DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0220
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HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
from each lobe of their children’s ears, gradually increasing it until the lower portions of
the lobes have reached the desired length. Massaja does not indicate the region in which
the Watta practice this custom, but I think that it is probably in Kaff a. It is evidently
allied to the custom of perforating the lobes of the ears and enlarging the incision by the
insertion of pieces of wood or metal, a custom prevalent among the Gimirra,1 and farther
south among the Masai and Wakikiyu.2 Massaja also says that the Watta are darker in
color than the Galla. The southern group of hunters is thus described by Rosen;3
“ thin people without calves (of the leg), ugly, with narrow foreheads, big, hooked noses,
and long, projecting chins.”
What language do the Watta speak? We have no evidence on this point concerning
the southern group. About the central group, Massaja gives us these data: “Generally
they all speak the language of the country in which they reside; but they also have a special
language which is remarkably different from any of the languages spoken in those countries.
Today, this is a very incomplete language, losing rapidly its original form and richness
because of the scattering of this race and the low condition in which they live. During
my stay in Kaffa and other countries inhabited by these people, I collected from them
many of the words and constructions of their language, intending to coordinate these
notes and write a useful work, but the loss of my manuscript kept me from accomplishing
this.” Cecchi adds,4 “Their language (the Watta), according to d’Abbadie, is as unknown
as that of the Zingaro.I have not been able to find any connection in the language of
the Watta with the speech of the adjacent populations.”
As to the northern group, the information is at first sight very dubious. According to
Bruce,6 the language of the Watta is absolutely different from all other languages of Abys-
sinia; Ferret and Galiner,7 confirming this, add that all the Watta speak Amharic also.
That explains why Riippel denies that they have a separate language, but even he recog-
nizes that further research is necessary. Heuglin also writes that the language spoken by
the Wdyto is simply Amharic. It seems to me that the Watta have a language or jargon
which they keep carefully secret from all strangers, i.e. from everyone who does not belong
to their caste. The Midgan, the hunters of Somaliland, furnish a remarkable analogy in this
matter of a secret language.8 It would be very interesting from a linguistic and ethnologi-
cal point of view to collect specimens of this language or jargon.
1 Montandon, op. cit., p. 174.
2 Cf. John Bland-Sutton, Man and beast in eastern Ethiopia, London, 1911, p. 118-127.
3 Op. cit.
4 Op. cit., vol. 2, p. 368.
6 However, the language of the Zingaro, i.e. the Yangdro or Ydmma language is known, although only slightly.
It is the principal language of the Sidama group called by Conti-Rossini “the Sidama of the Upper Gibie.” (Studii
su popolazioni dell’ Ethiopia, op. cit., p. 411).
6 Op. cit., vol. 2. 7 Op. cit., vol. 2.
8 Cf. E. Cerulli, review of P. Giovanni da Palermo, ‘ Dizionario della Somala,’ (Revista degli studii orientali,
vol. 3, pt. 3, p. 794), and E. Cerulli, ‘ L’origine delle basse caste della Somalia,’ (L’esplorazione commerciale, Oct.
1917).
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
from each lobe of their children’s ears, gradually increasing it until the lower portions of
the lobes have reached the desired length. Massaja does not indicate the region in which
the Watta practice this custom, but I think that it is probably in Kaff a. It is evidently
allied to the custom of perforating the lobes of the ears and enlarging the incision by the
insertion of pieces of wood or metal, a custom prevalent among the Gimirra,1 and farther
south among the Masai and Wakikiyu.2 Massaja also says that the Watta are darker in
color than the Galla. The southern group of hunters is thus described by Rosen;3
“ thin people without calves (of the leg), ugly, with narrow foreheads, big, hooked noses,
and long, projecting chins.”
What language do the Watta speak? We have no evidence on this point concerning
the southern group. About the central group, Massaja gives us these data: “Generally
they all speak the language of the country in which they reside; but they also have a special
language which is remarkably different from any of the languages spoken in those countries.
Today, this is a very incomplete language, losing rapidly its original form and richness
because of the scattering of this race and the low condition in which they live. During
my stay in Kaffa and other countries inhabited by these people, I collected from them
many of the words and constructions of their language, intending to coordinate these
notes and write a useful work, but the loss of my manuscript kept me from accomplishing
this.” Cecchi adds,4 “Their language (the Watta), according to d’Abbadie, is as unknown
as that of the Zingaro.I have not been able to find any connection in the language of
the Watta with the speech of the adjacent populations.”
As to the northern group, the information is at first sight very dubious. According to
Bruce,6 the language of the Watta is absolutely different from all other languages of Abys-
sinia; Ferret and Galiner,7 confirming this, add that all the Watta speak Amharic also.
That explains why Riippel denies that they have a separate language, but even he recog-
nizes that further research is necessary. Heuglin also writes that the language spoken by
the Wdyto is simply Amharic. It seems to me that the Watta have a language or jargon
which they keep carefully secret from all strangers, i.e. from everyone who does not belong
to their caste. The Midgan, the hunters of Somaliland, furnish a remarkable analogy in this
matter of a secret language.8 It would be very interesting from a linguistic and ethnologi-
cal point of view to collect specimens of this language or jargon.
1 Montandon, op. cit., p. 174.
2 Cf. John Bland-Sutton, Man and beast in eastern Ethiopia, London, 1911, p. 118-127.
3 Op. cit.
4 Op. cit., vol. 2, p. 368.
6 However, the language of the Zingaro, i.e. the Yangdro or Ydmma language is known, although only slightly.
It is the principal language of the Sidama group called by Conti-Rossini “the Sidama of the Upper Gibie.” (Studii
su popolazioni dell’ Ethiopia, op. cit., p. 411).
6 Op. cit., vol. 2. 7 Op. cit., vol. 2.
8 Cf. E. Cerulli, review of P. Giovanni da Palermo, ‘ Dizionario della Somala,’ (Revista degli studii orientali,
vol. 3, pt. 3, p. 794), and E. Cerulli, ‘ L’origine delle basse caste della Somalia,’ (L’esplorazione commerciale, Oct.
1917).