The El Molo, also known as Elmolo, Dehes, Fura-Pawa and Ldes, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the northern Eastern Province of Kenya. They historically spoke the El Molo language as a mother tongue, an Afro-Asiatic language of the Cushitic branch, and now most El Molo speak Samburu.
The El Molo are believed to have originally migrated down into the Turkana Basin around 1000 BC from Ethiopia in the more northerly Horn region. Owing to the arid environment in which they entered, they are held to have then abandoned agricultural activities in favor of lakeside fishing.[3]
Historically, the El Molo erected tomb structures in which they placed their dead. A 1962 archaeological survey in the Northern Frontier District led by Susan Brodribb Pughe[4] observed hieroglyphics on a number of these constructions. They were mainly found near springs or wells of water.[5]
According to the 2019 Kenya census, there were 1,104 El Molo residents.[1] However, historians have noted that there are few "pure" El Molo left. Most group members are today admixed with adjacent Nilotic populations, primarily Samburu, with only a handful of unmixed El Molo believed to exist. Many El Molo speakers have also adopted cultural customs from these communities.[8] In 1994, only eight people reportedly could still speak El Molo.[6]
According to Ethnologue, among other sources, the El Molo language is nearly extinct and there may already be no remaining speakers of the idiom. Most group members have now adopted the Nilo-Saharan languages of their neighbours.[6]
The El Molo language has no known dialects. It is most similar to Daasanach.[6]
Religionedit
Many El Molo practice a traditional religion centered on the worship of Waaq/Wakh.[6] In the related Oromo culture, Waaq denotes the single God of the early pre-Abrahamic, monotheistic faith believed to have been adhered to by Cushitic groups.[9]
Recent advances in genetic analyses have helped shed some light on the ethnogenesis of the El Molo people. Genetic genealogy, although a novel tool that uses the genes of modern populations to trace their ethnic and geographic origins, has also helped clarify the possible background of the modern El Molo.
mtDNAedit
According to an mtDNA study by Castri et al. (2008), the maternal ancestry of the contemporary El Molo consists of a mixture of Afro-Asiatic-associated lineages and Sub-Saharan haplogroups, reflecting substantial female gene flow from neighboring Sub-Saharan populations. A little over 30% of the El Molo belonged to the West Eurasian haplogroups I (23%) and HV1 (8%). The remaining El Molo samples carried various Sub-Saharan macro-haplogroup L sub-clades, mainly consisting of L3* (26%), L0a2 (17%) and L0f (17%).[10]
Autosomal DNAedit
The El Molo's autosomalDNA has been examined in a comprehensive study by Tishkoff et al. (2009) on the genetic affiliations of various populations in Africa. According to the researchers, the El Molo showed significant Afro-Asiatic affinities. They also shared some ties with neighboring Nilo-Saharan and Bantu speakers in eastern Africa due to considerable genetic exchanges with these communities over the past 5000 or so years.[11]
^ ab"2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics". Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
^Estella S. Poloni; Yamama Naciri; Rute Bucho; Régine Niba; Barbara Kervaire; Laurent Excoffier; André Langaney; Alicia Sanchez-Mazas (November 2009). "Genetic Evidence for Complexity in Ethnic Differentiation and History in East Africa". Annals of Human Genetics. 73 (6): 582–600. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1809.2009.00541.x. PMID 19706029. S2CID 2488794.
^Newman, James L. (1997). The Peopling of Africa: A Geographic Interpretation. Yale University Press. p. 166. ISBN978-0300072808.
^Gender and Diplomacy, ed. Jennifer A. Cassidy, Routledge, 2017, p. 124
^ abPughe, S. Brodribb (1962). A Preliminary Report Concerning Problems on the Origins and Ages of Certain of the Man-made Structures in the Northern Frontier District of Kenya and Certain Regions of the Eastern Horn of Africa. p. 24.
^ abcdefg"El Molo". Ethnologue. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
^Safari, Volume 4. News Publications. 1973. p. 14.
^Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, Culture and Customs of Somalia, (Greenwood Publishing Group: 2001), p.65.
^Castrí (2008). "Kenyan crossroads: migration and gene flow in six ethnic groups from Eastern Africa" (PDF). Journal of Anthropological Sciences. 86: 189–92. PMID 19934476.
