Qimant

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A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3
ahg
Alternate Names
Agaw, Kemant, Kemantney, Kimanteney, Qemant, Western Agaw
User Population

4,830, all users. L1 users: 1,650 (1994 census). L2 users: 3,180. Ethnic population: 172,000 (1994 census).

Location

Amhara region: north Gonder zone, north of Lake Tana.

Language Status

8b (Nearly extinct).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, Central, Western
Dialects

Qimant (Chemant, Kamant, Kemanat, Kemant, Kimant, Qemant), Dembiya (Dambya, Dembya), Hwarasa (“Kara” (pej.), Qwara, Qwarina), Kayla, Semyen, Achpar, Kwolasa (Kwolacha). Distinct from Awngi [awn], Bilen [byn], and Xamtanga [xan].

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

Qwara dialect has no remaining speakers. 170,747 ethnic Qimant are monolingual in Amharic [amh]. All shifted to Amharic [amh]. Also use Hebrew [heb], a few words in prayer.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 15%. Grammar. Bible portions: 1885.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Qimant
Writing

Ethiopic script [Ethi], no longer in use.

Other Comments

Christian, Jewish.