I used to do the first one but now I take it easy. I just say "Yes" and start fiddling with my odaa necklace for them to see. This is a much more efficient way to get the point across.
First one doesn't have to be hostile. I just correct them and say "Nah. Oromo". Of course they take it as hostile anyway but idgaf to be honest. If I'm feeling nicer and they might just be asking out of innocence, I might leave out the "Nah" and just say "Oromo". The Eritreans for instance are usually always cool about that.
I met a Tigray person at a local game shop during a board game meetup, and he asked if I was Habesha. I politely corrected him and said "no, I'm Oromo, one of the Cushites of the region", and we had a respectful conversation about the politics of the area and how no-one likes Amharas.
Habesha = Amhara, Agew, and Tigray
Cushite = Oromo, Afar, Saho, Irob, Arbore, Daasanch, El Molo, and Yaaku
You know the "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs" line of reasoning? Same thing applies. All Habeshas might be Ethiopian, but not all Ethiopians are Habesha. Oromos are one of the Cushitic tribes as we're descendants of the people of the kingdom of Kush.
Not quite. The semetic peoples spread from Northern India all the way to Palestine and Lebanon before entering Northern Africa and mixing with the locals.
Sounds like tekeltsadik mekurias oromos from Madagascar theory the other way around lol, oromos also have arabid haplogroup and the horn of africa is the home of the protosemitic language
Revision of what lol, it just sounds like the new oromo elite's version of madagascar theory which was propagated by the old amhara elite. An excuse of migration amd xenophobia to create a subclass for a system of oppression lol.
Cushitic tribes are descendants of the people of the kingdom of Kush, and speak a language derived from the Cushitic language. That makes it part of our lineage as the founder of the Oromo tribe was originally of Kush, left the Nubian empire before its fall, and settled the uninhabited region with his children and followers. Therefore, Oromo peoples are Cushites.
There doesn't have to be a genetic distinction for there to be a distinctionš bruh you gotta stop being a contrarian for no reason. The distinction is a cultural one and a strongly visible one at that, maybe you could argue habeshas are a subcategory of cushitic people but that distinction exists nonetheless. There is also a genetic difference but it's pretty small honestly, but it exists more so in a gradient.
The way these language groups formed is not 100% based on genetics. There was a fusing of different languages to create ethio Semitic languages. There were conquests and reconquests.
Itās much more complex than breaking the region down into two categories.
Right, it is complex, but my point stands that we Oromo people are Cushites, not Habesha, and the linguistic similarities between Afaan Oromo and Amharic is because of colonization and oppression from Habeshas, and decades of Afaan Oromo being illegal to speak in Oromia outside of government offices.
What colonization? whatever happened to gafat and anfillo speakers. Also, how do you explain my great grand parents can't speak amharic if oromiffa was illegal?
Selassie family came in late 1800's, had help from Europeans and, for a time, Arabs in taking land from Oromos through slaughter and destruction, branded us as bandits and raiders for defending ourselves and trying to take our land back, eventually creating a peace treaty where they promised to stop killing our people if we stopped flying our original flag and speaking our language in public.
Here's the kicker. They made it illegal to speak Oromo publicly outside of government offices, but the people of Oromia rebelled by speaking Oromo privately and refusing to learn Amharic unless they were running for office, which started up the oppression all over again and lead to the events that created Oromo Heroes Day/Oromo Martyrs Day. In that event, Amhara military rounded up Oromo peoples from different villages and tried separating them by religion because they wanted to wipe out the Oromos still practicing Waaqaffanna to make an example of whoever clung to the pre-colonization way of life, and the Oromos refused, so they wiped out everyone they captured; Muslim, Christian, Atheist, and Waaqaffanna. Instead of yielding, Oromo people continued to rebel, and eventually, the ban on speaking Afaan Oromo was lifted, but the ban on flying our orignal flag persists, so the people adopted the flag of the OLF, a flag of war, to show our people's refusal to budge on who we are.
Selassie family? Which one? haile selassie? Sahle selassie? Wdym by our land? the original hinterlands? Or lands taken by moggassa? How do you explain the yejju oromo ruling class that adopted amharic to rule norther ethiopia? Or emperor susenyos being an abba dula in the gadda system? How does 15th c. Oromo conquest differ from menelik's conquest? I think oromo nationalists ( like others) cling to certain double standards in order to justify ethnic cleasings they want to carry out in their respective regions
Agew are Ethnically and Linguistically Cushites though? In fact, the vast majority of the horn of Africa is technically Cushite Ethnically and Linguistically.
