Oromo language
Oromo is the most widely spoken Cushitic language in Africa.
Oromo is an Afroasiatic language belonging to the Cushitic branch, primarily spoken by the Oromo people, native to the Ethiopian state of Oromia and northern Kenya. It is used as a lingua franca in Oromia and northeastern Kenya. With more than 41.7 million speakers making up 33.8% of the total Ethiopian population, Oromo has the largest number of native speakers in Ethiopia and ranks as the second most widely spoken language in Ethiopia by total number of speakers, following Amharic. It is the most widely spoken Cushitic language and among the five languages of Africa with the largest mother-tongue populations.
- language_family
- Afroasiatic, Cushitic
- native_speakers_in_ethiopia
- over 41.7 million (33.8% of population)
- total_speakers_including_second_language
- second most spoken in Ethiopia after Amharic
- official_status
- one of the official working languages of Ethiopia
- primary_region
- Oromia (Ethiopia) and northern Kenya
Lore & Background
Oromo has a highly developed oral tradition. In the 19th century, scholars began writing in Oromo using Latin script. After Abyssinia's southward expansion under Menelik II, the language's development into a full-fledged writing instrument was interrupted. The few works published, most notably Onesimos Nesib's and Aster Ganno's translations of the Bible from the late 19th century, were written in the Geʽez alphabet.
Reader's Guide
Oromo serves as one of the official working languages of Ethiopia and is the working language of several states within the Ethiopian federal system, including Oromia, Harari Region, Dire Dawa and Oromia in the Amhara Region. It is a language of primary education in Oromia, Harari, Dire Dawa, Benishangul-Gumuz Region and Addis Ababa. Under Haile Selassie's government, Oromo was de facto banned in education, conversation and administrative matters. Oromo is the language with the fourth most speakers in Africa, after Arabic, Swahili and Hausa.
Did You Know?
- Oromo is the most widely spoken Cushitic language and among the five languages of Africa with the largest mother-tongue populations.
- The Shaaldaa script is an indigenous Oromo script invented by Sheikh Bakri Sapalo in the late 1950s and used underground afterwards.
- Oromo was de facto banned in education, conversation and administrative matters under Haile Selassie's government.
- The first comprehensive online Oromo dictionary was developed by the Jimma Times Oromiffa Group (JTOG) in cooperation with SelamSoft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Oromo language?
Oromo is an Afroasiatic language from the Cushitic branch, native to the Oromo people of Ethiopia's Oromia state and northern Kenya. It functions as a lingua franca across Oromia and northeastern Kenya.
How popular is Oromo language in its world?
With over 41.7 million native speakers, Oromo is Ethiopia's most widely spoken mother-tongue language and its second most spoken overall after Amharic. It is also the most widely spoken Cushitic language on the African continent.
What is Oromo language's official role?
Oromo holds official working-language status in the Ethiopian government, giving it a formal institutional role alongside other national languages. It is additionally used as a common means of communication in Oromia and northeastern Kenya.
Where does Oromo language originate and what family does it belong to?
Oromo is native to the Oromo people, whose traditional homeland spans Ethiopia's Oromia region and parts of northern Kenya. Linguistically it sits within the Cushitic branch of the broader Afroasiatic language family.
Why is Oromo language important in the African linguistic landscape?
As the most widely spoken Cushitic language in Africa, Oromo anchors a major branch of the Afroasiatic family with tens of millions of speakers. It ranks among the five most widely spoken mother-tongue languages on the entire continent.
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