How are Omotic languages related to the Afro-Asiatic family?

The classification of Omotic languages within the Afro-Asiatic phylum is a subject of ongoing academic debate rather than a settled fact.1

While many linguists categorize Omotic as one of the six major divisions of the Afro-Asiatic family alongside Cushitic, Semitic, Chadic, Egyptian, and Amazigh, this placement is contested. Historically, these languages were misclassified as a "West Cushitic" subgroup of Cushitic. Some researchers now argue that Omotic may not belong to the Afro-Asiatic phylum at all, suggesting instead that it should be grouped with the Nilo-Saharan languages.12

The uncertainty stems from a lack of comprehensive, early descriptive research and the fact that Omotic languages exhibit significant phonological and morphological differences from other Afro-Asiatic members, such as a reduction in consonant inventories and distinct pronoun systems. While some shared grammatical features—such as specific verbal extensions—suggest a potential genealogical link, the evidence remains insufficient to reach a definitive consensus.12