Dirasha language
Dirasha (also known as Ghidole, Diraasha, Dirayta, Gidole, Gardulla, Dhirasha) is a member of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. It is spoken in the Omo region of Ethiopia, in the hills west of Lake Chamo, around the town of Gidole.
| Dirasha | |
|---|---|
| Gidole | |
| D'iraassh | |
| Native to | Ethiopia |
| Region | Omo Region, in the hills west of Lake Chamo, around Gidole town. |
Native speakers | 65,000 (2007)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | gdl |
| Glottolog | dira1242 |
A number of speakers also use Oromo or Konso. According to Wondwosen, the "Dirasha" is the name of the people, and the name of the language is given variously as "Dirashitata, Dirayta and Diraytata" (2006:3,4).
The language has a three ejective consonant phonemes and two implosive consonant phonemes, fitting the pattern of the Ethiopian Language Area. It has two tones and five vowels. Duration (or gemination) is distinctive for both consonants and vowels (Wondwosen 2006:9,10).
Phonology [2][3][4]
Phonetic Inventory: Consonant IPA Symbols
Dirayta transcription utilizes symbols that differ from those of the traditional IPA chart. Each ejective may be written two ways.
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ ⟨ñ⟩ | ŋ | |
| Plosive | p | t | c | k | ʔ |
| Ejective | t’ ⟨t'⟩ ⟨ṭ⟩ | tʃ’ ⟨č'⟩ ⟨č̣⟩ | k’ ⟨k'⟩ ⟨ḳ⟩ | ||
| Implosive | ɓ | ɗ | |||
| Fricative | f | s | ʃ ⟨š⟩ | h | |
| Affricate | tʃ ⟨č⟩ | ||||
| Lateral | l | ||||
| Flap | r | ||||
| Glide | w | j ⟨y⟩ |
When /n/ and /ʔ/ occur as /nʔ/, they contract to form ŋ. /n/ and /ʔ/ must occur in that sequence, with no intervening vowels or consonants.
Low and High Tones
-Dirayta is a 2-tone language.
-Low Tone: Absence of accentual markings
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| i | hiip | local beer |
| e | meet | child |
| a | paas | cleaver |
| u | Could not locate example | |
| o | Could not locate example | |
| ɔ | Could not locate example |
-High Tone: Represented by acute accent diacritic above vowel (í, é, á, ú, ó, ɔ́)
-Mandatory for monosyllabic CVC and disyllabic CVC/CVVC words
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| í | Could not locate example | |
| é | hén | five |
| á | káp | mouth |
| ú | Could not locate example | |
| ó | pón | dry season |
| ɔ́ | Could not locate example |
-For disyllabic words, only one syllable may contain high tone.
-High tone is (mostly) assigned to the first vowel within the initial syllable. However, high tone may be assigned to the first vowel within the ultimate syllable.
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| í | šíra
ʃíra |
liver |
| é | ʔérpa | lie |
| é | ʔéetot | evening meal |
| é | saytét | oil |
| é | waalét | long-necked calabash |
| á | párat | year |
| á | máakot | snake |
| ú | kúnɗa | fruit |
| ó | sóha | meat |
| ó | móohot | sky-god |
| ó | porrót | barley |
| ɔ́ | Could not locate example |
-For trisyllabic words, high tone is (mostly) assigned to the ultimate syllable. However, high tone may be assigned to BOTH initial and ultimate syllables.
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| í | ɗímaʔmaʔ | rib-cage |
| é | mat'aatét | round white potato |
| á | káč̣erra | cloth |
| á | palawwát | type of bird |
| á, á | háwallát | type of dumpling |
| á, ó | k'áalalót
ḳáalalót |
thin ale-gruel |
| ú | mút'ura
múṭura |
heart |
| ú, é | k'úrt'ummét
ḳúrṭummét |
fish |
| ó | kópila | shield |
| ó, á | k'óhanát
ḳóhanát |
afternoon coffee session |
| ɔ́ | Could not locate example |
References
- Wondwosen Tesfaye Abire. 2006. Aspects of Diraytata Morphology and Syntax: A Lexical-Functional Grammar Approach. Archived 2016-03-10 at the Wayback Machine University of Trondheim, doctoral thesis.
External links
- Klaus Wedekind, "Sociolinguistic Survey Report of the Languages of the Gawwada (Dullay), Diraasha (Gidole), Muusiye (Bussa) Areas" SIL Electronic Survey Reports: SILESR 2002-065 (contains a word-list of Dirasha, with 320 entries)
- Ethiopia 2007 Census
- Abire, W.T. (2006). "Aspects of Diraytata: Morphology and Syntax" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
- Wedekind, K. (2002). "Sociolinguistic Survey Report of the Languages of the Gawwada (Dullay), Diraasha (Gidole), Muusiye (Bussa) Areas". SIL (Société International de Linguistique).
- Hayward, R. J. (February 1981). "Nominal suffixes in Dirayta (Gidole)". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 44 (1): 126–144. doi:10.1017/s0041977x00104446. ISSN 0041-977X. S2CID 162445184.