OROMO TECHNICAL TERMS

Author(s): Tamene Bitima

Source: Africa: Rivista trimestrale di studi e documentazione dell'Istituto italiano per
l'Africa e l'Oriente , DICEMBRE 1990, Anno 45, No. 4 (DICEMBRE 1990), pp. 639-658
Published by: Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO)

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

OROMO TECHNICAL TERMS

The draft of this paper was written while I was doing research work
Rome with a six month grant provided by the Istituto Italo Africano. Al
words are taken from a collection of Oromo technical terms, which I h
been collecting for some time in order to compile an " Oromo Dictionar
Technical Terms ". I would like to thank the Istituto Italo Africano for g
me this research grant and for allowing me to use its facilities during my st
in Rome from October 1988 to April 1989, and all the members of the s
for their friendly and helpful assistance. Also my gratitude goes to Te
Bassi, Marco Bassi, Silvana Palma, Paola Triulzi and the Oromo Students U
ion in Rome for their warm and friendly hospitality. Furthermore, I am ind
bted to Professor Alessandro Triulzi and Dr. Giorgio Banti for all their
and constructive suggestions for continuing my research work.

Introduction

Afaan Oromo (the Oromo language), together with Saho-Afar, Somali,

Hadiyya, Agaw and more than thirty five other languages, belongs to the
Cushitic language family of the Afro-Asiatic (Hamito-Semitic) language phy-
lum. It is spoken in three Northeast African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya and
Somalia 0). In its geographic extension and its number of speakers, it is one
of the five or six most important languages of Africa, according to Grover
Hudson, and is in fact, after Arabic, Swahili and Hausa, the fourth largest
language in Africa (2). In Ethiopia it is spoken from the Sudanese border in
the West, encircling Addis Ababa, Bishoftu, Adama, Dirre Dawa and Harar
till near Jijjiga in the East; from the Tigray-Wallo border in the North, across
the Ethio-Kenyan border to the Indian Ocean in the South.
Demographic data on Ethiopia, especially those dealing with nationalities

(1) About the Oromo speaking minority in Somalia, see Marcello Lamberti, 1984, Vol. I,
pp. 155-157.
(2) Grover Hudson, in G. Gragg, 1982, p. v.

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640 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

and languages are unreliable. However, there is a

the authorities, that the Oromo make up at least
population (3). According to the latest population
country has 46 million people. This makes the num
lions alone in Ethiopia. In addition afaan Oromo "
non-Oromo groups, both in Ethiopia and Keny
people here speak Oromo as their second or third
It is a widely known fact that the ancient regime
Oromo language, a policy which the present Ethiop
nued. What is in dispute is the situation of the lan
The struggle of the Ethiopian peoples and the Orom
tary junta to introduce some economic, social and cul
reform, nationalization of foreign firms etc. In the c
allowed one Oromo language weekly (written in E
three-hour Oromo radio programme. There is also
ramme" in the Oromo language in some Oromo r
great reforms. To date, there is not a single school (e
in the whole of Ethiopia, which teaches in afaan Or
The language is still forbidden in official communicat
churches, offices and law courts ... etc. Oromo people
as " narrow-nationalists " if they speak their languag
etc. In today's Ethiopia, to be called " narrow
revolutionary " means becoming a candidate for impr
a result this attitude has provoked a backfire amo
their language in public as much as possible.
The Oromos have become aware of the difficult situation of their lan-
guage and have taken upon themselves to make sure that the language deve-
lops further. Oromos in the country (underground and in the areas control-
led by the liberation fronts) and outside the country are doing their best to
overcome this desperate situation. In the last ten years many books, journals
and newspapers have been published by Oromo organizations and by dedi-
cated individuals both inside and outside Ethiopia, especially in western Eu-
rope (5). Furthermore, the Oromo children are now learning to speak and
write in their mother language and there are literacy courses for adults in
the areas controlled by the liberation fronts, and in refugee camps in the Su-
dan, Somalia and the Republic of Djibouti. Yearly congresses and occasional
seminars have been held in afaan Oromo. For this reason the Oromo intellec-
tuals have been under much pressure to publish as many publications as

(3) See Bereket Habte Selassie, 1980, p. 77 and Ulrich Braukämper, 1982/83, p. 2.
(4) HJ. Stroomer, 1987, p. 2.
(5) On the present situation of Oromo studies see P.T. W. Baxter, 1986 and Thomas Zi-
telmann, 1988.

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 641

possible. It is not only the emerging Oromo natio

these Oromos to spend so much time, energy and
mands of everyday life.
Here it is interesting to compare the number of
iopia with those published outside and in the areas
tion fronts. While the Derg's Ethiopia allowed to
the past 15 years in afaan Oromo> Oromos outsid
ground have published more than 20 books - as a
published in 1980. In the world of broadcasting w
tion. At present, there are 7 radio-stations which
dio Voice of Revolutionary Ethiopia from Addi
from Harar 3) Radio Voice of Somalia from Mo
Kenya from Nairobi 5) Radio Voice of the Broad
Eritrean People's Liberation Front) 6) Radio of the
ance 7) Radio Voice of the Oromo Liberation (of the Oromo Liberation
Front). It is interesting to observe that the Ethiopian government which con-
trols the rich resources of Oromoland broadcasts only three hours a day in
Orom from both its radio stations, whereas the OLF, even though it does not
control any of the country's resources, broadcasts a one hour programme a
day. This is also not taking into account the contents of the programme as far
as the interests of the Oromo people are concerned.

