Author(s) :
Ephraim Isaac.
Volume/Issue :
Volume 14
,
Issue 2
(08 - 2025)
Abstract :
One of the ironies of history concerns the creative people who mold and
shape objects with their own hands, and whom we call artisans or
craftspeople, and give specific names to their respective varieties of arts
and crafts. The pen, the ink, the clay, the papyrus, the vellum and all other
medium of writing which we use to interpret history were fashioned by
them. Every shred of pottery or every bit of coin, every bit of utensils or
furniture, every corner stone of an ancient building over which the
archeologist hovers is their legacy. The monumental steles, the grandiose
temples and palaces with ornate columns, the beautiful jewelry, the
ostentatious sculptures, and the intricate mosaics which fascinate art
historians were created by them. Not only were every tool and utensil
people always used at home and every weapon with which they fought
their brutal wars abroad “manufactured,” made by the hand of the
artisan, but undoubtedly every step in human technological advance until
the age of the electronic revolution was made by them. It is indeed no
exaggeration to say that history would be blank without the products of
artisans or craftspeople who more than any other single professional
group in antiquity left the clearest and most tangible symbols of human
ability and achievement. Yet it is truly ironic that above and beyond the
mythologies about them and the eternal products of their handiwork,
these “giants” left us so little factual information about themselves as
individuals and groups (compared to kings and princes, priests and
politicians, soldiers and philosophers...).
No. of Downloads :
7
Author(s) :
Assefa Balcha, Dagnachew Tolessa, & Fitsum Yussuf .
Volume/Issue :
Volume 14
,
Issue 2
(08 - 2025)
Abstract :
This article looks at some of the prevalent animal diseases and the indigenous medical lore
being deployed to fight against them in Wallo, Ethiopia. The complex interaction of human
beings and their bio-physical environment has been part of the history of peoples’ endless
struggle to adapt to an environment and survive. The struggle to maintain the health of
domestic animals by means of traditional medical practices has been part of this endeavour.
This particular aspect of survival deserves to be critically examined and documented. In light
of the above objectives, documenting the history of animal diseases contributes to our
understanding of indigenous healing traditions and coping methods in Wallo. The data for
this study was collected on different occasions from the three adjoining woredas (districts) of
Dessie Zuria, Qallu, and Tehuledere of South Wallo Administrative Zone. Beyond extensive
interviews with oral informants, and meticulous examination of archival records of the
Ministry of Interior, the Dessie municipality, and the South Wallo Agriculture office, the
research has also made use of several secondary source materials.
No. of Downloads :
10
Author(s) :
Deneku Abere.
Volume/Issue :
Volume 14
,
Issue 2
(08 - 2025)
Abstract :
The primary objective of this study is to explore the symbolic representation of Wolaita cultural houses. To achieve this, a descriptive research design was employed, utilizing qualitative methods. Data were collected through unstructured and semi-structured interviews, participant and non-participant observation, and focus group discussions (FGDs). Key informants were selected from the Ofa, Sodo Zuriya, Humbo, and Kawo Koysha districts (woredas) of the Wolaita Zone using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. A total of 20 individuals participated in the data collection: 16 older men and 4 older women. They were chosen for their extensive knowledge of Wolaita cultural housing styles and their symbolic representations.
The study’s findings revealed that socio-economic changes and the integrated development of urban and rural areas have profoundly impacted the development model of rural areas. These changes are reflected in adjustments to resident structures, shifts in production and lifestyles, evolving housing patterns, and altered urban-rural relations.
Despite the influence of modernization on Wolaita’s cultural houses, the Wolaita people historically had four distinct housing styles: zufa, meeshuwa, burariya, and gulantta. While these traditional Wolaita houses appear similar externally, their internal structures differ significantly in design, layout, construction materials, and aesthetic values. The study also indicates a strong communal unity within the Wolaita ethnic group, primarily reflected in the materials used for house construction. Furthermore, the study showed that these housing styles developed after periods when people lived under trees, in caves, and within rocks of various shapes. Interestingly, the Wolaita cultural house is also connected to the spiritual world. The shapes of these four housing styles are believed to bestow blessings upon both men and women. This is particularly evident in a closet reserved for women, symbolizing potential grace, while men are primarily assigned to a dining room, where dignity and grace are attained by adhering to Wolaita cultural norms.
The study’s results highlighted that, unlike many other local and foreign studies that link houses to unity, power relations, and interconnectedness, none connect them to the spiritual world in the same way. Therefore, the authors believe that adequate attention should be given to this indigenous housing style.
No. of Downloads :
16
MICROSOFT AMHARIC LANGUAGE PACK: AN EVALUATION OF WINDOWS INTEGRATED KEYBOARD AND USER EXPERIENCE
Publication Date : 29/03/2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63469/jaal1414
Author(s) :
Girma A. Demeke.
