Inor language
{{Short description|Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia}}
{{more footnotes|date=July 2024}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Inor
|nativename= Ennemor
|states=Ethiopia
|speakers=280,000
|date=no date
|ref=e15
|familycolor=Afro-Asiatic
|fam2=Semitic
|fam3=West Semitic
|fam4=South Semitic
|fam5=Ethiopic
|fam6=South Ethiopic
|fam7=Outer South Ethiopic
|fam8=West Gurage
|iso3=ior
|glotto=inor1238
|glottorefname=Inoric
|notice=IPA
}}
Inor (pronounced {{IPA|sem|inoːr|}}), sometimes called Ennemor, is an Afroasiatic language spoken in central Ethiopia. One of the Gurage languages, it is mainly spoken within the Gurage Zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, as well as by speakers of the language who have settled in Ethiopian cities, especially Addis Ababa. In addition to the morphological complexity that is common to all Semitic languages, Inor exhibits the very complex morphophonology characteristic of West Gurage languages.
Endegegn, Enner, Gyeto, and the extinct dialect Mesmes are all sometimes considered dialects of Inor.
Inor possesses nasal vowels, which are unusual for a Gurage language. Many of these may be the result of historical rhinoglottophilia.
Phonology
= Consonants =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Inor consonants{{Harvcoltxt|Chamora|Hetzron|2000|p=10}}{{Sfn|Abza|2016|p=33}} ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ! colspan="2"| labial ! rowspan="2"| alveolar ! rowspan="2"| alveo- ! rowspan="2"| palatal ! colspan="2" | velar ! colspan="2"| glottal |
| plain
!plain !labial !plain !labial |
|---|
| rowspan="3" | Stops and affricates ! ejective | || || {{IPA link|t’}} || {{IPA link|tʃ’}} || {{IPA link|cʼ}}|| {{IPA link|k’}} || {{IPA link|kʷ’}} || || |
| voiceless
| {{IPA link|p}} || {{IPA link|pʷ}} || {{IPA link|t}} || {{IPA link|tʃ}} || {{IPA link|c}}|| {{IPA link|k}} || {{IPA link|kʷ}} || {{IPA link|ʔ}} || {{IPA link|ʔʷ}} |
| voiced
| {{IPA link|b}} || {{IPA link|bʷ}} || {{IPA link|d}} || {{IPA link|dʒ}} || {{IPA link|ɟ}}|| {{IPA link|ɡ}} || {{IPA link|ɡʷ}} || || |
| rowspan="2" | Fricatives
! voiceless | {{IPA link|f}} || {{IPA link|fʷ}} || {{IPA link|s}} || {{IPA link|ʃ}} || {{IPA link|ç}}|| {{IPA link|x}} || {{IPA link|xʷ}} || || |
| voiced
| || || {{IPA link|z}} || {{IPA link|ʒ}} || || || || || |
| colspan="2"| Nasals
| {{IPA link|m}} || {{IPA link|mʷ}} || {{IPA link|n}} || || {{IPA link|ɲ}} || || || || |
| rowspan="2" | Approximants
!plain | {{IPA link|β̞}} || || ({{IPA link|l}}) || || {{IPA link|j}} || || {{IPA link|w}} || || |
| nasalized
| {{IPA link|β̞̃}} || || || || || | || || || |
| rowspan="2" | Rhotics
!plain | || || {{IPA link|r}} || || || || || || |
| nasalized
| || || {{IPA link|r̃}} || || || || || || |
= Vowels =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Inor vowels{{Harvcoltxt|Chamora|Hetzron|2000|pp=13–16}} |
| high
| {{IPA link|i}} || {{IPA link|ɨ}} || {{IPA link|u}} |
|---|
| mid
| {{IPA link|e}} || {{IPA link|ə}} || {{IPA link|o}} |
| low
| {{IPA link|æ}} || colspan="2" | {{IPA link|a}} |
{{IPA|[ɨ]}} may be regarded as largely epenthetic and only marginally phonemic.{{Harvcoltxt|Chamora|Hetzron|2000|p=13}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite journal |last=Abza |first=Tsehay |date=2016 |editor2-last=Janne Bondi Johannessen |editor2-link=Janne Bondi Johannessen |title=Consonants and Vowels in the Western Gurage Variety Inor: Complex Connections between Phonemes, Allophones, and Free Alternations |journal=Oslo Studies in Language |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=31–54 |doi=10.5617/osla.4416 |doi-access=free |editor1=Binyam Sisay Mendisu}}
- {{cite book |last=Boivin |first=Robert |year=1996 |chapter=Spontaneous Nasalization in Inor |editor-first=G. |editor-last=Hudson |title=Essays on Gurage Language and Culture |location=Wiesbaden |publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |pages=21–33}}
- {{cite encyclopedia |last=Bustorf |first=Dirk |year=2005 |title=Ennämor Ethnography |editor-first=Siegbert |editor-last=Uhlig |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Aethiopica |volume=2: D-Ha |location=Wiesbaden |publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |pages=307–308}}
- {{Cite book |last=Chamora |first=Berhanu |title=Essays on Gurage Language and Culture |publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |editor-last=Hudson |editor-first=G. |location=Wiesbaden |pages=53–67 |chapter=Consonant distribution in Inor}}
- {{Cite book |last1=Chamora |first1=Berhanu |title=Inor |last2=Hetzron |first2=Robert |publisher=Lincom Europa |year=2000 |isbn=3-89586-977-5 |location=Munich}}
- {{cite book |last=Hetzron |first=R. |year=1977 |title=The Gunnän-Gurage Languages |location=Napoli |publisher=Istituto Orientale di Napoli |oclc=4989162}}
- {{cite book |author-link=Wolf Leslau |last=Leslau |first=Wolf |year=1979 |title=Etymological Dictionary of Gurage (Ethiopic) |volume=1-3 |location=Wiesbaden |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz |isbn=3-447-02041-5}}
- {{cite book |last=Leslau |first=Wolf |year=1983 |title=Ethiopians Speak: Studies in Cultural Background. Part V : Chaha - Ennemor |series=Äthiopistische Forschungen |volume=16 |location=Wiesbaden |publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag |isbn=3-515-03965-1}}
- {{cite journal |last=Leslau |first=Wolf |year=1996 |title=Inor Lullabies |journal=Africa |volume=66 |issue=2 |pages=280–287|doi=10.2307/1161320 |jstor=1161320 }}
- {{cite encyclopedia |last=Voigt |first=Rainer |year=2005 |title=Ennämor Language |editor-first=Siegbert |editor-last=Uhlig |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Aethiopica |volume=2: D-Ha |location=Wiesbaden |publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |page=307}}
{{Languages of Ethiopia}}
{{Modern Semitic languages}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inor Language}}
Category:Outer Ethiopian Semitic languages
Category:Languages of Ethiopia
{{Semitic-lang-stub}}