Yem people
Encyclopedia
The Yem are an ethnic group living in south-western Ethiopia
. They are also called by their neighbors as the Janjero, but the Yem consider this exonym derogatory, since it sounds similar to the Amharic
word "zinjero" which means "monkey". Their native language is Yemsa
, one of the Omotic languages
, although many also speak Oromiffa
or Amharic. The neighbors for Yem include the Gurage
, Hadya and Kembata to the east across the Gibe River
and the Jimma Oromo
to the south, north and west.
gives the 1984 census figures of the Yem people as 34,951 (Central Statistical Office 1991:61), but this census seems to comprise only the Fofa
area." The 1994 national census reported 60,811 people identified themselves as Yem in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region
(SNNPR), of whom 59,581 lived in the around Fofa, and 52,292 speakers of the Yemsa language in the SNNPR, of whom 51,264 were living in the same area. The more recent 2007 national census reports that 160,447 were identified as Yem, of whom 84,607 lived in the Oromia Region
and 74,906 in the SNNPR.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. They are also called by their neighbors as the Janjero, but the Yem consider this exonym derogatory, since it sounds similar to the Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
word "zinjero" which means "monkey". Their native language is Yemsa
Yemsa language
Yemsa is the language of the Yem people of the former Kingdom of Yamma, known as Kingdom of Janjero to the Amhara. It is a member of the Omotic group of languages, most closely related to Kaffa. It is distinctive in having a several levels of lexicon contingent on social hierarchy, rather like...
, one of the Omotic languages
Omotic languages
The Omotic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic family spoken in southwestern Ethiopia. The Ge'ez alphabet is used to write some Omotic languages, the Roman alphabet for some others. They are fairly agglutinative, and have complex tonal systems .-Language list:The North and South Omotic...
, although many also speak Oromiffa
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
or Amharic. The neighbors for Yem include the Gurage
Gurage
Gurage is an ethnic group in Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, its population is 1,867,377 people , of whom 792,659 are urban dwellers. This is 2.53% of the total population of Ethiopia, or 7.52% of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region...
, Hadya and Kembata to the east across the Gibe River
Gibe River
The Gibe River is a tributary of the Omo River. Located in southwest Ethiopia, it is not navigable, like almost all rivers in the country.-Overview:...
and the Jimma Oromo
Oromo
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
to the south, north and west.
History
The first reference to Yem as a political unit is found, under the name of Jangero, in the victory song of King Yesaq (1412-1427) of the Christian kingdom of Ethiopia, as paying tribute in the form of horses to the king. The first European traveler to mention Yem was the European traveler Father Fernandez, who travelled through their homeland in 1614.Population
Their number was not definitely known until recently, as Aklilu Yilma states, "Bender gives the estimate as '1000' (Bender 1976: 4), whereas the Ethnologue reports the figure of '1000-4000' speakers of Yemsa (Grimes 1992:257). The report of the Central Statistical OfficeCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
gives the 1984 census figures of the Yem people as 34,951 (Central Statistical Office 1991:61), but this census seems to comprise only the Fofa
Fofa, Ethiopia
Fofa is a town in southern Ethiopia, and is the administrative center of the Yem special woreda. Located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2506 meters above sea level....
area." The 1994 national census reported 60,811 people identified themselves as Yem in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It was formed from the merger of the former Regions 7-11 following the 1994 elections...
(SNNPR), of whom 59,581 lived in the around Fofa, and 52,292 speakers of the Yemsa language in the SNNPR, of whom 51,264 were living in the same area. The more recent 2007 national census reports that 160,447 were identified as Yem, of whom 84,607 lived in the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
and 74,906 in the SNNPR.