Karo language (Ethiopia)

{{short description|South Omotic language spoken in southwestern Ethiopia}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Karo

|states=Ethiopia

|region=South Omo Region

|speakers={{sigfig|1480|2}}

|ref=e18

|date=2007 census

|familycolor=Afro-Asiatic

|fam2=Omotic

|fam3=Aroid

|fam4=Hamer–Karo

|fam5=Hamer–Banna

|iso3=kxh

|glotto=karo1297

|glottorefname=Karo (Ethiopia)

}}

File:Village of Doose, Ethiopia 01.jpg

Image:Karo girl.jpg

Karo{{Cite web|title=Karo Swadesh List|url=http://search.language-archives.org/record.html?q=Karo&id=rosettaproject_org_rosettaproject_kxh_swadesh-1&|website=search.language-archives.org}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (also Cherre, Kere, Kerre, Kara) is a South Omotic{{Cite web|title=Early morning for Karo tribe on Omo river - Ethiopia|date=29 October 2008 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/5348941787/}} language spoken in the Debub (South) Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in Ethiopia. Karo is described as being closely related to its neighbor, Hamer-Banna, with a lexical similarity of 81%, and is considered a dialect of Hamer by Blench (2006),Blench, 2006. [http://rogerblench.info/Language/Afroasiatic/General/AALIST.pdf The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007050740/http://rogerblench.info/Language/Afroasiatic/General/AALIST.pdf |date=2013-10-07 }} but as a separate language belonging to the Hamer-Karo subfamily in Glottolog. The Karo people, who live close to the lower Omo River, use colorful bodywork, complex headdresses and body scars to express beauty and importance within the community. 2,400 speakers{{cn|date=March 2024}} are using the Karo language.