Kachama-Ganjule language explained

Kachama-Ganjule
States:Ethiopia
Region:on islands in Lake Chamo and Lake Abaya
Ref:[1]
Date:2007 census for Qechemigna
Familycolor:Afro-Asiatic
Fam2:Omotic
Fam3:North Omotic
Fam4:Ometo
Fam5:East
Iso3:kcx
Glotto:kach1284
Glottorefname:Kachama-Ganjule-Haro
Dia3:?Gidicho
Dia1:Kachama
Dia2:Ganjule

Kachama-Ganjule is an Afroasiatic language spoken in Ethiopia on islands in Lake Chamo and Lake Abaya. Kachama is spoken on Gidicho island in Lake Abaya, whereas Ganjule was originally spoken on a small island in Lake Chamo. Now the Ganjule speakers have relocated to the west shore of the Lake. There still are about 1,000 monolinguals in this language.[2]

Blench (2006) lists Gidicho, Kachama, and Ganjule as separate languages. Ethnologue gives Gatame/Get'eme/Gats'ame as a synonym; however, Blench treats that as a separate language as well, a synonym with Haruro/Harro. While he moves the others to the northern branch of the Ometo languages, he leaves Gatame/Haruro in the eastern branch.[3] No evidence is presented for treating these as separate languages.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.csa.gov.et/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=264&format=raw&Itemid=521 Ethiopia 2007 Census
  2. Raymond G. Gordon Jr., ed. 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 15th edition. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
  3. Blench, 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List