Seze (also spelled Sezo) is an Afro-Asiatic Omotic language spoken in the western part of Ethiopia, near the town of Begi and just north of the Hozo-speaking community in the West Oromo region.
Classification
Seze belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family, within the Omotic branch, specifically the North Mao subgroup. Its ISO 639-3 code is sze, and its Glottolog code is seze1235.
Speakers
As of 2015, Seze had approximately 13,000 native speakers. The language is classified as endangered. According to Ethnologue, it is used as a first language by adults only and is not known to be taught in schools.
Geographic Distribution
The language is spoken in Ethiopia's western Oromia region, near the town of Begi. It is geographically adjacent to the Hozo-speaking community.
Language Vitality
Seze is considered an endangered indigenous language. It is no longer the norm that children learn and use the language, and it lacks institutional support or formal education in schools.
Further Reading
- Desta, Girma Mengistu (2023). "Sezo". In Ronny Meyer; Zelealem Leyew; Bedilu Wakjira (eds.). Oxford Handbook of Ethiopian Languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 1030–1052.
