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{{language
The '''Silt'e language''' (Selti, Silti; [[ISO/DIS 639-3]]: xst) is an [[South Semitic]] (East [[Gurage]]) [[language of Ethiopia]], with some 830,000 speakers (1998 census), spoken in the region about 150 km south of [[Addis Abeba]].
|name=Silt'e
|nativename= ስልጥኘ
|states=[[Ethiopia]]
|speakers=827,764 (1998 census)
|familycolor=Afro-Asiatic
|fam2=[[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
|fam3=[[South Semitic languages|South Semitic]]
|fam4=[[Ethiopian Semitic languages|Ethiopian Semitic]]
|fam5=[[South Ethiopian languages|South]]
|fam6=[[Transverse South Ethiopian Semitic languages|Transverse]]
|fam7=[[East Gurage languages|East Gurage]]
|iso2=sem|iso3=xst}}
'''Silt'e''' (ስልጥኘ [{{IPA|silt'iɲɲǝ}}] or የስልጤ አፍ [{{IPA|yǝsilt'e af}}]) is a [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]] spoken in central [[Ethiopia]], mainly within the [[Silt'e zone]] in the [[Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region]], and by speakers of the language who have settled in Ethiopian cities, especially [[Addis Ababa]].
== Speakers and dialects ==
Dialects of the language include [[Azarnat]], [[Enneqor]] (Inneqor), [[Ulbarag]] (Urbareg) and [[Wolane]].
== Sounds and orthography ==
=== Consonants and vowels ===
Silt'e has a fairly typical set of consonants for an [[Ethiopic languages|Ethiopian Semitic language]].
There are the usual [[ejective consonant|ejective consonants]] alongside plain voiceless and voiced consonants, and all of the consonants except ''h'' and {{IPA|''ʔ''}} can be [[gemination|geminated]], that is, lengthened.
However, Silt'e vowels differ considerably from the typical set of seven vowels
in languages such as [[Amharic language|Amharic]], [[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]], and [[Ge'ez language|Ge'ez]].
Silt'e has the set of five short and five long vowels that is typical of the nearby Eastern Cushitic languages, which may be the origin of the Silt'e system.
There is considerable [[allophone|allophonic]] variation within the short vowels, especially for ''a''; the most frequent allophone of ''a'', {{IPA|''ǝ''}}, is shown in the chart.
All of the short vowels may be [[Vowel#Phonation|devoiced]] preceding a pause.


The charts below show the phonemes of Silt'e.
Dialects of the language include [[Enneqor]] (Inneqor), [[Ulbarag]] (Urbareg) and [[Wolane]].
For the representation of Silt'e consonants,
this article uses a modification of a
system that is common (though not universal) among linguists who work on
[[Ethiopic languages|Ethiopian Semitic languages]] but differs somewhat from the
conventions of the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]].
When the IPA symbol is different, it is indicated in brackets in the
charts.
The symbols ''p'' and {{IPA|''ʔ''}} (glottal stop) appear in parentheses because they play only a marginal role in the system, ''p'' because it appears in only a few words in the Azarnat dialect and {{IPA|''ʔ''}} because (as in [[Amharic language|Amharic]]) it is often omitted.


