Highland East Cushitic languages

The hochlandostkuschitischen languages ​​are a group of related languages ​​that are in the southern highlands of Ethiopia, on the western edge of the Great African grave breach spoken. They belong to the Cushitic languages ​​, which are in turn a branch of Afro-Asiatic language family.

Whether they are to be classified within the Cushitic languages ​​, together with the tieflandostkuschitischen, the Dullay languages ​​and the Yaaku as ostkuschitische languages ​​is controversial.

After Christopher Ehret, the hochlandostkuschitischen groups formed - as well as the Ometo - between the 3rd and the end of the 2nd millennium BC from a mixture of omotischsprachigen farmers who cultivated Ensete, and from the north immigrant kuschitischsprachigen ranchers and farmers crabgrass. So there is also today's economy these groups in the cultivation of Ensete and finger millet, which is connected with cattle.

The hochlandostkuschitischen languages ​​are divided as follows:

• Alaba - K'abeena / Qabena; K'abeena is classified in part as a dialect of Kambaata
• Burji
• Kambaata (including Timbaro )
• Gedeo
• Hadiyya
• Libido / Mareko; emerged from the Hadiyya
• Sidama.

Except for the Burji these languages ​​are closely related.

Swell

• Cushitic languages