The Gurage (goo-ra-gay) people of Ethiopia can be found in different parts of the country, but are usually divided into three main groups: East, North and South Gurages. One major group in the Eastern parts, the Silte, chose not to be part of the Gurage group in a referendum held in the year 2000. Among the Gurages, some six different languages are spoken (Soddo, Inor, Mesqan, Mesmes, Zay and Sebat Bet). Sebat Bet means seven houses and refer to a group of seven Gurage tribes, which in turn have their specific dialects! In fact, many times the term Gurage is used in a cultural sense more than in a linguistic.

According to the historian Paul B. Henze, their origins are explained by traditions of a military expedition to the south during the last years of the Axumite Kingdom which left military colonies that eventually became isolated from both northern Ethiopia and each other.

Guraginya, as the language is referred to, is an Afro-Asiatic,  Semitic language, related to Geez (and subsequently Amharic and Tigrinya). They use the same kind of script as Amharic. However, since the Gurage people have been surrounded by Cushite language groups, their language has been influenced by these. As a result, some Gurage languages have a ten-vowel system characteristic of the neighboring Cushitic languages rather than the seven-vowel system common to most other Ethiopian Semitic languages, including the West Gurage languages.

According to the 2007 census, there are more than 1.8 million Gurages in Ethiopia, most of whom are farmers. The Gurages are famous for their use of the Enset tree, or fake banana. This tree has a very big stem that grows under the ground. It is widely used by the Gurages, being their staple food. It is also used in other aspects of life. For example, they wrap a corpse after death with it, or after birth, the umbilical cord is tied off with an enset fiber. One famous food of the Gurage is kitfo, meat chopped very finely and eaten raw or half-cooked with butter and hot chili. This is served with kocho, a gummy kind of fermented bread prepared by the enset tree. This bread is otherwise part of their daily diet.

The Gurages are generally liked in Ethiopia. People like their food and dancing, as well as the fact that they are clean and hard-working. There are many examples of Gurages who started out with almost nothing, and today are rich. They are also known to for helping each-other, being a bit clannish. It is truly an interesting people, from a country rich in culture and diversity!