Qwara language

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Qwara, or Qwareña (called "Falashan" in some older sources), is an Agaw language spoken by the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) of the Qwara area, closely related to Kemant. The language was on the decline in the early 20^th Century, as it was being slowly replaced by Amharic. During Operation Solomon, most of its remaining speakers were airlifted to Israel, where it continues to lose ground to Hebrew.

Several early Falashan manuscripts, using the Geez alphabet, exist; in more recent times, the language has been recorded by several linguists and travellers, starting with Flad in 1866.

See also

• Kayla language
• Cushitic languages

Resources

• "Kaïliña — a "new" Agaw dialect and its implications for Agaw dialectology". In Voice and Power. The Culture of Language in North-East Africa. Ed. by R.J. Hayward & I. Lewis. pp. 1-19. London, SOAS. 1996 (March). ISBN 0-7286-0257-1.