The Berta languages, or Funj, traditionally considered dialects of a single language, are Gebeto (Berta proper), Fadashi, and Undu. They are either a small family (or

language isolate Language isolates are languages that cannot be classified into larger language families. Korean and Basque are two of the most common examples. Other language isolates include Ainu in Asia, Sandawe in Africa, and Haida in North America. The num ...

) of their own, or a primary branch of the

Nilo-Saharan The Nilo-Saharan languages are a proposed family of African languages spoken by some 50–60 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers, including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of the Nile meet. T ...

language family. Berta has the typical word order subject–verb–object. It is a tonal language. It has significantly influenced some of the Eastern Jebel languages. The Arabic name "Beni-Shangul" (as in the Ethiopian province of

Benishangul-Gumuz Benishangul-Gumuz ( am, ቤንሻንጉል ጉሙዝ, Benšangul Gumuz) is a regional state in northwestern Ethiopia to the border of Sudan. It was previously known as Region 6. The region's capital is Assosa. Following the adoption of the 199 ...

) derives from a Berta expression (with ''bele'' "rock/stone" misanalyzed as Arabic ''beni'' "sons").

Varieties

Bremer (2016) surveys the following 6 varieties of Berta, providing word lists for them as well. Geographical information is from Bremer (2016:2-3). With the exception of Metehara, all surveyed Berta varieties are spoken in the

Benishangul-Gumuz Region Benishangul-Gumuz ( am, ቤንሻንጉል ጉሙዝ, Benšangul Gumuz) is a regional state in northwestern Ethiopia to the border of Sudan. It was previously known as Region 6. The region's capital is Assosa. Following the adoption of the 1 ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. There is very little data for Berta varieties spoken in

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

. * Maiyu, the most prestigious and also the most innovative Berta variety, is spoken in and around

Asosa Asosa is the capital of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. Located in the Asosa Zone, this town has a latitude and longitude of , with an elevation of 1,570 meters. History A Belgian force from the Congo captured Asosa on 11 March 1941, dest ...

and

Kurmuk : Kurmuk is a town in south-eastern Sudan near the border with Ethiopia. Kurmuk is inhabited by the Uduk and Berta peoples. Kurmuk is the administrative center for most of Gindi District, Kolnugura district, Borfa District, Jammus Omm Distric ...

, along the border with Sudan. * Fadashi is spoken in and around

Bambasi Bambasi (also known as Abba Moti) is a town in western Ethiopia. The town is named after the highest point in the Asosa Zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Mount Bambasi. Bambasi has a longitude and latitude of with an elevation of 1668 mete ...

. * Undulu is spoken in and around Undulu. *Beleje Gonfoye, the most conservative dialect, is isolated from other Berta communities, as it is located much further to the southeast than the other Berta varieties. It is called Gebeto by Fleming (1960, 1974; as cited in Bender 1989Bender, M. Lionel. 1989. Berta Lexicon. In ''Topics in Nilo-Saharan linguistics'' 271–304. Hamburg: H. Buske.). Due to the similarities with Wabosh, they may have ultimately came from the Wabosh community in

Daleti Daleti ( om, Daalattii, amh, ዳለቲ), also spelled Daletti, is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Sebeta Hawas district, Daleti is a suburban village predominantly inhabited by the Tigri Werji people. Notable cities and locations nea ...

. There are several hundred speakers of this variety, which is spoken in Fwafwate and surrounding areas of the Didessa Valley. *Wabosh is closely related to Beleje Gonfoye, and is spoken in

. *Metehara is spoken just to the east of

Awash National Park Awash National Park is a national park in Ethiopia. Located at the border of Oromia state and Afar state, the park covers an area of 827 square kilometers, most of it lies at an altitude of 900 meters. Spanning across the southern tip of the ...

Oromia Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa. It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Benish ...

References

Roger Blench
Languages of Ethiopia Tonal languages Language families {{ns-lang-stub

Varieties

See also

References