Lexical Loss in Afaan Oromoo, the Case of Central Dialect of North Shawa Zone, Oromia
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Abstract
The article attempts to identify some dying out lexical items within the framework of socio-historical
and cognitive model in three (plant, animal and traditional materials) semantic domains. Qualitative
research method was used. To investigate lexical loss, different lexical items were gathered through
interview and elicitation from elderly native Afan Oromoo speakers of Central dialect. Sixty
informants were selected by purposive and snow ball sampling techniques to identify lexical items
that have been less used or lost. Then endangered lexical items have been identified. Thus,
technological developments led to the replacement of most traditional materials with modern ones.
In doing so, cultural loss and other social developments are resulting into the present day society.
Finally, the study recommends that these words have been potentially used for classroom lessons
and parents should build a habit of using them as a way to reserve its originality and teach the
meaning of words to the current generation so as they can become familiar with the meaning and
concept of words. Moreover, further studies should have been carried out in Afan Oromoo lexical
change.