Kenya live mainly in the Marsabit County, and also in Tana River and Garissa counties.

Southern Oromo is also known as Boraana Oromo, Afaan Borana, Borana, Boraana, Borena or Booranaa. Dialects include Borana, Arsi and Guji, which are spoken in Ethiopia, and Karayu, Salale and Gabra, which are spoken in Kenya. It is written with the Latin alphabet.

Southern Oromo alphabet

Download an Southern Oromo alphabet chart (Excel)

Sample text (Guji dialect)

Yesuus isaaniin, “Yennaa daadimattanu tana jedha'a: ‘Abbaa keenna, [ka ol-gubbaa jirtu:] Maqaan keeti woyyoomu; Mootummaan teeti dhuttu. [Fedhiin teeti akkuma ol-gubba'atti teete, lafa irralle'etti teetuu.]
Sagalee nuu barbaachittu guyyuma guyya'aan nuu kenni.
Akkuma nuuti worra nu yakkuuf araarannu, cubbuu teenna nuu araarami; [hantuu irraa nu eegi malee], ataabe'etti nu hin galchin!ʼ ” jedhe.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/3176/LUK.11.GAXNT

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos

Information about Southern Oromo | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about Southern Oromo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Oromo_language
https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/borana.html
http://www.language-archives.org/language/gax
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/gax

Cushitic languages

Afaan-Oromo, Afar, Awngi, Beja, Blin, Daasanach, Dirasha, Gawwada, Hadiyya, Iraqw, Maay Maay, Rendille, Saho, Sidama, Somali, Southern Oromo, Waata, Xamtanga, Yaaku

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 27.09.24. Last modified: 01.06.25

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