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Alaba-K’abeena

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A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3
alw
Alternate Names
Alaaba, Allaaba, Halaba, K’abeena, K’abena, Qebena, Wanbasana
Population

307,700, all users. L1 users: 278,000 (2007 census). 227,000 Alaba, 51,300 K’abeena (2007 census). L2 users: 29,700. 111,000 monolinguals (1994 census). Ethnic population: 286,000 (2007 census). 233,000 Alaba, 52,700 K’abeena (2007 census).

Location

Oromia region: Rift Valley southwest of Lake Shala; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Highland
Dialects

Alaaba (Alaba, Wanbasana), K’abeena (Qebena). Lexical similarity: 81% with Kambaata [ktb], 64% with Sidamo [sid], 56% with Libido [liq], 54% with Hadiyya [hdy].

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

Positive attitudes. All also use Amharic [amh] (Crass 2007).

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 9%. Taught as a major at the university level. Taught in primary schools as a subject in grades 1–4. Grammar.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Alaba-K’abeena
Writing

Ethiopic script [Ethi].

Other Comments

Muslim.

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