Mereja.Forum

[Dama]

Silly me! Gurage Muslims are praying for the longevity of Abiy Ahmed's Oromuma PP

[Horus]

Silly me! Gurage Muslims are praying for the longevity of Abiy Ahmed's Oromuma PP

ዶማ፣ ምነው ፖለቲካህን መቀሌ ወስደህ ብትሸጠው!!
FYI. ቡታጀራ በአዋጅ በየጥዋቱ ሥራ ከመጀመሩ በፊት የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ መዝሙር የሚዘመርበት ከተማ ነው! መስቃን የዳምጠው ከተማ፣ የደስታ ዳምጠው ፣ የስክንድር ደስታ ምድር!! ጉራጌ የውዲቱ ኢትዮጵያ ምሰሶ!!!

[Odie]

Silly me! Gurage Muslims are praying for the longevity of Abiy Ahmed's Oromuma PP

……>>>>>>>>>>
During the previous election I heard all gurage protestants were forced to elect the clown bs they were told he was a protestant and they should elect him; the muslims may have been fooled too convincing them he is muslim too!!

[Dama]

Silly me! Gurage Muslims are praying for the longevity of Abiy Ahmed's Oromuma PP

……>>>>>>>>>>
During the previous election I heard all gurage protestants were forced to elect the clown bs they were told he was a protestant and they should elect him; the muslims may have been fooled too convincing them he is muslim too!!

It's embarrassing. But, you know for paid cadres, there is nothing they don't do to fatten their pockets and please their master. Their loyalty is deep. They allowed him to divide them. We have work to do.

[Dama]

Odie
Per your request for books

The best way of studying Gurage history and language that has worked for me is start with a book, and follow the references in the book you read. You choose the book(s) given in the refence depending on your interest. Most of the authors on Gurage are in the link below.

Include these 3 Gurage linguists:
Teglu Giza Nisrane, Linguist @ Welkite University
Degif Petros Banksira, Linguist @ MIT, USA and University of Quebec, Canada
Fekede Menuta, Linguist @ Hawasa University

https://hal.science/hal-03831925/file/2 ... Gurage.pdf

Professor Wolf Leslau, in his study of Gurage dialects concluded that the dialects are parts of an earlier existing parent Gurage language, which he called Proto-Gurage. He collected words, grammar from each dialect to conclude that the dialects have an organic unity. Dialects, he argued, do not necessarily have to be intelligible to one another to be offsprings of one language. He believes the dialects split from the parent language and formed the varieties.
He was a Polish German Jew who fled to France to avoid compulsory military service in WWII.

His student and opposite to his conclusion on the unity of Gurage dialects is Robert Hetzron, a Jew from Hungary, on a simplistic theory which states that two dialect that are not intelligible to each other have become two different languages. Those who wish to divide Gurage into disparate pocket-size communities of differences and disunity use his unscientific and unusual conclusion. Some gossips exist that he was not a mentally stable person.

"Language Death in Mesmes" by Ahland, Michael Bryan, an MSc thesis published as a book, $50 on Amazon. Mesmes were the founding members of Sebatbet Gurage, now absorbed by Hadiya and Endegany.

Authors on Gurage history
Prof.Richard Pankhurst
Prof. Bahru Zewde
Dr. Getahun Lapiso Delebo
and many in Amharic by Gurages

Enjoy the books!

[Dama]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMrscp9dH/

[Horus]

Dama,

If you took the politics out of this kind of scholarly effort I could be your ally. I have been personally interviewed by the late Professor Wolf Leslau & helped him translate words. And, I have been arguing on this forum that Gurage linguists and anthropologists must for a Gurage Language Institute and work on the etymology of Gurage language because I truly believe that Guragegna was a single language shares similar etyma.

