Goffa

Goffa, also written Gofa, is a term used to refer to an Ethiopian ethnolinguistic group and their language. It is also the name historically used for a zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region.

Ethnography and distribution: The Goffa people inhabit parts of the Ethiopian highlands in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR). The area has undergone administrative changes over time; the name Goffa has been applied to zones and districts in the region, and in modern administration the Goffa population is counted among several neighboring groups in multi-ethnic districts.

Language and culture: The Goffa language is spoken by the Goffa people and is part of the Afroasiatic language family, within the Omotic group. The community's cultural life includes subsistence farming and traditional crafts, along with various ceremonies and oral traditions.

Status and references: Like many regional languages in Ethiopia, the number of Goffa speakers and the vitality of the language vary; many Goffa people are bilingual in Amharic or other regional languages. Academic references include Ethnologue and Glottolog; the language's status is a matter of ongoing linguistic documentation and preservation efforts.