Burji language
Spoken in
- Afro - Asiatic languages Cushitic languages Ostkuschitisch Hochlandostkuschitisch
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Cus
Bji
Burji, also aashinga afay D' or D' aashattee, is a ostkuschitische language that is spoken by the same Burji in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Of about 90,000 Burji now live only about 30,000 in its home market in Southern Ethiopia. The majority live in other parts of Ethiopia and in Kenya ( especially in Marsabit ). The Burji knowledge of the Burji in migrant communities are rather small, while in the home country, the Burji still acts as an everyday means of communication.
As in any Cushitic language the length of vowels and consonants is significant distinctive, for example, in Motime (clothing ) vs. waalla ( cloud) or buuda ( cow horn ) vs. buda ( man with the evil eye ).
The Burji provides historical linguistics, an important link between the hochlandostkuschitischen ( HOK ) and the tieflandostkuschitischen languages ( TOK ) dar. After disclosure of the data of the northern branch of the Burji ( particularly northern Gubba ) is obviously strongly influenced by omotische languages, especially Koyra. In addition, found throughout the Burji loanwords from Oromo, Amharic and Swahili. Genetically the Burji is most likely to represent near the HOK. However, it has hardly participated in its innovations, but shares the other hand, a number of morphological and grammatical isoglosses as well as some basic words with the Dullay and the Konso - Di'rasha ( the TOK branch belong ), suggesting a long contact with these languages ( Sasse 1982: 9ff. ). Sasse therefore rejects "a strict genealogical tree model" from and argues for a "more realistic areal classification of Burji [ ... ] taking phenomena of language contact and areal influence into account" ( Sasse 1982: 11). In 1986, he speaks of a " Sagan language area" ( within which the Burji can be seen) "which is Characterized by a Considerable number of specific phonological grammatical, lexical and semantic isoglosses. In the same area we find a parallel distribution of cultural features. The development and diffusion of linguistic features across language boundaries and even the abandonment of search features can be Directly related to the development, diffusion and abandonment of cultural and socio -economic features " ( Sasse 1986: 340).