The Kunama language is spoken by the Kunama people of the Gash-Barka Region in western Eritrea and just across the Ethiopian border. It is a member of the Kunama language family, which is included as part of the proposed wider Nilo-Saharan language family, though it is distantly related to the other languages, if at all. The language has several dialects including: Barka, Marda, Aimara, Odasa, Tika, Lakatakura, Sokodasa, Takazze-Setit and Tigray. Ilit and Bitama are not mutually intelligible and so may be considered distinct languages.

In 1985, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front decided to use the Latin script for all non-Semitic languages in Eritrea, including Kunama. Kunama has been used in some publications, including in a translation of the Gospel of Mark first published in 1906.

Phonology

Consonants LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottalStopFricative()NasalRhoticLateralApproximant

is only of marginal status. are labialized as after back vowels. is heard as aspirated in syllable-initial position.

Vowels FrontCentralBackClose () Mid () Open

can be heard as when in unstressed syllable position.

See also Kunama word list (Wiktionary)

References

Relevant literature

External links World Atlas of Language Structures information on Kunama