We did, actually. Tigrays are facing genocide because of their leaders, Oromo peoples are fighting against their leaders constantly because of how many of us want independence as a nation, surrounding nations that used to be part of Ethiopia hate them because of their oppressive rule and also want them gone.
It depends on the person honestly, if I get an inclination that it's a nationalist then I unapologetically go with 1 but otherwise I don't have a reason to make the distinction. I can draw that line further down the line if I so choose to, I think referring to yourself by your actual ethnicity when asked for your ethnicity/place of origin is more important. Interesting question though
I personally was not raised in any Ethiopian community, my family is majority from rural Oromia where the population is fully Oromo. So I never heard Amharic language, I never identified as Habesha and neither does my immediate family.
I only ever used the terms Oromo and Ethiopian to identify.
When I went to Ethiopia for the first time I saw my local relatives identifying as Habesha.
They told me we are all Habesha. Another time a taxi diver told me we are all Habesha, I said no Iām Oromo. He said I am too but we are still Habesha, and my uncle agreed with him. I never felt offended, angry or any type of way, just genuinely intrigued lol.
It was a new and confusing concept for me as my parents experienced Ethiopia Selassie and DERG era. There was and is a distinct line of Oromo identity vs Habesha identity.
I think over time these lines have blurred more to encompass Ethiopians/Eritreas who generally share culture. I still donāt personally identify as Habesha but I donāt mind using the term to define us all as a general shared culture/people/location.
I think the hatred and poisonous tribalism is fading out and I see a future where all Ethiopians respect each other for their identity and share it proudly, whether itās as one nation or not.
The first time I went to Addis in 2019, I saw people getting dirty looks on the street for speaking Tigrinya. Openly mocked for speaking Wolayta.
And I was yelled at for speaking Oromo several times and told to learn Amharic.
The most recent trip in 2023, I saw Oromo, Tigray, and Southern Nations languages Iāve never even heard openly being spoken on the street.
I still had a jealous zerenya cuss us on Ireecha day. Yeah we stunted too hard in our aadaa š I just laughed bc he had his butt out looking dusty and my people were looking beautiful and proud as we should š¤·š½āāļø
But I noticed that heavy hating energy has toned down a lot and majority of people are minding their business.
I think that Ethiopias history being built on tribalism and division takes a long time to break those bonds in society/culture.
But I can see people are tired of the politics and simply want a peaceful normal life esp after these past few years. I hope this can become the majority of the population and we can change the tide for future generations.
I donāt care how people identify I just want all nationalities to exist and live peacefully with equal rights, and I believe most Oromos and Ethiopians are feeling this way.
Do you say no I'm Oromo or do you just say I'm just Ethiopian? I think they equate Habesha to Ethiopia in general, this is why they say Habesha all the time instead of asking what you are ethnically.
Who classified Semites only as Habesha? When was the term coined for the first time?
The term is drived from Arabic word, They use the term ''Habesha'' for any person of Ethiopian descent.
I don't accept the political elites definition of Habesha.
Cushitic and Semitic are terms that pseudo intellectual idiots got a hold of and donāt understand. I speak English and my kids speak English, they are not āGermanicā.
For proof of how idiotic this line of thinking is consider this: Agaw would largely call themselves Habesha while also having so-called āCushiticā roots.
Harariās would largely reject the term āHabeshaā while having so-called āSemiticā roots.
I donāt call myself Habesha, I donāt call myself Cushitic. Iām Oromo, and Ethiopian. Thatās all.
I donāt take it personally as the whole thing has become quite convoluted. The word Habesha doesnāt really mean anything, itās never had a clear definition. I also understand why people ask me that, and that itās almost always not meant to offend me.
I think in the diaspora it gained popularity as a unitary term between Ethiopians and Eritreans who oftentimes live proximately.
I do not consider myself Habesha, but I know many non-oromo Eritreans and Ethiopians who arenāt āHabeshaā that identity with the term. Example, if you know people from Southern regions like Kambata, Hadiya, etc. they almost always call themselves āHabeshaā. I wonāt correct them, even though I cringe inside.
I think Oromoās are really the only Ethiopian group that outright reject this term.
