Mao | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution |
Ethiopia |
Linguistic classification |
Afro-Asiatic
|
Glottolog | maoo1243 |
The Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia. This group comprises,
It is estimated there are 5,000 speakers of Bambasi, 3,000 speakers each of Hozo and Seze and a few hundred Ganza speakers (Bender, 2000). During recent political upheavals, a few thousand Bambassi speakers established themselves in the valley of the Didessa River and Belo Jegonfoy woreda. Much of the Mirab Welega Zone was once the home of Mao languages, but these languages have lost speakers to the increasing influence of Oromo.