Oromo Language: Interesting Facts & Resources

Oromo is today’s featured language. Interested in linguistic facts? See post!

Oromo is one of the most recently developed written end endangered languages. Before the 1970s, Oromian literature was orally transmitted. Today, however, Oromo literature is accessible from Afaan Oromo language learning sources.

To learn (the) Oromo language, continue reading for some interesting facts and resources about Oromo. You’ll be happy you did! It is a lovely language with a deep history and culture.

Here are some fascinating Oromos-related information and resources. This article will teach you more about the Oromo people and their culture.

Oromo Is a Contemporary Language

Oromo is a Cushitic language spoken by more than 30 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt and Somalia. It is Africa’s third most frequently spoken language, behind Arabic and Swahili. All Oromos speak the Oromo language, although due to geographical variances, the Oromo dialects are not mutually understood.

Ethiopian Oromo languages utilize words taken from English, Swahili, and Amharic. West Central Oromo and Borana-Arsi-Guji are the most widely spoken dialects. The majority of syllables in both languages finish in vowels.

Oromian Literature Was Oral until The 1970s

The Oromo written language was mainly banned until the beginning of the twentieth century. Then, in 1991, the Latin alphabet was implemented in southern Ethiopia. Since then, Oromo’s written literature has flourished despite attracting little interest from outside Ethiopia.

However, Oromo literature is historically and culturally significant and may aid in our comprehension of the development of both the oral and written traditions. In addition, many Oromo exiles have written literary works in other languages.

Oromo Created Early Democracy

The Oromos, an indigenous population from southern Ethiopia, were one of the most dominant ethnic groups in the Horn of Africa from the twelfth through the nineteenth century. Their egalitarian Gada social structure enabled them to construct a constitutional government.

Men in society would elect the political leader every eight years. This method was utilized to eliminate corrupt and authoritarian leaders while establishing the first forms of democracy.

In the end, democracy was developed by Africans and not by Westerners. Thus, the Oromo people built early democracy and incorporated it into their culture.

Rural Oromos Predominate

The bulk of Oromia’s population resides in rural areas, in tiny agricultural communities remote from metropolitan regions.

The regional administration has strengthened its grip on the rural folk by building new quasi-governmental organizations and surveillance operations to collect information, track the rural populace’s movements, and distribute political propaganda.

These attempts have aggravated Oromo’s already terrible predicament.

Irreechaa is Oromo Thanksgiving

The Irreechaa Ceremony is an integral aspect of the Oromo geda religion, which entails dipping green grass into a lake and sprinkling it over the heads and bodies of worshippers.

Elders known as Gada perform the rite and shout blessings for the deity Waaqa, the Oromo word for “wonderful.” The event places God at the heart of the rite and includes songs and dances representing a developing national identity.

In Conclusion

Cudoo allows users to learn Oromo online. This website provides classes for individuals of different skill levels. They vary from elementary to high levels. You may also utilize interactive activities and voice recognition algorithms to learn the language more quickly and efficiently.

Cudoo also offers over 800 professional talents, so you will surely discover something that meets your demands.