Wolaytta

WAL

wider communication

Alternate Names: Borodda, Ometo, Ualamo, Uba, Uollamo, “Walamo” (pej.), Wallamo, Welamo, Wellamo, Wolaita, Wolaitta, Wolataita, Wolayta, Wollamo

Dialects: Zala. Dorze ,, Melo ,, and Oyda , may be dialects of Wolaytta. Lexical similarity: 79%–93% with Gamo ,, 84% with Gofa ,, 80% with Dawro , and Dorze ,, 48% with Koorete ,, 43% with Male ,.

Genealogy:

Afro-Asiatic
Omotic
North
Gonga-Gimojan
Gimojan
Ometo-Gimira
Ometo
Central

Demographics: 1,710,000 (2007 census). 1,000,000 monolinguals. L2 users: 89,800.

Language Use: Also use Amharic [amh]. Used as L2 by Aari [aiw], Baiso [bsw], Basketo [bst], Chara [cra], Kachama-Ganjule [kcx], Oyda [oyd].

Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 30%. NT: 1981–2010.

Typology: SOV.

Writing System: Ethiopic

Nation of Origin: Ethiopia

Other Comments: Geographic names: Balta, Borodda, Ganta, Otschollo, Uba. Traditional religion, Christian.