Gofa people
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Goffa or Gofa are an
Gofa
The term Gofa originated from Gosha's
website
http://www.snnprsgofazone.gov.et/
History
There are two perspectives about the origin of the Gofa people. The first perspective is that some
Culture and society
As it widely believed by the elders, the Gofa nationality has two ancestral forefathers which are derived into two ancestral lines. The two ancestral clans are called Maala and Dogala. These two clans further subdivide into various groupings, called qommo. Some of the groups or qommos under Maala include Goshana, Ayka, Maka, Kalata, Borodamaala, Golomala, Buyla, Gaamo-maala, Sili-maala, Lontso-maala, and others. The groups or qommos under Dogala include Zutuma, Worze, Gawuraro, Ayfarso, Amari, Gudarti, Muquriti, Sachi, Sawa, Ganji, etc.
The Gofa call their father "Aawa" and their mother "Ayye". Daughters are called macho and sons Ade nayta. Male siblings are called esha and female siblings micho. The Gofa kinship system in general follows the bifurcate collateral type; father's brother and mother's brother are differentiated as aayo and aawa, and from each other by the terms aawa isha and awesho (awta) respectively. Likewise, mother's sisters and father's sisters are differentiated from each other by the terms aaye micho and aawa micho respectively. Father's father is called aawa aawa and father's mother as aawa aaye, while mother's father is aaye aawa and mother's mother takes the name aaye aaye.
References
- Ethnohistory and Ethnography Study of Gofa Nationality by Markos Tekle and Walelign Tadesse, 2011 G.C.
- History of Gofa Nationality by Belayneh Gebremariam, 2005 E.C.
- Fleming, H.C. 1973. "Recent Research in Omotic Speaking Areas" Proceedings of the first USA Conference on Ethiopian Studies. Michigan: Michigan State University.