INTRODUCTION: SPATIAL EXPRESSIONS IN ETHIOPIAN LANAGUAGES

Space and place are fundamental concepts for humanity and its existence. This is because our lives are intertwined with these notions in numerous ways. We inhabit and move about in particular, recognizable places/spaces, locate and perceive things in them. Our actions are executed, achievements realized, and plans mapped out or designed in space-time. Space is thus fundamental to human cognition. Given this, it is hardly surprising that expressions of space are so prevalent in language. Our languages are rich with lexemes and expressions related to space and spatial concepts. This encompasses, among others, locations, dimensions, directions, and spatial relations among objects. The grammar of spatial relations has been researched in many languages around the world. Although aspects of spatial expressions in some Ethiopian languages have been included in published works, no publication has yet brought together analyses of spatial expressions from several Ethiopian languages in one volume. Hence, this volume aims to fill this gap, facilitate typological and formal comparison, and enhance our understanding of spatial expressions in various Ethiopian languages.