Abstract

Surrounded by speakers of Cushitic and Omotic languages, Gurage is the southernmost extension of Ethiosemitic. Historically, Gurage is a toponym, but does not refer to a uniform ethnolinguistic group (cf. Meyer 2011: 1220–4). Geo-politically, Gurage refers to the inhabitants of the Gurage Zone in southern Ethiopia, viz., the Wolane and Gunnän Gurage (Map 10.1). Formerly, the Silt’e were also part of the Gurage Zone, but established their own zone in 2001, whereas the Zay live among the Oromo. Estimates of the Gurage population range from three to five million. Bilingualism with Amharic, the official language in the Gurage Zone, is widespread.