Lowland East Cushitic languages

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Lowland East Cushitic languages are a subdivision of the Cushitic language family, which itself is part of the larger Afro-Asiatic phylum. These languages are primarily spoken in Ethiopia, Somalia, and neighboring regions. Notable languages within this group include Oromo, Saho-Afar, and the Omo-Tana languages like Somali.1

The Cushitic languages are spoken mainly in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and northwestern Kenya. They are related to languages found in North Africa and the Middle East. The Cushitic family is diverse, with several subdivisions such as North Cushitic, Central Cushitic, South Cushitic, Highland East Cushitic, Lowland East Cushitic, and the Omo-Tana group.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

6 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Cushitic languages
…Burji, Sidamo, Kambata, and Hadiyya; Lowland East Cushitic, including Dasenech, Arbore, Saho-Afar, and Oromo and its close relatives such as Konso; and the Omo-Tana group, with languages such as Somali, Rendille, and Boni.
Read More
…Burji, Sidamo, Kambata, and Hadiyya; Lowland East Cushitic, including Dasenech, Arbore, Saho-Afar, and Oromo and its close relatives such as Konso; and the Omo-Tana group, with languages such as Somali, Rendille, and Boni.
Read More