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ABSTRACT
, The purpose of this text is to introduce the Oromo
language, spoken in parts of Ethiopia and Kenya, to Peace Corps
volunteers. The Oromo language (also referred to as Galla) used in
the text is based on the standard language spoken in the western and
southwestern provinces of Wollega, Illubabor, and Kaffa. However,
with dialectal differences taken into account, these materials can be
used to teach the Oromo language in any area. The materials have been
presented in such a way .that the teacher and the students can arrange
them in lessons to suite their particular needs and learning styles.
The text includes a pronunciation key, 20 units on different topics,
and a unit of situational conversations. Grammatical information and
a list of common verbs are appended. (NCR)
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* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made .
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LANGUAGE MATERIALS
ORORIO,
Prepared by
Dejenie Leta
Preface (i)
Greetings 1-2
Proittouns 3
Possessive endings 5
Nwerals 6-7
Food 8
Drinks 9
Imperatives 10
Time 14-15
Means of .Tranaportation 20
Common Adjectives 21
Common Colours 22
Prepositions 23
Directions 24
I. Grammatical Appendix
4fOr
P B EF
\
C E
underteking was such that it was impractical to point out all the
,
KEY TO PRONUNCIATION
nunciation.
1. The Vowels:
as in:, hate
====
(het), === (ed)
==== aid =
as in : or,
==
more
==== (mor)
2. a) Consonants: -
21g.:- collect
by brackets.
I GREETINGS:- Kalati
A. General:- waKa
or
a) ashaml :waKayy0 = God
or
b) ashaml rabbi
"attam jirtu?".
a) ashaml
b) ashami
I
-3-
II PRONOUNS:= Kalati
= I eu? = who?
4.
gurra = ear ba . it is
ija = eye
Mitti = it is ====
not
fufirlan =' nose 4
eyye = yes
afan = mouth
lakki = no
areda = beard
hibi = lip
ilkan = tooth
arraba = tongue
morma = neck
KonKo = throat
gatetti = shoulder
Koma = chest
dugda = back
Warka = hand
milla = foot
gara = stomach
Kuba(141.arka = finger
banna
or } = body
BaKna
-5-
IV POSSESSIVE ENDINGS:-
Kalati
arsasi = pencil
koti = coat
rsasi - km (pa pencil)
shEmizi/kitta = shirt
lt ke (your pencil)
sUrre = trousers
sin - kessan (your pencil(polite form)) Camma/kdne = shoe
mutanta underpant
" sa (his pencil)
kanatera = undershirt
- she (her
shurraba = sweater
tt sani(his " (polite form)) shurrabi milla =stockings
It
Kamisi = dress
nuy - - kehria (our pencil)
WusT labsi = lady's
1*Asin ft kessan (your " (plural)) underwear
sa-ati = watch
asan - " - sani (their pencil)
managgiri = eye glass
barmera = hat
mCl1tmam0a:- faKKe/mido =comb
Examples:- mastawati/ilali = mirror
shanTa = suit case
1. Q. un mal? (What is this?)
mia = goods/belongings
A. sun mataketi (That is your head).
bmrsa = purse/wallet
2. Q. kun rifensakoti? (Is this my hair?) maharraba = handkerchief
mana = house
A. lakki, sun rifensake miti. Fulaketi.
dalla = fence
(No, it is not your hair. It is your face.)
gibbi = compound
Q. Sun shurrabisheti? sire = bed
A. Eyye, sun shurrabisheti farashi =mattress
damoza = salary
N.B.:-
a) dropping the "n" sound of "KuDan" for all tens. eg. 13=
b) changing the last "a" sound to "i" for all nos. from 21
to 99.
53 = shantami sadi
97 = sagaltami torba
2. Numerals like 200, 3000, etc. are told by how many hundreds
mellEmams'a:-
Examples:-
watch is $140)
cof
VI Con....
Certain Combinations:-
waTi andaKKo = chickpr,
Tibsi hola = roast lamb
anKaKu affelli = boiled egg
Tibsi KurTummi = fried fish
Tibsi anKaKii = fried egg
fon bebi = raw meat
fon waddi = roast meat
VII/ DIFFERENT THINGS TO BE !?UNK:- Kalati
0-a = hot
malltmamE'as-
Kabbana-a/Korra = cold
Examples:-
rempty-
duwwa =
dir
1. Q.arbata mal fiaccu b; .badda?
Lonly
(What do you want eat for your dinner?)
barbadanu.
- 10 -
IX IMPERATIVES
INFINITIVE
respect
MorF
plffal
as= here
demi dema = go demu
..
