Dirasha language
Dirasha is a member of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. It is spoken in the Omo region of Ethiopia, in the hills west of Lake Chamo, around the town of Gidole.
A number of speakers also use Oromo or Konso. According to Wondwosen, the "Dirasha" is the name of the people, and the name of the language is given variously as "Dirashitata, Dirayta and Diraytata".
The language has a three ejective consonant phonemes and two implosive consonant phonemes, fitting the pattern of the Ethiopian Language Area. It has two tones and five vowels. Duration is distinctive for both consonants and vowels.
Phonology
Phonetic Inventory: Consonant IPA Symbols
*When /n/ and /ʔ/ occur as /nʔ/, they contract to form ŋ./n/ and /ʔ/ must occur in that sequence, with no intervening vowels or consonants.
| Dirayta Symbol | IPA Equivalent |
| š | ʃ |
| y | j |
| č | tʃ |
| ñ | ɲ |
| Dirayta Symbol I | Dirayta Symbol II |
| t' | ṭ |
| č’ | č̣ |
| k' | ḳ |
Phonetic Inventory: Vowel IPA Symbols
Low and High Tones
-Dirayta is a 2-tone language.-Low Tone: Absence of accentual markings
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
| i | hiip | local beer |
| e | meet | child |
| a | paas | cleaver |
| u | Could not locate example | |
| o | Could not locate example | |
| ɔ | Could not locate example |
-High Tone: Represented by acute accent diacritic above vowel
-Mandatory for monosyllabic CVC and disyllabic CVC/CVVC words
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
| í | Could not locate example | |
| é | hén | five |
| á | káp | mouth |
| ú | Could not locate example | |
| ó | pón | dry season |
| ɔ́ | Could not locate example |
-For disyllabic words, only one syllable may contain high tone.
-High tone is assigned to the first vowel within the initial syllable. However, high tone may be assigned to the first vowel within the ultimate syllable.
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
| í | šíra ʃíra | liver |
| é | ʔérpa | lie |
| é | ʔéetot | evening meal |
| é | saytét | oil |
| é | waalét | long-necked calabash |
| á | párat | year |
| á | máakot | snake |
| ú | kúnɗa | fruit |
| ó | sóha | meat |
| ó | móohot | sky-god |
| ó | porrót | barley |
| ɔ́ | Could not locate example |
-For trisyllabic words, high tone is assigned to the ultimate syllable. However, high tone may be assigned to BOTH initial and ultimate syllables.
| Vowel | Sample Word: Dirayta | Sample Word: English Translation |
| í | ɗímaʔmaʔ | rib-cage |
| é | mat'aatét | round white potato |
| á | káč̣erra | cloth |
| á | palawwát | type of bird |
| á, á | háwallát | type of dumpling |
| á, ó | k'áalalót ḳáalalót | thin ale-gruel |
| ú | mút'ura múṭura | heart |
| ú, é | k'úrt'ummét ḳúrṭummét | fish |
| ó | kópila | shield |
| ó, á | k'óhanát ḳóhanát | afternoon coffee session |
| ɔ́ | Could not locate example |