Problems of technical terms

The problems of technical terms in afaan Oromo are not limited to this
single language. Indeed, it is one of the problems faced by the whole third
world countries. Even world languages such as Arabic, Hindi, Chinese etc. are
confronted with these problems, but the degree to which a language is affec-
ted lies in how much related literature there is in this particular language.
Languages with a long literary history such as Arabic, Persian, Hindi and Chi-
nese are in a better position than their counterparts which have fewer or no
related written literature. In addition to this problem, afaan Oromo has to
cope with the problem of being a language under the yoke of national oppres-
sion (6).
Since emperor Menelik II occupied Oromoland in the second half of
the last century, the Oromo people have been economically exploited, politi-
cally oppressed and culturally discriminated. To date, Oromos are not free
to develop their mother tongue. However, Oromos are now doing whatever
possible in order to develop their language further and to overcome the

(6) On Oromo national oppression see: Bereket Habte Selassie, 1980, P. T. W. Baxter,
1983, Mohamed Hassen, 1985, Gadaa Melbaa, 1987 and Tamene Bitima/Juergen Steuber, 1983.

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 642 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

problem of technical terms. There are many small

outside of Ethiopia which are dealing with this prob
time now to establish a " national committee " to co
committees.

Methods used to solve the problems of technical terms

To solve the problems of technical terms, Oromos have used many diffe-
rent methods. But it is better to regroup these methods under two main hea-
dings, which are: a) the usage of internal resources; and b) the usage of ex-
ternal resources, i.e. borrowings. However, these two methods are not on
equal levels, since loanwords make only a very small part of Oromo vocabu-
lary.
In using the internal resources of afaan Oromo, Oromos have relied on
the richness of their language, which is very varied in vocabulary. Oromo in-
tellectuals have used these valuable resources wisely and carefully. In doing
this they availed themselves of several methods which are widely known for
solving the problems of technical terms in other languages. In the following
pages this will be made more clear.

1. Semantic shifts

By semantic shift here is meant giving specialized meanings to already

existing ordinary words, groups of words and phrases, and sometimes to ar-
chaic or obsolete ones. What follows will show this method.

Specialized meaning Ordinary meaning

adda front (poi. or mil.) forehead
bo'oo column (in newspaper) furrow, row
dabballee cadre the first age-group within the ga-
daa- system
dambalii waveband wave (of water) (7)
dinagdee economy wealth, richness
gita class (social) group of people who are socially
equal
garee party (political) team, group (8)
hamilee moral, ethics traditional order, respect
hawaasa society community
hayyuu intellectual a legal expert within the gadaa-
system

(7) Thus, dambalii gabaa u short wave", dambalii dheeraa u long wave" and dambalii j'iddu-
galeessa u middle wave n .
(8) Especially a qallee (hockey like game) team is called garee in Tuulama-Macca (Shawa).

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 643

lamrnii citizen, national clan(9)

maqaa noun, substantive name
miseensa member (of an org.) gadaa-group
olola propaganda telling someone about somebody's
failure or success with exagge-
ration

qubee alphabet ring (of finger)

rooga angle (math.) edge (of blade of cutting instru-
ment)
saamuu to exploit to snatch up; to rob
saba nation people
tooftaa tactics method, means
waldhaansoo struggle wrestle (10)

2. Derivatives

It is possible to say that afaan Oromo is a " derivationist lan

deed it is extremely rich in derivatives. There are more than
suffixes in this language. In addition to this the rich vowel en
it surpasses the famous and beautiful Italian language, are us
the Oromo vocabulary. Traditionally the Oromo people used t
themselves. I will give three examples to show this. Since there
ferences within the Oromo regional dialects, I will limit mysel
Tuulamaa areas of central and western Ethiopia.

a) ilkaan tooth
ilka an elephant tusk (= also ilkaan arbaa)
ilkee stings of a bee
ilkoo all saw-like instruments
b) fuula face, front; direction
fuulaa person who " decorates " racing horses dur-
ing certain festivals
fuuloo headstall
fuullee opposite of, in front of, across
fuulii " decoration " of horses
fuullii ornament, decoration
fuuluu 1) to decorate, to adorn;
2) to beautify, to embellish
e) gara to, towards, in the direction of
garee team, group
garii a part of something, some; others
garoo alliance (= waamii)
garuu division, section

(9) There is another word for "clan", i.e. qomoo. Now qotnoo is a generic term for the
word " clan " .
(10) There is another word for "struggle", i.e. qabsoo.

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644 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

It is important to note that these are only simple de

without other complications such as: fuuldura " ahead
rection "; garana " here"; garamiin " whereabouts" etc. F
be used in the future extensively and wisely by the
After the role of vowel-endings in afaan Oromoy let
main topic and give some derivatives with their sou

