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Omotic

Omotic

9.9
A group of languages spoken in the Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia
  • noun
  • Specialized
: omótico
  • Linguists have classified several tongues spoken in southern Ethiopia as Omotic languages.

Examples

  • The Omotic language group is considered part of the larger Afro-Asiatic family.

  • Many Omotic languages are spoken by small communities along the Omo River.

  • The Omotic languages include several dialects.

  • Many researchers study Omotic for its unique features.

  • Linguists have classified several tongues spoken in southern Ethiopia as Omotic languages.

  • Many Omotic languages are spoken by small communities along the Omo River.

  • The Omotic language group is considered part of the larger Afro-Asiatic family.

Surface Forms

Omotic singular
Omotics plural

Morphology

Omotic = Omo (semi-transparent) = Omo + tic

Formed from the regional name 'Omo' plus the adjectival suffix '-tic' (pertaining to); the relation is predictable from form but requires knowledge of the geographic name and is specialized.

Etymology

Omotic comes from the name of the Omo River in southern Ethiopia plus the ending -tic, which means 'related to'. So Omotic simply labels the languages 'of' or 'from' the Omo area.