Bussa language

Bussa
Mossittaata
Spoken in	Ethiopia
Region	Dirashe special woreda, Southern Ethiopia
Native speakers	8,537 of Mashile dialect 9,552 of Mosiye dialect  (date missing)
Language family	Afro-Asiatic Cushitic East Dullay Bussa
Language codes
ISO 639-3	dox

Bussa (also known as Muusiye, Dobase, D'oopace, D'opaasunte, Lohu, Mashile, Mashelle, Masholle, Mosiye, Musiye, Gobeze, Gowase, Goraze, Orase) is an East Cushitic language spoken in the Dirashe special woreda of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region located in southern Ethiopia. The people themselves, numbering 19,628 according to the 2007 census, call their language Mossittaata. Two varieties can be distinguished: North and West Bussa.

Bussa is highly influenced by surrounding Cushitic and Omotic languages and should be considered endangered according to Gurmu (2005). Speakers of the North Bussa variety are shifting to Oromo, Dirasha or Amharic, whereas speakers of the West Bussa variety are shifting to the Omotic languages Zargulla, Zayse and Gamo. Important factors for the ongoing language shift include intermarriage with other ethnic groups and heavy contact with neighbouring people.

References

• Gurmu, Alemayehu [2005] 'Some Notes on Sociolinguistic Aspects of Bussa' (unpublished paper presented at International Conference on Endangered Ethiopian Languages, Addis Ababa 27–30 April 2005)
• Wedekind, Klaus (ed.) (2002) 'Sociolinguistic survey report of the languages of the Gawwada (Dullay), Diraasha (Gidole), Muusiye (Bussa) areas.' SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2002-065.

External links

• Ethnologue report on Bussa.