El Molo
[aka Elmolo, Fura-Pawa, Ldes]Classification: Afro-Asiatic
·dormant
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Dormant
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700
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"The Elmolo are a small community of fishers living in two settlements along the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, in northern Kenya. Although long considered “the smallest tribe of Kenya” and almost onthe verge of extinction, the Elmolo have actually been increasing in recent years: they number today approximately 700... The Elmolo shifted from an East Cushitic language we call Elmolo (ISO 639 code: elo) to their present Samburu during the first half of the 20th century... According to my informants (2010), the last 'good' speaker of Cushitic Elmolo, Kaayo, died in 1999."
- DATE OF INFO
- 2010
- DOMAINS OF USE
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- MORE ON VITALITY
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"To be true, tads and bits of the old language are still in use: a good number of words belonging to basic vocabulary are still known among the elders, while possibly hundreds of words pertaining to fishing (from fish names and fish parts to fishing implements) – which were simply absent in the language of the pastoralist Samburu – have been grafted onto the 'new' Samburu language of the Elmolo. Finally, a few formulaic expressions in the old language are still used in songs, greetings and propitiatory rituals."
- PLACES
- Kenya
- LOCATION DESCRIPTION
"A minority of the Elmolo lives in the Division administrative centre of Loiyangalani, but the overwhelming majority inhabits two villages: Layieni (6 km.s North of Loiyangalani)... and Komote (13 km.s North of Loiyangalani)... Other Elmolo settle for at least a part of the year further North of Komote, especially in Palo (25 km.s North of Loiyangalani), where they fish and attend to the goats (no grazing is possible in Layieni and Komote). Finally, a section of the Elmolo is settled in an island off Ileret, 70 km.s South of the border with Ethiopia."