Gurage is an ethnic group in Ethiopia. The Gurage people inhabit a sparsely fertile, semi-mountains region in southwest Ethiopia, about 150 miles southwest of Addis Ababa. Their homeland extends to the Awash River in the north, the Gibe River (a tributary of the Omo) to the southwest, and to Lake Zway in the east. The Gurage ethnic group has usually been said to consist of three distinct subgroups, Northern, Eastern and Western, but the largest grouping within the Eastern subgroup, known as the Silt'e, have not necessarily considered themselves to be Gurage, and in a referendum in 2000 they voted unanimously to break away from the Gurage Zone within the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, forming their own autonomous region.^[1] For the long-distance runner, see Addis Abebe. ... The Awash (sometimes spelled Hawash) is a major river of Ethiopia. ... Omo River empties into Lake Turkana, August 1995 The Omo is an important river of southern Ethiopia. ... Lake Zway is one of the freshwater Rift Valley lakes of Ethiopia. ... Silte (ስልጥኘ or የስልጤ አፍ ) is a Semitic language spoken in central Ethiopia, mainly within the Silte zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, and by speakers of the language who have settled in Ethiopian cities, especially Addis Ababa. ... Gurage is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). ... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region. ... An autonomous region or autonomous district is a subnational region with special powers of self-rule. ...

Description

According to the historian Paul B. Henze, their origins are explained by traditions of a military expedition to the south during the last years of the Axumite Kingdom which left military colonies that eventually became isolated from both northern Ethiopia and each other.^[2] The Kingdom of Aksum (or Axum, Geez አክሱም), was an important trading nation in northeastern Africa, growing from the proto-Aksumite period ca. ...

The Gurage languages do not constitute a coherent linguistic grouping, rather, the term is both linguistic and cultural. The Gurage people speak a number of separate languages, all belonging to the Southern branch of the Ethiopian Semitic language family (which also includes Amharic). The languages are often referred to collectively as "Guraginya" (sometimes written with its Italian spelling "Guragigna") by other Ethiopians (-inya is the suffix for language names in most Ethiopian Semitic languages). Ethiopian Semitic languages (sometimes Ethiopic) is a language group which together with Old South Arabian forms the Western branch of the South Semitic languages. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... The Semitic languages are the northeastern subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic languages, and the only family of this group spoken in Asia. ...

There is no general agreement on how many languages or dialects there are, in particular within the West Gurage grouping.

The following are listed as separate languages by Ethnologue: Soddo (Kistane), Inor, Mesqan, Mesmes, Silt'e (not strictly speaking a Gurage language since the people do not consider themselves Gurage), Zay, and Sebat Bet Gurage. Sebat Bet (or Sebat Beit), in particular, is best understood as a grouping in itself; the term means literally "Seven Houses," and refers to seven specific Western Gurage groups and lects. Silt'e is more closely related to Amharic than it is to Soddo. Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics), a Christian linguistic service organization which studies lesser-known languages primarily to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language. ... Soddo (autonym kəstane Christian; formerly called Aymälläl in Western sources, after a particular dialect of it) is a Gurage language spoken by about 300,000 people in southeastern Ethiopia. ... Inor ([ino:r]), sometimes called Ennemor, is a Semitic language spoken in central Ethiopia, mainly within the Gurage zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, and by speakers of the language who have settled in Ethiopian cities, especially Addis Ababa. ... The Silte language (Selti, Silti; ISO/DIS 639-3: xst) is an South Semitic (East Gurage) language of Ethiopia, with some 830,000 speakers (1998 census), spoken in the region about 150 km south of Addis Abeba. ... The Zay language is one of the Ethiopic languages. ... Sebat Bet Gurage (also called Central West Gurage, West Gurage, Chaha, Ezha, Gumer, Gura, Gyeto, Muher) is a South Semitic language of Ethiopia (ISO/DIS 639-3: sgw). ... A variety of a language is a form that differs from other forms of the language systematically and coherently. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ...

As the Gurage people are surrounded by speakers of Cushitic languages, these languages have influenced the Gurage languages perhaps even more than they have other Ethiopian Semitic languages. For example, the East Gurage languages have a ten-vowel system characteristic of the neighboring Cushitic languages rather than the seven-vowel system common to most other Ethiopian Semitic languages, including the West Gurage languages. The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... Ethiopian Semitic languages (sometimes Ethiopic) is a language group which together with Old South Arabian forms the Western branch of the South Semitic languages. ...

Over 50 % of the Gurage claim allegiance to Ethiopian Orthodox Church, an Oriental Orthodox church related to Coptic Christianity, and another 40 % are adherents of Islam. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Church until it was granted its own Patriarch by Cyril VI, the Coptic Pope, in 1959. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and reject the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

According to the 1994 Ethiopian census, self-identifying Gurage comprise about 4.3 % of Ethiopia's population, or about 3 million people.^[3]

The Gurage live a sedentary life based on agriculture, involving a complex system of crop rotation and transplanting. Ensete is their main staple crop, but other cash crops are grown, which include coffee and chat. Animal husbandry is practiced, but mainly for milk supply and dung. Other foods consumed include green cabbage, cheese, butter, and roasted grains, with meat consumption being very limited (also used in rituals or ceremonies). Satellite image of circular crop fields in Haskell County, Kansas in late June 2001. ... Ensete is one of three genera of plants in the banana family, Musaceae. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for money. ... A cup of coffee Workers sorting and pulping coffee beans in Guatemala Mature coffee fruit still on the plant Coffee is a widely consumed beverage prepared from the roasted seeds — commonly referred to as beans — of the coffee plant. ... Binomial name Catha edulis (Vahl) Forssk. ... Shepherd with his sheep in Făgăraş Mountains, Romania. ...

