The Mesmes language is an extinctWest Gurage language, one of the Ethiopian Semitic languages spoken in Ethiopia. There are still many people who claim the Mesmes ethnic identity, but none who speak the language. The last speaker of the language was interviewed by a language survey team when he was approximately 80 years old. He had not spoken the language for 30 years, having nobody to speak it with since his brother died.
The Mesmes have shifted to speaking the Hadiyya language. However, they still maintain some cultural distinctives, including their own style of house architecture.
The comparative method has shown that the language is most closely related to the Inor variety of Gurage.[1]
References
Ahland, Michael Bryan. (2010). Language death in Mesmes. Dallas: SIL International and the University of Texas at Arlington.
mesmes, language, extinct, west, gurage, language, ethiopian, semitic, languages, spoken, ethiopia, there, still, many, people, claim, mesmes, ethnic, identity, none, speak, language, last, speaker, language, interviewed, language, survey, team, when, approxim. The Mesmes language is an extinct West Gurage language one of the Ethiopian Semitic languages spoken in Ethiopia There are still many people who claim the Mesmes ethnic identity but none who speak the language The last speaker of the language was interviewed by a language survey team when he was approximately 80 years old He had not spoken the language for 30 years having nobody to speak it with since his brother died MesmesNative toEthiopiaExtinctca 2000 citation needed Language familyAfro Asiatic SemiticWest SemiticSouth SemiticEthiopicSouth EthiopicOuter South EthiopicWest GurageMesmesLanguage codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code mys class extiw title iso639 3 mys mys a Glottologmesm1243ELPMesmesMesmes is an extinct language according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World s Languages in DangerThe Mesmes have shifted to speaking the Hadiyya language However they still maintain some cultural distinctives including their own style of house architecture The comparative method has shown that the language is most closely related to the Inor variety of Gurage 1 References EditAhland Michael Bryan 2010 Language death in Mesmes Dallas SIL International and the University of Texas at Arlington Bustorf Dirk 2007 Masmas in Siegbert Uhlig ed Encyclopaedia Aethiopica vol 3 D Ha Wiesbaden Harrassowitz Verlag p 838 39 Notes Edit Ahland 2010 p 88 This Semitic languages related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mesmes language amp oldid 1120208521, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
