Qemant
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (Est. 172,000 in 1994 (of whom only 1,650 retain the language.)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Ethiopia
|
|
| Languages | |
| Qimant · Amharic | |
| Religion | |
| Pagan-Hebraic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Agaw people · Amhara · other Habeshas |
The Qemant (Ge'ez: ቅማንት?) are a small subgroup of the Agaw people in Ethiopia, who traditionally practiced an early Hebrew religion. Despite their historic relationship, they should not be confused with the Beta Israel.
The ethnicity's population is roughly 172,000, according to the 1994 national census; the latest available national census, the one performed in 2007, does not list them as a separate group. However, only 1,625 people still speak Qimant, and it is considered endangered, as most children speak Amharic; likewise, adherence to the traditional religion has dropped substantially, as most of the population has converted to Christianity. Converts often consider themselves to have become Amhara.
The Qemant live along an axis stretching from Ayikel in Chilga woreda to Kirakir north to Lake Tana in the woredas of Lay Armachiho, Qwara, Dembiya, Metemma and Wogera; most remaining speakers of the language are near Ayikel, about 40 miles west of Gondar. They are mainly farmers.
The Qemant are divided into two patrilineal moieties, the Keber and the Yetanti; the Keber is higher in rank. A traditional Qemant can only marry a member of the other moiety, so, while the moieties are exogamous, Qemant society as a whole is endogamous.
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