Just to mention two examples of current significance:

ጉርዳ በሰባት ቤት ትልቅ ቃል ነው ። ጉርዳ በሁሉም የሰባት ቤት ዘዬዎች (ዲያሌክቶች) ይኑር አይኑር አላውቅም ። በክስታኔ ጉራጌኛ ጎርዳ ይባላል፣ የቃሉ ስር ጉር (ጎር) ነው ። መሰረታዊ ትርጉሙ ጎራ የምንለው ስብሰባ፣ ቡድን፣ ማህበር ማለት ነው ። ጉራጌ ማለት ጉራጌ ፤ በጉባኤ፣ በሸንጎ የሚተዳደር ሕዝብ ማለት ነው ።

ሌላው የሰባት ትልቅ ቃል ጀፎረን እንውሰድ ፣ ይህን ቃል እኔ እስከ ሴማዊ መሰረቱ ወስጄ አረንኛውን ጭምር አጥኔቼዋለሁ ። ገፈረ ተወ ፣ ለጋራ ጥቅም የተተወ ማለት ሲሆን በክስታኔኛ ገፈርሳ መሬት ይባላል። አንዳንድ ሰዎች ጌፎለ ማለትም ጀፎረ ነው ይላሉ ። ጌፎለ ማለት በክስታኔኛ ከቤት ጀርባ ያለ ክፍት ቦታ ነው ። እኛ አካባቢ ሰፊ ለግጦሽና ለሚታጨድ ሳር የሚተው የወል መሬት ነው ። ግን ገፈረ (ጀፎረ) በራሱ ቀጥታ ትርጉሙ የጋራ መሬት ማለት ነው ።

በዚህ አይነት በኢንስቲቱዩት ደርጃ ቋንቋቅ ከፖለቲካ ሆያ ሆዬ ውጭ መጠናትና ሪኮንስትራክት መደረግ አለበት ። እስከዚያ ድረስ እያንዳንዱ ዲያሌክን መጻፍና የአርትና ስነጽሁፍ ቋንቋ ማድረግ ነው። ከሁሉ አስቀድሞ ጉራጌዎች ከቀሩት የዞረባቸው ጎሳዎች ሆያሆዬን መማርና ክባህልና ስነልቦናቸው ውጭ ልማድ መክረጅን ማቆም አለባቸው ።

የጉራጌ ግንድ መቆሚያ ፍልስፍናና እምነት ኬርነት ነው፤ እሱም በሴራ እና በመልካምነት የተመሰረተ ካልቸርና ሳይኮሎጂ ነው። ይህ ሁሉ የሚታመሰው የኢትዮጵያ ጎሳ ሁሉም ኃይማኖት አላቸው ግን የኬርነት እና የሴራ ኤቲክስ የላቸውም ። ጉራጌ በእስልምና ሆነ ክርስትና በቦዠ ሆነ ሌላ አምላክ ይመን ስኛት (ሴራ) እና ኬርነት (መልካምነትና ሰላም) ላይ የቆመ ሕዝብ ነው።

ይህ ብቻ የጉራጌና አንድ ሕዝብነት ማረጋገጫ ነው ። ከዛይ እስከ አበሽጌ ይህው ነው። አይደለም ሕያው ጉራጌ ወደ ኦሮሞነት የተለወጡት የሚመርቁት በኬርነት ነው።

[Dama]

Horus

Gurage Language Institute is an interesting idea. It should be though part of a larger Gurage Studies Association. When the idea is presented to the Gurage linguists working at different universities, they would definitely support. So many of them are mentioned in the link I posted above for Odd.

I can only help financially. And I will attend your conferences to learn more.

[Horus]

Horus

Gurage Language Institute is an interesting idea. It should be though part of a larger Gurage Studies Association. When the idea is presented to the Gurage linguists working at different universities, they would definitely support. So many of them are mentioned in the link I posted above for Odd.

I can only help financially. And I will attend your conferences to learn more.

You know, I know the people who started Oromo Study Association OSA in DC. I hate that word. Gurage has highly educated people in every field. So if there is going to be one unifying scientific society - let's just call it THE GURAGE INSTITUTE and then each discipline such as linguistics, art, history, etc can be an independent adjunct to the GI . Study association is a word taken from student union days and it very elementary. That is my view.

[Dama]

There was a movement in Addis to build a Gurage Cultural Center in Addis. A multi-storey building. I have seen a copy of it. Long time, in the 2000s.
Bahru Zewde commented on the location of the building being Addis. He spoke of fear that if the politics of Addis is not favorable to Gurage, then what? kind of question.

