Mao languages

Not to be confused with Mao language or Southern Mao language.

Mao
Geographic distribution:	Ethiopia
Linguistic classification:	Afro-Asiatic Omotic Mao
Glottolog:	maoo1243

The Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia. This group comprises,

• Bambasi spoken in the Bambasi woreda of Benishangul-Gumuz Region,
• Hozo and Seze (often described together as 'Begi Mao') spoken around Begi in the Mirab (West) Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, and
• Ganza, which is spoken south of Bambasi in the Asosa Zone of Benishangul-Gumuz, and west of the Hozo and Seze languages.

It is estimated there are 5,000 speakers of Bambasi, 3,000 speakers each of Hozo and Seze and a few hundred Ganza speakers (Bender, 2000). During recent political upheavals, a few thousand Bambassi speakers established themselves in the valley of the Didessa River and Belo Jegonfoy woreda. Much of the Mirab Welega Zone was once the home of Mao languages, but these languages have lost speakers to the increasing influence of Oromo.