Neologism English Equivalent Suffix and Sources

alanfattoo chewing gum from alanfachuu " to chew " and
(= ancaa) the nom. suff. -ttoo
barreessumsa literature from barreessuu " to write " and
the nom. suff. -umsa
biyyoolessa international from biyya "country" and the
nom.* suff. -oolessa
bukkoo parallel from bukkee "beside, near" and
the nom. suff. -oo
dammaqsituu 1) alarm clock; from dammaqsuu "to awake"
2) agitator (pol.) and the nom. suff. -ituu
dutvwee zero, nought from duwwaa " empty " and the
nom. suff. -ee
dhadannoo slogan from dhaadachuu " to tell one's
own deeds in poems after
coming home from the war-
front or from Oromo tradi-
tional hunting" and the nom.
suff. -nnoo
gamturmnaa socialism from gamtaa " social, communal "
and the nom. suff. -ummaa
gposii verb from gochuu " to do, to act, to
make" and the nom. suff. -it
j aalle e comrade from jaala " friend, godfather "
and the nom. suff. -ee
kaayyoo principle from kaayuu " to put, to place "
and the nom. suff. -yoo
kellantaa domain from kellaa " toll-post, tollhouse "
and the nom. suff. suff.
-ntaa(n)
konkolaataa vehicle; car from konkolaachuu " to roll; to go
fast" and the nom. suff. -toa
maìkee seaport; harbour from malkaa " ford " and the
nom. suff. -ee
mijoo quorum from mijuu " full; complete " and
the nom. suff. -oo
moggpoyyaa synonym from moggpo " nickname " and
the nom. suff. -yyaa
muraasa battalion from muruu " to cut, to divide "
and the nom. suff. -aasa

(11) Kellã is an Oromo loan world in Amhaiic.

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 645

oftuu (m/f) individualist; from of " self, oneself" and the

nom. suff. -tuu
seelkataa negative (math./phys.) from seelkoo "something with a
missing part" and the nom.
suff. -ataa
takkaataa rare, unique from takka (f.) "one" and the
nom. suff. -ataa

3. Compouding

By compound here is meant a word that has a single meaning, but is

made up of two or more words. There is a great potentiality for compoun
in afaan Or orno. Some Oromo words are very productive. For example t
word ol " up, high; on, above" has many compounds. Here I will give som
of them:

olaanaa upper, higher; superiority

olaantii the state of being higher
olaantuu upper hend, mastery
olaanuu upper
olbaaa one who goes up
oldabruu to pass on up
oldeebisuu to turn up
olfuudhuu to take up
olgaluu to come in; to come home
oljiraa outstanding, excellent
olkaawuu to put up; to save, to put aside
olqabaa supporter
olqajeeluu to go directly up upwards
olutaaluu to jump up ... etc. (12)

Professor Gragg gave about 50 compounds which are based on a single word,
wed- in his Oromo Dictionary (13). There are great possibilities here to use ca-
refully this method and expand Oromo technical terms as the following exam-
ples will illustrate:

Neologism English Equivalent Elements of the Comp. Word

harlamee biennial from bara " year " , lama " two "
and the nom. suff. -ee
bifdanee multi-colour from bifa " colour " , danuu
" many, much " and the nom.
suff. -ee
biyyalafaa world, globe from biyya " country " and lafa
"earth"

(12) See also Gene Gragg, 1982, p. 304.

(13) G. Gragg, 1982, pp. 396-398.

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 646 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

dabalgoosii adverb from dabaluu " to add " , and goo-

tf/"verbj "
durataaaa chairman from dura " in front, first " and
taa'aa "one who sits"(14)
gadigaloo inferior from gadi " below, under " , galuu
" to enter " and the nom. suff .
-oo

irraaddoo alternative from ina " on, over " and iddoo
" place "
ittaanaa vice, deputy from itti " to " and aanaa " next
to"(15)
jalabuusaa lower layer from jala " below, under " and
buusaa " layer "
jalakaattuu (m/f) stooge, lackey; puppet from jala "under, below" and
kaattuu " runner "
jalqabgoosii infinitive from jalqaba " beginning " and
gposii " verb "
gabbaasa report from gad and baasuu " to bring
out, to make public" (16)
garlamee dual; ambigous, ambiguity from gara " to, toward " , lama
" two " and the nom. suff. -ee
laßalee underground, subway from la/a "earth, ground", jala
" below, under " and the nom.
suff. -ee
lamsadee 2/3 (two- third) from lama " two " , sadii " three "
and the nom. suff. -ee(17)
miilsadee tripod (laboratory) from miila " leg, foot " , sadii
" three " and the nom. suff.
-ee

olbaaftuu lift, elevator from ol " up " and baaftuu

" which takes out, up "
olfuutuu crane (machine) from ol " up " and fuutuu
"which takes, lifts"
oftuultuu (m/f) chauvinist, hypocrite from o/"self" and tuultuu
who piles up"
roogsadee triangle from rooga " angle " , sadii
" three " and the nom. suff.
-ee

4. Word Groups and Phrases

By word groups and phrases here is meant the usage of two or more
words to explain certain objects, ideas etc. in Oromo. Traditionally the Oromo

(14) Durateessuu is u chairwoman". Abbaa marcumaa is a chairman of a meeting. Then the

female form is haadha marcumaa.
(15) The female form is aantuu.
(16) Gabbaasaa (m), gabbaaftuu (f) is "reporter". The verb is gab baasuu "to report; to
make public".
(17) This form is very productive. For example: lamtokkee " 1/2", lamafree " 1/4", lamsha-
nee u 1/5" ... etc.

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 647

people used this method extensively. If we look at th

can observe such words as:

abbaa alangee attorney general (lit. " father of whip " )

abbaa caffee chairman of a legislative assembly
abbaa dubbii chief speaker of the caffee assembly
abbaa duulaa commander of the army, minister of war
abbaa gadaa a president elected for eight years
abbaa seeraa chief judge (lit. "father of law") ... etc.

