Ongota, also called Birale or Birayle, is a moribund language of Ethiopia's Southern Omo Zone, spoken on the west bank of the Weito River by an ethnic population of about 115 as of 2012. Only 12 elderly native speakers remained according to 2012 UNESCO data, down from 14 in 1991. Its classification is unresolved: some scholars propose East Cushitic origins with Nilo-Saharan influence, others treat it as Afroasiatic, and several regard it as a language isolate heavily shaped by neighboring languages. Ongota distinguishes high and low tone and uses subject-object-verb word order.
Facts
Disputed
Proto-Language StatusClassification is genuinely obscure: proposed variously as Cushitic, Nilo-Saharan, a language isolate, an independent branch of Afroasiatic, a pidginised creole, or East Cushitic with a Nilo-Saharan substratum; more recent assessments treat it as an isolate heavily influenced by neighboring languages. 1 RegionSpoken in a small village on the west bank of the Weito River in southwest Ethiopia. 1 Speaker CountUNESCO 2012 figure, out of a total ethnic population of 115; the rest of the community has shifted to the Tsamai language. Sources
1. Wikipedia: Ongota Language
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph
The classification of the language is obscure (Sava & Tosco 2015).
Lead paragraph, opening clause
Ongota (also known as Birale, Birayle) is a moribund language of southwest Ethiopia.
Lead paragraph, UNESCO 2012 clause
UNESCO reported in 2012 that out of a total ethnic population of 115, only 12 elderly native speakers remained
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