In today's article we are going to address the topic of Qwara dialect, a topic that has sparked interest and debate in recent times. Qwara dialect is an issue that affects a wide spectrum of society, from personal aspects to political, economic and cultural issues. Throughout this article we will explore different perspectives and shed light on different aspects related to Qwara dialect, with the aim of offering a complete and objective vision of this topic that is so relevant today.
Qwara, or Qwareña (called "Falasha" (Hwarasa) in some older sources), was one of two Agaw dialects, spoken by a subgroup of the Beta Israel (Jews of Ethiopia) of Qwara Province. It is a dialect of Qimant. It is nearly extinct.[citation needed] Several early Falashan manuscripts, using the Ge'ez script, exist; in more recent times, the language has been recorded by several linguists and travellers, starting with Flad in 1866.
Qwareña was on the decline in the early 20th century because it was being replaced by Amharic. During Operation Solomon, most of its remaining speakers were airlifted to Israel, where it continues to lose ground to Modern Hebrew.
Appleyard, David (1996), "Kaïliña – a 'new' Agaw dialect and its implications for Agaw dialectology", in Hayward, R.J.; Lewis, I. (eds.), Voice and Power: The Culture of Language in North-East Africa, London: SOAS, pp. 1–19, ISBN0-7286-0257-1
Flad, J. M. (1866). A Short Description of the Falasha and Kamants in Abyssinia: Together with an Outline of the Elements and a Vocabulary of the Falasha Language. Mission Press.
Freeburg, E. (2013). The Cost of Revival: the Role of Hebrew in Jewish Language Endangerment (Doctoral dissertation, Yale University).