The following examples will show the usage of these methods in modern
Oromo.

burumsa beekumsaa philosophy (18)

beekaa afanii linguist
doonnii fe'umsaa freighter
dhagaa daakuu millstone
eegumsa qulqullinaa sanitation
hangafa oduu headlines (in broadcasting)
hanqina dhiigaa anaemia
hirmaata dubbii grammar
irreessa kumaa major (military officer)
koree hojii adeemsiftuu executive committee
kuusii beekumsaa encyclopedia
mana barumsa secondary school, high school
olaanaa
mana miiccaa laundry
meedaltuu laqdaa thermometer (19)
qabxii baqiinsaa melting point
toora yaadaa theory
unkee hediinsaa formula (math.)
urjii lakkoofsa astrology
waldhaansa gogaa dermatology
walmorkii fiigichaa race (sport) (20)

5. Reviving Archaic Words

Reviving archaic words is using archaic and obsolete words that were no
longer in common usage. There are a great number of words known only to
some elders. However, some of them are still used in poems and songs. This
kind of words will be widely known in the future as more Oromos will begin
to write in their mother tongue. The following examples will illustrate the us-

(18) There are two other words for the term philosophy : a) falassama (which is a Euro-
pean loanword through Arabic) b) raaga (which is a native Oromo word).
(19) Also laqda -meedaltuu, which is more popular.
(20) Also morkii, woldorgomii or dorgomii.

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648 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

age of archaic words in modern Oromo. Moreover,

how their meaning has slightly changed in their pre

English Equivalent Some Remarks

atooma federation; confederation a league among different Oromo
groups
caffee parliament Oromo convention within the
gadaa-system
doorii judge a legal expert
ilaflaamee democracy used during the caffee asem-
bly(21)
jalliyaan tributary (of a river)
lamii ambassador, diplomat diplomatic messenger of the
Oromo Gibe states
leecalloo resource
litban people
lookoo subdistrict used in Shawa before Menelik's
occupation, then some lookoo'
were put together and named
wàr'àda in Amharic
lukoo postman, mail carrier messenger of the qaalluu
na'oo police a kind of police force or body
guard in the Gibe states (22)
noola composer a composer of ritual songs
nurga captain (ship) someone who helps somebody
with a boat to cross a river
qoroo district the Gibe states were divided into
qoroo's
qqrreeda officer (military) a military officer under the abbaa
duulaa
raayyaa soldier; army fighters under the abbaa duulaa
taliiga politics a kind of administrative system
waayyuu deputy, a member of a delegate of a lower gadaa-
parliament council to a higher one
waldiyaa confluence
yaatoo liquid

6. Popularizing Regional and Dialectal Words

Some Oromo words are only known in one, two or m

not all over Oromoland. However, as more materials are
Oromo dialects and more Oromos come together these wo
nationwide. This process is already under way, especially s
lution, when Oromos came together from different regio
result of this, several regional and dialectal words such a
goods; tool, instrument; equipment, arms; baggage w (from

(21) Also walaabummaa and the European loanword demokraasii.

(22) Also the European loan word foolisii.

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 649

xaaoo "fertilizer" (from Wallagga and Dubabor) and

ciety " (from Shawa) have already established themse
terms (23). Here are some examples of the popularize
words.

English Equivalent Original Region

baqqaana island Shawa and Jimma(24)
boongpo cave Shawa
bunaqa business Wallagga and Borana
daatuu umbrella Shawa
dura town, city Borana, Gabra and Orma
dbaadbessuu to advertise Arsi and Bale
foddaa window Hararge
geengx) circle; wheel Wallagga, Ilubabor and W.
Shawa
giraaba horizon Shawa (25)
galaaluu to correct Wallagga and Dubabor
gumii parliament Borana and Gabra
humma desert Shawa
maanya ocean; sea Borana, Orma and Wata
magaalaa market; town Hararge, Arsi and Bale
masaraa palace (26) Jimma and Dubabor
qabxii point; dot Hararge
qexoo retail (in trade) Shawa and Jimma
sarbuu to confiscate Wallagga
yabaloo boat Shawa and Arsi
hududdee motorcycle Wallagga

7. Using Abbreviations

Abbreviations are used as a method of forming new term

guages. When these abbreviations came into existence they
means for economizing words. In today's world, institution
by very long and complicated names and as a result the usag
has increased significantly. In many European languages the
words have now been fully integrated into the normal ever
example, many English speaking people are not aware of th
hind such words as: " laser " (/ight amplification by stimulated
diation), "smog" Crwoky fog) and "radar" (radio detection
milary such terms as "Nato", "Uno", "Unesco" and "O

(23) Many Oromos have already begun to label such words and certain
and written Oromo as sagalee sadarkoome, afaan Orontoo sadarkoome " standa
dardized Oromo ".
(24) There is another word for the term island, i.e. cittuu.
(25) Muummee is also "horizon".
(26) Also marta mootwnmaa, lit. " government house or " house of the state w .

