Lecture | This Time For Africa! series
The ongoing standardization of Sidaama, a Cushitic language of Ethiopia: challenges and perspectives
- Date
- Friday 21 June 2024
- Time
- Series
- This Time for Africa! series
- Location
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 1.21
Abstract
The establishment of the Sidaama Regional State in 2020 marked a significant milestone in the journey of the Sidaama people towards cultural recognition and linguistic autonomy within Ethiopia. With the Sidaama language now designated as the official working language of the region, the process of language standardization initiated a new phase, building upon efforts that commenced in 1992 as part of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia's language policy reforms. This thesis investigates the current status of language policy implementation and the standardization of Sidaama, juxtaposing top-down interventions with bottom-up linguistic practices within the community. Special attention is devoted to written practices, analyzing Sidaama writing in its relation to other languages and the community's perceptions of language use. Through the examination of linguistic landscape, language usage in textbooks, and interviews with teachers and students at the University of Hawassa, key findings emerge. Despite the widespread use and growing prominence of the Sidaama language, orthographic instabilities persist, thus ongoing efforts are needed to address these challenges and further develop the language to meet the evolving needs of the community.