The Gurage, the writer Nega Mezlekia notes, "have earned a reuptation as skilled traders".^[4] One example of an enterprising Gurage is one Tekke, whom Nathaniel T. Kenney described as "an Ethiopian Horatio Alger": Nega Mezlekia(1960-) is an award winning Ethiopian writer who writes in English. ... Horatio Alger, Jr. ...

he began his career selling old bottles and tin cans; the Emperor [Haile Selassie] recently rewarded hs achievement in creating his plantation by calling him to Addis Ababa and decorating him.^[5]

Ensete

The ensete or “false banana plant” has a massive stem that grows underground and is completely involved in every aspect of Gurage life. It has a place in everyday interactions among community members as well as specific roles in rituals. (For example: uses of Ensete would be wrapping a corpse after death with it, or after birth, the imbilical cord being tied off with an ensete fiber.) Ensete is one of three genera of plants in the banana family, Musaceae. ...

Strangely enough, the nutritional value this plant contains as their primary food source is not considered to be of much importance. The plant can be prepared a number of different ways, and the practical uses of ensete in Gurage culture are varied. In addition to this plant, a few cash crops are maintained and livestock is raised (though mainly for milk and fertilizer). A normal Gurage diet consists primarily of kocho, a thick bread made from ensete, and is supplemented by cabbage, cheese, butter, and grains. Meat is not consumed on a regular basis, but usually eaten sparingly during a ritual or ceremonial event.

Child rearing practices

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Gurage follow strict norms when it comes to feeding practices after a child is born. A "coming out" feast takes place for the mother and child, a name is given to the newborn at this time. Bra-Brata certain kind of food made from ensete is prepared, and delivered to the woman of the tribe. This feast represents the principles of reciprocity from the distribution of food. Since it is the woman of the village that take the domestic responsibilities while she nurses her newborn. An infant is ceremoniously given its first meal one hour after birth. From this point on, the feeding schedule is allowed to be determined by the child’s crying. For the first five days mother and child remain shielded from visitors, lying on ensete fronds next to the open fire. After this period, they are removed from the warmth of the fire and secluded behind a screen for two months. When this isolation has ended, a village feast is held where the child will be named. Until weaning is complete (two to four years), self-demand feeding is customary; milk is frequently offered to quiet a distressed child.

No adult in Gurage society stands to be inconvenienced by a child, even their own. Because a return to normal daily activities is important for the mother, there is only intense maternal care for the first two months. It is not uncommon for a child to remain unfed or looked after for several hours. Care of the child may even be turned over to a seldom attentive surrogate. If the mother does carry her child with her while doing chores feeding is often interrupted resulting in neither physical or emotional satisfaction. Due to this inconsistent feeding pattern, a pattern of “want and glut” is established which contributes to certain characteristics noticed even in adult personalities.

During mealtimes children are always fed last, and even then only what has been left by adults. Female children are served in lesser quantity after boys, and are usually made to serve them. This lends to the establishment of male superiority at an early age. Gurage males tend to develop a greater degree of anxiety over food which may be related to the fact that men depend on women for its preparation. Ensete is used as a curative agent for relieving Gurage of adverse symptoms. Ironically, the animal sacrificed is often only eaten by parents, relatives, or others present at the healing ritual. None of the meat is consumed by the individual whose illness is likely due to an inadequate diet.

Quotation

Ensete is totally involved in every aspect of the daily social and ritual life of the Gurage, who, with several others tribes in Southwest Ethiopia, form what has been termed the Ensete Culture Complex area... the life of the Gurage is enmeshed with various uses of ensete, not the least of which is nutritional.^[6]

Notable Gurage

• Mahmoud Ahmed

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See also

• Soddo language
• Sebat Bet Gurage language

Soddo (autonym kəstane Christian; formerly called Aymälläl in Western sources, after a particular dialect of it) is a Gurage language spoken by about 300,000 people in southeastern Ethiopia. ... Sebat Bet Gurage (also called Central West Gurage, West Gurage, Chaha, Ezha, Gumer, Gura, Gyeto, Muher) is a South Semitic language of Ethiopia (ISO/DIS 639-3: sgw). ...

Notes

1. ^ Vaughan, Sarah. Ethnicity and Power in Ethiopia (Chapter 7). PhD Dissertation. Edinburgh, Scotland: University of Edinburgh, 2003. [1]
2. ^ Henze, Layers of Time (New York: Palgrave, 2000), p. 112.
3. ^ Ethiopia: A Model Nation of Minorities (accessed 6 April 2006)
4. ^ Nega Mezlekia, Notes from the Hyena's Belly (New York: Picador, 2000), p. 227.
5. ^ Kenney, "Ethiopian Adventure", National Geographic, 127 (1965), p. 582.
6. ^ Shack, Dorothy. "Nutritional Processes and Personality Development among the Gurage of Ethiopia" in Food and Culture: A Reader. Ed. Carole Counihan and Penny van Esterik. (New York: Routledge, 1997). p 117.

References

• Shack, William. "Hunger, Anxiety, and Ritual: Deprivation and Spirit Possession among the Gurage of Ethiopia" in Food and Culture: A Reader (pp. 125–137). Ed. Carole Counihan and Penny van Esterik. New York: Routledge, 1997.

External links

• Gurage Research blog
• Gurage and Silte Research Group
• The Gurage People – Carolyn Ford with SIM in Ethiopia
• Facts about Gurage
• GeoHive