Afaan Oromoo
Oromo
Cushitic
Oromo (Afaan Oromoo) is an East Cushitic language with ~37M speakers — Ethiopia's most-spoken language by L1 (Oromia Region) and a federal working language since 2020. Significant communities in Kenya (Borana) and Somalia. Latin script (Qubee) standardized 1991, replacing Geʽez script under Derg regime; choice was politically symbolic (rejection of Amharic dominance).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Oromo
Water
bishaan
/biʃaːn/
Fire
ibidda
/ibidːa/
Sun
aduu
/aduː/
Moon
jiʼa
/dʒiʔa/
Star
urjii
/urdʒiː/
Mother
haadha
/haːɗa/
Father
abbaa
/abːaː/
I
ani
/ani/
You
ati
/ati/
Name
maqaa
/makʼaː/
Eye
ija
/idʒa/
Hand
harka
/haɾka/
Heart
onnee
/onːeː/
Love
jaalala
/dʒaːlala/
Tree
muka
/muka/
House
mana
/mana/
Dog
saree
/saɾeː/
Cat
adurree
/aduɾːeː/
Eat
nyaachuu
/ɲaːtʃuː/
Drink
dhuguu
/ɗuɡuː/
One
tokko
/tokːo/
Two
lama
/lama/
Hello
akkam
/akːam/
Thank you
galatoomi
/ɡalatoːmi/
Good
gaarii
/ɡaːriː/
Computer
koompitara
/koːmpitara/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Cushitic languages
| Meaning | Oromo | Gedeo | Konso | Sidamo | Hausa | Saho | Wolaytta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | bishaan /biʃaːn/ | woyye /wojːe/ | pishaa /piʃaː/ | waayyo /waːjːo/ | ruwa /ɾuwaː/ | lee /leː/ | haatta /haːtːa/ |
| Fire | ibidda /ibidːa/ | gira /ɡiɾa/ | apitta /apitːa/ | giiraa /ɡiːraː/ | wuta /wuta/ | gira /ɡira/ | tama /tama/ |
| Sun | aduu /aduː/ | ayyaʼne /ajːaʔne/ | piirtuta /piːrtuta/ | arrishshe /arːiʃːe/ | rana /ɾaːnaː/ | ayro /ajɾo/ | awa /awa/ |
| Moon | jiʼa /dʒiʔa/ | agina /aɡina/ | leya /leja/ | agana /aɡana/ | wata /wata/ | alsa /alsa/ | aginaa /aɡinaː/ |
| Star | urjii /urdʒiː/ | urje /urdʒe/ | hikkitta /hikːitːa/ | beeddakko /beːdːakko/ | tauraro /tauraːro/ | cutuk /ħutuk/ | xoolinttee /tʼoːlintːeː/ |
| Mother | haadha /haːɗa/ | aaki /aːki/ | aayyaa /aːjːaː/ | ama /ama/ | uwa /uwaː/ | ina /ina/ | aaya /aːja/ |
| Father | abbaa /abːaː/ | eke /eke/ | aappaa /aːpːaː/ | anna /anːa/ | uba /ubaː/ | abba /abba/ | aawa /aːwa/ |
| I | ani /ani/ | ani /ani/ | anti /anti/ | ani /ani/ | ni /niː/ | anu /ʔanu/ | taani /taːni/ |
| You | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | atti /atti/ | ati /ati/ | kai /kai/ | atu /ʔatu/ | neeni /neːni/ |
| Name | maqaa /makʼaː/ | su'ma /suʔma/ | maχχa /maχːa/ | suʼma /suʔma/ | suna /suːnaː/ | migaq /miɡaːʕ/ | sunttaa /suntːaː/ |
| Eye | ija /idʒa/ | ille /ilːe/ | ilta /ilta/ | ille /ilːe/ | ido /idoː/ | inti /inti/ | ayfee /ajfeː/ |
| Hand | harka /haɾka/ | anga /aŋɡa/ | harka /harka/ | anga /anɡa/ | hannu /hanːu/ | gaba /ɡaba/ | kushiyaa /kuʃijaː/ |
| Heart | onnee /onːeː/ | wodana /wodana/ | sataʔta /sataʔta/ | wodanaa /wodanaː/ | zuciya /zutʃija/ | qalbe /qalbe/ | wozanaa /wozanaː/ |
| Love | jaalala /dʒaːlala/ | baxxa /baxːa/ | ʄaalaɗiyaa /ʄaːlaɗijaː/ | baxa /batʼa/ | ƙauna /kʼauna/ | kaxano /kaħano/ | siiqaa /siːqaː/ |
| Tree | muka /muka/ | haqqa /haqːa/ | ʛoyra /ʛojra/ | haqqe /haqːe/ | bishiya /biʃija/ | caar /ħaːr/ | mittaa /mitːaː/ |
| House | mana /mana/ | mine /mine/ | tika /tika/ | mine /mine/ | gida /ɡida/ | kalo /kalo/ | keettaa /keːtːaː/ |
| Dog | saree /saɾeː/ | kaneessa /kaneːsːa/ | kuta /kuta/ | minceeti /mintʃeːti/ | kare /kaɾe/ | kare /kaɾe/ | kanaa /kanaː/ |
| Cat | adurree /aduɾːeː/ | adurre /aduɾːe/ | aturraata /aturːaːta/ | adurree /adurːeː/ | kyanwa /kʲanwa/ | dummu /dummu/ | gaaduwaa /ɡaːduwaː/ |
| Eat | nyaachuu /ɲaːtʃuː/ | ittu /itːu/ | ɗamiyaa /ɗamijaː/ | itaa /itaː/ | ci /tʃiː/ | niitan /niːtan/ | miya /miːja/ |
| Drink | dhuguu /ɗuɡuː/ | agittu /aɡitːu/ | ikiyaa /ikijaː/ | aguraa /aɡuraː/ | sha /ʃaː/ | yaaqab /jaːʕab/ | ushiya /uʃija/ |
| One | tokko /tokːo/ | mitto /mitːo/ | takka /takːa/ | mitto /mitːo/ | ɗaya /ɗaja/ | inki /inki/ | issino /isːino/ |
| Two | lama /lama/ | lame /lame/ | lakki /lakːi/ | lame /lame/ | biyu /biju/ | lammá /lamˈma/ | naaʼʼa /naːʔːa/ |
| Hello | akkam /akːam/ | mooye /moːje/ | nakaytaa /nakajtaː/ | nagaa yi'ne /naɡaː jiʔne/ | sannu /sanːu/ | malaal /malaːl/ | saro /saro/ |
| Thank you | galatoomi /ɡalatoːmi/ | galaata /ɡalaːta/ | — /—/ | gali'ne /ɡaliʔne/ | na gode /na ɡode/ | galatto /ɡalatto/ | galatay /ɡalataj/ |
| Good | gaarii /ɡaːriː/ | danee /daneː/ | paʛaari /paʛaːri/ | danchu /dantʃu/ | nagari /naɡaɾi/ | meqe /meʕe/ | lo'o /loʔo/ |
| Computer | koompitara /koːmpitara/ | — | — | — | kwamfuta /kʷamfuta/ | — | — |
Word order compared
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