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 650 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

used in many languages throughout the world, although

of each word is not known.
In the case of afaan Oromo the usage of abbreviated words has not been
widely adopted by the Oromo intellectuals. Only for the names of their ogani-
zations have they used abbreviations. But the newspaper Bariisaa has used ab-
breviations for a number of terms. There is, however, a great potentiality for
abbreviations in this language. Below are a few examples:

Abbreviated Terms Full Terms English Meaning

Abo Adda Bilisummaa "Oromo Liberation Front" (27)
Oromoo
Dhamowa Dhaabbata Mootummoota " U.N.O. "
Walt a' ami
Dhata Dhaabbata Tokkummaa " O.A.U. "
Afrikaa
Koto Koree Towannaa " Supervision Committee " (28)
meefa mana eegumsa fayyaa " clinic n
moda mana oolmaa daaimmanii " kindergarten "
To' a Tokkummaa Oromoota "Union of Oromos in Europe"
Awroppaa
Wabo Waraana Adda Bilisummaa " Oromo Liberation Front's
Oromoo Army "

Suffice it to say that the Oromo language pla

thod its proper place. The new Oromo script w
give even more possibilities to fully use this me

8. Borrowings

In the words discussed up to this point I hav

used their internal resources to solve the proble
following pages I will deal with another method
Borrowing from other languages and enrichi
very old and worldwide phenomenon. In their lo
and nations the Oromos have borrowed and ado
cepts. In the field of technical terms there are f
that can be listed: a) Cushitic languages such as
diyya, Agaw etc.; b) Omotic languages such as K
Ethiopia such as Ge'ez, Tigrinya, Amharic, Gur
ropean languages such as Italian, French, English
myself to the last two categories and Ge'ez-Amhari

(27) However such words as: Abo, koto, Toa and Wabo
Waboo in spoken Oromo.
(28) This is a government committee under the control of
Ethiopia " .

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 651

i.e., Cushitic languages, it is difficult for me at this sta

ate between common Cushitic words and borrowed ones(29) .

a) European Loan Words

After the Second World War English has replaced French and Italian as
the main source of European loan words in afaan Oromo. Today, being the
first foreign language and the language of instruction from the 7th grade on-
wards, English is the major language through which most European words en-
ter afaan Oromo.
The majority of loan words whether they are from European languages,
Arabic or Amharic have been adapted into afaan Oromo phonologically and
morphologically. Sometimes is difficult to know exactly from which European
language words are borrowed. In this case I will label such words as " Euro-
pean". The following ones are some examples of European loan words in
Oromo:

Adapted Word Origin Source Language English Equivalent

diyaasa dias (pl.) German "slide" (Photography)
fiumi film English
fiizika fisica Italian " physics "
gaazexaa gazzetta Italian " newspaper "
gpmmaa gomma Italian " rubber; tyre "
ispoortii sport English
kemika chimica Italian " chemistry "
kulaaka kulak Russian " rich peasant "
motobilii automobile English
raadiyoo radio European " radio "
oksigina oxygen English
radaara radar English
saayinsii science English
simintoo cemento Italian "cement"
shofeera chauffeur French " driver" (30)
taankii tank English
teeknika tecnica Italian "technique"
tambeera timbre French " postage stamp;
stamp "
telekooma telecommunication European " telecommunication "
tiibii (tiivii) TV English " television" (31)

(29) On Cushitic common words see HJ. Sasse, 1982.

(30) There is also another Oromo word: oofaa (m) and ooftuu (r).
(31) Also televisiyoona.

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652 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

b) Arabic Loan Words

The largest number of loan words in afaan Oromo come from Arabic.
The influence of Arabic is world-wide and especially so on Asian and African
languages (32). In afaan Oromo a few important terms such as: aadaa "cul-
ture", amantii " religion ", amala "habit, character" and qalbii "mind, under-
standing n are centuries-old Arabic loan-words. Some of these words like qalbii
and amala passed into Amharic through afaan Oromo (33). Furthermore, what
is remarkable about the Arabic loanwords in Oromo is their easy integration
into the language. The following examples are Arabic loan words in Oromo:

Adapted Word Origin English Equivalent

baaruda bärüd u gun powder n
dabtara daftara " exercise book "
daqiiqaa daqtqa " minute n
dukkaanii dukkãn " tent "
fooqii fauq "story (of a house), floor"
haawala bawãla a money order, cheque "
jannata janmt (pl.) " paradise n
jummka jumruk u customs *
maandisa muhandis " engineer n
marfii midfa " cannon "
miijana mzãn " balance, scales "
mismaara mismãr " nail (metal) "
floor aa nur a u lime (of limestone) "
saamunaa sab ün u soap " (34)
silkii 'silk ( " "telephone" "
sharaa shir a ( " canvas "
shukkaara sukkar " sugar "
shurraabii sbaurab " sweater; pullover n
waraqata waraqa " paper; document "

c) Amharic Loan Words

The relation between afaan Oromo and Amharic is rather

European languages or Arabic. There are a lot of mutual bo
the Abyssinians (Amharas and Tigres) and Oromos, becaus
as neighbours for such a long time, in war and peace.
Before I deal with the Amharic-Ge'ez loanwords in afa
give some examples of Oromo loanwords in Amharic in or
mutual borrowings between these two languages. Oromo loa
ric cover many semantic fields, but let us see only the fol

(32) For instance: "admiral", "algebra", "lemon", "magazine", "so

all Arabic loan words in English, German and many other European lang
(33) For example see, Dasta Takla Wald, 1970.
(34) $abün itself is a Latin loanword in Arabic.

