obboleessa
/ɔbːɔleːsːɐ/
The Oromo word for brother is obboleessa.
obboleessa is a noun used to refer to a male sibling.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Which one should you use?
obboleessa is used for a brother regardless of whether he is older or younger than the speaker. This is distinguished from obboleettii, which is the term used for a sister.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔbːɔleːsːɐ/
Did you know?
- The term obboleessa is part of a linguistic family where the same root can evolve into words meaning 'cousin' in related languages like Konso.
- Oromo is a Cushitic language, meaning the word obboleessa belongs to a language family that differs fundamentally from the Arabic or Amharic often associated with the region.
- In Oromo culture, the concept of 'brotherhood' often extends beyond biological siblings to include close friends and members of the same clan.
Example sentences for Oromo are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Hawwi asks Tolasa about his family.
- TolasaObboleessa qabaa?Do you have a brother?
- HawwiEe, obboleessa tokko qaba.Yes, I have one brother.
- TolasaInni eessa jira?Where is he?
- HawwiInni magaala jira.He is in the city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries obboleessa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries obboleessa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
