Page Type: languageMositacha | Ethnologue

DOX ISO 639-3

Mositacha

A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639
dox
Alternate Names
Bussa, Buusa, D’oopace, D’opaasunte, Gobeze, Goraze, Gowase, Lohu, Mashelle, Mashile, Masholle, Mosittacha, Mosittata, Mosiye, Mossiye, Musiye, Muusiye, Orase
Population
19,020, all users. L1 users: 18,100 (2007 census). L2 users: 920. 4,960 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 30,000 (2007 census).
Location:
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Segen zone, west of Lake Chamo.
Language Status
6b* (Threatened).
Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Konso-Gidole
Dialects
Moro-Toysala, Dubaysho, Nalo. Further survey needed on dialect varieties. Lexical similarity: 78% with Ale [gwd], 51% with Konso [kxc], 86% with the Gollango dialect of Ale, 80% with the Harso dialect of Ale, 61% with Tsamai [tsb].
Typology
SOV; nouns often marked by prefix tsa-, often used to mark female nouns; grammatical gender present but not morphologically marked on nouns like other LEC languages; person affixation on verbs; pronouns marked apart from verbs; significant verb morphology.
Language Use
Still used in the homestead in many communities but more frequently by the older generation. Is threatened by other infiltrating languages, particularly Zayse [zay] and Amharic [amh]. Also use Amharic [amh], with the younger generations shifting. Also use Dirasha [gdl]. Also use Gamo [gmv]. Also use Konso [kxc]. Also use Zayse [zay], with the younger generations shifting. Used as L2 by Dirasha [gdl].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 14%. Grammar.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mositacha
Writing
Ethiopic script [Ethi], trial orthography in use since 2017, not yet officially approved.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Segen zone, west of Lake Chamo.