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 653

baqqollo (from Oromo boqqoolloo) "maize", cakkã

(duubee; fc. duuba) "credit"; ßnnö (ßannoo) "guerr
"granary"; gugs (gugsii) "horse race"; iß (¿fa) "offici
duu) "adventure" kellã (kellaa) "toll post"; laß (lafo
(mala) "method, scheme"; barcummã (barcumay mar
(ogeessa) "local medical practitioner"; woroß (oroßa)
Amharic loan words in Oromo will be illustrated b
to note that some of the words which are given as Amh
Ge'ez loanwords in to Amharic.

Adapted Word Origin English Equivalent

baalabbaata bãlabbãt " chief; nobleman "
bataskaana betakristiyãn " church "
daanyaa dãnyã " judge "
gabaa gabayã " market "
gibira gtbir " land tax, tribute "
gubboo gubbd " bribe "
kaffaluu kaffala " to pay "
kassasuu kassasa " to accuse "
maarashaa mãrashã " plough, plough-share "
macaafa mashãf " book "
nafxanyaa naft'anya " Abyssinian settler in
Oromoland "
naggaadee maggâdë " trader, merchant "
qeesii qës " priest; pastor "
simaamaloo sima bal aw " oral translation " (36)
shammaanee sharnmãnê " weaver "
sbugguxii shuggut' " pistole n
shuumii sham " appointee, official "
taabota tãbot " ark (of the Covenant) "
tvarqii warq " gold "
zabanyaa zabanyã "guard, watchman" (37)

As we have seen above, all the European and Arabic loanw

majority of the Amharic loanwords in Oromo are nouns or a
Oromos usually form verbs from nouns, adjectives etc. It is e
derive verbs from proper names like: araboomuu " to become a
boomsuu " to make an Arab", etc. Likewise, they form verbs f
words as the following examples will show:

(35) It is interesting to note that all Oromo words which begin with o b
they become loan words in Amharic. E.g., ona - tuona, onnee - wonnë.
(36) This interesting example is taken from the Amharic sentence sima bal
u say listen, to him! " .
(37) Karreegduu, qeettoo and eegduu are all synonyms or the word zabanyaa

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 654 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

asfadtii (Eur.) "asphalt": asfaaltessuu "to asphalt

famuu " to be asphalted", etc.
hisaaba (Ar.) "arithmetic, mathematics": hisaabuu "to calcu-
late", hisaabamuu " to be calculated"
industirii (Eur.) "industry": industiroomsuu "to industrialize",
industirootnuu "to be industrialized", ...
kaawuyyaa (Ar.) "iron (for clothes)": kaawuyyeessuu "to iron
(clothes)", kaaivuyyeeffamuu "to be iron-
ed", ...
kiraa (Ar.) " rent (of house) ": kireessuu " to rent", kireef-
famuu "to be rented" ... etc.
kolonii (Eur.) "colony": koloneeffachuu "to colonize", kolo-
neeffamuu " to be colonized", ...
maagneeta (Eur.) "magnet": maagneetessuu "to magnetize",
maagneeteffamuu " to be magnetized", ...
maqasii (Ar.) " scissors, clippers": maqasuu " to cut hair of",
maqasamuu "to be cut of", ... etc.
miijana (Ar.) "balance, scales": miijanuu "to weigh", miija-
namuu " to be weighed", ... etc.
shuumii (Amh.) "appointee, official": skuumuu "to appoint",
shuumamuu " to be appointed", ... etc.

Furthermore, several other nouns and adjectives can be formed from

such verbs. I will give some of them for the verb koloneeffachuu:

koloneeffataa "colonizer, colonialist"

(f. koloneeffattuu)
koloneeffata " colonial "
koloneeffatummaa " colonialism "
koloneeffannaa " colonization, colonizing "
koloneeffamaa " the colonized "
(f. koloneeffamtuu)
koloneeffachiisaa " one who helps somebody to colonize oth-
(f. koloneeffachiiftuu) ers", ... etc.

Many borrowings are not justified by need, since there are native Oromo
synonyms for them. For example: seedattuu for naggaadee, karreegduu for zaba-
nyaa, lubbee for qeesii, baasuu for kaffaluu, waya-dhooftuu for shammaanee, oo~
faa/ooftuu for shofeera, and dagabaafata for kolonii ... etc. Sometimes there are
three words for the same object or concept as the following examples will il-
lustrate:

a) baiali 'aa (Oromo) xayyaara (Ar.), roopphilaa (Eur.) for " air-
plane"
b) barreeffa (Or.) kitaaba (Ar.), macaafa (Amh.) for "book"
c) cirreessa (Or.) hakimii (Ar.), doktora (Eur.), for " physi-
cian, doctor" ... etc.

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 655

9. Hybrids

By hybrid, I mean a word which is partly compo

ment and partly of a foreign element or sometimes c
elements. The following examples will illustrate hy
Oromo.

