Also Known As:
Qimant, Kimanteney, Western Agaw, Falaša, Kemant, Falasha
Dialects & Varieties
- Dembiya
- Kwolasa
- Hwarasa
- Kayla
- Achpar
- Qimant
- Semyen
The Kemantney Language: A Sociolinguistic and Grammatical Study of Language Replacement
Zelealem Leyew. 2003. "The Kemantney Language: A Sociolinguistic and Grammatical Study of Language Replacement." 20: Köln: Rüdiger Köppe.
Severely Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1625
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 3
Only about half of community members speak the language. Speaker numbers are decreasing steadily, but not at an accelerated pace.
3
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 5
Used only in a few very specific domains, such as in ceremonies, songs, prayer, proverbs, or certain limited domestic activities.
5
Transmission
Transmission 4
Many of the grandparent generation speak the language, but younger people generally do not.
4
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
3450
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
304
Older adults
791
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
172291
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
"Kemantney has been stigmatized by two groups: Amharic speakers of Amharic descent, and Amharic speakers of Kemant descent. It is not uncommon for Kemant speakers to be ashamed of using it for fear of being humiliated by these two groups. Everyone who wants to speak the language smiles and looks around before (s)he starts speaking. The smile is a sign of bewilderment and anxiety, not of courage and excitement."
Location and Context
Countries
Gondar, Ethiopia
Location Description
No results found.
Government Support
No
Institutional Support
No
Speakers' Attitude
Negative
Other Languages Used By The Community
Amharic
Number of Other Language Speakers:
All
Domains of Other Languages:
Home, normal use
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
No results found.
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
No results found.
Recent Resources
Message informatif
No results found.