[Horus]

There was a movement in Addis to build a Gurage Cultural Center in Addis. A multi-storey building. I have seen a copy of it. Long time, in the 2000s.
Bahru Zewde commented on the location of the building being Addis. He spoke of fear that if the politics of Addis is not favorable to Gurage, then what? kind of question.

That building is not finished. That is immaterial. A single wealth Gurage can build a high rise for the Institute. First let the intellectuals get organized be it WU or any where. Remember Bahru Zewde is instrumental in Ethiopia Studies institute. The late Seme Debela is one of the founders of Ethiopian Science Academy. ጉራጌ የኢትዮጵያ ምሰሶ ስንል መፈክር አይደለም!

[Odie]

Odie
Per your request for books

The best way of studying Gurage history and language that has worked for me is start with a book, and follow the references in the book you read. You choose the book(s) given in the refence depending on your interest. Most of the authors on Gurage are in the link below.

Include these 3 Gurage linguists:
Teglu Giza Nisrane, Linguist @ Welkite University
Degif Petros Banksira, Linguist @ MIT, USA and University of Quebec, Canada
Fekede Menuta, Linguist @ Hawasa University

https://hal.science/hal-03831925/file/2 ... Gurage.pdf

Professor Wolf Leslau, in his study of Gurage dialects concluded that the dialects are parts of an earlier existing parent Gurage language, which he called Proto-Gurage. He collected words, grammar from each dialect to conclude that the dialects have an organic unity. Dialects, he argued, do not necessarily have to be intelligible to one another to be offsprings of one language. He believes the dialects split from the parent language and formed the varieties.
He was a Polish German Jew who fled to France to avoid compulsory military service in WWII.

His student and opposite to his conclusion on the unity of Gurage dialects is Robert Hetzron, a Jew from Hungary, on a simplistic theory which states that two dialect that are not intelligible to each other have become two different languages. Those who wish to divide Gurage into disparate pocket-size communities of differences and disunity use his unscientific and unusual conclusion. Some gossips exist that he was not a mentally stable person.

"Language Death in Mesmes" by Ahland, Michael Bryan, an MSc thesis published as a book, $50 on Amazon. Mesmes were the founding members of Sebatbet Gurage, now absorbed by Hadiya and Endegany.

Authors on Gurage history
Prof.Richard Pankhurst
Prof. Bahru Zewde
Dr. Getahun Lapiso Delebo
and many in Amharic by Gurages

Enjoy the books!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>%%%%%%>>>>>>>>>+++++>>>>
Thanks Dama
I am sure you read well on this topic. All people searching their history from that region should read these works. Unfortunately most written material are from foreigners. Ethiopians focus isn oral history. It would have been impressive to study and gather the opinion of elders with regard to the concept of their origin. My father who used to say his ancestors kind of migrated from Kokir-gedebano; personally no idea where this location is-probably northeastern Gurage. I never thought for eg butajira were gurage. Often they are more influenced centrally and mind their business/economy than politics.
I was checking the biography of Wolf Leslau an amazing jew who lived 100 years. He spent his life on studying semetic languages. You know the jews, they like to trace the possible jewish root of others-Ethiopians being one group.
Anyways, thank you for the resource. I appreciate your effort in digging the gurage history. It is best to leave Emperor Menelik and Amhara thing alone (they took gurage freedom etc.. nothing special to gurage) Even Tigrians are our cousins who I believe followed the wrong path for half a century. Menelik and our ancestors gave us a beautiful country but Tigrians and Oromo elites worked hard to destroy it. Since our ancestors did follow the model of the time, they may have done many wrong things but many more good things. As a result of the nation building venture, gurage got a lot of advantages but may have lost its identity and culture for the bigger gain. There is still time if all gurage people agree to unify and preserve their culture and previledge for self rule. That is not against gurage ethiopian heritage. People need to wake up and participate in politics and decision making in issues deciding their fate!
Take care

[Dama]

Odie
Per your request for books

The best way of studying Gurage history and language that has worked for me is start with a book, and follow the references in the book you read. You choose the book(s) given in the refence depending on your interest. Most of the authors on Gurage are in the link below.

