Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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LANGUAGE CONTACT AND ITS EFFECTS ON GURAGE VARIETIES OF MUHER [Abstract ID: 0802-06]

AWLACHEW Shumneka Nurga, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Social and linguistic contacts between speakers of diverse varieties as well as the influence of the surrounding Cushitic languages contributed to the establishment of Gurage dialects and widespread bi or multilingualism. However, the actual extent and the effects of language contact on individual languages in the Gurage Zone are not clearly known. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to investigate language contact and its effects on language use and form on Gurage varieties of Muher. Mixed research methods (questionnaire, interview, and participant observation) are used as research tools.The Muher community lives in the north-western part of the Gurage Zone. Its neighbours are Ezha in the west, Mesqan and Dobbi in the southeast, Wolane in the northeast, K’abeena in the northwest and Silt’e in the southeast. As a result, many of the Muher speakers are bilingual in one of these languages. The study focuses on the language behaviour of individuals belonging to Muher Gurage ethno-linguistic group residing in rural and urban settings, namely the rural areas of Teklehaimanot, Zəbbidar and the town of Hawarijat and Wolkite as zonal administration center.