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| Southern Oromo | |
|---|---|
| Borana | |
| Region | Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia |
| Ethnicity | Borana Oromo, Sakuye |
Native speakers | 9.6 million (2019–2024)[1] |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | gax |
| Glottolog | bora1271 |
 Southern Oromo | |
Southern Oromo, or Borana (after one of its dialects), is a variety of Oromo spoken in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya by the Borana people. Günther Schlee also notes that it is the native language of a number of related peoples, such as the Sakuye.[2]
Dialects are Borana proper (Boran, Borena), possibly Arsi (Arussi, Arusi) and Guji (Gujji, Jemjem) in Ethiopia and, in Kenya, Karayu, Salale (Selale), and Gabra (Gabbra, Gebra).
Boraana Oromo is one of the many Oromo languages spoken amongst Ethiopians and Kenyans. Boraana Oromo (Southern Oromo) derives from the Afrosiatic language family whilst belonging to the Cushitic branch. Oromo has the largest number of speakers out the Cushitic branch at an estimated 37 million.[3] Out of the 37 million Oromo speakers up to 18 million are speaking Boraana Oromo.[4] The Boraana speakers and people are solely based in the southern region (Oromia) of Ethiopia and the northern frontier district of Kenya. Most Kenyan Boraana people can be found in towns like Tula, Garba, Isiolo and Marsabit. Young Ethiopians that have migrated to Marsabit have very strong knowledge of the Boraana language. Boraana is a major dialect of the Oromo language but as of yet does not have extensive easily accessible information documented.
Commonly Boraana is referred to locally as Afaan Borana and has been spelled and described several different ways (Borana, Boraana, Borena, Booranaa, Southern Oromo).The Gadaa system (an age-grading system) also known as generation grading, has been practiced without interruption by the Boraana people.[5] This Gadaa practice can only be found within a handful of Cushitic speaking societes in Ethiopia. The Boraana people, practices and language are fascinating and even in current times only a couple books written have a clear in depth description on the topic of Boraana Oromo phonology and morhphology (Harry Stroomers Grammar of Boraana Oromo and his other Studies of Oromo in general).
The Boraana dialect of Oromo is an important depiction of Southern Oromo and has unique systems that make up the language. Though Boraana is unique in its own systems, it does share some cluster simplification rules in the verb paradigm with Orma (another Southern Oromo dialect). Previously B. W. Andrzejewski conducted a studies of Boraana Oromo particularly in tone, phonetics, phonology as well as plural formations (1957, 1960, 1962, 1972).[6] In 1973 an informative Boraana dictionary, Dizionario Borana-Italiano, was written and published by Venturino but unfortunately lacked consistent transcription.[6] In 1978 the Bible Society of Kenya published Wold'ak'isaa Haraa Afaan Boranatiin T'aafani (The New Testament in Borana) and Kitaana Uumama, the Boraana Genesis translation.[6] In both 1980 and 1982 Owens conducted mentionable and important studies on 'case' and 'tone' in Boraana. Overall a few scholars have conducted valuable contributions to the overall available written text on Boraana Oromo.
- ^ Southern Oromo at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024)
- ^ Schlee, Günther (1985). "Interethnic Clan Identities among Cushitic-Speaking Pastoralists". Africa. 55 (1): 21. doi:10.2307/1159837. JSTOR 1159837. S2CID 143858455.
- ^ Southern Oromo language at Ethnologue (24th ed., 2021)
- ^ Stroomer 1995, Introduction.
- ^ Legesse, Asmarom (1973). GADA: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society. New York: The Free Press. LCCN 72-87783.
- ^ a b c Stroomer 1995, p. 5.
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