<div>
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: center; float: left; margin-right: 20px;"
|+ [[Consonant|Consonants]]
|-
!colspan="2"|
![[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]/<br>[[Labiodental consonant|Labiodental]]
![[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br>[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Postalveolar consonant|Palato-alveolar]]/<br>[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Stop consonant|Stops]]
|[[Voiceless consonant|Voiceless]]
|(p)
|t
|
|k
|{{IPA|(ʔ)}}
|-
|[[Voiced consonant|Voiced]]
|b
|d
|
|g
|
|-
|[[Ejective]]
|
|t'
|
|k'
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Affricate consonant|Affricates]]
|[[Voiceless consonant|Voiceless]]
|
|
|{{IPA|č [ʧ]}}
|
|
|-
|[[Voiced consonant|Voiced]]
|
|
|{{IPA|ǧ [ʤ)]}}
|
|
|-
|[[Ejective]]
|
|
|{{IPA|č' [ʧ']}}
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Fricative consonant|Fricatives]]
|[[Voiceless consonant|Voiceless]]
|{{IPA|f}}
|{{IPA|s}}
|{{IPA|š [ʃ]}}
|
|{{IPA|h}}
|-
|[[Voiced consonant|Voiced]]
|
|{{IPA|z}}
|{{IPA|ž [ʒ]}}
|
|
|-
|colspan="2"|[[Nasal consonant|Nasals]]
|{{IPA|m}}
|{{IPA|n}}
|{{IPA|ñ [ɲ]}}
|
|
|-
|colspan="2"|[[Approximant consonant|Approximants]]
|{{IPA|w}}
|{{IPA|l}}
|{{IPA|y [j]}}
|
|
|-
|colspan="2"|[[Flap consonant|Flap/Trill]]
|
|r
|
|
|
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: center;"
|+[[Vowel|Vowels]]
|-
!
!Front
!Central
!Back
|-
|High
|i, ii
|
|u, uu
|-
|Mid
|e, ee
|a [{{IPA|ǝ}}]
|o, oo
|-
|Low
|
|aa
|
|}
</div>
<br clear="all">
=== Orthography ===
Since at least the 1980s, Silt'e has been written in the [[Ge'ez]], or Ethiopic, writing system, originally developed for the now-extinct [[Ge'ez language]] and most familiar today in its use for [[Amharic language|Amharic]] and [[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]].
This system makes distinctions among only seven vowels, so some of the short-long distinctions in Silt'e are not marked.
In practice this probably does not interfere with comprehension because there are relatively few [[minimal pair]]s based on vowel length.
In written Silt'e, the seven Ethiopic vowels are mapped onto the ten Silt'e vowels as follows:
* ''ä'' → ''a'': አለፈ ''alafa'' 'he passed'
* ''u'' → ''u'', ''uu'': ሙት ''mut'' 'death', ''muut'' 'thing'
* ''i'' →
** ''ii'': ኢን ''iin'' 'eye'
** word-final ''i'': መሪ ''mari'' 'friend'
** ''i'' ending a noun [[word stem|stem]]: መሪከ ''marika'' 'his friend'
** impersonal perfect verb ''i'' suffix: ባሊ ''baali'' 'people said'; በባሊም ''babaalim'' 'even if people said'
* ''a'' → ''aa'': ጋራሽ {{IPA|''gaaraaš''}} 'your (f.) house'
* ''e'' → ''e'', ''ee'': ኤፌ ''eeffe'' 'he covered'
* {{IPA|''ǝ''}} →
** ''i'' (except as above): እንግር ''ingir'' 'foot'
** consonant not followed by a vowel: አስሮሽት {{IPA|''asroošt''}} 'twelve'
* ''o'' → ''o'', ''oo'': ቆጬ {{IPA|''k'oč'e''}} 'tortoise', {{IPA|''k'ooč'e''}} 'he cut'
==External links==
==External links==
*http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=xst
*http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=xst
* [http://globalrecordings.net/program/C00681 Christian recordings in Silt'e] in [http://globalrecordings.net/ Global Recordings] website.
* [http://globalrecordings.net/program/C00681 Christian recordings in Silt'e] in [http://globalrecordings.net/ Global Recordings] website.
==Bibliography==

*Cohen, Marcel (1931). ''Études d'éthiopien méridional''. Société Asiatique, Collection d'ouvrages orientaux. Paris: Geuthner.
{{AfroAsiatic-lang-stub}}
*Gutt, E.H.M. &amp; Hussein Mohammed (1997). ''Silt'e - Amharic - English dictionary'' (with a concise grammar by E-A Gutt). Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University Press.
*Gutt, E-A. (1983). Studies in the phonology of Silti. ''Journal of Ethiopian Studies'' 16, pp. 37-73.
*Leslau, W. (1979). ''Etymological Dictionary of Gurage (Ethiopic)''. 3 vols. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz. ISBN 3447020415


[[Category:Semitic languages]]
[[Category:Semitic languages]]

Revision as of 04:59, 17 April 2006

error: ISO 639 code is required (help) Silt'e (ስልጥኘ [silt'iɲɲǝ] or የስልጤ አፍ [yǝsilt'e af]) is a Semitic language spoken in central Ethiopia, mainly within the Silt'e zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, and by speakers of the language who have settled in Ethiopian cities, especially Addis Ababa.