^Tishkoff; et al. (2009), "The Genetic Structure and History of Africans and African Americans", Science, 324 (5930): 1035–1044, Bibcode:2009Sci...324.1035T, doi:10.1126/science.1172257, PMC2947357, PMID 19407144; Also see Supplementary Data
Referencesedit
Ethnologue - El Molo language
BBC - El Molo language
Further readingedit
Cronk, Lee and Dickson, D. Bruce. 2001. Public and hidden transcripts in the East African Highlands: a comment on Smith (1998). Journal of anthropological archaeology 20. 113-121.
Dalton, Merrell. 1951. The El Molo – a dying tribe on the shores of Lake Rudolph. East African Annual 1951-52. 45-47.
Dyson, W.S. and Fuchs, V.E. 1937. The Elmolo. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 67. 327-338.
Heine, Bernd. 1980. Elmolo. In Heine, Bernd (ed.), The Non-Bantu Languages of Kenya, 173-218. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer.
Heine, Bernd. 1972/73. Vokabulare ostafrikanischer Restsprachen, 1: Elmolo. Afrika und Übersee 56. 276-283.
Scherrer, Carol. 1974. Effects of western influence on Elmolo, 1973-74. (Discussion papers from the Inst. of African Studies (IAS), 61.) Nairobi: University of Nairobi.
Sommer, Gabriele. 1992. A survey on language death in Africa. In Brenzinger, Matthias (ed.), Language death: factual and theoretical explorations with special reference to East Africa, 340-341.
Tosco, Mauro. 2012. What Terminal Speakers Can Do to Their Language: the Case of Elmolo. In Corriente, Federico and Gregorio del Olmo Lete and Vicente, Ángeles and Vita, Juan-Pablo (eds.), Dialectology of the Semitic Languages. Proceedings of the IV Meeting on Comparative Semitics, Zaragoza, 131-143. Sabadell (Barcelona): Editorial AUSA.
W. S. Dyson and V. E. Fuchs. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 67, (Jul. – Dec. 1937), 327-328.
External linksedit
Glottolog - Language: El Molo
November 24, 2023
molo, people, molo, also, known, elmolo, dehes, fura, pawa, ldes, ethnic, group, mainly, inhabiting, northern, eastern, province, kenya, they, historically, spoke, molo, language, mother, tongue, afro, asiatic, language, cushitic, branch, most, molo, speak, sa. The El Molo also known as Elmolo Dehes Fura Pawa and Ldes are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the northern Eastern Province of Kenya They historically spoke the El Molo language as a mother tongue an Afro Asiatic language of the Cushitic branch and now most El Molo speak Samburu El MoloEl Molo woman and baby 1979Total population1 104 1 Regions with significant populationsLanguagesEl Molo SamburuReligionWaaq ChristianityRelated ethnic groupsKenyan Nilotes in particular thePokot Turkana Samburu and Kalenjin DaasanachArboreCushitic peoples primarily of theWestern Omo Tanabranch 2 Contents 1 History 2 Demographics 3 Language 4 Religion 5 Genetics 5 1 mtDNA 5 2 Autosomal DNA 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory editThe El Molo are believed to have originally migrated down into the Turkana Basin around 1000 BC from Ethiopia in the more northerly Horn region Owing to the arid environment in which they entered they are held to have then abandoned agricultural activities in favor of lakeside fishing 3 Historically the El Molo erected tomb structures in which they placed their dead A 1962 archaeological survey in the Northern Frontier District led by Susan Brodribb Pughe 4 observed hieroglyphics on a number of these constructions They were mainly found near springs or wells of water 5 Demographics editThe El Molo today primarily inhabit the northern Eastern Province of Kenya They are concentrated in Marsabit District on the southeast shore of Lake Turkana between El Molo bay and Mount Kulal 6 7 In the past they also dwelled in other parts of the Northern Frontier District 5 According to the 2019 Kenya census there were 1 104 El Molo residents 1 However historians have noted that there are few pure El Molo left Most group members are today admixed with adjacent Nilotic populations primarily Samburu with only a handful of unmixed El Molo believed to exist Many El Molo speakers have also adopted cultural customs from these communities 8 In 1994 only eight people reportedly could still speak El Molo 6 Language editThe El Molo historically spoke the El Molo language as a native language It belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro Asiatic family 6 According to Ethnologue among other sources the El Molo language is nearly extinct and there may already be no remaining speakers of the idiom Most group members have now adopted the Nilo Saharan languages of their neighbours 6 The El Molo language has no known dialects It is most similar to Daasanach 6 Religion editMany El Molo practice a traditional religion centered on the worship of Waaq