Hybrid Word English Equivalent Source Languages

baabura bishaanii " steamboat, steamer " Arabic and Oromo
bishaan boombaa " running water " Oromo and Italian
boombii harkaa u grenade n European and Oromo
boombii hadiroginaa " hydrogen bomb " European and English
boorsaa dugdaa " rucksack " Italian and Oromo
farra-fudaalummaa " anti-feudalism n Oromo and European
gaazii boocbisaa " tear gas " European and Oromo
hanqina bitaaminaa " vitamin deficiency " Oromo and European
hurnna nuklarii " nuclear enercy " Oromo and English
ija korreentiii38) "bulb" Oromo and Italian
kaaseta bidiyoo " video cassette " European and European
macaafa qulqulluu " Holy Bible " Amharic and Oromo
tnakiinaa barreessii " typewriter " Italian and Oromo
mana poostaa (39) " post office " Oromo and European
ministeera olaanaa a prime minister " French and Oromo
morkii olompiyaa " olympic competition " Oromo and European
nama baadiyaa u peasant n Í40) Oromo and Arabic
suuqii kitaabotaa " bookshop, bookstore " Arabic and Arabic
ulfina atomikii " atomic weight n Oromo and English

Conclusion

I have shown above how the Oromos tried to solve the problems of
technical terms. Even though there are many small afaan Oromo committees,
there is still no central guidance to co-ordinate these committees. This is
mostly due to the political situation in Ethiopia. It must be clear to the
Oromo intellectuals, that the modernization of Oromo vocabulary is very diffi-
cult without the co-operation of Oromo linguists, economists, political scien-
tists, historians and sociologists, etc. In other countries, journalists, poets and
other writers have played a major role in the development and standardization
of their particular languages - Oromos will be no exception.
Here in summary I will give the following points which are given by a

(38) literally "the eye of electricity n.

(39) Also mana ergaa or manergaa.
(40) Qonnaan-bulaa is another word for nama baadiyaa. The plural is namoota baadiyaa and
warra baadiyaa is u country-people " , u rural population " .

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656 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

well-known linguist, Istvan Fodor, which will have to

tion by the Oromos who are interested in the furth
language: u a) the spontaneous enrichment of the lexico
forts in every-day speech and for literary purposes,
lopment of scientific and special vocabulary, and d
formation of terminology for a branch of science or
Tamene Bitima

Bibliography

a) In Foreign Languages

Baxter, P.T. W. - " The Problem of the Oromo or the Problem for the Oromo?", in " Natio-
nalism and self-determination in the Horn of Africa, I. M. Lewis (ed.), London, 1983.
- , "The Present State of Oromo Studies: a Resume", in Bulletin des Etudes africaines de
lìnalco, vol. VI, nr. 11, 1986, pp. 53-82.
Bereket Habte Selassie - "Conflict and Intervention in the Horn of Africa", London/New
York, 1980.
BraukäMPER, U. - " Ethnic Identity and Social Change among Oromo Refugees in the Horn of
Africa", in Journal of North-East African Studies, vol. 4, nr. 3, 1982/83, pp. 1-15.
Bitima Boru - "A Short Course of the Oromo Language", (np), 1976.
Dasta Takla Wald - "Addis Yamariñña Mazgaba Qalat", Addis Ababa, 1970.
Fodor, I. - "Language Reform - History and Future", Vol. 1-3. Hamburg, 1984.
Gadaa Melbaa - " Oromia - An Introduction", Khartoum, 1987, (unpublished).
Gragg, G. - " Amharic Loanwords in Oromo", in " Modern Ethiopia: Proceedings of the Fifth
International Congress of Ethiopian Studies", J. Tubiana (ed.), Rotterdam, 1980.
- , Oromo Dictionary , East Lansing, 1982.
Heine, B. - " Munyo, an Oromo Dialect , in " The Non-Bantu Languages of Kenya Vol. 2,
1980, pp. 141-171, Berlin.
- , "The Waata Dialect of Oromo, Grammatical Sketch and Vocabulary", Berlin, 1981.
FOOT, F.C. - " Galla-English, English-Galla Dictionary", Cambridge, 1913.
Krapf, J.L. - "Vocabulary of the Galla Language", London, 1842.
Lamberti, M. - " The Linguistic Situation in the Somali Democratic Republic", in " Proceedings
of the Second International Congress of Somali Studies", Th. Labahn (ed.) Vol. I, pp.
155-200, Hamburg, 1984.
Mohamed Hassen - Ethiopian Colonialism the Genesis of Conflict in the Horn of Africa: the
Oromo Case and the Future of the Region", " Symposium on the Horn of Africa", organi-
zed by the Institute of African Research and Studies, Cairo University, 1985.
Nordfeldt, M. - "A Galla Grammar", Uppsala, 1947.

(41) I. Fodor, 1984, Vol. m p. 445.

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 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE 657

Owens, J. - "A Grammar of Harar Oromo (Northeastern Et

Glossary", Hamburg, 1985.
SASSE, H.J. - "An Etymological Dictionary of Burji", Hambu
Stroomer, H.J. - "A Comparative Study of Three Southern
den, 1987.
Tamene BlTIMA, J. Steuber - " Die ungelöste nationale Frage in Äthiopien - Studie zu den
Befreiungsbewegungen der Oromo und Eritreas", Frankfurt/Bern, 1983.
TAMISER, M. - "Vocabulaire Français, Oromo, Abyssin", Dirre Dawa, 1928.
Tmene, G. da - "Dizionario della lingua Galla", Harar, 1939.
TUTSCHEK, K. - "Lexikon der Galla-Sprache (Galla-English) ", München, 1844.
Venturino, B. - "Dizionario Borana-Italiano " , Bologna, 1973.
ViTERBO, E. - "Grammatica e dizionario della lingua Oromonica", Roma, 1892.
ZlTELMANN, Th. - "Sprache und Exil - Das Beispiel der Oromo", in A. Ashkenazi (ed.),
" Das weltweite Flüchtlingsproblem - Sozialwissenschaftliche Versuche der Annäherung " ,
Bremen, 1988, pp. 323-336.

b) In Afaan Oromo

ANONYMOUS - " Oromoota: Iyyannaa Diddaa Roorroo", Finfinnee, 1971.

