ABSTRACT
Linguistically, Gurage comprises two distinct genetic branches: East Gurage as part of Transversal South Ethiosemitic, and Gunnän Gurage belonging to Outer South Ethiosemitic. Surrounded by speakers of Cushitic and Omotic languages, Gurage is the southernmost extension of Ethiosemitic. Within Gunnan Gurage, Muher, Kistane, Dobbi form the Northern Gurage group. Apart from Silt’e, which has been written since 1982 and used as medium of instruction in primary schools since 1995, Gurage varieties are limited to oral communication. There is no written literary tradition, except for a few recent works, written in a modified Ethiopic script. The earliest known Gurage text, from the mid-19th century, is the translation of the Gospels of Matthew and John into Kistane. Stress, which frequently falls on the penultimate, is not phonemic in Muher, but further research is needed. The Gurage lexicon is basically of Semitic stock influenced by early Cushitic contact.