Volume/Issue :
Volume 14
,
Issue 1
(03 - 2025)
Abstract :
This paper focused on Microsoft language interface pack for Amharic. It
has examined Windows integrated keyboard and collation for Amharic.
It involved a thorough analysis of Amharic characters and punctuation
marks, culminating in the suggestion of a standardized solution. The
paper has identified various challenges encountered when using the
Windows integrated keyboard, particularly with the utilization of
repeated and sequence of keys to encode a single character and the
unreliability of the current sorting order, which often fails to adhere to
its own guidelines. Furthermore, the analysis has delved into
shortcomings within the Microsoft-prepared Style Guide for Amharic,
including instances of misinformation, typos, and grammatical errors.
Based on these findings, the paper has suggested ways to revise the style
guide and the keyboard assignment.
Keywords: Microsoft Language Pack, Amharic Characters, Windows 10,
Windows 11, Amharic Keyboard, Sorting Order
No. of Downloads :
2
A BOOK REVIEW ON “MY MEMORIES”
Publication Date : 02/03/2025
Author(s) :
Daniel Kassahun Waktola.
Volume/Issue :
Volume 14
,
Issue 1
(03 - 2025)
Abstract :
ዓለምአንተ ገብረሥላሴ የልጅነትና የዩኒቨርሲቲ ትውስታውን፣ የመሬት ይዞታ ጥናትና እና
የመሬት ላራሹ አዋጅ ተሳትፎውን፣ በትግራይና በበጌምድር የነበረውን የትጥቅ ትግሉን፣
በሱዳን እና በፈረንሳይ ያሳለፈውን የስደት ዘመኑን፣ በአሜሪካ የኖረበትን አካዳሚያዊና
ፖለቲካዊ ሕይወቱን፣ ወዘተ በ“ትውስታዎቼ” መጽሐፉ አካቷል። ሆኖም በጥልቀትና
በስፋት የተዳሰሰው ጉዳይ የመሬት ይዞታ ጥናትና እና የመሬት ላራሹ አዋጅ ተሳትፎውን
በመሆኑ የዚህ የመጽሐፍ ዳሰሳ በመሬት ጉዳዮች ላይ ያተኩራል።
የዓለምአንተ ትውስታዎቼ ከተለመዱ ግለ ታሪኮች ለየት ይላል። በሥር ነቀሉ የገጠር
መሬት አዋጅ መረቀቅና መተግበር ላይ የነበረውን የግል እና የቡድን ተሳትፎውን ተመርኩዞ፤
በአዋጁ ዙሪያ ሲቀርቡ ከቆዩ የተሳሳቱ ትችቶችና ትርክቶች መክቷል። አከራካሪ ሆነው የቆዩ
ጉዳዮችን ደግሞ በጊዜ ሂደት ነጥረው በወጡ ፖለቲካዊ እና የኢኮኖሚያዊ ዕይታዎች አንፃር
ቃኝቶ ለአንባቢ አቅርቧል። ስለሆነም መጽሐፉ እንደሚከተለው ጠለቅ እና ሰፋ ያለ ዳሰሳን
ጋብዟል።
No. of Downloads :
1
INTEGRATION BETWEEN INDIGENOUS AND CONVENTIONAL MEDICINES IN ETHIOPIA: UNRESOLVED HISTORICAL CONUNDRUM
Publication Date : 02/03/2025
Author(s) :
Assefa Balcha .
Volume/Issue :
Volume 14
,
Issue 1
(03 - 2025)
Abstract :
Since the late 1970s the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the integration
of traditional medicine’ practitioners into primary health care systems in Africa and elsewhere.
Numerous studies have examined the integration efforts that followed this recommendation,
and by the 1980s, it had become evident that integration faced significant challenges. Besides
using oral data gathered from more than twenty indigenous medical practitioners over an
extended period and a limited amount of secondary source materials, this historically-informed
and analytical study looks at the pluralistic Ethiopia’s medical landscape staring from the
early 20th century, when Menilik II made a modest attempt to utilize indigenous therapeutics
alongside modern western medical services, to the 1990s, focusing in particular on the efforts
made and the major challenges that obstructed cooperation and/or collaboration, let alone
integration, between indigenous and western allopathic medicines. Despite the absence of
archival materials in the dossiers of government offices and the existence of a handful of
workshop proceedings and ethnological/ anthropological studies on the alleged importance of
integration, no historical study has been conducted to look into the underlying reasons why the
insurmountable challenges facing integration was not given due consideration in the
social/medical history of Ethiopia. This historical research work tries to answer why
integration attempts had been sidelined or totally abandoned. Finally, some important remarks
are proposed on how to approach and tackle this vital, largely neglected and hitherto unsettled
historical question.
No. of Downloads :
3