Wakh 6 In the related Oromo culture Waaq denotes the single God of the early pre Abrahamic monotheistic faith believed to have been adhered to by Cushitic groups 9 Some El Molo have also adopted Christianity 6 Genetics editRecent advances in genetic analyses have helped shed some light on the ethnogenesis of the El Molo people Genetic genealogy although a novel tool that uses the genes of modern populations to trace their ethnic and geographic origins has also helped clarify the possible background of the modern El Molo mtDNA edit According to an mtDNA study by Castri et al 2008 the maternal ancestry of the contemporary El Molo consists of a mixture of Afro Asiatic associated lineages and Sub Saharan haplogroups reflecting substantial female gene flow from neighboring Sub Saharan populations A little over 30 of the El Molo belonged to the West Eurasian haplogroups I 23 and HV1 8 The remaining El Molo samples carried various Sub Saharan macro haplogroup L sub clades mainly consisting of L3 26 L0a2 17 and L0f 17 10 Autosomal DNA edit The El Molo s autosomal DNA has been examined in a comprehensive study by Tishkoff et al 2009 on the genetic affiliations of various populations in Africa According to the researchers the El Molo showed significant Afro Asiatic affinities They also shared some ties with neighboring Nilo Saharan and Bantu speakers in eastern Africa due to considerable genetic exchanges with these communities over the past 5000 or so years 11 See also editArbore people Daasanach people Western Omo Tana languagesNotes edit a b 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV Distribution of Population by Socio Economic Characteristics Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Retrieved 24 March 2020 Estella S Poloni Yamama Naciri Rute Bucho Regine Niba Barbara Kervaire Laurent Excoffier Andre Langaney Alicia Sanchez Mazas November 2009 Genetic Evidence for Complexity in Ethnic Differentiation and History in East Africa Annals of Human Genetics 73 6 582 600 doi 10 1111 j 1469 1809 2009 00541 x PMID 19706029 S2CID 2488794 Newman James L 1997 The Peopling of Africa A Geographic Interpretation Yale University Press p 166 ISBN 978 0300072808 Gender and Diplomacy ed Jennifer A Cassidy Routledge 2017 p 124 a b Pughe S Brodribb 1962 A Preliminary Report Concerning Problems on the Origins and Ages of Certain of the Man made Structures in the Northern Frontier District of Kenya and Certain Regions of the Eastern Horn of Africa p 24 a b c d e f g El Molo Ethnologue Retrieved 14 December 2013 El Molo BBC News Retrieved 9 January 2020 Safari Volume 4 News Publications 1973 p 14 Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi Culture and Customs of Somalia Greenwood Publishing Group 2001 p 65 Castri 2008 Kenyan crossroads migration and gene flow in six ethnic groups from Eastern Africa PDF Journal of Anthropological Sciences 86 189 92 PMID 19934476 Tishkoff et al 2009 The Genetic Structure and History of Africans and African Americans Science 324 5930 1035 1044 Bibcode 2009Sci 324 1035T doi 10 1126 science 1172257 PMC 2947357 PMID 19407144 Also see Supplementary DataReferences editEthnologue El Molo language BBC El Molo languageFurther reading editCronk Lee and Dickson D Bruce 2001 Public and hidden transcripts in the East African Highlands a comment on Smith 1998 Journal of anthropological archaeology 20 113 121 Dalton Merrell 1951 The El Molo a dying tribe on the shores of Lake Rudolph East African Annual 1951 52 45 47 Dyson W S and Fuchs V E 1937 The Elmolo Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 67 327 338 Heine Bernd 1980 Elmolo In Heine Bernd ed The Non Bantu Languages of Kenya 173 218 Berlin Dietrich Reimer Heine Bernd 1972 73 Vokabulare ostafrikanischer Restsprachen 1 Elmolo Afrika und Ubersee 56 276 283 Scherrer Carol 1974 Effects of western influence on Elmolo 1973 74 Discussion papers from the Inst of African Studies IAS 61 Nairobi University of Nairobi Sommer Gabriele 1992 A survey on language death in Africa In Brenzinger Matthias ed Language death factual and theoretical explorations with special reference to East Africa 340 341 Tosco Mauro 2012 What Terminal Speakers Can Do to Their Language the Case of Elmolo In Corriente Federico and Gregorio del Olmo Lete and Vicente Angeles and Vita Juan Pablo eds Dialectology of the Semitic Languages Proceedings of the IV Meeting on Comparative Semitics Zaragoza 131 143 Sabadell Barcelona Editorial AUSA W S Dyson and V E Fuchs The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Vol 67 Jul Dec 1937 327 328 External links editGlottolog Language El Molo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title El Molo people amp oldid 1184211230, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
