Abstract

In 2018 there were demands for the creation of new regional states in Ethiopia by ethnolinguistic groups seeking greater self-determination. Two examples of this were the Sidama and Wolaita, with some members of the latter advocating for the creation of an “Omotic Peoples” regional state. The idea of Omotic unification is not new to southern Ethiopia. When the amalgamated language of Wogagoda was introduced in the 1990s, the peoples of the region rallied in opposition against government. This article explores the intersection of language, politics and power during that period, which resulted in the withdrawal of a language policy and the creation of new, disintegrated administrative structures. Drawing upon historical experiences, this article reflects on the role of ethno-linguistic identities and their implications for contemporary decision making about languages of instruction and administrative boundaries. The results provide insight into situational contexts that may enable or constrain bottom-up and top-down language policy processes.

摘要

2018年，种族主义者要求建立更大的自决权，要求在埃塞俄比亚建立新的地区国家。Sidama和Wolaita就是两个例子，后者的一些成员主张建立“ Omotic Peoples”地区国家。渗透统一的思想在埃塞俄比亚南部并不陌生。当1990年代采用Wogagoda的混合语言时，该地区的人民团结起来反对政府。本文探讨了在此期间语言，政治和权力的交集，从而导致语言政策的撤消和新的，瓦解的行政结构的建立。借鉴历史经验，本文探讨了民族语言身份的作用及其对当代有关教学语言和行政边界的决策的影响。结果提供了对可能启用或限制自下而上和自上而下的语言政策流程的情境的深入了解。