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Language Information by Source

Source 1
Source 2
Language Death: The Case of Qwarenya (Ethiopia)

Appleyard, David L. 1998. "Language Death: The Case of Qwarenya (Ethiopia)." In Endangered Languages in Africa, edited by M. Brenzinger. 143-162. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe.

Critically Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
About Vitality Level
6
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends

Speaker Number Trend 5

A small percentage of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing very rapidly.

5
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 5

There are only a few elderly speakers.

5
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Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
"Nowadays they speak either Amharic, or in case of a much smaller number Tigrinya, and of course, most now also speak Modern Hebrew since the immigration of the greater part of the community to Israel in two waves during the 1990s... All six speakers normally use Amharic in their daily intercourse, and only Qes Tayyä and his wife occasionally speak Qwarenya when they do no want anyone within earshot to understand..."

Location and Context
Countries
Israel (now); Ethiopia (Previously)
Location Description

"Qwara being the region to the northwest and west of Lake Tana. This was the home region of the last speakers before they immigrated to Israel... At the time of my research the six remaining speakers were living in different places of Israel - only Qes [priest] Tayyä, who was my principal informant and his wife were living together... All [six speakers of Qwarenya] originate from a cluster of six villages in Qwara, some five days' journey on foot from Gondar... Their villages, they say, are now either abandoned or wholly taken over by Amhra farmers"

Government Support
No results found.
Institutional Support
No results found.
Speakers' Attitude
No results found.
Other Languages Used By The Community
Amharic, Modern Hebrew, Tigrinya, Ge'ez
Number of Other Language Speakers:
All
Domains of Other Languages:
None

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.

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