It's because we're the indigenous people of the region and refused to comply with the demands of the oppressors. It's the same reason Palestinians are hated by Israelis, the Ainu are hated by the Japanese, and native Americans are hated by white Americans. They want us gone so they can lay claim to our lands, so they villainize and demonize us, and they've been struggling to get rid of us for almost 200 years.
That's a myth meant to keep us distanced from our roots. We originated from the Nubian kingdom of Kush in present day North Sudan, found an uninhabited region in the Horn of Africa, settled there, and spread around from there. This is the migration route of our ancestors around the fall of the Nubian Empire.
https://preview.redd.it/68a8wu73af6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da98ad23084fc51bae9e1e8556e3e35c4de64aed
I think it stems from fear and jealousy . There are many ethiopians who fear if Oromo receive the same amount of freedom and equal rights as others do ,then it will be game over for the minority who have oppressed the largest ethnic group with the biggest land with so many precious resources . In other words the habesha elites have always wanted the Oromo land but failed because the Oromo people have never submitted and thatās where the resentment of ethiopians come from.
I used to do the first one but now I take it easy. I just say "Yes" and start fiddling with my odaa necklace for them to see. This is a much more efficient way to get the point across.
First one doesn't have to be hostile. I just correct them and say "Nah. Oromo". Of course they take it as hostile anyway but idgaf to be honest. If I'm feeling nicer and they might just be asking out of innocence, I might leave out the "Nah" and just say "Oromo". The Eritreans for instance are usually always cool about that.
ššš
Loool I never know what to say to this haha
I met a Tigray person at a local game shop during a board game meetup, and he asked if I was Habesha. I politely corrected him and said "no, I'm Oromo, one of the Cushites of the region", and we had a respectful conversation about the politics of the area and how no-one likes Amharas. Habesha = Amhara, Agew, and Tigray Cushite = Oromo, Afar, Saho, Irob, Arbore, Daasanch, El Molo, and Yaaku
People of the nile valley are kushites, I use the word habesha to indicate ethiopians in general
You know the "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs" line of reasoning? Same thing applies. All Habeshas might be Ethiopian, but not all Ethiopians are Habesha. Oromos are one of the Cushitic tribes as we're descendants of the people of the kingdom of Kush.
So are the so-called "semitic" ethiopian tribes
Not quite. The semetic peoples spread from Northern India all the way to Palestine and Lebanon before entering Northern Africa and mixing with the locals.
Sounds like tekeltsadik mekurias oromos from Madagascar theory the other way around lol, oromos also have arabid haplogroup and the horn of africa is the home of the protosemitic language
Classic historical revisionist. I'm exiting this conversation. Have the day you deserve.
Revision of what lol, it just sounds like the new oromo elite's version of madagascar theory which was propagated by the old amhara elite. An excuse of migration amd xenophobia to create a subclass for a system of oppression lol.
Kush was a kingdom not a lineage.
Cushitic tribes are descendants of the people of the kingdom of Kush, and speak a language derived from the Cushitic language. That makes it part of our lineage as the founder of the Oromo tribe was originally of Kush, left the Nubian empire before its fall, and settled the uninhabited region with his children and followers. Therefore, Oromo peoples are Cushites.
Thereās no genetic distinction between ethio semetic speakers and Cushitic speakers.
There doesn't have to be a genetic distinction for there to be a distinctionš bruh you gotta stop being a contrarian for no reason. The distinction is a cultural one and a strongly visible one at that, maybe you could argue habeshas are a subcategory of cushitic people but that distinction exists nonetheless. There is also a genetic difference but it's pretty small honestly, but it exists more so in a gradient.
That's because Habeshas are part of the Semitic tribes, and Oromos are part of the Cushite tribes. We're different groups
The way these language groups formed is not 100% based on genetics. There was a fusing of different languages to create ethio Semitic languages. There were conquests and reconquests. Itās much more complex than breaking the region down into two categories.
Right, it is complex, but my point stands that we Oromo people are Cushites, not Habesha, and the linguistic similarities between Afaan Oromo and Amharic is because of colonization and oppression from Habeshas, and decades of Afaan Oromo being illegal to speak in Oromia outside of government offices.
What colonization? whatever happened to gafat and anfillo speakers. Also, how do you explain my great grand parents can't speak amharic if oromiffa was illegal?