- , " Sagaleewwan Afaan Oromoo " , Addis Ababa, 1976.
ADDA Belisummaa OROMOO - " Sagantaa Siyaasaa", Finfinnee, 1976.
- , "Seensa Barnoota Oromiffaa, Barnoota Duraa", (np), 1979.
- , " Barreeffama Quboota Jechaa", (np), 1980.
- , "Siyaasaa Dinagdee", (np), 1980.
- , " Gargaarsa Duraa", (np), 1981.
Baqqalaa MULLATA t- " Qajeelcha Afaan Oromoo, Barreessa Lammaffaa", Addis Ababa, 1977.
"Bariisaa" - Ebla 27, 1968 (Eth. Cal.); Adoolessa 23, 1968 (Eth. Cal.); Sadassa 24, 1969 (Eth.
Cal.); Bitootessa 3, 1974 (Eth. Cal.); Fulbaana 3, 1978 (Eth. Cal.) ... etc. (and about 50
more which I have consulted).
Dafaa Jamoo - "Kuusaa Sagalee Oromoo", A'ira/Wallagga, 1988.
"Dirmaata", B. 1, Lakk. 1, (np), 1989.
Gadaa Melbaa - " Oromiyaa - Seensa Gabaabaa Seenaa Oromo", Oromiyaa, 1981.
Hayilee FtoAA - " Hirmaatadubbii Afaan Oromoo", (np), 1973.
JAALATAA JAAFAROO - "Jireenya Gamtaasabaa " , Addis Ababa, 1975.
JDOA - "Bilisummaa", Hidhaa H, Lakk. I, 1987, Washington, D.C.
Komitee Qopphee Barreessa Afaan Oromoo - " Dubbisa Akeeka Ogummaa - Hundee Ba-
rumsaa", Addis Ababa, 1983.
KHG-TBOG - "Gaachana Odaa", Frankfurt, 1988.
Kuwee KUMSAA (translated) - " Manifestoo Komunistii", Addis Ababa, 1976.
Mangashaa RlQlTUU - " Biiftuu Diiramaa", Addis Ababa, 1979.
Mesfin Beqqele - "Mana Hidhaa Itophiyaa", (np), 1979.
Onesimus Nesib (Abbaa Gammachiis) - "Jalqaba Barsiisaa", Minkullo, 1894.
Shanee Afaan Oromoo (TBOA) - "Abjootee", Frankfurt, 1983.
Tamasgeen Gammadaa - " Warraaqsa Uummataa", Addis Ababa, 1980.
Taammanaa Bitimaa - " Majaa fii Garee - The Hyena and the Party", West Berlin, 1984.
TBOA - "Sagalee Oromoo", Kutaa 8-ffaa, Lakk. 1-ffaa; Berlin, 1982.
TDOA - " Cunqursaa fi Qabsoo Dubartii", Jarmanii, 1986.
- , " Geeddaramaa fi Guddina Oromiyaa - Durii, Ammaa, Fuula Duraa", (np), 1986.
TOA - "Sagalee Oromoo", Hidhaa 2, Lakk. 1, Berlin, 1987.

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658 NOTE E TESTIMONIANZE

Pronunciation guide

Symbols JPA Symbols IPA

e tf ph p
eh tj q k'
dh d' sh f
j dz x t'
ny ji y j

Double vowels indicate

double consonants in Ita

TRIBALISMO E
IN CORNO D'AFRICA

" Free institutions are next to impossible in a country made up of diffe-

rent nationalities".
In questa frase scritta nel 1861 da John Stuart Mill è racchiusa, in sinte-
si, una spiegazione della cronica instabilità politica del continente africano.
All'inizio degli anni '60 la fine della dominazione coloniale era percepita
da molti Africani come una genuina liberazione; questi sentimenti erano anche
più forti nei Paesi dove esisteva una popolazione europea stabile, come in Ke-
nya, Rhodesia, Angola, e Mozambico. Tuttavia, mentre alcuni gruppi etnici
dominanti (quali i Kikuyu, gli Amhara, gli Shona, i Bakongo) avevano effetti-
vamente ottenuto l'indipendenza «nazionale», questo sentimento non era cer-
tamente condiviso da numerosi altri gruppi quali gli Oromo e gli Eritrei in
Etiopia, i Turkana e i Somali in Kenya, i Toucouleur in Mauritania, gli Nde-
bele in Zimbabwe etc. Per tutti costoro la caduta del governo coloniale non
aveva affatto rappresentato il raggiungimento dell'indipendenza.
I confini degli attuali Stati africani coincidono, in massima parte, con le
frontiere tracciate nell'800 dalle potenze coloniali, le quali, nello spartirsi i ter-
ritori, si sono ispirate evidentemente a criteri ben diversi da quelli di una coe-
rente ripartizione etnica della popolazione. Tale situazione è stata in seguito
accettata dai Capi di Stato africani firmatari della Carta istitutiva dell'OUA e
poi ribadita in maniera più esplicita dalla Dichiarazione del Cairo del 1964
della stessa Organizzazione, che sancisce l'inviolabilità delle frontiere coloniali
(principio deflW possidetis).
In questo modo si sono creati degli Stati multietnici nei quali manca una
coscienza nazionale e una matrice culturale comune, paragonabile a quella degli
Stati nazionali Occidentali. Mentre è innegabile che esiste una vaga solidarietà

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