Omotic
/əʊˈmɒtɪk
/noun [mass noun]
A subfamily of Afro-Asiatic languages spoken in Ethiopia, with over thirty members, all having comparatively few speakers.The vast majority of the languages spoken in the country can be classified within three families of the Afro-Asiatic super language family: the Semitic, Cushitic, and Omotic.
adjective
Denoting or belonging to Omotic.In the south and southwest, the Omotic family of languages are spoken by many smaller tribal groups....
- Lameen has an intriguing post questioning whether the Omotic languages of eastern Africa are (as they are said to be) part of the Afro-Asiatic family.
- Omotic speakers have been influenced linguistically and otherwise by Nilo-Saharan groups to the west and by East Cushitic groups surrounding them.
Origin
1970s: from Omo, the name of a river in SW Ethiopia, + -otic.