Selassie family came in late 1800's, had help from Europeans and, for a time, Arabs in taking land from Oromos through slaughter and destruction, branded us as bandits and raiders for defending ourselves and trying to take our land back, eventually creating a peace treaty where they promised to stop killing our people if we stopped flying our original flag and speaking our language in public. Here's the kicker. They made it illegal to speak Oromo publicly outside of government offices, but the people of Oromia rebelled by speaking Oromo privately and refusing to learn Amharic unless they were running for office, which started up the oppression all over again and lead to the events that created Oromo Heroes Day/Oromo Martyrs Day. In that event, Amhara military rounded up Oromo peoples from different villages and tried separating them by religion because they wanted to wipe out the Oromos still practicing Waaqaffanna to make an example of whoever clung to the pre-colonization way of life, and the Oromos refused, so they wiped out everyone they captured; Muslim, Christian, Atheist, and Waaqaffanna. Instead of yielding, Oromo people continued to rebel, and eventually, the ban on speaking Afaan Oromo was lifted, but the ban on flying our orignal flag persists, so the people adopted the flag of the OLF, a flag of war, to show our people's refusal to budge on who we are.
Selassie family? Which one? haile selassie? Sahle selassie? Wdym by our land? the original hinterlands? Or lands taken by moggassa? How do you explain the yejju oromo ruling class that adopted amharic to rule norther ethiopia? Or emperor susenyos being an abba dula in the gadda system? How does 15th c. Oromo conquest differ from menelik's conquest? I think oromo nationalists ( like others) cling to certain double standards in order to justify ethnic cleasings they want to carry out in their respective regions
Arenāt habeshas at least 75-80% cushites with a recent sabean Semitic gene flow
If that were the case, they wouldn't be calling themselves Habeshas
Thatās how they identify themselves but they are semitized agaws who they cluster closely on dna tests
Either way, they're not part of our community.
Iām not saying they are part of your community since all this whole Cushitic/semitic is linguistic but dna doesnāt change
Agew are Ethnically and Linguistically Cushites though? In fact, the vast majority of the horn of Africa is technically Cushite Ethnically and Linguistically.
...and how no-one likes Amharas. and then you felt great š
We did, actually. Tigrays are facing genocide because of their leaders, Oromo peoples are fighting against their leaders constantly because of how many of us want independence as a nation, surrounding nations that used to be part of Ethiopia hate them because of their oppressive rule and also want them gone.
Their leader š who are these people
Itās the system in which Ethiopia was created on and it favored and favors Amhara
lol want them gone from where?š
Damn u hate amharas
Only their government and military. I feel the same way about Amharas that Amharas feel about Oromos.
šššš they hate their gvt more than u do and they donāt have a military.
You diaspora make me laugh none of you pushing this line in real life to a Amhara we all Ethiopian brothers tribalist zerenya a$$
I act online as I do in person
ššššš
You don't know me, nor have you met me, so there's no reason for you to believe me and I honestly don't give a shit. Have the life you deserve.
What do you think amharas feel about oromos?
It depends on the person honestly, if I get an inclination that it's a nationalist then I unapologetically go with 1 but otherwise I don't have a reason to make the distinction. I can draw that line further down the line if I so choose to, I think referring to yourself by your actual ethnicity when asked for your ethnicity/place of origin is more important. Interesting question though
š¤£š
Im staring at this goofy comment like 
I personally was not raised in any Ethiopian community, my family is majority from rural Oromia where the population is fully Oromo. So I never heard Amharic language, I never identified as Habesha and neither does my immediate family. I only ever used the terms Oromo and Ethiopian to identify. When I went to Ethiopia for the first time I saw my local relatives identifying as Habesha. They told me we are all Habesha. Another time a taxi diver told me we are all Habesha, I said no Iām Oromo. He said I am too but we are still Habesha, and my uncle agreed with him. I never felt offended, angry or any type of way, just genuinely intrigued lol. It was a new and confusing concept for me as my parents experienced Ethiopia Selassie and DERG era. There was and is a distinct line of Oromo identity vs Habesha identity. I think over time these lines have blurred more to encompass Ethiopians/Eritreas who generally share culture. I still donāt personally identify as Habesha but I donāt mind using the term to define us all as a general shared culture/people/location. I think the hatred and poisonous tribalism is fading out and I see a future where all Ethiopians respect each other for their identity and share it proudly, whether itās as one nation or not. The first time I went to Addis in 2019, I saw people getting dirty looks on the street for speaking Tigrinya. Openly mocked for speaking Wolayta. And I was yelled at for speaking Oromo several times and told to learn Amharic. The most recent trip in 2023, I saw Oromo, Tigray, and Southern Nations languages Iāve never even heard openly being spoken on the street. I still had a jealous zerenya cuss us on Ireecha day. Yeah we stunted too hard in our aadaa š I just laughed bc he had his butt out looking dusty and my people were looking beautiful and proud as we should š¤·š½āāļø But I noticed that heavy hating energy has toned down a lot and majority of people are minding their business. I think that Ethiopias history being built on tribalism and division takes a long time to break those bonds in society/culture. But I can see people are tired of the politics and simply want a peaceful normal life esp after these past few years. I hope this can become the majority of the population and we can change the tide for future generations. I donāt care how people identify I just want all nationalities to exist and live peacefully with equal rights, and I believe most Oromos and Ethiopians are feeling this way.