Speakers and dialects

Dialects of the language include Azarnat, Enneqor (Inneqor), Ulbarag (Urbareg) and Wolane.

Sounds and orthography

Consonants and vowels

Silt'e has a fairly typical set of consonants for an Ethiopian Semitic language. There are the usual ejective consonants alongside plain voiceless and voiced consonants, and all of the consonants except h and ʔ can be geminated, that is, lengthened. However, Silt'e vowels differ considerably from the typical set of seven vowels in languages such as Amharic, Tigrinya, and Ge'ez. Silt'e has the set of five short and five long vowels that is typical of the nearby Eastern Cushitic languages, which may be the origin of the Silt'e system. There is considerable allophonic variation within the short vowels, especially for a; the most frequent allophone of a, ǝ, is shown in the chart. All of the short vowels may be devoiced preceding a pause.

The charts below show the phonemes of Silt'e. For the representation of Silt'e consonants, this article uses a modification of a system that is common (though not universal) among linguists who work on Ethiopian Semitic languages but differs somewhat from the conventions of the International Phonetic Alphabet. When the IPA symbol is different, it is indicated in brackets in the charts. The symbols p and ʔ (glottal stop) appear in parentheses because they play only a marginal role in the system, p because it appears in only a few words in the Azarnat dialect and ʔ because (as in Amharic) it is often omitted.

Consonants
Bilabial/
Labiodental 		Dental/
Alveolar 		Palato-alveolar/
Palatal 		Velar Glottal
Stops Voiceless (p) t k (ʔ)
Voiced b d g
Ejective t' k'
Affricates Voiceless č [ʧ]
Voiced ǧ [ʤ)]
Ejective č' [ʧ']
Fricatives Voiceless f s š [ʃ] h
Voiced z ž [ʒ]
Nasals m n ñ [ɲ]
Approximants w l y [j]
Flap/Trill r
Vowels
Front Central Back
High i, ii u, uu
Mid e, ee a [ǝ] o, oo
Low aa


Orthography

Since at least the 1980s, Silt'e has been written in the Ge'ez, or Ethiopic, writing system, originally developed for the now-extinct Ge'ez language and most familiar today in its use for Amharic and Tigrinya. This system makes distinctions among only seven vowels, so some of the short-long distinctions in Silt'e are not marked. In practice this probably does not interfere with comprehension because there are relatively few minimal pairs based on vowel length. In written Silt'e, the seven Ethiopic vowels are mapped onto the ten Silt'e vowels as follows:

  • ä → a: አለፈ alafa 'he passed'
  • u → u, uu: ሙት mut 'death', muut 'thing'
  • i →
    • ii: ኢን iin 'eye'
    • word-final i: መሪ mari 'friend'
    • i ending a noun stem: መሪከ marika 'his friend'
    • impersonal perfect verb i suffix: ባሊ baali 'people said'; በባሊም babaalim 'even if people said'
  • a → aa: ጋራሽ gaaraaš 'your (f.) house'
  • e → e, ee: ኤፌ eeffe 'he covered'
  • ǝ →
    • i (except as above): እንግር ingir 'foot'
    • consonant not followed by a vowel: አስሮሽት asroošt 'twelve'
  • o → o, oo: ቆጬ k'oč'e 'tortoise', k'ooč'e 'he cut'

External links

Bibliography

  • Cohen, Marcel (1931). Études d'éthiopien méridional. Société Asiatique, Collection d'ouvrages orientaux. Paris: Geuthner.
  • Gutt, E.H.M. & Hussein Mohammed (1997). Silt'e - Amharic - English dictionary (with a concise grammar by E-A Gutt). Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University Press.
  • Gutt, E-A. (1983). Studies in the phonology of Silti. Journal of Ethiopian Studies 16, pp. 37-73.
  • Leslau, W. (1979). Etymological Dictionary of Gurage (Ethiopic). 3 vols. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz. ISBN 3447020415
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