Koman languages

Koman languages

Infobox Language family
name=Koman
region=Sudan-Ethiopia border region
familycolor=Nilo-SaharanThe Koman languages are a family of languages along the Sudan-Ethiopia border with about 50,000 speakers. They are believed to belong to the Nilo-Saharan family, but opinions vary as to their position within it.

*Koman
** Uduk language, or Twampa, (formerly in Sudan) - about 20,000 speakers, most at a large refugee camp at Bonga, near Gambela
** Kwama language (Ethiopia) - about 15,000 speakers, mainly in Benishangul-Gumuz
** Komo language (Sudan) - about 12,000 speakers mainly in An Nil al Azraq
** Opuuo language (Ethiopia) - spoken in 5 villages north of the Nuer by about 300 people
** Gule language (Sudan) - extinct

The Komuz hypothesis

The Gumuz language of Ethiopia (160,000 speakers) is sometimes classified as a distant relation of Koman, is a group known as Komuz. However, not all scholars accept that Gumuz is even Nilo-Saharan. In addition, the poorly known Shabo language (600 speakers) shows strong Koman influence, and it has been suggested that it may be a Koman language.


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