Editing Cushitic languages (section)

===Other divergent languages===

There are also a few languages of uncertain classification, including [[Yaaku language|Yaaku]], [[Dahalo language|Dahalo]], [[Asa language|Aasax]], [[Kw'adza language|Kw'adza]], [[Boon language|Boon]], [[Ongota language|Ongota]] and the Cushitic component of [[Mbugu language|Mbugu]] (Ma'a). There is a wide range of opinions as to how the languages are interrelated.<ref name=Hayward>Richard Hayward, "Afroasiatic", in Heine & Nurse, 2000, ''African Languages''</ref>

The positions of the Dullay languages and of Yaaku are uncertain. They have traditionally been assigned to an East Cushitic subbranch along with Highland (Sidamic) and Lowland East Cushitic. However, Hayward thinks that East Cushitic may not be a valid node and that its constituents should be considered separately when attempting to work out the internal relationships of Cushitic.<ref name=Hayward/> Bender (2020) suggests Yaaku to be a divergent member of the Arboroid group.<ref>Bender, M. Lionel. (2020). Cushitic Lexicon and Phonology. ed. [[Grover Hudson]]. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik / Research in African Studies, 28). Berlin: Peter Lang. {{ISBN|978-3-631-60089-4}}</ref>

The Afroasiatic identity of [[Ongota language|Ongota]] has also been broadly questioned, as is its position within Afroasiatic among those who accept it, because of the "mixed" appearance of the language and a paucity of research and data. [[Harold C. Fleming]] (2006) proposes that Ongota is a separate branch of Afroasiatic.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.harrassowitz-verlag.de/pcgi/a.cgi?ausgabe=index&T=1235007315045%7Bhaupt_harrassowitz%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.harrassowitz-verlag.de%2Ftitle_3277.ahtml%3FT%3D1235007315045%7D |title=Harrassowitz Verlag – The Harrassowitz Publishing House<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=16 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716072622/http://www.harrassowitz-verlag.de/pcgi/a.cgi?ausgabe=index&T=1235007315045%7Bhaupt_harrassowitz%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.harrassowitz-verlag.de%2Ftitle_3277.ahtml%3FT%3D1235007315045%7D |archive-date=16 July 2011 }}</ref> Bonny Sands (2009) thinks the most convincing proposal is by Savà and Tosco (2003), namely that Ongota is an East Cushitic language with a [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] [[Substratum (linguistics)|substratum]]. In other words, it would appear that the Ongota people once spoke a Nilo-Saharan language but then shifted to speaking a Cushitic language while retaining some characteristics of their earlier Nilo-Saharan language.<ref name=Sava2003>{{cite book|last1=Savà|first1=Graziano|last2=Tosco|first2=Mauro|title=Selected comparative-historical Afrasian linguistic studies|year=2003|publisher=LINCOM Europa|editor-last=Bender|editor-first=M. Lionel|chapter=The classification of Ongota |display-editors=etal}}</ref><ref name=Sands2009>{{cite journal|last=Sands|first=Bonny|year=2009 |title=Africa's Linguistic Diversity|journal=Language and Linguistics Compass|volume=3|issue=2|pages=559–580|doi=10.1111/j.1749-818x.2008.00124.x}}</ref>

[[Robert Hetzron|Hetzron]] (1980)<ref>Robert Hetzron, "The Limits of Cushitic", ''Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika'' 2. 1980, 7–126.</ref> and [[Christopher Ehret|Ehret]] (1995) have suggested that the South Cushitic languages (Rift languages) are a part of Lowland East Cushitic, the only one of the six groups with much internal diversity.