Information AboutEast Gurage Languages |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GURAGE | |
| ethnic groups in ethiopia | |
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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. 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 Language s). 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 tribes. Silt'e is more closely related to Amharic than it is to Soddo. 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. Over 50 % of the Gurage claim allegiance to Ethiopian Orthodox Church , an Oriental Orthodox church related to Coptic Christianity , and another 40 % (mainly the Silt'e ) are adherents of Islam . According to the 1994 Ethiopian census, self-identifying Gurage comprise about 4.3 % of Ethiopia's population, or about 3 million people 1 . 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 Crop s 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). They are renown for their skill as traders. 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.) 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 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-Brat a 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. (Shack, p. 117) SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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