Alternate Names: Donga, Kambara, Kambata, Kambatta, Kemata, Kembata
Dialects: Tambaro, Timbaro (Timbaaro, Timbara). Lexical similarity: 95% between dialects, 81% with Alaba-Kabeena ,, 62% with Sidamo ,, 57% with Libido ,, 56% with Hadiyya ,.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 615,000 (2007 census). 330,500 monolinguals. Includes 279,000 Kambaata, 51,600 Timbaro. Ethnic population: 764,000 (2007 census). Includes 98,600 Timbaro, 35,000 Donga (2007 census). L2 users: 79,300.
Language Use: Positive attitudes. Also use Amharic [amh].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 25%. Literacy rate in L2: 44%. Taught in primary schools. NT: 1992.
Typology: SOV; passive, middle, causative verbs; subject suffixes distinguish person, number, gender.
Writing System: Ethiopic, Latin
Nation of Origin: Ethiopia
Other Comments: Christian.