I
acci= there
ka'-i Va-a = get up ka-u 1
'Cana= this
ta-i ta-a = sit down ta-u I
,
sana. that
Cisi Cisa . lie down/sleep Cisu I
malo= please(request)
I
rafi rata = 11 11 11
rafu
6 bsa=light
bani bana . open banu I
lbalbala= door
Cufi Cufa = shut Cufu
imaskoti = window
naDDu fiabba = eat iiaccu 1
radioni = radio
bugi buga = drink bugu I
,Tarmusi = bottle
. Bizabbil iiiKabba = wash(body) biKaccd
I wambari = chair
miCCi miCCa = Wash (articles) miCCu
, I TaraPPeza = table
biKi biKa = n It
biKu
lala hunduma = always
ebsi ebsa = put on(light) .7.1:13su
yzro II
times
biti bita = buy bitu I
..
malcmam4ja:-
Examples:-
millrmame a:-
Q. bor mal?
Q. tiengadda-0?
XI, Con.......
bokka =
mcllf.mamt,ja
sun = adu
Q. ji-a ama mal? b
waKa = sky
A. ji-a ama yaro ba-
. to4c4 f = flood
. Q. ji-a darbe mal?
jallassi = irrigation
A. ji-a diarbe Kamme ba_
Kotisa = farm
Q. ji-a Bufm mal?
laga/bcishan = river
A. ji-a iiufu Kore ba-
galana = big river
Q. ganni yon'T
hora = lake
A. ganni agEyya CuluKKef CIDLoggu kessa.
ijoKKe = mud
Cirracca = sand
biyyo = soil
lafa = earth
Cabbi = hail
hurri = fog
dumessa = cloud
fiTensa = dew
yom? = when?
kessa = in
20
- 14-
XII. yelling Time:- Kalati
Combinations:-
mslltmamtja:-
N.B.:- 1. Both the present and future tenses follow this pattern.
bofa = snake
varArra = chameleon
mellemamtja Kalati
adada = aunt
wasila = uncle
V.
" -ttu u t
-ttanu
-a sin
a,,San -anU
N.B.:- All regular verbs follow this pattern. (for present and
futo-
0:
Not)
- 19 -
m211*mamtja
Example:-
A. eyye, afan Oromo Tino Tino beka. (Yes, I know very little
Oromo language).
an nan Duf -e
--------
" Duf -e..-- 1
26
-20-
XVII. Con
Da = from
Combinations:-
ms_11t man*.ja:-
Q. ehnu hojin?
Q. malin?
A. aroplani Ban
Q. mkkina Kabddi?
A. lakki, in Kabdu..
XX. Con
bareddu = beautiful
fokkisa = ugly ( M)
auLdltimamja:-
A. Denis ,furda
N.B. Eventhough both "mo" and " (y)okin" mean "or", the
statements.
XXII. PREPOSITIONS:-
-- fan = by
Ta = from/at Kalati
essa? . where?
mana = home/honse
A. It
garaEiBimati. ba-u = to rise (sun)
or
to come out
N.86:- The sun and the mooh are considered Feminine. That
Masculine.
mamej a: -
Example:-
A. birri lama.
Q. fjugansa meKa?
Q. gatin buna-O?
P. ata-u
G. garitti oli!
P. garitti
-28-
Onni -a-e
asan -a-ani
,asan -a-ani
malt.mamEja Kalati
41
Q. a1 hin belafte? bela-u = to'be hungry
riaccu = to eat
Q. malif?
Q. malif?
A..orbatashe inhanne
Q. amma ilattetti?
A. eyye, riattetti
a."
B. AginW_TPAKAILY-410-34$C10-1:-
" -te tt
ishen 11
" - tte
11
" -ttani
ma.11Vmamilkja:-
H. garitti
341 -
at hin Pt
-dde
sin -ddani It
.onni -e
shen tt II
-dde pp
ti -ani Pt
II
nuy pp
-ne
It
7,sin tI
-ddani
Pt
Pt
-ani
m4llimamLja Kalati
an na Dukkuba na inbukkubu
at si tl si
Sin It It
Z)sin. sin
sa sa
)s an san
nuy nu nu ti
.) san II 3 san
miUlt.mamEja
Kalati
Q. mal tatani?
mata bowwu = headache
A. na Dukkuba.
gara Cininna = stomach ache
Q. malke?
Koricca = medicine
A. gara ko.
liKimsu = to swallow
Q. gara Cininnaba?
l'ugu = to drink
A. eyye,
fuLaccu = to take
Q. Koricca inKabdu?
Pukubsaccu = to be sick
A, Kaba,
fayyu = t9 recover
Q. liKimsika
woyya-u = to feel better
A. ata-u:
-32-
an na Kabe na inKabne
at si si It
Amni c3sa It
.:Nehen she
,-)san
nuy nu II nu
" ysin
waLlmamtja: Kalati
sin Kaba?
kolfa = laughter
A. sa-ati shanitti
ari = anger
Q. sa-ati meKatti raftu?
gammaccu = happiness
A. sa-ati ja-atti.
gadda = sorrow
bo-icca = weeping
tole = O.K.
rafu = to sleep
Cisu = to sleep
ka-u = to get up
...
