Oromic Still Hindered from Developing and Becoming a Federal Working Language?
By Fayyis Oromia*
An intense debate is currently underway regarding Dr. Abiy Ahmed. The central question being raised is whether he is a friend or a foe of the Oromo people. His critics portray him as a foe—someone who is deliberately undermining the Oromo struggle for freedom and sovereignty. His supporters, on the other hand, romanticize him as a wise ally of the Oromo, strategically dismantling Oromo adversaries and advancing the cause of Oromo liberation behind the scenes.
From my perspective, Dr. Abiy is actively hindering Oromic from becoming a primary working language of the Ethiopian federation. Through this inaction or resistance, he appears determined to maintain Ethiopia as Amapia (an Amharic-dominated state), rather than transforming it into Oropia (a state led by Oromic). Therefore, despite appearances, he is not a friend of the Oromo—but rather, a foe.
Otherwise, it was a commendable initiative by Oromo scholars—such as Dr. Haile Fida—and organizations like the OLF to develop, use, and promote Qubé, a script far more suitable than Ge’ez-Fidel for writing Oromic. The introduction of double consonants and vowels was a smart solution for distinguishing between words with different meanings. However, during that time, there was no appropriate technology available to simplify these forms—such as using single letters with tonal or elongation markers.
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2023/07/0 ... amorphous/
Re: Oromic Still Hindered from Developing and Becoming a Federal Working Language?
But now, in this modern digital era, why do Oromic educators and policymakers lack innovation and continue to cling to this bulky and repetitive system with double letters? At the very least, it should be possible to eliminate the use of double vowels—if not also double consonants.