| Sonjo | |
|---|---|
| Gitemi | |
| Native to | Tanzania |
| Region | Arusha Region, Ngorongoro District, near the Kenyan border |
| Ethnicity | Sonjo people |
Native speakers | 24,600 (2009)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | soz |
| Glottolog | temi1247 |
E.46[2] | |
| Person | Msonjo (Batɛmi) |
|---|---|
| People | Wasonjo (Motɛmi) |
| Language | Kisonjo (Ketɛmi) |
Sonjo, orTemi, is aBantu language spoken in northernTanzania, 30–40 miles (48–64 km) west ofLake Natron. Ethnolinguistically, it is a displaced member ofGuthrie’s E50 group, most other members of which are found in Central Kenya. Within that group, it is most closely related toGikuyu. TheSonjo people number about 30,000 (2002 SIL); many of them are bilingual inSwahili, the local language of education. Sonjo is largely undescribed.
TheSonjo have lived for centuries as an isolated enclave inMaasai territory.[citation needed] They are known for their use of irrigation systems in agriculture, a rare trait which causes some historians to link them to the hitherto unexplained ruined irrigation systems ofEngaruka, 60 miles (97 km) to the southeast. The termSonjo is the name given to the people by the Maasai; they call themselvesbatɛmi (sg.motɛmi) and their languageketɛmi. Apart from inevitable Maasai (Eastern Nilotic) influence, Sonjo shows influence fromChaga (Bantu E40), variousSouthern Cushitic languages, and fromDatooga.
| National | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
