Dime or Dima is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in the northern part of the Selamago district in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region of Ethiopia, around Mount Smith.[1] Dime divides into at least two dialects, which include Us'a and Gerfa. It has six case suffixes in addition to an unmarked nominative. It is overwhelmingly suffixing, but uses prefixes for demonstratives and reduplication. Phonologically, it is noteworthy among the Omotic languages for having velar and uvular fricative phonemes.[2] The basic word order is SOV (subject–object–verb), as in other Omotic languages, indeed as in all the languages of the core of the Ethiopian Language Area.
The language, as well as the Dime people themselves, reportedly decreased in numbers over the 20th century due to predation from their neighbors the Bodi, and both are in danger of extinction.[3] According to Ethiopian census figures, the 1994 census reported 6293 speakers of the Dime language in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region alone;[4] in the 2007 census, only 574 speakers were reported for all of Ethiopia.[5] Further, because the Dime language still lacks a writing system and there are no local schools to promote the use of the language, it is even more threatened.[2]
References
^ abDime at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^ abSeyoum, Mulugeta (2008). A grammar of Dime (Ph.D. thesis). Leiden University. hdl:1887/12833.
^Fleming, Harold (1990). Richard Hayward (ed.). Omotic Language Studies. London: SOAS. p. 495. ISBN9780728601666.
^1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region, Vol. 1, part 1, Table 2.14
^Central Statistical Agency. "Ethiopia - Population and Housing Census 2007 Report, National". International Household Survey Network.
External links
Yilma, Aklilu and Ralph Siebert (2002), "Sociolinguistic survey report of the Chara, Dime, Melo and Nayi languages of Ethiopia part 1." SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2002-029.
Ralph Siebert (2002), "Sociolinguistic survey report on the Dime language of Ethiopia." SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2002-043
dime, language, dime, dima, afro, asiatic, language, spoken, northern, part, selamago, district, southern, nations, nationalities, peoples, region, ethiopia, around, mount, smith, dime, divides, into, least, dialects, which, include, gerfa, case, suffixes, add. Dime or Dima is an Afro Asiatic language spoken in the northern part of the Selamago district in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region of Ethiopia around Mount Smith 1 Dime divides into at least two dialects which include Us a and Gerfa It has six case suffixes in addition to an unmarked nominative It is overwhelmingly suffixing but uses prefixes for demonstratives and reduplication Phonologically it is noteworthy among the Omotic languages for having velar and uvular fricative phonemes 2 The basic word order is SOV subject object verb as in other Omotic languages indeed as in all the languages of the core of the Ethiopian Language Area DimeNative toEthiopiaRegionDebub South Omo ZoneNative speakers570 2007 census 1 Language familyAfro Asiatic OmoticSouth OmoticDimeLanguage codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code dim class extiw title iso639 3 dim dim a Glottologdime1235ELPDimeThe language as well as the Dime people themselves reportedly decreased in numbers over the 20th century due to predation from their neighbors the Bodi and both are in danger of extinction 3 According to Ethiopian census figures the 1994 census reported 6293 speakers of the Dime language in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region alone 4 in the 2007 census only 574 speakers were reported for all of Ethiopia 5 Further because the Dime language still lacks a writing system and there are no local schools to promote the use of the language it is even more threatened 2 References Edit a b Dime at Ethnologue 18th ed 2015 subscription required a b Seyoum Mulugeta 2008 A grammar of Dime Ph D thesis Leiden University hdl 1887 12833 Fleming Harold 1990 Richard Hayward ed Omotic Language Studies London SOAS p 495 ISBN 9780728601666 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia Results for Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region Vol 1 part 1 Table 2 14 Central Statistical Agency Ethiopia Population and Housing Census 2007 Report National International Household Survey Network External links EditYilma Aklilu and Ralph Siebert 2002 Sociolinguistic survey report of the Chara Dime Melo and Nayi languages of Ethiopia part 1 SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2002 029 Ralph Siebert 2002 Sociolinguistic survey report on the Dime language of Ethiopia SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2002 043 World Atlas of Language Structures information on Dime Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dime language amp oldid 1057220283, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
