Baale language

The Baale language, Baleesi or Baalesi is a Surmic language spoken by the Baale or Zilmamo people of Ethiopia, and by the Kachepo of South Sudan. It is a member of the southwest branch of the Surmic cluster; the self-name of the language and the community is Suri, which is the same as that of the Suri language, evoking an ethnonym that embraces the Tirma, Chai (or T'id), and Baale communities, although linguistically the languages of these communities are different. There are currently 9,000 native speakers of Baleesi, 5,000 in South Sudan and 4,100 in Ethiopia; almost all of these are monolingual.

"Balesi language" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Bhalesi language of India.
"Ngaalam language" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Ngalum language of New Guinea.
Baale
Balesi
Kacipo
Native toSouth Sudan, Ethiopia
RegionEthiopian–South Sudanese border, Boma Plateau in South Sudan
EthnicityZilmamo, Kichepo
Native speakers
9,000 (2000–2010)
(5,000 in South Sudan, 2010;
4,100 in Ethiopia, 2000)
Dialects
  • Kacipo
  • Zilmamu
  • Balesi
  • Olam (Ngaalam)
Language codes
ISO 639-3koe
Glottologbaal1234
ELPBaale

Yigezu (2005) notes that although Baale is genetically a Southwest Surmic language, it has taken on many features of Southeast Surmic languages due to heavy contact.

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