Page Type: languageGumuz | Ethnologue

GUK ISO 639-3

Gumuz

Sa-Gumuz Autonym

A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639
guk
Alternate Names
B’ega, Baha, Bega-Tse, Debatsa, Debuga, Dehenda, Gemju, Gombo, Gumis, Gumuzu, Gumz, Kaza, Mendeya, Sa-B’aga, Sibaha, Sigumza, “Shankillinya” (pej.)
Autonym
Sa-Gumuz
Population
165,380 in Ethiopia, all users. L1 users: 161,000 in Ethiopia (2007 census). L2 users: 4,380. 88,200 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 164,000 (2007 census). Total users in all countries: 253,380 (as L1: 249,000; as L2: 4,380).
Location:
Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Oromia regions: Metemma area on Sudan border south through Gonder and Metekel zones; along Blue Nile south into Wellaga and Didessa valley up to Neqemt-Gimbi road; southwest of Addis Ababa, Welqite area villages. Used in minority communities in Amhara and Oromia regions.
Language Status
4 (Educational).
Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Core, B’aga
Dialects
Guba, Wenbera, Sirba, Agalo, Yaso, Mandura, Dibate, Metemma. Two distinct dialect centers: South Gumuz with center around Agalo (Agalo, Sedal, Kamashi, Guba, Wenbera and North Dibarte); North Gumuz with center around Mandura (Mandura, Metemma, North Dibate). A possible third dialect center around Yaso. North and South Gumuz are not mutually intelligible (Ahland 2012).
Typology
AVO and SV but word order is variable depending on discourse context; tonal, 2 tones plus downstep; large consonant inventory (38 for Southern Gumuz and 39 for Northern Gumuz); verbs are highly polysynthetic:verb affixes show person (number of subject, first plural inclusive and exclusive, A versus S bound pronominals, Northern Gumuz has O bound pronominals in addition to A and S), direction, mood, middle voice, aspect, uncertainty, pluractional, reciprocal, tense, incorporated prepositions (dative, comitative, and locative); verbs are divided into two templates: future and nonfuture; external possession constructions via noun incorporation; simple verb roots plus verbal classifiers form complex verbal stems; nouns are mostly transnumeral or general and not typically marked for number; N-N collocations exhibit construct form cf. (Creissels 2009); inherently possessed nouns; relator nouns; marked nominative alignment with a split system.
Language Use
Used by all. Also use Amharic [amh], with use and comprehension frequent in the North, limited in the South. Also use Eastern Oromo [hae], with limited comprehension. Also use Sudanese Spoken Arabic [apd], especially Muslims near the border of Sudan. Also use West Central Oromo [gaz], which has wide use as lingua franca in Kamashi zone. Used as L2 by Daatsʼíin [dtn].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 6%. Mother Tongue Education and literacy has been based on geographical varieties (south and north); efforts are being made toward the standardization of formal rules that can be applied across the language area (2020 K. Küspert). Functional women’s literacy program started in Gumuz in 2020 and is now being gradually expanded throughout the language community (2021 SIL). Taught in primary schools in grades 1–4 first cycle as the medium of instruction; in grades 1–4 second cycle as subject. Taught in secondary schools in grades 5–10 as subject. Grade 11 mother tongue subject ready to be implemented 2020. Also taught in Gilgel Beles teachers training college. Taught as a subject in Asosa University. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 2003.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Gumuz
Writing
Ethiopic script [Ethi], no longer in use. Latin script [Latn], used since 2007, official usage.
Other Comments
Despite a shift toward urbanization, it is still a primary marker of identity (2017 T. Williamson). Christian, traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Gumuz
User Population
88,000 in Sudan (2017).
Location
Blue Nile state: east Er Roseires district, Famaka and Fazoglo areas on the Blue Nile; Sennar state: Dinder district, north along Ethiopia border.
Dialects
Disoha (Desua), Dakunza (Degoja, Dugunza, Dukuna, Dukunza, Ganza, Gunza), Sai, Sese (Saysay), Dekoka, Dewiya, Kukwaya, Gombo, Jemhwa, Modea.
Language Status
6a (Vigorous)
Other Comments
‘Kadallu’ is now considered to be a separate language which has not yet been officially listed as a language of Sudan.
View other languages of Sudan

Map

Location: Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Oromia regions: Metemma area on Sudan border south through Gonder and Metekel zones; along Blue Nile south into Wellaga and Didessa valley up to Neqemt-Gimbi road; southwest of Addis Ababa, Welqite area villages. Used in minority communities in Amhara and Oromia regions.