Situational Conversations
1: At the Market
P. KurTinsa-0?
P. atau fidi,
D. ho-a
Situational Conversation
2. In a bar
W. 4shi.
P. gatin meKa?
W. $1.90 -
P. attam?
walitti $1.90
P. 1ikkiPa. hoDu.
garitti /
Situational Ccnversritinn
A. atta-u,
Person B. 5#.y. !
Kalati
agarsisu = to show
gudda = big
P. kan meKa?
G. kan $3, $5 f $7
G. bannon sa KabanaaIa.
G. tole,
Situational Conversation
Kalati
sindabala.
R. attau-ga.
P. tawajiticab'-a?
R. Kaba.
PCV: Raggatul
Raggatu: abet!
R. anatti in 7r1:1E
R. uma injenne.
R. tole-
R. samunan inga-u.
P. an biton fida.
R. tole ,
Situational Conversation
5. a) Taxi! Kalati
balagari = village
P. ata-u
kThhagiri = administrative
region or province
awrajja = district
warada = sub drs1.1...,6
Kalati (contld)
c) On the bus
bayye = much or very
PCV: ashama obbolessa/
b wanbwa = pipe
Dabala: ashama
korrenti = electricity
P. essc; demtu?
Cala exceeds
D. Aggaro*n dOlna.
jiraccu = to livelk
P. Bunno Bedelle bektu?
nama/Saba = people
D. eyye beka,
kan = Of
P. asi ammam fagata?
mangistti = government
kilometri 48o
kami? = which?
P. Otobusin sa-ati meKatti ga-a?
rra = from
D. sa-ati kuDa tokkof kuDa lama giddutti ga-a.
' . from
aft
P. kataman Bedelle gudda mo Tinno Da?
gara = towards
D. bayye gudda miti
indanda-ama = it is
P. b.ishan bwanbwaf korrenti Raba? possible
D. eyye, Kaba. indanda-amu = it is not
P. nama/saba neKa K,vb44? possible
. nama/saba kuma shan cdla
garu = but
P. mana tamari meKa Kaba?
malifi = because
D. katama kessa mana tamari mangistti saditu
jira. kara = road
4
P. wanna katamar,Illubabor kami? marre.= of course!
Mattu .,
tu.ru = to wait or
D. kilometri 120 .
to get on \
,4 0-4
P. Bedelle Da gara N;_1('mte*demu indanda-amai
B. kilometri 105,
P. Dio Da da?
D. marre
D. mal hojjettu?
P. Ilan barsisa-
D. bayye bayessa.
P. ata-u.
'region of Wollega.
Addis Ababa'.
GRAMMAIICAL APPEHIDIX
A. Preposition: for + Objective Pronouns
si " you
It = It " him
nu 11 = " us
B. verb "t'.:..lbe"
411.
0 11
II
(Affirmative)
;-.
n ft _ te _ ft _e
.,nni f,
n -a II II
-e -e-ra
n -a
" -tani-ttu " -tani-"-tani
n " -ttu II
" - ttani
sin
Present & Perfect Past & Present Perfect Past Perfect Imperative
at fr
" -ttu II II II " te " H
in-dem-ini
II II II II II
I,
" - u It
H II H II " -ani
)san " -anu
nny ,
" - nu P U If " - nu " "
1
.
Type Two
liKefaccu.= to borrow
rakkaccu = to be in trouble
Type Thre(:,
gubu to burn
"g" and "j" sounds varies from that of Type One in that the
Type Four
gurracca-u . to become darker bala-u = to be hungry
hasa-u = to talk leyya-u = to feel ashamed
lakn-u . to count macca-u=to be intoxicated
mia-u = to be sweet/expensive Tura-u . to become dirty
N.B.:- The conjugation of these verbs which end with the "..a-u"
sound differs from that of Type One in that, in this case, the
sound "...of..." is includod in between the root-verb and the
suffix for thy prrmouns: "at", "", "Nsin.." nnd "nny"
e . an nan bel-n
nt hin bel-of-tte
" bel-of-tani
sho " "-tte ON.
& Hi
-S1
an nan adams
shen -i-ti
san -u
nuy -i-na
It
sin 11
-i-tu
san -u