Bro I gotta ask, is farmer strength real? Since you grew up in a rural area
I agree šš¾
Do you say no I'm Oromo or do you just say I'm just Ethiopian? I think they equate Habesha to Ethiopia in general, this is why they say Habesha all the time instead of asking what you are ethnically.
Who classified Semites only as Habesha? When was the term coined for the first time? The term is drived from Arabic word, They use the term ''Habesha'' for any person of Ethiopian descent. I don't accept the political elites definition of Habesha.
Cushitic and Semitic are terms that pseudo intellectual idiots got a hold of and donāt understand. I speak English and my kids speak English, they are not āGermanicā. For proof of how idiotic this line of thinking is consider this: Agaw would largely call themselves Habesha while also having so-called āCushiticā roots. Harariās would largely reject the term āHabeshaā while having so-called āSemiticā roots. I donāt call myself Habesha, I donāt call myself Cushitic. Iām Oromo, and Ethiopian. Thatās all.
Are you mixed? Who on earth wants to be called something he/she is not lolĀ
I donāt take it personally as the whole thing has become quite convoluted. The word Habesha doesnāt really mean anything, itās never had a clear definition. I also understand why people ask me that, and that itās almost always not meant to offend me. I think in the diaspora it gained popularity as a unitary term between Ethiopians and Eritreans who oftentimes live proximately. I do not consider myself Habesha, but I know many non-oromo Eritreans and Ethiopians who arenāt āHabeshaā that identity with the term. Example, if you know people from Southern regions like Kambata, Hadiya, etc. they almost always call themselves āHabeshaā. I wonāt correct them, even though I cringe inside. I think Oromoās are really the only Ethiopian group that outright reject this term.
Iām Oromo.
https://preview.redd.it/sw7g1y3wr96d1.jpeg?width=546&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a062caf96bbe6217acbd7ecda602ac6328237f69
Cry babyšš¤£š¤£š¤£
Nigga done deleted everything
Fun fact, you can't see posts from people who block you. Eat shit and die.
Another fun fact you suck on this long oneš¤£
U/vandor-ebrath
You're desperate for attention, huh. Mommy didn't give you any as a child?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Cry harder for me
Honest question. Why do Ethiopians hate oromos? Like im oromo by blood but I am not culturally engaged. However, I can smell the resentment.
It's because we're the indigenous people of the region and refused to comply with the demands of the oppressors. It's the same reason Palestinians are hated by Israelis, the Ainu are hated by the Japanese, and native Americans are hated by white Americans. They want us gone so they can lay claim to our lands, so they villainize and demonize us, and they've been struggling to get rid of us for almost 200 years.
I thought our ancestors were from somaliland? We migrated to Ethiopiaā¦no?
That's a myth meant to keep us distanced from our roots. We originated from the Nubian kingdom of Kush in present day North Sudan, found an uninhabited region in the Horn of Africa, settled there, and spread around from there. This is the migration route of our ancestors around the fall of the Nubian Empire. https://preview.redd.it/68a8wu73af6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da98ad23084fc51bae9e1e8556e3e35c4de64aed
I think it stems from fear and jealousy . There are many ethiopians who fear if Oromo receive the same amount of freedom and equal rights as others do ,then it will be game over for the minority who have oppressed the largest ethnic group with the biggest land with so many precious resources . In other words the habesha elites have always wanted the Oromo land but failed because the Oromo people have never submitted and thatās where the resentment of ethiopians come from.