Include these 3 Gurage linguists:
Teglu Giza Nisrane, Linguist @ Welkite University
Degif Petros Banksira, Linguist @ MIT, USA and University of Quebec, Canada
Fekede Menuta, Linguist @ Hawasa University

https://hal.science/hal-03831925/file/2 ... Gurage.pdf

Professor Wolf Leslau, in his study of Gurage dialects concluded that the dialects are parts of an earlier existing parent Gurage language, which he called Proto-Gurage. He collected words, grammar from each dialect to conclude that the dialects have an organic unity. Dialects, he argued, do not necessarily have to be intelligible to one another to be offsprings of one language. He believes the dialects split from the parent language and formed the varieties.
He was a Polish German Jew who fled to France to avoid compulsory military service in WWII.

His student and opposite to his conclusion on the unity of Gurage dialects is Robert Hetzron, a Jew from Hungary, on a simplistic theory which states that two dialect that are not intelligible to each other have become two different languages. Those who wish to divide Gurage into disparate pocket-size communities of differences and disunity use his unscientific and unusual conclusion. Some gossips exist that he was not a mentally stable person.

"Language Death in Mesmes" by Ahland, Michael Bryan, an MSc thesis published as a book, $50 on Amazon. Mesmes were the founding members of Sebatbet Gurage, now absorbed by Hadiya and Endegany.

Authors on Gurage history
Prof.Richard Pankhurst
Prof. Bahru Zewde
Dr. Getahun Lapiso Delebo
and many in Amharic by Gurages

Enjoy the books!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>%%%%%%>>>>>>>>>+++++>>>>
Thanks Dama
I am sure you read well on this topic. All people searching their history from that region should read these works. Unfortunately most written material are from foreigners. Ethiopians focus isn oral history. It would have been impressive to study and gather the opinion of elders with regard to the concept of their origin. My father who used to say his ancestors kind of migrated from Kokir-gedebano; personally no idea where this location is-probably northeastern Gurage. I never thought for eg butajira were gurage. Often they are more influenced centrally and mind their business/economy than politics.
I was checking the biography of Wolf Leslau an amazing jew who lived 100 years. He spent his life on studying semetic languages. You know the jews, they like to trace the possible jewish root of others-Ethiopians being one group.
Anyways, thank you for the resource. I appreciate your effort in digging the gurage history. It is best to leave Emperor Menelik and Amhara thing alone (they took gurage freedom etc.. nothing special to gurage) Even Tigrians are our cousins who I believe followed the wrong path for half a century. Menelik and our ancestors gave us a beautiful country but Tigrians and Oromo elites worked hard to destroy it. Since our ancestors did follow the model of the time, they may have done many wrong things but many more good things. As a result of the nation building venture, gurage got a lot of advantages but may have lost its identity and culture for the bigger gain. There is still time if all gurage people agree to unify and preserve their culture and previledge for self rule. That is not against gurage ethiopian heritage. People need to wake up and participate in politics and decision making in issues deciding their fate!
Take care

Don't be afraid or suspicious of foreign authors. You may find something that you look for. You can discard unbelieve them. And then search the truth somewhere elses. Definitely, abandon them. They do take care to be as truthful as they can be because of peer reviews and publishers have to sell their books, obviously on truth, not on lies or art of lying. History and Linguistics are considered Social sciences; therefore you have to have facts for your conclusions.

I would rather worry more about Ethiopian writers. With limited research money to travel to Arab and European libraries for broader intellectual resources, Ethiopian books may not be rigorous and exhaustive on the subject. There are books written on Gurage in Amharic. I heard them mentioned. But did not read any of them.
on't be afraid or suspicious of foreign authors. You may find something that you look for. You can discard unbelieve them. And then search the truth somewhere elses. Definitely, abandon them. They do take care to be as truthful as they can be because of peer reviews and publishers have to sell their books, obviously on truth, not on lies or art of lying. History and Linguistics are considered Social sciences; therefore you have to have facts for your conclusions.

I would rather worry more about Ethiopian writers. With limited research money to travel to Arab and European libraries for broader intellectual resources, Ethiopian books may not be rigorous and exhaustive on the subject. There are books written on Gurage in Amharic. I heard them mentioned. But did not read any of them.

I read a bit from all of them. I can say a word or two about them.

Gurage will be free from its existential dangers by the efforts of all of us!!!