Bambassi (Màwés Aasʼè)

Bambassi is an Omotic language spoken by about 2,300 people in western Ethiopia, particularly in the towns of Bambasi and Didesssa in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region. Bambassi is spoken by adults, and children in some areas.

Bambassi is also known as Amam, Bambeshi, Didessa, Fadiro, Mawes Aasse, Northern Mao or Siggoyo. There are two dialects: Didessa and Bambassi. There are some classes in Bambassi in primary schools.

Bambassi can be written with a version of the Latin alphabet, although few Bambassi speakers are literate in their language

Latin alphabet for Bambassi

Download alphabet charts for Bambassi (Excel)

Sample text

Mééshtòs tòsgàsh tíwóólbishá. Pàlmàlàn shàngk’màlàn koosh kóóshin kóóshin kóóshin kóóshin kóóshin hówin kèmin, kíinin pàlmàlìsh kíin nooknà, “Amói! shàngk'màlolen kóóshin hamkèmáǃ” híwiish “Núúngàsh hàwkooshbishàà? Íshìsh hambèling akmìsnè, táà!” híin hiwiiá pàlnookìshá.

Translation

I am wanting to tell a story. Baby bushbucks and baby leopards played and played games together all day long. And then they came (home); the baby bushbuck(s) came and said to the mother, "Oh Mom! We spent the whole day playing with the baby leopards!" And she said, "Why were you all playing? They are the very things that eat us!" and that’s what she said, the mother of the bushbuck.

Source: A Grammar of Northern Mao (Màwés Aas’è), by Michael Bryan Ahland

Sample video in Bambassi / Northern Mao

Information about Bambassi | Numbers

Links

Information about Bambassi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambassi_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/myf
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/12456

Omotic languages

Aari, Bambassi, Bench, Dizin, Hamer(-Banna), Kafa, Sheko, Wolaytta

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 02.07.21. Last modified: 03.09.23

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