Aweer

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A language of Kenya

ISO 639-3
bob
Alternate Names
Aweera, Bon, Ogoda, Waboni, Wata-Bala, “Boni” (pej.), “Sanye” (pej.)
Autonym
Af Aweera
User Population

7,600 (2009 census), increasing. 1,600 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 20,100 (2019 census).

Location

Garissa county: north and west of Mundane range; Lamu county: Indian Ocean area inland north of Lamu city; Tana River county: forests inland from Kipini city; 11 villages or more.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Rendille-Boni
Dialects

None known. Lexical similarity: with Rendille [rel] of Marsabit County (most similar).

Language Use

Vigorous. Home, community. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use English [eng]. Also use Orma [orc]. Also use Somali [som]. Also use Swahili [swh].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 1% (2007 BTL). Literacy rate in L2: 40% or less in Kiswahili [swh] or English [eng] (2007 BTL). Many suspicious of literacy as colonizing force.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Aweer
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Different from Sanye [ssn] (Waat) of the Oromo Group or Dahalo [dal] (Sanye) of Southern Cushitic. Also referred to as “Sanye”, a pejorative term meaning hunter-gatherer group. Being settled in scattered villages and encouraged to switch to farming. Muslim.