Shehri language

Spoken in

• Afro-Asiatic languages Semitic languages Südsemitische languages South Arabian languages Jibbāli

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Shv

Jibbāli is a neusüdarabische language.

Distribution area and speaker

The number of speakers is according to a census of 1993 about 25,000. The speakers have a different social status and belonging to different tribes. They live in part as semi-nomads in the mountainous regions of the Omani province of Dhofar, where they breed camels and cows and collect incense, partly in the cities on the coast, where they practice different professions. The pastoralists Batahira in Wadi Ezdah Mountains use the language; fishermen on the Churiya - Muriya Islands speak a special dialect. Jibbāli has a rich dialectology, there are eastern, central and western dialects distinguished. An understanding with the speakers of other languages ​​neusüdarabischer is not possible. A proper name for their language does not have the speaker. In research, many different terms appear as Sheri / Shori / shauri among others, but these are perceived by the speakers as a pejorative, so they prefer to call Jibbāli.

Research History and Status

The first description of the language by the European linguistics under the name Ehhkili was made in 1838 by Fulgence Fresnel. A breakthrough in the research of the South Arabic languages ​​was carried out by the South Arabian excursion of the Imperial Academy of Vienna in 1898, were collected on the number of texts. Another study was carried out since 1980 by TM Johnstone, who wrote in 1981 the first dictionary for Jibbāli. Then performed further research.

The Summer Institute of Linguistics classifies the language as " threatened ", which UNESCO Atlas of endangered languages ​​as " seriously compromised ".