The Oyda people live in south-west Ethiopia, within a district administration also known by the name Oyda. Elderly members of the group mention that this ethnonym, which is also used to refer to their language, originates from the cognate noun oyda ‘seat’. It reflects ‘comfort’ and ‘hospitality’ the place offered/offers to the various clans, some of whom relate their ancestry to neighbouring groups such as the Maale to their south.