Gabra people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (Kenya: 43,000 in 1994, Ethiopia.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia | |
| Languages | |
| Oromo | |
| Religion | |
| Islam, traditional | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Oromo · Barentu · Borana Oromo and other Cushitic peoples. |
The Gabra (also written Gabbra or Gebra) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Chalbi Desert in northern Kenya and the highlands of southern Ethiopia. Camel-herding nomads, Gabra are part of the Oromo; and are closely associated especially with Borana.
The Gabra speak the Borana dialect of Oromo, which belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.
The name "Gabra" may have roots in the Oromo word gabaro, meaning "vassal" and possibly indicating an association within the Borana federation. They appear to have been a conglomerate of peoples living north of the Tana river in Kenya, the area around Lake Turkana and the highlands of southern Ethiopia, but the details of Gabra ethnogenesis are subject to debate within academia.
The Gabra's ornamentation and physical culture is similar to many other Cushitic-speaking camel herders. The latter include the Rendille and Somali, all of whom the Gabra describe as warra dassee ("people of the mat"), in reference to the mat-covered, portable tents, which accompany their nomadic lifestyle. The Borana, on the other hand, are described by the Gabbra as warra buyyoo ("people of the grass"), in reference to the grass huts that characterize their sedentary lifestyle.
Gabra homes, called mandasse, are light, dome-shaped tents made of acacia roots, and covered with sisal grass mats, textiles, and camel hides. Each mandasse is divided into four quarters; a public quadrant each for male visitors, female visitors, and a private quadrant each for parents and children. A mandasse can be completely disassembled and converted into a camel-carried palanquin in which children and the elderly travel.
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Wikipedia