Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Yemsa, Yemma, Janjero, Janjerinya, Janjor, Yangaro, Zinjero
CLASSIFICATION		Afro-Asiatic, Omotic
ORTHOGRAPHY		None officially; some speakers try to use fidel to write Yem.
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		jnj
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Toba Fuga of Jimma
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Pilot survey of bilingualism in Yem” (1-5) . Aklilu, Yilma (1993)

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
Ethnic population
~500,000

DATE OF INFO: 1993

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"Their children speak it less and less."

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

Most Yem have a positive attitude towards their own language. They want to revive it.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Yem; Oromo; Amharic;

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"The percentage of Amharic being spoken as a native language is increasing, whereas the percentage of Yem is decreasing from generation to generation."

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: "Illubabor (formerly Kaffa), an administrative region in the south-west of
Ethiopia."

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
81,614
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
165,770

DATE OF INFO: 1994

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
92,200 (2007 census).
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
census

DATE OF INFO: 2007

Scripts (Writing system): Latin

PLACES: Ethiopia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Yem zone; Oromia region: northeast of Jimma zone, Fofa (main village); mixed in Oromo villages; Saja, Deedoo, Sak’a, Jimma. Southwest."

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

DOMAINS OF USE

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"The Yem people have a very positive attitude towards their mother tongue and are convinced that their language will be used throughout generations and that it will not be forgotten. However, some are aware of the fact that there are Yem people who do not speak their mother tongue any more. They referred to them as 'those who live outside the Yem District,' or 'those mixed with Oromo.' Several times we were told that someone who stays in the Yem District will not forget his language, but if he leaves his area, he may give it up."

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

Very positive.

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Weekly radio broadcast are in Yem.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Amharic; Oromo; Gurage;

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"Within the family Yemsa is used primarily. The use of Yemsa as the language in the homes is very stable. [...] Even in town Yemsa is used predominantly; but a large number of people seem to use Amharic as the language for matters related to administration."

Scripts (Writing system)

None officially; some speakers try to use fidel to write Yem.

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
81,613
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
81,613
Native speakers worldwide

0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press			New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																				7.83333333333, 37.3333333333
	SIL electronic survey reports (SILESR), #2002-053		2002	Sociolinguistic survey report of the Omotic languages Sheko and Yem	26	Earlier version appeared 1993 as “Survey of the Omotic languages ‘Sheko‘ and ‘Yem’” in «SLLE (Survey of little-known languages of Ethiopia) linguistic reports», v. 10.		SIL International						Aklilu, Yilma and Siebert, Ralph and Siebert, Kati	Aklilu, Yilma, Ralph Siebert and Kati Siebert. 2002. "Sociolinguistic Survey Report of the Omotic Languages Sheko and Yem." 26. SIL International.	EBALL						Amharic is the language of instruction in schools.	Amharic; Oromo; Gurage;	Very positive.	"Within the family Yemsa is used primarily. The use of Yemsa as the language in the homes is very stable. [...] Even in town Yemsa is used predominantly; but a large number of people seem to use Amharic as the language for matters related to administration."	Weekly radio broadcast are in Yem.	Vulnerable (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11	"The Yem people have a very positive attitude towards their mother tongue and are convinced that their language will be used throughout generations and that it will not be forgotten. However, some are aware of the fact that there are Yem people who do not speak their mother tongue any more. They referred to them as 'those who live outside the Yem District,' or 'those mixed with Oromo.' Several times we were told that someone who stays in the Yem District will not forget his language, but if he leaves his area, he may give it up."	11
		3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing			Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		81,613		10000-99999							Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)								7.6347, 37.3205
			1998	1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia, Results at Country Level		Reproduced online by Hudson, 2006		Central Statistical Office		1	Addis Ababa	Office of Population and Housing Census Commission	https://www.msu.edu/~hudson/Ethlgslist.htm		1998. "1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia, Results At Country Level." 1: Central Statistical Office. Online: https://www.msu.edu/~hudson/Ethlgslist.htm.		165,770	81,614	1994	10000-99999							Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
			1993	Pilot survey of bilingualism in Yem	1-5	Three main languages are used in the surveyed area: Yemsa, Oromo and Amharic. Revised version appeared 2002 as a SIL electronic survey report (SILESR), #2002-052.			SLLE (Survey of little-known languages of Ethiopia) linguistic reports	9				Aklilu, Yilma	Aklilu, Yilma. 1993. "Pilot Survey of Bilingualism in Yem." In SLLE (Survey of little-known languages of Ethiopia) linguistic reports, 9: 1-5.	EBALL	~500,000		1993				Yem; Oromo; Amharic;	Most Yem have a positive attitude towards their own language. They want to revive it.	"The percentage of Amharic being spoken as a native language is increasing, whereas the percentage of Yem is decreasing from generation to generation."		Threatened (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	12	"Their children speak it less and less."		11	"Illubabor (formerly Kaffa), an administrative region in the south-west of Ethiopia."
				World Oral Literature Project									http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			81,613		10000-99999							Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		18th	2015	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 18th Edition			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	SIL International			Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2015. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.			92,200 (2007 census).	2007	10000-99999	census						Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Ethiopia	"Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Yem zone; Oromia region: northeast of Jimma zone, Fofa (main village); mixed in Oromo villages; Saja, Deedoo, Sak’a, Jimma. Southwest."

Yem

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

81,614

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

92,200 (2007 census).

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

81,613

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

81,613

Discussion

Yem

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

81,614

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

92,200 (2007 census).

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

81,613

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

81,613

Discussion

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