East Cushitic
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The East Cushitic languages comprise more than thirty languages belonging to the Cushitic family within the Afro-Asiatic phylum. East Cushitic languages are spoken mainly in Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti, but also in parts of Kenya.

The most prominent East Cushitic language is Oromo, with about 21 million speakers. Other prominent languages include Somali (spoken by ethnic Somalis in Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti, and Kenya) with about 15 million speakers, Sidamo (in Ethiopia) with about 2 million speakers, and Afar (in Eritrea and Djibouti) with about 1.5 million.

In the internal classification of East Cushitic, the most common major division is between Highland East Cushitic and Lowland East Cushitic. Western Omo-Tana is a distinct branch, as are the two branches represented by Yaaku (extinct) and Boon (endangered).

List of Eastern Cushitic languages

• Highland East Cushitic
  • Alaba (or Alaaba)
  • Burji
  • Gedeo
  • Hadiyya (or Hadiya)
  • Kambaata
  • Libido
  • Sidamo
• Lowland East Cushitic
  • Rendille-Boni (Rendille and Boni)
  • Somali languages
    • Somali
    • Af-Maay
  • Saho-Afar languages
    • Saho
    • Afar
  • Konso-Gidole
    • Konso (or Komso)
    • Dirasha (or Gidole, Kidole, Diraytata)
  • Oromo
  • Dullay
    • Bussa (endangered)
    • Gawwada
    • Tsamai
• Western Omo-Tana
  • Arbore
  • Baiso
  • Daasanach
  • El Molo/Elmolo (extinct; all speakers have shifted to Elmolo-Samburu)
• Yaaku (moribund; all speakers have shifted to Mukogodo-Maasai, only three fluent speakers left)
• Boon (endangered, possibly extinct)

See also

• Languages of Ethiopia

External links

• Ethnologue entry for East Cushitic languages

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