Hamer(-Banna)

Hamer is an Omotic language spoken in southern Ethiopia by the Hamar and Banna people, and by Karo speakers. It is spoken in the south Omo zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' region to the north of Lake Turkana, and near the Omo river. According to the 2007 census, there were 81,520 speakers of Hamer, 74,400 of whom speak it as a native language.

Hamer is also known as Amar, Amarcocche, Amer, Ammar, Bana, Banna, Bena, Beshada, Cocche, Hamar, Hamer-Banna, Hamar-Benna, Hamar-Koke, Hammer, Hammercoche or Kara Kerre.

There are ways to write Hamer with the Latin alphabet and with the Ethipoic script. The standard way to write it with the Latin alphabet was developed by Hean Lydall. A Hamer translation of the New Testament was published in 2012 in both scripts.

Latin alphabet for Hamer

Ethiopic script for Hamer

Download an alphabet chart for Hamer (Excel)

Sample text (Lord's Prayer)

Tanu Papa, ehuatirami cate yuri timcui. Ene scira tenera muchamura. Ene nuamai ritama teneruri tanu in. Ene putari tenera yahuckemura maeramania ehuetemai ritama cate, maerai veranu aikiara tuyuca ritama cate veranu. Tanu eocmai neyume icume tanu supe. Tenepatatanu tanu eraecmamaicana maeramania tanu tenepeta tanu sahuayaracana. Ename beuscgaru tanu ucucui maca eraecmamai. Ayaisimarae sui nimunuy epetatanu.

Source: http://www.language-museum.com/encyclopedia/h/hamer-banna.php

Sample video in Hamer

Links

Information about Hamer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamer_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/amf

Omotic languages

Aari, Bambassi, Bench, Dizin, Hamer(-Banna), Kafa, Sheko, Wolaytta

Languages written with the Ethiopic (Ge'ez) script

Aari, Amharic, Argobba, Awngi, Bench, Blin, Chaha, Dizin, Ge'ez, Gumuz, Hamer(-Banna), Harari, Inor, Sidama, Silt'e, Tigre, Tigrinya, Xamtanga

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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